Zach Gibson/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave the Trump administration at the beginning of the new year, President Trump announced Sunday, nearly two months earlier than Mattis said he would depart in his resignation letter submitted to the president last week following Trump's sudden decision to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

Trump was unhappy with Mattis' resignation but grew increasingly angry over the last few days following the negative media coverage stemming from the defense secretary's criticism of the president, a White House official said. Some of his closest allies validated the critiques, further enraging the president, the official told ABC News.

"He got more and more annoyed over time," the official said.

Trump was also feeling pressure from his family and other confidantes, who pressured him to cut Mattis loose earlier, an outside advisor to the president told ABC News.

"How can you let him stay when he's been so disrespectful to you?" they asked Trump, according to the advisor.

That, combined with what sources describe as a frayed relationship with Mattis, led to Sunday's tweet and the earlier end date for Mattis' departure, the White House official and outside advisor told ABC News.

In his announcement on Twitter Sunday morning, the president also named Patrick Shanahan as acting Secretary of Defense, who is currently the deputy at the department.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump tweeted. "Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Shanahan, a former senior vice president of Boeing, has been focused on the Department of Defense's budget and the Space Force during his time as deputy.

Col. Rob Manning, the head of Defense Press Operations, said the "secretary of defense serves at the pleasure of the president."

"The department remains focused on national security, he said.

The announcement comes just a few days after Mattis' abrupt resignation. In his letter to the president announcing his resignation, Mattis said he would be on until the end of February.

He had intended to testify on Capitol Hill and attend a NATO defense ministerial.

"The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Departments interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February," Mattis wrote.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina thanked Mattis on Twitter for a "lifetime of exceptional and dedicated service to our nation."

I think I speak for millions of Americans in thanking Secretary Mattis for a lifetime of exceptional and dedicated service to our nation.



I know he will continue to contribute to our national security for many years to come.  Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 23, 2018

"I know he will continue to contribute to our national security for many years to come," he wrote.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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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


Hundreds of yellow vest protesters marched in Dublin yesterday; like the French gilets jaunes who inspired them, the Irish yellow vests marched for a wide variety of causes, with no unified set of demands: the 2008 banker bailout (arguably the worst in the world since the Irish government has explicitly warned the banks it wouldn't guarantee their reckless loans, but still paid them off when the bubble burst); the continuing and ghastly revelations of scandals in the Church (including the forced-labor camps that unwed mothers were condemned to, and the scandal that the of storage tanks contained secret mass graves filled with the remains of infants); the spiraling costs of housing in Ireland; and the heel-dragging by the Irish government on legalizing marijuana.



Collectively, this could be called "anti-corruption."





Occupy had a semi-serious rallying cry: "Stuff is fucked up and shit." The everybody knows feeling, that our states are held captive by oligarchs, that oligarchs see us as "surplus population," that wealth means impunity.





When Occupy fizzled, many people said that the momentum had broken. But that's not how change works. Change is a scalloped growth curve:



Each event  Occupy, the Women's March, the Ferguson uprising, the Muslim Ban, family separation  excites a massive public response, and then most of the new people who the event has incited go back to their lives, but some people remain committed activists, energized by the glimpse of a new possibility. Even the ones who went home are primed to go out again, excited by the possibilities they've glimpsed.





The stimulus that brought people out in each instance is intensifying. The bankers who got bailed out didn't retire with their fortunes: they funneled them into projects to seize even more political power, which they've exercised to make lives even worse for everyday people (Trump didn't just decide on a whim to cut food stamps right before Christmas: he is serving the interests of the rich and literally starving the poor).

The toothpaste tube is being squeezed and squeezed, and no matter how tight the lid (elections, petitions, and other "normal" ways of seeking relief) is screwed on, the toothpaste has to go somewhere, even if it means splitting the seams to escape.



Their aims include an immediate halt on all housing evictions, the resignation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris, a cap on bedroom rent and legalisation of medicinal cannabis. Organisers said the movement is "recognition of the desire and right of all people to live, work and thrive in a safe modern and dignified manner". The demonstrators blocked traffic in the city centre for a brief period. Sheila O'Byrne said she was there on behalf of the mother and baby homes survivors. "The illegal adoption and unmarked graves, an unmarked Irish Holocaust, I'm here fighting for truth and justice," she said. "For the weak and elderly and vulnerable where the Church and state profited on our labour.

ipanews_a4c16360-e5f7-4be7-88d1-a3c8a46f973f_embedded240331133

Campaigners from Yellow Vest Ireland protesting against the government's record on a range of social issues (Brian Lawless/PA) "We want what we're owed, the same as the industrial homes. "The housing situation is a disgrace," she added. "People are left out on our streets when we have buildings lying empty.

Hundreds join 'yellow vest' protest march in Dublin [Aoife Moore/Press Association]





(via Naked Capitalism)


In 2017, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old Air Force veteran and intelligence contractor was arrested for leaking confirmation of 2016 Russian election meddling to The Intercept; Winner seems to have been motivated by the same outrage that had animated Ed Snowden four years earlier: watching her bosses lie about matters of national interest.

Winner is a principled, brilliant patriot who was facing a long prison sentence when she pleaded guilty and got a five-year term, the longest ever term for an offense of the sort Winner was accused of committing.





In the months since Winner's sentence, her alleged leak has been vindicated again and again, as members of Trump's inner circle have pleaded guilty, or been convicted, of acting as unregistered foreign agents, of secretly arranging Russian payouts, of lying to US law enforcement and Congress.

But these swamp creatures aren't drawing five-year sentences like young Ms Winner. Instead, they're getting wrist-slaps (George Papadopoulos got 14 days and sought early release after 12).





Winner's mother, Billie Winner-Davis, has written an impassioned editorial for The Intercept, describing the ways that Reality Winner is suffering for the crime of telling us something we desperately needed to know, and railing against the impunity of the men who committed the crimes she disclosed.

You can sign a petition to free Winner here.





Winner can receive letters and money for her commissary account, as well as books (only books sent direct by Amazon, due to prison rules):

REALITY WINNER 22056-021

FMC CARSWELL FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER

PO BOX 27137

FORT WORTH, TX 76127

Then Manafort. Despite having the financial means, connections, multiple passports, and experience traveling to other countries  at levels that far exceeded Reality's  Manafort was allowed to remain out of jail on bond. Manafort's bond was revoked only when he was accused of tampering with witnesses, and even then he seemed to be getting preferential treatment  until a judge transferred him to a "real" jail. Manafort was convicted of eight crimes and then entered into a plea agreement in another case. That plea was later revoked, after he was accused of lying to prosecutors. Last year, on December 18, 2017, as the court allowed Manafort to travel to the Hamptons to celebrate Christmas, our family celebrated that Reality had been given fresh fruit, a gift from a local church, and the very first fresh anything since her arrest on June 3, 2017. Next comes Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI concerning his contacts, during the presidential campaign, with people he believed had connections to the Russian government. He was sentenced to a total of 14 days in prison  and even then tried to get this sentence postponed before spending a mere 12 days incarcerated. What I wouldn't give to even have Reality released after 12 months.



My Daughter Reality Winner Faced Severe Punishment, but Key Figures in the Trump-Russia Scandal Are Getting Off Easy [Billie Winner-Davis/The Intercept]
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa used last week's Zanu-PF annual conference week in Esigodini to further push his main internal rival Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga against the wall in a major move that for the first time after the November 2017 coup leaves him in a relatively firmer position.The conference's most significant resolution was to endorse Mnangagwa as the party's sole candidate for the 2023 general election.Since the hotly contested presidential poll on July 30, Mnangagwa has been using his disputed mandate to reinforce his grip while also moving to contain and sideline Chiwenga, who is widely believed to harbour presidential ambitions.Before the elections, Chiwenga had an upper hand as he controlled levers of power following the coup which he masterminded and thereafter bestowed the presidency on Mnangagwa.Chiwenga also used his powers to influence appointments, grabbing the vice-presidency and controlling the Defence ministry while at the same time dictating the pace of events and national trajectory.Following the coup, Mnangagwa was practically a lame duck, having been hauled from a hideout in exile. He had no control of events on the ground that led to the removal of former president Robert Mugabe.In addition to that, Chiwenga was also in control of the Zanu-PF primary elections, leading to the general elections and also ran a seemingly parallel campaign in the run-up to the polls. The military machinery, with Chiwenga's residual influence, also rescued Mnangagwa from what looked like certain defeat by MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa. But soon after the election, Mnangagwa has taken charge, decimating Chiwenga's power base through cabinet appointments that excluded his allies, real or perceived.More critically, he also took the Defence ministry from Chiwenga, apportioni ng it to one of his most trusted allies, Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, who before and during the Esigodini conference was one of the strongest voices saying Mnangagwa should not be challenged in 2023.In a bid to slow down the push, Chiwenga-who was hamstrung by an illness which took him to South Africa for treatment-made some spine-chilling outbursts at a meeting held at his rural home in Hwedza, attended by senior Zanu-PF officials mostly from his Mashonaland East home province.At the meeting, Chiwenga warned that he would not stand and watch as some people played games with the country, a statement read by his opponents as a direct salvo at Mnangagwa."We are all Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country and no one is superior to the other. That's why we stood up in November 2017; we wanted to fight to leave inheritance for posterity and not promote an individual. Therefore, you must not say now because I am there, nothing else matters. Who are you?" Chiwenga was quoted as saying.However, Mnangagwa's allies were undeterred and directly took the fight to Chiwenga. Hardly a week later, they gathered at the party's national headquarters in Harare and launched the campaign to ensure Mnangagwa would not be internally challenged in 2023. The campaign was code-named #ED2023-PFee and it reverberated through the conference tent from day one to the end.It has been viewed as a political masterstroke in some quarters. The conference duly obliged and adopted the pro-Mnangagwa mantra as its key resolution.After senior party official Jacob Mudenda completed reading out the resolutions, which were immediately afterwards adopted by the conference, a visibly captivated Mnangagwa said: "All the resolutions were unequivocal and will certainly strengthen and consolidate the correct line as well as our desire to grow and modernise our revolutionary mass party."Refusing to rest on his laurels on the back of the conference resolution, Mnangagwa immediately took decisive action, when, earlier this week, he moved, through Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, to get rid of editors at state-controlled newspaper group Zimpapers and replaced them with new ones in a factional battle which also includes control of the state media platforms, critical for the control of the narrative and information dissemination.A tug of war had been simmering between Mutsvangwa as well as permanent secretary Nick Mangwana, on one hand, and deputy minister Energy Mutodi on the other, over the removal of the editors.For Mnangagwa's allies, the debate is effectively closed and he is now going to serve two terms, barring unforeseen events like accidents and deaths which are known to alter the course of history.For Chiwenga, this should certainly be a great betrayal, having put his head on the block to rescue Mnangagwa from exile after he had been fired from government.To many in Zanu-PF, it is hardly inconceivable that Mnangagwa would have been president without Chiwenga's intervention.Mnangagwa for now has an upper hand and the big question being asked in the corridors of power now is: could this be the end of Chiwenga or is he just having a strategic retreat? But with the economy in spectacular decline, Chiwenga and other Mnangagwa rivals could gain more ammunition to fight back.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A bid by Zanu-PF hardliners to push for a constitutional amendment that would have raised the age limit for presidential candidates to 52 years fell flat at the Zanu-PF conference after the ruling party failed to adopt the controversial resolution.War veterans linked to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga were the first to raise the age limit issue in the run-up to the conference that ended in Esigodini, Matabeleland South, yesterday.On the eve of the conference, the Zanu-PF women's league announced that they would back the resolution that was largely seen as an attempt to stop MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa from contesting the 2023 presidential elections.Chamisa, who only assumed the leadership of the opposition party following the death of former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in February this year, narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the July 30 polls.The 40-year-old lawyer is disputing the Zanu-PF leader's victory and claims the election was rigged.Monica Mutsvangwa, the Zanu-PF women's league leader, raised the age limit issue yesterday when she presented resolutions of the thematic committee on women's affairs.However, the ruling party's final resolutions presented by Zanu-PF chairperson of the documentation and legal committee, Jacob Mudenda, were silent on the proposal to amend the constitution.Mnangagwa also did not refer to the proposal in his closing remarks yesterday where he spoke about modernising Zanu-PF and nurturing democracy in Zimbabwe.Some of the resolutions of the two-day conference were that Zanu-PF must start campaigning for the 2023 elections.Zanu-PF also resolved to complete its on-going restructuring exercise by the first quarter of next year."Conference resolves that the party should complete its restructuring exercise from the cell right through to the provinces in 2019. Those structures should then vigorously start campaigning for the party immediately in preparation for the 2023 harmonised elections," Mudenda said.Zanu-PF also resolved that the controversial national youth service programme initiated by its late political commissar, Border Gezi, should be revived by the end of March next year.The ruling party also wants the national constitution amended to extend the terms of the parliamentary women's quota beyond 2023.The quota was introduced in 2013 as part of efforts to increase the number of women in Parliament. This saw the number of females in the legislature surging from 18% to 30% over the past six years, although it still falls far short of the 50-50 gender representation the women are clamouring for.Mudenda told the delegates that Zanu-PF would from now have its conference before the announcement of the national budget, which usually happens in November.The conference further resolved to pile pressure on government to expedite the implementation of economic programmes, including the construction of dams and setting up irrigation projects in every administrative district in the country to boost national food security.The party said the government must find a way of ending the multi-currency system, which it said was the main reason for the current economic downturn characterised by rising prices of consumer goods."Delegates urged government to expedite the solutions to the current three-tier pricing system which has pushed prices too high," Mudenda said.Zanu-PF also wants an upward review of village heads' monthly allowances.Meanwhile, Mnangagwa repeated his claims that some Zimbabweans were abusing the democratic space created by the ouster of former president Robert Mugabe in November last year."We will guard against those who want to abuse this democracy," he said."This space of democracy must be enjoyed knowing that respect of other people must continuously be entrenched."He said his party was on the move and would not be easily shaken."Those who have ears must listen and with eyes must see that Zanu-PF is boldly on the move. We have an appointment with our destiny and we will not miss it. Zanu-PF will not be distracted or destroyed. It will prosper."Last month, MDC Alliance rolled out the biggest post-election protest in Harare to register its opposition to the direction Zanu-PF was taking in addressing the economic crisis.
Thousands of Canadian residents forced to pay income tax in both Canada and the United States could be about to get some respite.

Legislation has been tabled in the U.S. House of Representatives that would exempt Americans living in countries like Canada from having to pay tax on income earned outside the United States.

North Carolina Republican Congressman George Holding said he tabled the Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act because the current system imposes an unfair burden on those with American citizenship outside the U.S.

"Not only does our archaic citizenship-based tax system impose a costly burden on Americans living abroad, but it also discourages businesses from hiring U.S. citizens for jobs in foreign jurisdictions," Holding wrote in a statement.

"This common-sense bill takes a huge step towards ending the outdated, backwards policy of double-taxation of American citizens living abroad."

Even under Holding's bill, U.S. citizens living in Canada would still have to pay tax on any income from U.S. sources.

The United States is one of only two countries in the world (Eritrea is the other) that taxes its residents based on citizenship. Most other countries, like Canada, tax according to where someone lives.

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

That means that Canadian residents with U.S. or dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship are supposed to file income tax returns each year to both Canada and the United States. In most cases, tax credits in each country can cancel each other out and reduce the risk of double taxation.

There are believed to be hundreds of thousands of people with U.S. citizenship living and working across Canada. They include "accidental Americans" who didn't realize until recently that the fact they were born in a hospital across the border, or to an American parent, meant that they were also supposed to file U.S. tax returns.

That started to change in 2010 when the U.S adopted the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The legislation, adopted to crack down on offshore tax evasion, requires banks and financial institutions around the world to report to the U.S. government the assets of customers who may be Americans for tax purposes.

Story continues

In Canada, the banks report that information to the Canada Revenue Agency, which then transfers it to the U.S. The Canadian government has defended the banking record-sharing deal, saying it avoids the prospect of Washington trying to enforce American law in Canada.

In late January, the Federal Court of Canada is scheduled to hear a challenge of the constitutionality of that agreement.

Holding's bill, if it passes, could make life easier for many Canadian residents with U.S. citizenship in the future. But it would do little to help thousands of Canadian residents with U.S. or dual citizenship and a company incorporated in Canada who were hit with massive tax bills as a result of the sweeping tax reform U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a year ago.

Buried in the 1,097-page Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a "repatriation tax" intended to stop big U.S. multinationals like Google and Apple from parking profits in foreign subsidiaries to avoid paying billions in U.S. tax.

However, it also created a legal and accounting nightmare for thousands of Canadian residents, such as small business owners, farmers, doctors, dentists, lawyers and others with incorporated companies. The one-time retroactive tax was levied on all of the retained earnings in companies going back to 1986.

Some of those particularly hard-hit had been using their companies to save for retirement. Many have spent the past year grappling with tax bills that total hundreds of thousands of dollars.

www.congress.gov

Because Trump signed it into law in the dying days of 2017, the bill applied to the 2017 tax year  even though the IRS and the Treasury Department had not yet issued guidelines on how the tax was to be applied.

Many of those affected are also facing a second tax going forward: the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) tax. The tax, which will start in the 2018 tax year, will apply to profits made each year by a corporation outside the U.S. owned by someone with American citizenship.

Many accountants and tax professionals advised their clients to delay filing until the last moment  Dec. 15  in the hopes that the U.S. would change the rules or lobbying attempts would be successful.

"We have a lot of unhappy clients out there," said Kevyn Nightingale, a partner with MNP's tax services group in Toronto.

Monte Silver, a Canadian-born U.S. tax lawyer based in Israel, has been helping lobby the U.S. government and raise money to fund a U.S. court challenge of the tax reform.

However, he said U.S. officials appear focused on the impact of the repatriation tax on big corporations, and indifferent to the situation of Americans living outside the U.S.

"The issue here is not expats," he said. "We're just an insignificant little fly to them."

To date, there has been little sign of the Canadian government doing very much to help people caught in the cross-border predicament.

In August, Finance Minister Bill Morneau told reporters that the Canadian government had raised the issue of the impact the retroactive repatriation tax was having on Canadian residents.

Finance department documents, obtained by CBC News through Canada's access to information law, show that a top Finance official, Brian Ernewein, did raise the issue on May 11, 2018 in a call with Chip Harter of the U.S. Treasury Department

"I took the opportunity of a call this morning with U.S. Treasury's Chip Harter to raise the point that we're hearing a lot about the issue of the repatriation tax applying to U.S. citizens residing in Canada," Ernewein wrote in a heavily redacted document.

"This is where we left it, with plans to discuss a bit further when we see each other next week in Vancouver."

The Finance department records also reveal that at least one provincial government has raised the issue with the federal Department of Finance.

In a letter dated March 7, New Brunswick's deputy finance minister wrote to federal deputy Finance minister Paul Rochon outlining her concerns.

"Allowing the recent U.S. tax reform rules to deplete the financial resources of Canadian corporations owned by Canadian residents, even those who are also American citizens, will greatly impact both the short term and long term investment plans of Canadian businesses," Nicole Picot wrote.

Reached this week, Pierre-Olivier Herbert, spokesman for Morneau, said "Finance officials will continue to engage with their U.S. counterparts to ensure they are aware of the negative impact on U.S. citizens abroad."

Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..JNS.org..21 December '18..I used these very excerpts in an article I wrote some thirty months ago, titled Imbecility squared, addressing the policy proposals advanced by an organization called Commanders for Israels Security (CIS), comprising more than 200 senior Israel Defense Forces officers and other high-ranking officials in Israels intelligence and police force.Sadly, they are as pertinent now as they were then, arguably more so.Readers may recall that CIS have, in the past, called for Israel to declare that it forgoes any claims to sovereignty over territory beyond the Security Barrier; freeze all construction in Jewish communities beyond that barrier; encourage the unilateral removal of all Jewish civilian presence there; but leave the IDF in control of security throughout the entire area. Indeed, CIS envisages this IDF deployment continuing until some Palestinian peace-partner emergessufficiently pliant to reach an agreement to accommodate Israeli security concerns, yet sufficiently authoritative to enforce its terms on a potentially recalcitrant population.The purported rationale for this policy prescription is to preserve the viability of the two-state formula for resolving the conflict with the Palestinian Arabs, something which CIS acknowledges is not feasible at the moment, as no prospective partner with the adequate pliancy-cum-authority can be identified.Nonetheless, it believes that these proposed measures are necessary to prevent what it considers the disastrous demographic consequences entailed in Israel retaining large portions of Judea-Samaria, together with its Arab population.While I do not want to diminish the demographic dangers annexation of Judea-Samaria, along with its Muslim inhabitants, might herald for Israel, the CIS blueprint is as pernicious as it is preposterous.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Israel Hayom..21 December '18..The fourth tunnel exposed on Israel's border with Lebanon will not be the last. The digging of these tunnels has been going on for years. The timing of the operation has nothing to do with when the tunnels were discovered and everything to do with when the officials wanted to reveal their existence to the public.We can only hope the exposure will silence the curious criticism coming from, among some in the media, among others, over the Israel Defense Forces' use of the term "operation" to describe these efforts, whose importance was apparent with the exposure of the first terror tunnel. This is an operation that has been going on in the area for some time and involves quite a few forces, not including those on alert, including explosions and engineering work covers a wide area.The digging of a tunnel under the border is a terrorist activity by any definition; it is tantamount to the firing of rockets over the border fence or an attempt to infiltrate the border. Terrorism must be fought on a number of fronts; diplomatic, military, economic, legal and the public conscience.From a diplomatic perspective, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was right to hold not only Hezbollah but also the Lebanese government responsible. Lebanon has been playing the part of the helpless country unable to influence Hezbollah for far too long. The time has come for Beirut to understand it could pay a heavy price for this hypocrisy. Netanyahu discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and others and dispatched intelligence officials to the U.S. for a briefing ahead of a meeting of the Security Council. Tours of the area, press conferences, ambassador briefings and the like are part of the diplomatic efforts as well as efforts to influence public conscience. This does not ensure a just decision will be reached by the U.N. Security Council, it is nevertheless important to arrive at these meetings armed and ready.As far as Israel's military efforts on the issue are concerned, exposing the threat of an attack on Israeli communities, border infiltration, the kidnapping of citizens and soldiers and thwarting that threat is important, but it is not enough. We must not deal solely with the barrel of the gun protruding into our territory, but also with the gun itself, the ammunition and the person planning to pull the trigger. The IDF has begun to seal off the entrances to the tunnels on our side of the border and detonate them along the way, a move one IDF spokesperson said would ensure they have been taken out ofoperation on the Lebanese side as well. Now the time has come to detonate the entire length of the tunnels and more importantly, deal with their points of origin in Lebanon. A massive explosion would not only neutralize Hezbollah's ability to go back and dig a new tunnel but would financially punish those who put their greenhouse, field or factory at the terrorist group's disposal. There is nothing sacred about keeping the operation on our side of the border, especially when there are no fences underground and the risks have been calculated in advance. Furthermore, Israel is known to have at its disposal not only drones but also self-driving vehicles. That is how you achieve deterrence.There are those who warn against any move that could lead to an escalation in tensions and possibly influence other fronts. But it is precisely because we have other fronts  Iran, the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, the north and the homefront  that we must be strong and determined in our response. Should Israel suffice with defensive action, the insolence of Iran and its emissaries will continue to grow, and there will be increasing support for the use of this type of aggressive infrastructure from the regimes in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. Our enemies must know that while the U.S. may pull out of Syria and reduce its presence in the region, we are here to stay.
India and China concluded the Hand-in-Hand military exercise on 22nd December 2018 in Chinas Chengdu city. This was the 7th edition of the Hand-in-Hand military exercise. The Hand-in-Hand military exercise did not take place last year due to prevailing tensions between both sides after 73-day military standoff at Doklam

This years exercise, which began on 11th December, focused on urban terrorism in which Indian and Chinese armies conducted the drills while living and dining together to build up a sense of camaraderie. The exercise included live firing and demonstration of driving skills to rescue hostages held by terrorists in an urban environment. The previous edition of Hand-in-Hand that was held in 2016 in Pune had focussed on counter-terrorism drills in non-urban areas.

The exercises and the concluding ceremony were live-streamed by Chinas state-run TV channel CGTN highlighting their importance. The exercise seeks to improve the relations between the two countries drills keeping in spirit of this years Wuhan summit.

Wuhan Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of China Xi Jinping had held their first Informal Summit in Wuhan on April 27-28, 2018. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on overarching issues of bilateral and global importance and to elaborate their respective visions and priorities for national development in the context of current and future international situation.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted her Brexit deal is still alive and kicking, despite a stinging rebuff from the European Union after she asked for changes to make the agreement more palatable to UK lawmakers.Mrs May came to an EU summit in Brussels seeking legally binding changes to the agreement, but the bloc told her bluntly that a renegotiation was not possible.They offered only assurances they would seek to move swiftly on forging a new trade deal after Britain leaves the bloc on March 29.Nonetheless, Mrs May told reporters in Brussels that she welcomed the EU's words  and that, as formal conclusions of an EU summit, they 'have legal status.''There is work still to do, and we will be holding talks in coming days about how to obtain the further assurances that the U.K. Parliament needs in order to be able to approve the deal,' Mrs May said.Mrs May's optimism contrasted with a pessimistic tone from many on the EU side. EU leaders expressed deep doubts that Mrs May could live up to her side of their Brexit agreement and vowed to step up preparations for a potentially-catastrophic 'no-deal' scenario for Britain's departure.'Very objectively, the signals that we heard yesterday are not especially reassuring about the capacity in Britain to be able to honor the engagement that was undertaken,' Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters.Expressing a 'gigantic doubt' that Mrs May can get her Brexit deal through the British Parliament, Mr Michel said: 'we are going to be sure to prepare for all hypotheses, including the hypothesis of a 'no deal.''Mrs May canceled a Brexit vote in the U.K. Parliament this week after it became clear it would strongly vote down the Brexit deal she concluded with the EU last month. She hopes to secure changes from the bloc in order to get Parliament's approval in a vote next month.But EU leaders rejected any attempt to re-negotiate their agreement, a 585-page legal text settling things like the divorce bill and the rights next year of Europeans living in Britain or Britons living in the EU. It also includes a document laying out their hopes for future relations, which isn't legally binding.In a combative late-night press conference, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker accused Britain of failing to give detailed proposals on Brexit, saying it was 'up to the British government to tell us exactly what they want.'Mrs May was filmed speaking sternly to Mr Juncker as leaders arrived at Friday morning's session of the summit.She reportedly confronted Mr Juncker, saying: 'What did you call me? You called me nebulous,' referring to an earlier press conference, and insisting he had used the word when he denied it.She later said the pair had had a number of 'robust' exchanges throughout the day.No country has ever left the 28-nation EU  the world's biggest trading bloc  and the rules laying out that process are sketchy.Essentially, Brexit is being made up as the process advances. Court challenges have clarified some of the rules. This week, Europe's top court ruled that Britain can change its mind about leaving should it want to. One thing is clear: Brexit will happen on March 29, although a transition period will help ease Britain out over almost two, and possibly up to four, years.Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel appealed to British MPs to keep the interests of their citizens in mind.'For internal political reasons, some people try to gamble on the relations between the EU and the U.K. for the future. It's bad. This is the best possible deal,' Bettel said. 'They should think about the interests of their voters and people in their country.'In Britain, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, a senior May ally, insisted Thursday's talks in Brussels had been 'a welcome first step,' noting that the EU had said it wanted a 'speedy U.K. trade deal' after Brexit.But opponents of the government said the EU summit showed that May's deal would never get the support of the British Parliament.
Japan plans its first aircraft carrier and big increases in defence spending and weapons capability in the coming years, according to new defence guidelines approved on Tuesday that cite the need to counter potential threats from North Korea and China and other vulnerabilities.The guidelines approved at a meeting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet call for refitting an existing helicopter carrier into a ship that can deploy 42 expensive, U.S.-made F-35B stealth fighters capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings. Japan plans to buy 147 F-35s over the next decade.The guidelines would replace the current defence plan halfway through and underscore Abe's push to expand Japan's military role and capability to make it 'a normal country' in Abe's words. He has long wanted to revise Japan's U.S.-drafted constitution that renounces war and has already broadened the concept of self-defence to allow Japanese personnel to defend allied military forces as Japan increasingly works alongside American troops.Defence officials say Japan needs higher deterrence and increased missile defence and fighter capability to cope with threats from North Korea and China and other changes in the region's security environment. The new guidelines say Japan needs to be well-prepared and to show it can withstand threats, noting the archipelago is prone to natural disasters and its coastline is dotted with vulnerable nuclear power plants.Officials say the Maritime Self-Defence Force's helicopter carrier Izumo, a 250m-long, flat-top destroyer that can carry 14 helicopters, is set to be refitted as an aircraft carrier. Japan has relatively little land on which to build runways long enough for conventional F-35s, and an aircraft carrier would be particularly useful in the western Pacific, where Japan wants to play a greater role as part of the U.S.-Japan alliance. A cost estimate wasn't given.Critics say possession of an aircraft carrier would give Japan a strike capability in violation of its pacifist constitution that limits use of force to self-defence only. Japan, under the new defence guidelines, also plans to possess cruise missiles designed to hit enemy targets, which opponents say could go beyond Japan's pacifist principle.Defence officials brushed off the criticism, saying Izumo will be a multifunctional warship used as aircraft carrier only when necessary for national defence.The guidelines say Japan needs to beef up its air defence capability in the Pacific, while expanding surveillance in the area. The Defence Ministry says Japan plans to purchase 105 conventional F-35s and 42 F-35Bs to replace some of its fleet of F-15s.The big price tag for the jets  a F-35B costs about 10 billion yen ($123 million)  will drive up Japan's defence spending, which has already climbed steadily for six straight years since Abe took office at the end of 2012. Japan plans to spend 235 billion yen ($3 billion) to buy a pair of land-fixed U.S. missile defence system, Aegis Ashore, as well as other American missile interceptors.The Cabinet, under the guidelines, also approved a new Medium Term Defence Program requiring a record five-year defence spending of 27 trillion yen ($334 billion) beginning 2019, up more than 2 trillion yen ($24.7 billion) from an earlier five-year defence budget.As Japan comes under pressure from President Donald Trump to allow more exports from the U.S., purchases of costly American weapons would be a way to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, while enhancing military cooperation between the allies. Japan's U.S. arms purchases have surged, and the Defence Ministry came under criticism for agreeing too easily to Washington's hefty asking price. The guidelines said Japan will seek more cost-efficient purchase of advance-capability U.S. equipment, while pushing for more joint research and development.Buying more American weapons, however, would be a setback for Japan's defence industry and its hopes to develop its own replacement of F-2 fighter jets are uncertain. The guideline did not mention whether the F-2 successor would be made made-in-Japan or jointly developed.The guidelines also called for setting up a unit specialising in space, cyberattacks and electronic warfare, while integrating the ground maritime and air forces to better coordinate operations. Japan should aim for a unified, simultaneous 'multi-dimensional and unified defence capability' that breaks away from the conventional concept of ground, maritime and air defence, the guidelines said.As the fast-aging country faces declining population and workforce, Japan will accept more women to join the self-defence force, postpone retirement age and promote research and development of robotics and unmanned equipment.
New Zealand police are combing an area of bush in the search for the body of British backpacker Grace Millane, who went missing in Auckland a week ago.The tourist was last caught on camera arriving at the Citylife Hotel with a man late on December 1 - the day before her 22nd birthday.A 26-year-old man she was seen with will be charged with murder and appear in court next week, police said.On Sunday, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said police were methodically combing an area of bush on Scenic Drive, a route along the city's Waitakere Ranges regional park, about 20km west from the city centre.'At this stage we are not able to confirm whether Grace has been located at this site,' he said.A week-long search turned into a homicide probe this weekend, with officers saying while they had not found Millane, a scene examination at the hotel and video footage had concluded she was no longer alive.Police say there's no evidence she and the man knew each other prior, but have not commented on how they met.Ms Millane, from Essex, was on the second leg of a year-long trip around the world after graduating university.After visiting Peru, she arrived alone in New Zealand last month and had been in touch with family and friends nearly daily until her disappearance.Her father, David Millane, arrived in New Zealand on Friday, and made an emotional public appeal for help in finding Grace, who he described as a 'lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter'.
An already serious legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm is starting to intensify. Not only are the two companies duking it out in jurisdictions across multiple countries, the stakes have become increasingly high with each passing month. Most recently, a German court ruled that certain iPhone models with Intel modems infringe upon Qualcomm patents and cannot be sold in the country, according to a report from ReutersApple is naturally planning to appeal the ruling and the looming ban. In the interim, all of Apple's 2018 iPhone models remain available for purchase across the country. Apple, though, indicated that it has stopped selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 at its retail stores in Germany, though the devices can still be picked up via local carriers.Don't Miss:How on Earth are these awesome Philips Hue deals still available?As to the infringing technology in question, older iPhone models with Intel modems contain a component from Qorvo which covers 'envelope tracking, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals.' For what it's worth, Qorvo's chip was not found to infringe on Qualcomm patents in the U.S.Commenting on the ruling in Germany, an Apple spokesperson said:Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany. During the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apple's 15 retail stores in Germany. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available in all our stores.The German court ruling comes in the wake of Qualcomm securing an iPhone ban in China over a software patent. Apple, though, continues to sell the iPhone in China as it maintains that its devices  thanks to a software update  no longer run afoul of Qualcomm's intellectual property. Qualcomm, of course, believes otherwise, with a Qualcomm lawyer recently claiming that 'Apple apparently continues to flout the legal system by violating the injunctions,'
Drugs and drug-taking tools are seized by the police. Photo by VnExpress

13 people were caught having a drug party Friday night at a Ha Tinh karaoke parlor.

A police raid on the 'Dubai' karaoke parlor in the central provinces Huong Khe District discovered six men and seven women with two packets of marijuana, three ecstasy pills, some meth and several drug-taking implements.

The people confessed they were throwing a "drug party" to celebrate a friends birthday.

Among the people caught were the deputy director of an unnamed bank branch in the district, a local forest ranger, a teacher and accountant at a local kindergarten.

"We are waiting for police investigation results and will not tolerate any violation," said a representative of the Huong Khe Districts Department of Education and Training.

Police raids to bust drug use at restaurants and similar places in Vietnam have happened more often of late. Earlier this month police checked a bar in Ho Chi Minh City and found dozens of people high on drugs and in possessing them. Last month, hundreds of police officers raided a popular restaurant in the city's central District 1 and held around 70 drug users and sex workers for drug test.

While heroin has long been common among users in Vietnam, the use of synthetic drugs like meth or ecstasy is on the rise, especially among partying youth.

Seven people died after using drugs at an electronic music festival in September in Hanoi, raising alarms for drug control in the country.

Around 223,000 people were found using narcotics in Vietnam last year, 12,000 more than the previous year, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Each year, about 1,600 people die of drug overdose in Vietnam. A staggering $93.7 million is spent on buying drugs and $44.6 million on running rehab facilities.
Three dogs are seen at a park in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Tat Dinh

Hanoi is considering tagging dogs in the city with geographic postitioning chips to better manage them.

The project, devised by the citys Animal Health Department in collaboration with two unnamed foreign NGOs, is expected to be proposed to the citys administration next year for approval.

The chips, which would be tagged on each dogs ears and collars, would contain information like the dogs birth year, identification features and vaccination status. This data will be stored digitally for better management, said Nguyen Ngoc Son, head of the animal health department.

"Its like how motorbikes have number plates on them," he explained.

The project would be funded by multiple sources.

The chips would also help reduce incidence of dog theft, which is rampant in Vietnam, Son added. Dog theft is rarely treated as a criminal offense in Vietnam, unless they are valued at more than VND2 million (approximately $100). But it almost always stirs public anger as most of the dogs stolen are pets and they would be slaughtered in brutal ways and served in restaurants.

In September, Hanoi recommended that citizens stop eating cats and dogs, saying such consumption creates a negative image of the city in the eyes of international tourists and expats.

"The city wants people to see the value in treating animals humanely," the municipal Peoples Committee said in a statement, suggesting that it might impose a dog meat ban soon.

493,000 dogs are raised at houses in Hanoi, the highest among all cities in the country. 87 percent of them are kept as pets and for "housekeeping purposes," while the rest are bred to be sold or consumed as food.

The Vietnamese market consumes an estimated five million dogs per year, second only to China, which eats roughly 20 million.
As China rises up the value chain, where do its old low-quality technologies and machinery and the products they produce go?

Dinh Hong Ky, HCMC-based businessman

An executive of a large Chinese tile manufacturing company came to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this year to meet me and propose moving entire plants from Foshan in China to Vietnam.

The companys plan was to produce goods in Vietnam and export to the U.S. to avoid the tariffs slapped by President Trump.

But after spending half a day crunching numbers, comparing the U.S. tariffs on their products, which might increase further, and the cost of producing in Vietnam, the executive changed his mind.

He said the tariff would only be 10-15 percent whereas moving the plant to Vietnam would increase costs by 25-30 percent. The rents in HCMC and its neighboring provinces are quite high compared to Foshan, while labor costs are higher after factoring in productivity. Data and logistics costs are also too high.

Besides, the company operates nine synchronized lines in Foshan, which can only be moved to Vietnam one by one, which will increase costs.

The following day the executive returned with a final decision: the company will not invest in Vietnam but focus on cutting costs in China.

This is one of the reasons I am not convinced many Chinese businesses are looking to invest in Vietnam to avoid the origin of products issue amidst the trade war with the U.S.

But the story does not end there.

I went to China last month and visited construction material manufacturers in Guangdong, and was shocked by what I saw: they had all adopted the latest technologies.

At Foshans tile manufacturing factories, equipment based on robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer rare. A few years ago, in stark contrast, workers used to work in a sea of dust there.

Changes are occurring in technology and intellectual property compliance in China. Chinese businesses are radically transforming under international pressure, including from the U.S., as the West wants the Chinese government and its businesses to play the global game by conforming to technical standards.

That is when it hit me: Many Chinese enterprises are accelerating the pace of replacement and extinguishing old technologies because of the impact of the Trump-Xi war.

A porter carries goods imported from China at a border gate with China in Mong Cai, Vietnam April 12, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham

Upgrading and disposing of old technologies are not something new for the manufacturing sector and China has been doing this for years. But now, caught between reforming and surviving and not changing and perishing, businesspeople have unleashed a wave of reform. Disposing of old technologies is therefore more pressing than ever for the world's factory.

Stepping out of their factories, a question came to my mind: As China rises up the value chain, where do their old low-quality technologies and machinery and the products they produce go?

It made me think of a phenomenon. In the last two years land rents at industrial parks in HCMC and surrounding provinces such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An and Ba Ria - Vung Tau have risen sharply. Demand from Chinese mainland enterprises is substantial. They are willing to pay very high prices for good locations in the parks. Of course, machinery and equipment, and even human resources are brought from their country.

The owner of a large construction materials manufacturer in Guangdong recently told me that Vietnam is China's second largest market for building materials after the U.S. I am surprised a small market like Vietnam accounts for such a large proportion of our neighbors exports.

I was intrigued. Nearly 20 years ago China banned motorbikes and its cheap production lines moved to Vietnam. Is this happening again?

How many of us have seen the big picture? Last week I attended a workshop in HCMC where experts analyzed the opportunities and challenges for the Vietnamese economy and businesses in the context of the U.S.-China trade war.

Many were excited about the prospect of foreign investment moving out of China to other countries, including Vietnam, and opportunities for Vietnamese businesses when the U.S. forces China to play the new game, but also worried about the flow of Chinese investments and goods into Vietnam to avoid the tariffs.

Juxtaposing this with my own experiences, I ask myself: "Are these the only issues for Vietnam?"

For me, the trade war has been affecting Vietnam in a different way and not as currently being speculated. But I have not seen any authorities talk about or provide advice to businesses and the public about the possible consequences of this war.

As a businessman, I expect the government and policymakers to identify the concealed part of the iceberg, share more information with businesses and warn about the possible consequences of the war to prevent the country from becoming anyones backyard.

*Dinh Hong Ky is a business executive based in Ho Chi Minh City. The opinions expressed are his own.
In Vietnam, domestic violence spans across every walk of life

Despite serious threats within their family, many women have rarely spoken up about their being abused. Photo by Shutterstock/A. and I. Kruk

Domestic violence is widespread in Vietnam but the victims, usually women, conceal it fearing shame and stigma.

An ongoing exhibition at Hanois Vietnamese Womens Museum, showcases heart-wrenching stories of female victims of domestic violence.

While the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control came into force 10 years ago, domestic violence remains rife among all social classes.

Behind closed doors

"Behind closed doors" is the name of the exhibition, which will stay open until the end of the month, exhibiting victims' stories, installations and housing models to support domestic violence victims.

Most of the stories were shared from unnamed women.

One of them is a 38-year-old university lecturer in Nam Dinh Province, three hours south of Hanoi. She married a man whose excellent academic achievements she admired.

In the seemingly ideal family, however, she suffers physical violence frequently at the hands of her husband.

"My husband locks the door when he hits me," she said.

"My husband never accepts that I can do something he does not like, even the smallest thing. If he asks me to buy lemons but I buy kumquats instead, he would think I disrespect him and curse and hit me immediately."

A 37-year-old bank employee in Vinh Phuc Province, one hour northwest of Hanoi, also endures brutal beatings from her husband.

"He often locks me inside the house to beat me," she said.

When they have an argument, her husband uses anything within his reach to attack her. "If he can reach a knife, he uses a knife. Without it, he would throttle my neck, leaving marks."

She showed two scars on her neck as the legacy of an attack when he throttled her neck so tightly she bled.

"I was too weak to resist the violence; he is a strong man. Once he used a chopping knife to slit my throat, I was so scared I called the police."

She said that once her husband attacked her with a knife but she lied to her colleagues about the injury, saying she was robbed on the street.

"I dont want my colleagues or my husbands colleagues know Im beaten by him, because it will affect his job and my children."

These tragic stories are repeated by woman after woman across the country. In fact, 58 percent of women who have ever been married experienced at least one of physical, mental or sexual violence at the hands of their husbands, reported the National study on Domestic Violence Against Women by the Vietnamese government and the United Nations.

The Nam Dinh university lecturer, only identified by her initials P.T.T., said: "I asked him we are both intellectuals, so how could he hit me like that. I am a lecturer, yet I am insulted by my husband."

She has also experienced sexual abuse by her husband.

"My husband has high sexual demands, and I always have to satisfy him or else he will get suspicious."

Sometimes when she stayed with her children to avoid him, he would grab her, spit in her face and curse.

"I always feel so ashamed and painful like I was raped."

P.K.H., another teacher in Nam Dinh, started suffering physical abuse in 2012 when she found out about her husbands affair.

"One time he came home late from work and knocked on the door, but I did not hear it as I was on the phone. When I opened the door he punched me right on my face, causing my eyes to swell."

M.T.H., 50, a freelancer in Dong Anh District in suburban Hanoi, said, "My children often witnessed their fathers sexual violence against me.

"Sometimes when he would demand sex and I would refuse he would strip off his clothes and turn on the light even in front of our children."

Her youngest son is now struggling with depression because of such experiences. When her oldest son protested, her husband said, "She is my wife, I can sleep with her."

Ten percent of women who had ever married have experienced domestic sexual violence, according to the national study on Domestic Violence Against Women. The report also points out that sexual violence does not differ among different age groups or academic levels.

Besides physical and sexual abuse, the report found that women also experience mental abuse and financial abuse from their spouses.

The truth untold

Despite serious threats within their family, many women have never voiced about their abuse for fear of social prejudice.

S.N.B, 42, a freelancer in Lang Son, four hours north of Hanoi, said she endured torture that almost killed her.

"I once lost consciousness on the street, my neighbors had to take me to the hospital." B said. "Two weeks ago, he used a knife to slit my head, leaving an open wound. I had to receive over ten stitches."

The husband was arrested by the local police and the knife was confiscated, but S. eventually asked for his release.

"I was afraid people would say it is me who throw my husband into jail. Im afraid my children would grow up thinking that way, so I withdrew my lawsuit."

N.T.O., a shopkeeper in Hai Duong Province, more than an hour east of Hanoi, who endured her spouses verbal attacks throughout decades, said that she thought confessing would embarrass her and getting divorce was considered a disgrace.

"If I get divorced, people will laugh at us," O said. "My daughters parents in law will not understand, it will put a bad reputation on my daughter."

Statistics in the National Study show nearly half of the respondents say they have never told anyone about their husbands' violent behavior; 87.1 percent of the women suffering spousal abuse never sought help from any government body or organization.

In Vietnam, there were one million divorce cases involving domestic violence nationwide between 2008 and 2018, according to the justice department.

Around 97 percent of the nation's victims are women, according to the National Study on Domestic Violence Against Women, co-conducted by the government and the United Nations.

According to a 2013 report by World Health Organization, Southeast Asia ranked highest after Africa, at 40.2 percent, for lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence, or both, among all women of 15 years or older.
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.
Ukraine boosts revenue from exports of frozen fish by 43% in 10 months

The export revenue over the period under review amounted to US$1.1 million.

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First official flight from Mykolaiv to Kyiv rescheduled due to low demand

The regular air service between Kyiv and Mykolaiv was to be launched on December 21 from Kyiv Sikorsky Airport (Zhuliany).

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During a speech at the Iranian parliament on December 18, Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, a mid-ranking cleric, said various opposition groups are attempting to unite under the U.S. supportive umbrella.

Although Alavi claims the U.S. is trying to unite Iranian foreign-based groups, there is no tangible sign that such a process might have indeed started. This claim might be aimed at his own audience within the regime.

Alavi further accused foreign intelligence services of being directly involved in actions against Iran's national security.

This was the first time an Iranian official admitted the importance of opposition groups in Iran's domestic politics. Usually Islamic Republic officials tend to ignore the opposition and belittle their political significance and power.

The main factor giving more prominence to exiled opposition was the strong support many protesters voiced for the Pahlavi royal family and Prince Reza during mass protests earlier this year.

It also appears that as Persian-speaking media lent more prominence to major opposition groups including royalists and the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK) during the past year, the Islamic Republic became increasingly concerned about their power and possible impact.

A Radio Farda Program on Friday December 21 probed into the status and influence of the Iranian opposition.

The Sixth Hour program, hosted by Radio Farda's editor-in-chief, Niusha Boghrati attempted to find answers for the questions such as who are the Iranian opposition? What is their political nature and function? How influential are they? And in practical terms, how capable they are to bring about a serious change in Iran?

A listener phoning in at the beginning of the program said, "The opposition are the same as the Iranian people who are gradually converging and supporting each other." He added that support various domestic groups have lent to the steel workers in Ahvaz was a sign of strengthening of the opposition.

Another listener disagreed, saying that part of the opposition living abroad has been maintained by foreign powers and another part are the same people who have been expelled from Iran after the 1979 revolution. He also characterized another part of the opposition forces who are active at Iran's borders in the East and West of the country as separatists. He said Alavi's statement did not mean that opposition groups have any power.

Yet another listener said that a majority of Iranians are nowadays more inclined to support Prince Reza Pahlavi because they remember both the welfare they enjoyed in Iran under the Shah and the hard times they have under the Islamic Republic.

Alireza Kiani, a member of Farashgard (resurrection), a group that wants regime change, said that the intelligence minister's concern about the opposition was genuine. He added that a paradigm shift took place during the protest demonstrations at the beginning of 2018 which changed the scene. While during the past two decades the Islamic Republic had managed to introduce elements inside the country as opposition, these protests put an end to such plots.

"Slogans in those demonstrations questioned the legitimacy of both political factions active in the Islamic Republic and expressed support for monarchy. This brought the term 'regime change' to spotlight and made it a widely used expression in the Islamic Republic's top political echelon," Kiani said.

He added that Khamenei's recent concern about what might happen in 2019 also showed his fear of the empowerment of the opposition.

Political analyst Sina Azodi also said that Iranian security officials are preoccupied with the idea of the threat of a powerful opposition force abroad. However, he said that Alavi's remarks were partly aimed at getting more budget for his ministry. He said, "The concern may be exaggerated, but it is genuine as opposition groups are on track to coordination and union."

Saeed, a listener commenting about the extent of influence of foreign-based opposition on domestic developments said, "They are certainly influential in bringing about changes among people in Iran and that has given rise to the kind of concern raised by the intelligence minister.

Another listener said that the opposition needs to be united if they want to be really influential. "They need to agree first on their main objective, for instance regime change. They cannot be influential without a united voice."
KASHAN, Iran (AP) As the Trump administration works to unravel Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with word powers, the producers of the country's famed Persian carpets fear they will lose vital markets. Before the U.S. withdrew from the deal and began restoring crippling sanctions earlier this year, the $425 million a year industry preserved an ancient tradition while providing much-needed income to Iranians as well as Afghan refugees, who create much of the more luxurious hand-woven pieces. Iran produces some 400 tons of carpets a year and exports 80 percent of them. Despite the decades of mutual hostility stemming from the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the United States is one of the biggest markets for Persian rugs, accounting for more than a quarter of all exports. But that is set to change as the U.S. imposes what it says are the toughest sanctions in history, aimed at persuading Iran to dramatically change its policies in the region, including its support for militant groups and its involvement in Syria and other conflicts.

The impact of the renewed sanctions is being felt in the grand bazaar of Kashan, an ancient city in one of Iran's main carpet-weaving regions, known for its rich red, blue and yellow designs. On a recent day, many of the shops were closed and there were few shoppers. The sanctions have fueled an economic crisis in Iran, where the currency has plummeted in recent months, wiping out people's life savings and sending prices soaring. The few tourists who visit Iran cannot use foreign credit cards because of U.S. sanctions on banking, making big purchases difficult. "I would spend more if I could pay with my credit card," said Fabian Simon, a French tourist visiting the bazaar. "I took a certain amount of cash, and when it is finished, it is finished." Mahmoud Morshedi, a carpet seller who has worked in the industry for more than four decades, said the production of hand-woven rugs was already suffering from the growing popularity of cheaper machine-made carpets. His company only produces around 20 hand-woven carpets a year, down from 100 in the 1990s, when they filled orders from local exporters, Tehran businessmen and wealthy buyers from Gulf countries. "They are not coming anymore," he said.
Street signs bearing the name of Mohammad Mossadegh, Irans nationalist prime minister in 1950s who nationalized the oil, have been blackened in act of vandalism in Tehran.

While a member of Tehrans city council announced the news on Sunday, ILNA confirmed that all signs in Mossadegh street have been spray-painted. The council member also said that new signs will be installed.

It is not clear when exactly the act of vandalism took place.

While Mossadeghs nationalist credentials are too strong for the Islamic Republic to completely ban his name, the Islamic establishment has never felt comfortable with his legacy and reputation among many people.

A street was named after him only in April 2018 by the city council, with all-reformist members.

Mossadegh who was twice elected by parliament as prime minister confronted the British over ownership of Iran's oil and had a tense relationship with the Shah Mohammadreza Pahlavi, who was more pro-Western.

After social unrest forced the shah to flee the country in 1953, an army coup was organized, with the help of the British and American intelligence services, which toppled Mossadegh and the king returned to rule the country as an authoritarian leader for 25 years.
Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the head of World Assembly of Solidarity Among Muslim Sects, announced earlier in December that Iran will seek to sponsor the families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces this year. While not mentioning the exact number of sponsored families, Arakis statement highlights the Islamic Republics desire to expand influence in the Gaza Strip.

This marks a continuation of the Iranian rapprochement since 2017 with Hamas, the Palestinian Sunni-Islamist organization, following a period of tension caused by Hamas refusal to back Bashar Al-Assads regime in Syria.

What is even more surprising about this rapprochement is the fact that representatives of Hamas have supported the Syrian opposition, while both Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant group supported by Iran, continue supporting the Assad regime. Indeed, Iran was quick in resuming its financial backing of Gaza groups, reportedly giving Hamas and other Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad over $100 million in 2018.

Despite the ongoing US sanctions on Iranian financial transactions and oil exports, the Islamic Republic has so far been more than able to exploit loopholes to maintain its financial support.

Although Hamas disagreed with Iranian support of Assad, the Syrian regime serves as an integral part in facilitating financial support to Hamas and other Palestinian groups. These transactions are part of a larger Iranian-Russian network, which transports Iranian oil to Syria in exchange for financial support going to Hamas, as pointed out by the US government, which has targeted 6 individuals and 3 entities that are part of these operations.

Moreover, both Iran and the Syrian regime have been reported to use militant groups in Gaza as proxies against the state of Israel. The latest example in these operations was reported by the Israeli army on October 27th where 39 rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip by Islamic Jihad. This attack is claimed to have been requested by the Syrian regime with the support of Iran, its key ally.

As the Syrian war has impacted inter-Arab relations, Iran is shaping into a much more influential power in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Indeed, according to Yahya Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iran currently is the largest financial supporter of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing.

The thaw in relations between Hamas and Iran can be explained through the growth of new disputes in the region, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Accused of supporting militant groups such as Hamas, the Qatari government is currently being boycotted by Saudi Arabia. While king Salman met with the leaders of Hamas in 2015, relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia has worsened in the past 3 years. As a result, Hamas has lost several of its international supporters. In this sense, Hamas rapprochement with Iran represents a way how the group can maintain its hold over the Gaza Strip with foreign support. Owing to the growing tensions with Israel, finding powerful supporters abroad is becoming a pressing matter.

Nevertheless, the ongoing economic crisis in Iran, made worse by U.S. sanctions, presents an immense challenge to the ambitions of the Iranian regime in the region. To improve its chances of partially overcoming its economic isolation, president Hassan Rouhanis government has proposed legislation to meet the demands of the Financial Action Task Force, an international organization founded by the G7 to monitor money laundering and financing of international terrorist groups. Iran has until February 2019 to pass the bills, which are currently being opposed by hardliners and in limbo.

But if the proposed legislation is adopted it is clear that the future of Irans relations with groups designated as terrorist will become more problematic.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.23

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Azerbaijan is now a recognized and important player on a global stage, Rob Sobhani, director general of the Caspian Group Holdings, told Trend.

He noted that the first few words that come to mind when one thinks of Azerbaijan's achievements in the last several years are "Consequential", "Historic", "Amazing", and "Ground-breaking."

The statistics speak for themselves: for example, GDP has increased by an average of 7 percent each year for the past several years, poverty levels have dramatically dropped according to World Bank numbers, and the middle class in Azerbaijan is growing, said the US expert, adding that these are remarkable achievements for a young nation.

In addition, Azerbaijan is now a recognized and important player on the global stage. The foreign policy of President Aliyev which is grounded in having friendly relations with all countries is a key to preserving the independence of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, President Aliyev has put Azerbaijan firmly on the map of energy exporters, said Sobhani.

He recalled that indeed, during the recent visit of US National Security Advisor John Bolton to Baku he emphasized the role of Azerbaijan as an important transport hub.

Sobhani pointed out that a free market economy is the key to success for any nation.

One can argue that the reason why the Soviet Union collapsed was its centralized economic system, yet the United States with only 240 years of history has the world's largest economy. Therefore, Azerbaijan is on the correct path for sustainable economic development, because its economy is free, but not free of government oversight, which is absolutely necessary. Take for example the 22 percent debt to GDP ratio - this is a major achievement for the government of Azerbaijan, because it means that it does not live beyond its means and its borrowing from multi-lateral institutions is prudent, said the US expert.

What is also important to note, according to Sobhani, is that the leadership of President Aliyev has allowed the Azerbaijan middle class to grow by creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

A job is a human right because it provides dignity to a human being and allows that person to be a productive member of society. I believe that by reducing poverty and providing jobs for its citizens Azerbaijan is upholding human rights, said Sobhani.

Further, talking about the important energy projects, which are being implemented by Azerbaijan, Sobhani noted that Azerbaijan will play a critical role in western energy security in the coming years.

As Europe continues to find ways to diversify its sources of imports, the role of Azerbaijan will increase. Furthermore, to the extent that Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Aliyev is stable, customers will opt to buy gas from Azerbaijan as opposed to some other countries that may play politics with their gas exports, noted Sobhani.

He also hailed the atmosphere of tolerance in Azerbaijan, saying that the fundamental commitment of Azerbaijan to religious and cultural tolerance is unique not only among Muslim countries but also on the global stage.

When the leading Jewish leader in Azerbaijan makes the statement that "if any Jew anywhere in the world is afraid of persecution they should come live in Azerbaijan" it is proof that religious tolerance is a way of life in Azerbaijan. And while members of the Bahai Faith are persecuted in other countries, this community is allowed to practice its faith free of any interference in Azerbaijan, he said.

Sobhani went on to add that religious freedom is the bedrock of human rights and one can argue that by allowing all Azerbaijanis to practice their faith freely, Azerbaijan is promoting the human rights of its citizens.

It is however very important for all Azerbaijanis to play a role as ambassadors for the promotion of this positive image to the world. Through social media, radio and television the fact that Azerbaijan's religious tolerance is ingrained into the fabric of society must be promoted even more, he added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The major event of the passing 2018 for Azerbaijan was the presidential election, when the people once again elected Ilham Aliyev as President with a very high level of confidence, First Deputy Director General of TASS, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation Mikhail Gusman told Trend.

He said that the people, who voted for the president, felt the positive changes in the country over the past 15 years, during which President Ilham Aliyev has been in power.

Ilham Aliyev has taken the lead of the country, which his great father, National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev with his incredible political efforts and with incredible willpower managed to save from falling into the abyss, breakup and crumbling, Gusman said.

He pointed out that Heydar Aliyev was the Savior of modern Azerbaijan, and Ilham Aliyev has proven himself as the Builder of the country over the past 15 years.

The success of modern Azerbaijan not only rejoice, but also amaze, causing undisguised envy of enemies and the sincere joy of friends. The plans, outlined by the president of Azerbaijan, which he has repeatedly voiced, encompass development of the economy, social sphere, culture of Azerbaijan, as well as army building. Those plans clearly demonstrate that in the coming year, Azerbaijan will again be able to progressively move towards building a state that is even more modern, even more powerful and even more integrated into the global political system, the TASS deputy director general believes.

Gusman highlighted the important role of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in supporting the implementation of the strategic state development plans, outlined by Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev.

Gusman noted that the future of Azerbaijan under the leadership of Builder of the country, President Ilham Aliyev seems to be very bright.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 24

Trend:

December 24 is the birthday of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Ilham Aliyev was born in Baku on December 24, 1961. He entered the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1977 and graduated it in 1982. Upon his graduation, Ilham Aliyev continued education as a postgraduate student at MGIMO and received a Ph.D. degree in history in 1985.

He taught at the Moscow State University of International Relations between 1985-1990. From 1991 to 1994 Ilham Aliyev was involved in private business sector, heading a number of industrial-commercial enterprises.

He was vice president, and later the first vice president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) from 1994 to 2003. He was actively involved in implementation of then President Heydar Aliyev's oil strategy.

Ilham Aliyev was twice elected to the Milli Majlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan in 1995 and 2000, and resigned from his post in 2003 due to his appointment to the post of prime minister.

Ilham Aliyev has been presiding over the National Olympic Committee since 1997. He was re-elected to this post in 2016. He was elected deputy chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party in 1999, first deputy chairman in 2001, and party chairman in 2005.

Ilham Aliyev headed the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 2001 to 2003.

Ilham Aliyev was elected deputy chairman of PACE and member of the PACE bureau in January 2003.

He was appointed Prime Minister of the Azerbaijan Republic after his candidacy was approved by the country's parliament on August 4, 2003.

Ilham Aliyev was elected president of Azerbaijan on October 15, 2003, gaining over 76 percent of total votes. He assumed his post on October 31, 2003. Ilham Aliyev was re-elected as president for the second term, gaining 88 percent of votes in the election, held on October 15, 2008. He assumed the duties of the presidency on October 24, 2008.

On October 9, 2013, Ilham Aliyev was elected for a third term by an overwhelming majority of voters (84.54 percent) for the next five years. He assumed the post on October 19, 2013.

At the presidential election in Azerbaijan, which took place on April 11, 2018, Ilham Aliyev won the election, gaining 86.02 percent of votes. He assumed the post on April 18.

By voting for stability, sustainable socio-economic development, progress and independent policy, the Azerbaijani people ensured a happy and prosperous future of a free and democratic Azerbaijan Republic.

Azerbaijan once again demonstrated to the whole world that it is a modern, democratic country, where all freedoms are guaranteed.

The creation of a strong army meeting modern standards, along with dynamic economic development, has become one of the main factors characterizing modern Azerbaijan. The formula A powerful army based on strong economy became one of the main directions of activities of President Ilham Aliyev.

The power and strength of the Azerbaijani army was demonstrated on June 26, 2018 at a military parade on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the countrys Armed Forces and on September 15 at a parade dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Bakus liberation. This made it possible to witness the strength and capabilities of the Azerbaijani army, to see what it has achieved in the last quarter of a century and to show once again that in recent years Azerbaijani army has greatly strengthened.

Thanks to the care and attention given to the army building by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Ilham Aliyev, today Azerbaijan has the strongest army in South Caucasus. This was proved during the April battles in 2016, when the valiant Azerbaijani army gave a tough response to the Armenian aggressors.

The Azerbaijani army liberated a large area occupied by Armenia, thus opening another glorious page in the country's history. That demonstrated the world the power and aspiration of Azerbaijan for returning the occupied territories at any cost.

The successful operation carried out in May 2018 by Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Separate Combined-arms Army, resulted in the liberation of 11,000 hectares of land seized by Armenians in the early 1990s, and embarked continuation of the series of victories of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

As a result of successful actions in May 2018, the village of Gunnut of the Sharur district and the strategic heights of Khunut (2,065 meters), Gyzylgaya (1,683 meters) and Mehridag (1,869 meters), located around the village, returned to the control of Azerbaijani units. The operation once again showed the strength of the Azerbaijani army.

These events once and forever changed the recent situation and proved the unacceptability of the status quo in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

2018 was marked by another success achieved in the country's foreign policy. The final resolution adopted following the NATO Summit expresses unequivocal support for the territorial integrity of the countries of the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan.

And as a logical continuation of this process, for the first time in many years, the Partnership Priorities document signed between Azerbaijan and the EU envisaged support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the context of the inviolability of Azerbaijans internationally recognized borders.

The year of 2018 also saw such significant events as the launch of the biggest energy project of the century - the Southern Gas Corridor in May, which is of strategic importance for the entire Southeast Europe.

President Ilham Aliyev launched the first phase of the project the next day after celebrating the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and on the opening day of the 25th jubilee International Caspian Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference, which is very symbolic.

Azerbaijan has already delivered gas produced from its Shah Deniz field through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline, and with the commissioning of the TANAP gas pipeline in June, the gas entered Turkey.

The implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor demonstrates the independence and success of Azerbaijans energy policy, as well as the trust of foreign partners to it. Namely Baku offered Europe a way to increase energy security and diversify supplies.

Thanks to the policy of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has received the status of a global geopolitical center and has become a venue for holding political, economic, military, energy, transport and communication, sporting and cultural events and meetings of global importance.

All the above mentioned achievements show that over the past year, Azerbaijans position has become even stronger both on the world political stage and in the sphere of trade and economic relations.

The country has further strengthened its international influence, and the partners admit it as a strong, independent and reliable player.

We can say with pride that success achieved by Azerbaijan is the result of successful domestic and foreign policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev.

And we are confident that even brighter future is ahead of independent Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.

The staff of Trend Agency sincerely congratulates President Aliyev on his birthday!
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 23

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

Expansion of the scope of self-employment program in Azerbaijan is expected in 2019, Azerbaijans Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population told Trend.

As many as 7,700 people were involved in the program this year, according to the ministry.

Next year, the process of attracting unemployed and job-seekers to the self-employment program will continue as part of the next stage of the program, the ministry said.

"The new financial source, which appeared with the adoption of the law "On unemployment insurance" dated Jan. 1, 2018, will ensure significant expansion and sustainable implementation of the self-employment program," the ministry added.

Those who complete training within the program and whose business plans are considered successful will be provided with the necessary goods and materials, the ministry said.

"So far, business plans of 7,260 people were assessed as successful, and 1,273 of them were already provided with assets," the ministry noted.

The ministry stressed that the introduction of the self-employment program in Azerbaijan will have a positive impact on the quality of labor resources in the country.

The program will contribute to increasing labor productivity and economic activity of the population, increasing family income, creating additional jobs, as well as increasing the number of taxpayers and social insurance payments.

The self-employment program is being implemented on the basis of the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "On additional measures to ensure self-employment of the population" dated 2016.
OPEC and allied oil producers are ready to hold an extraordinary meeting and will do what is needed if the current cut in oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day does not balance the market next year, the United Arab Emirates energy minister said on Sunday, Trend reported citing Reuters.

Extending the output agreement signed in early December will not be a problem and producers will do as the market demands, Suhail al-Mazrouei told a news conference at a gathering of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait.

What if the 1.2 million barrels of cuts are not enough? I am telling you that if it is not, we will meet and see what is enough and we will do it, Mazrouei said.

The plan (to cut oil production) is well studied but if it does not work, we always have the power in OPEC to call for an extraordinary meeting, he added.

If we are required to extend for (another) six months, we will do it... I can assure you an extension will not be a problem.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its Russia-led allies agreed earlier this month to slash oil production by more than the market had expected.

Still, oil prices fell on Friday to their lowest since the third quarter of 2017 as global oversupply kept buyers away from the market ahead of holidays over the next two weeks. [O/R]

The UAE minister said a joint OPEC and non-OPEC monitoring committee would meet in Baku at the end of February or the beginning of March, as producers aim to return the oil market to the balance reached in the summer of 2018.

Mazrouei was speaking at a joint news conference with the Iraqi and Algerian energy ministers as well as Saudi Arabias OPEC governor, Adeeb Al-Aama.

Al-Aama said oil market oversupply had fallen to 37 million barrels of crude in November from 340 million barrels in January 2017, when OPEC and its allies began cutting production in an attempt to lift the price of crude.

Iraqi Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban said there was an expectation that the oil output cut decision could be renewed, adding that Iraq would be willing to extend the production agreement in April. OPEC is set to hold its next oil output policy decision meeting that month in Vienna.

We will be watching the prices and how they react over time, Ghadhban said.

Saudi Arabia is fully committed to the reduction agreement, Al-Aama said, adding that the worlds top oil exporters production in January is see at 10.2 million bpd, lower than its output target of 10.3 million bpd under the recent pact.

The kingdom has over committed with previous cuts, reducing more than its share and reaching a compliance of 120 percent from January 2017 until May 2018, Al-Aama said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

This Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018) 3 trillion rials (about $71.4 million) have been allocated to improve the living conditions of Iranian settlers and help to increase the volume of livestock products, Chairman of the Iranian Organization for Settlers Issues Karamali Gandali said.

During the past three years, 4 trillion rials (about $95.2 million) have been allocated by the Reserve Fund to improve the living conditions of the country's settlers, Trend reports referring to IRNA.

Moreover, 600 water tankers are used to provide settlers with water. By the end of this Iranian year, 100 water tanks will be installed, Gandali added.

Some 75,000 families will be provided with solar panels till the end of the 6th development program (till 2021), he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The export of goods from Iran's Kermanshah province to Iraqi Kurdistan has increased by 51 percent over eight months of this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture of Kermanshah Province Keyvan Kashifi said.

The trade turnover between Iran and Iraq is increasing, Trend reports refering to IRNA.

Relations are being intensified despite the US sanctions, he added.

Many important and strategic issues are expected to be solved. Transit between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq should be developed. At the same time, Iran and Iraq have a big joint market called Syria. This market is of great importance for Iran, Kashifi said.

Presently, Iran is interested in sending its products to Syria via Iraq because now this route passes through Turkey and requires additional time and extra costs. Iran hopes that transport and visa issues will be solved within the next few months, he added.

Two million people live in the province. The non-oil products worth over $2 billion are exported from the province a year. Kermanshah province has a 371-kilometer-border with Iraq.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The area of  greenhouses in Irans Tehran province has increased by approximately 10 percent this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018) compared to last Iranian year, director of Iran's Tehran Province Agricultural Organization Karim Zulfugari said.

Moreover, 200 hectares of land were allocated for greenhouses in 15 districts of Tehran province this Iranian year. Presently, the area of all greenhouses in the province has reached 3,300 hectares, Trend reports refering to IRIB.

The area of the country's greenhouses is 12,000 hectares. About a quarter of the country's greenhouses is in the Tehran province, Zulfugari said.

Some 700,000 tons of 6 million tons of products harvested in the Tehran province during a year are grown in greenhouses, he added.

The Tehran province ranks first in the country in production of ornamental flowers, Zulfugari said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The supply of cement, tile, ceramics, iron and fuel to Afghanistans Farah province through Mahirud border of Irans South Khorasan province has been suspended, Chief of Mahirud Customs Office of South Khorasan Province Ali Akbar Kiyani said.

There is the license for the abovementioned products till the end of the year. Therefore, the export of these products to Afghanistan is banned, Trend reports referring to IRNA.

Kiyani promised that the problem will be solved during a week and the abovementioned products will be exported again.

Presently, 30 fuel tanks remain on the Mahirud border, he said.

The length of the border between Iran and Afghanistan is 945 kilometers. Some 465 kilometers accounts for South Khorasan province. There are four border markets in the province.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Since the beginning of this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), the products worth $18,550,000 were exported from Maragheh county of Irans East Azerbaijan province, Chief of Maragheh Customs Office of East Azerbaijan province Heydar Calalzadeh said.

During the reporting period, 54,105 tons of products, including chemicals, steel, agricultural products, food, various glassware and mirrors were exported to 15 countries, mainly to Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan, Trend reports refering to IRNA.

This Iranian year, export volume decreased by 3 percent, while export value - by 20 percent compared to the same period of last Iranian year, he said.

Some 263,000 people live in Maragheh county. The county is located 127 kilometers from Tabriz, the center of the East Azerbaijan province.
A compromise Italy reached with EU authorities on its 2019 budget weakens Brussels hand in pressing members of the euro zone to stick to the blocs fiscal rules, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann said on Saturday.

The original promise to cut the deficit has been compromised, Weidmann told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. It makes it difficult for the Commission and other governments to press for solid state finances in the future.
The number of demonstrators who are taking part in yellow vest rallies across France on Saturday has exceeded 38,000, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

According to the Europe 1 radio station, 38,600 protesters are partaking in the rallies as of 6:00 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT). Last weekend, the number reached 66,000 people.

Earlier in the day, the ministry reported that some 23,800 protesters were taking part in the protests nationwide.

Meanwhile, the France Info radio station reported that the police had detained 220 protesters across the country, with 81 of them taken into custody.

A Sputnik correspondent earlier reported that police had used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters on the Champs Elysee in Paris. The protesters have left the main avenue.

The wave of the so-called yellow vest protests  named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers  started in mid-November.

While the French government has scrapped its planned hike in diesel taxes, which is what initially sparked the protests, the yellow vests have evolved into a broader movement against government policies and rising living costs. The rallies have been marked by violent clashes between protesters and the police.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday defended the role of the island's private workers in building the national economy and called for elimination of prejudgments against the private sector, Xinhua reports.

"Self-employed workers are not enemies of the Revolution. They have emerged as a result of updating our economic model," said Diaz-Canel during his speech concluding the ordinary session of Cuban Parliament, while emphasizing they must operate in accordance with the law.

The president said it is necessary to create the proper conditions for the private sector to operate according to the new regulations implemented two weeks ago, and that the law officials must act "with fairness, rigor and ethics."

On Dec. 7, the Cuban government put into force a series of modified regulations regarding the activities of the private sector in the Caribbean nation.

Private work re-emerged in Cuba in 2010 as part of the reforms initiated by former President Raul Castro, with the aim to improve efficiency and productivity.

According to figures from the Cuban Labor Ministry, almost 600,000 small entrepreneurs are currently running private businesses on the island. They employ about 1.3 million workers, some 20 percent of the country's work force.
SpaceX launched a new breed of GPS satellite for the United States Military on Sunday, marking the private space company's first contracted mission for the country's national security, Xinhua reports.

A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying U.S. Air Force's first Global Positioning System (GPS) III space vehicle 01 (SV01), was launched at 8:51 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The launch was previously scheduled on Tuesday but delayed four times due to technical and weather reasons.

The GPS III satellite, to be deployed to medium Earth orbit, is designed to deliver positioning, navigation, and timing information. It is three times more accurate than the previous system and up to eight times stronger in its anti-jamming capability.

Because of mission requirements, SpaceX did not attempt to retrieve the reusable Falcon 9's first stage after launch, according to SpaceX.

The launch is a landmark for SpaceX to make a presence in the lucrative military space launch market. In April 2016, SpaceX was awarded the first National Security Space mission and it has four other GPS III missions on contract.
Rescuers have found the bodies of eight trapped miners in the Solikamsk mine that caught on fire Saturday, the press service of the Perm Region government told TASS on Sunday, Trend reported.

"Rescuers found two bodies at the first level, and other six bodies at the second and third levels," the press service said. Nine people were trapped in the mine in total.

The press service said that rescuers are preparing to make another descent into the mine.

On Saturday morning, a fire broke out at a depth of 340 meters in a mine in Solikamsk, Perm Region, near the Urals, when construction work was underway by a contracting company. At that moment, 17 people were working underground, but just eight of them managed to come to the surface. Rescuers have tried to reach the remaining nine miners, but none of the attempts were successful due to high temperature and smoke.

The Russian Investigative Committees regional branch opened a criminal case over violation of safety rules in mining, construction and other activities that entailed death of three or more persons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "a long and productive" phone call Sunday with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trend reported citing Daily Sabah.

According to Trump, the two presidents discussed the fight against Daesh, mutual involvement in Syria as well as "the slow and highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area."

The "heavily expanded trade" between Turkey and the U.S. was also discussed during the call, Trump added.

The Turkish presidency later confirmed the call, saying Erdogan and Trump agreed to coordinate to prevent an authority vacuum from developing as the U.S. withdraws from Syria.

Erdogan also expressed satisfaction with steps taken by Washington regarding combating terrorism in Syria and said Turkey was ready to provide any type of support, the presidency said.
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Two Youth Congress activists, Kripesh and Sharath Lal were attacked by motorcycle-borne men while returning from an event on February 17, 2019.
A former bank official nurtures her mother tongue in Ukraine

VietNamNet Bridge  One autumn day, a Vietnamese teacher at a university in Kiev asked me to go for a walk.

Pioneers: Ukrainian teacher Victoria Musiychuk and Ha Thi Van Anh (first and second left) are pioneers inspiring local students to learn Vietnamese. VNS Photo Ngan Binh



I have just completed writing a new curriculum to teach Vietnamese to Ukrainian students. I need some fresh air and time to relax because its taken me two months, said Ha Thi Van Anh.

Walking through the large park under the shadow of big trees and breathing in the fresh air, Anh happily told me the story of her journey as a bank official in Vietnam to becoming a teacher in the Ukraine. Shed been longing for a breakthrough and had finally made it with a 200-page Vietnamese-Ukrainian bi-lingual textbook, the first of its kind.

During those two months, she stayed at home and struggled with the book, and experienced a number of sleepless nights. I wanted the students to have a new textbook for the 2018-2019 school year. Now its a reality.

Co-operation on education and training has been playing an important role in bilateral ties between Vietnam and Ukraine. In September 2012, the National University in Kiev, or the Taras Chevchenko University, pioneered teaching Vietnamese as one of five foreign languages at the university. The Department for Eastern Asian Languages now teaches Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indonesian. The university was founded in 1834 and is among the best universities in the country.

Anh moved and settled in Kiev in 1993 when her husband started work in the country. She wanted to adapt to the local culture so enrolled at a university. After six years, she obtained a degree in Russian from the Kiev University of Foreign Languages.

Exchange trip: Ukrainian student Snigur Margarita in Vietnam. Photo provided by Snigur



Settling in Ukraine

The country is beautiful and the Ukrainian people are as hospitable as the Vietnamese people. This helped me decide to stay and consider Ukraine as my second home.

Teaching Vietnamese was not her passion at first. She needed a job to live on and clear the homesickness.

Time passed, and the more contact she had with the Ukrainian students, the more inspiration she found to teach the Vietnamese language.

Anh, born in the northern province of Thai Binh in 1961, said she was moved to hear a third-year Ukrainian student tell her that after a six-month programme in Vietnam: It feels like I was born in Vietnam. I love the Vietnamese language so much.

My students often send me their comments and feedback after returning from Vietnam. All their messages inspire me to do something to encourage them to master Vietnamese and for the development of my mother tongue in my second home, Anh said.

Fourth year student Natalia Kovalchuk who visited Vietnam and stayed for five months wrote to her: After the trip to Vietnam, I realise that I not only love its language but the country and its people as well. I miss Vietnams coffee shops, beautiful sites and narrow buildings. I enjoyed the delicious food and happily met smiling people.

I was also surprised to see the number of motorcycles on the streets; even four family members are comfortable on a motorbike, then fruit vendors and barbers on the pavements All these things are unique to Vietnam and make me want to return.

Another student, Katerina Panamarenko, said she could not explain why she decided to study Vietnamese four years ago. Maybe it was fate, she said. Before studying the language, Katerina knew nothing about Vietnam, but she has not regretted her decision.

Panamarenko spent nine months on a student exchange programme between the Taras Shevchenko University and the Ha Noi National University. It was my first time living in a foreign country but I felt comfortable. My Vietnamese friends were friendly and helpful. I also miss surprising the Vietnamese kids by speaking in their language.

Fifth year student Snigur Margarita misses Viet Nam after visiting the country a year ago. She was proud to enroll at the National University in Kiev, and decided to study Vietnamese in the Department of Eastern Asian Languages. Margarita said that last years trip to Vietnam not only helped improve her Vietnamese but also understanding about the countrys culture. She said the Vietnamese language was inseparable with her future career.

Culture: Van Anh takes books, magazines and handicrafts made in Vietnam back to Ukraine after every trip home. VNS Photo Ngan Binh



Inspirations

Anh started teaching Vietnamese in 2007 when she was a fourth year student. The only textbooks available were those published by the National University.

She realised that a new curriculum was needed to teach Vietnamese to Ukrainian students. She knew that the content of the new materials must be adapted to the students while at the same time used efficiently by potential Ukrainian teachers of Vietnamese in the future.

Anh said Kovalchuk, Panamarenko and Margarita were her most gifted students who could go on to become teachers themselves. She also praised her Ukrainian students for their hard work and intelligence.

With the material available in Vietnam, I was able to teach because I am Vietnamese, but it would have been more difficult for the Ukrainian teachers as it was written nearly a decade ago.

Anh said in her new textbook, she has built new lesson plans which have been updated to current global trends.

A co-writer of the new book with a PhD in Vietnamese language, Victoria Musiychuk, said: I had taught Vietnamese for more than 10 years using different textbooks. These materials helped the students learn the language but gradually became out of date.

Anh and I added more words, sentences and even explanations of grammar which is difficult for Ukrainian students.

Musiychuk told me the changes in the book had been attracting more students to learn Vietnamese. They added texts with content about the Vietnam, jobs and backpacking that the students enjoyed reading and talking about. These subjects were not mentioned in the old textbooks.

Musiychuk said Anh was in charge of the Vietnamese content while she took care of the translation from Vietnamese into Ukrainian.

The books are already being used by first and second year students.

Anh and Musiychuk will continue to work on books for third and fourth year students. For Anh, she knows that culture and language are closely related, so there needs to be a connection when she teaches Vietnamese to foreigners.

I attended a Vietnamese class on a snowy day in December in Kiev. Anh and her six freshmen students started the lesson by singing the ABC in Vietnamese. Then came a famous song composed by Do Nhuan: Viet Nam Que Huong Toi (Viet Nam, My Homeland):

Welcome to our country

See the beautiful blue sea

Listen to the waves singing

Green trees rustle on the beach

Sails fly on the windy sea

In the sun they are bright

If Id shut my eyes for a moment, it would have sounded like young Vietnamese girls joyfully singing at a festival.

It was cosy in the class. Outside, snow was falling, covering roads and trees, telling us that the festive season was upon us.

By Ngan Binh, for Viet Nam News from Kiev, Ukraine

Source: VNS
VNs efforts for green growth need more active moves

Only 1.7 per cent of the total credit account outstanding for the national economy in 2017 is provided for green finance by public and private banks.









CNG buses are a part of Ha Nois green growth action plan.





The percentage remained low despite the sharp growth at 29.4 per cent between 2016 and 2017.

The findings was presented on Friday at a meeting entitled Coordination of green growth efforts and closing of the project in strengthening capacity and institutional reform for green growth and sustainable development in Viet Nam.

It was hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The National Strategy on Green Growth for the period of 2011-2020 with the vision to 2050, commonly known as Viet Nams Green Growth Strategy or VGGS, was first introduced in 2012.

Green growth was defined by VGGS as the most efficient approach to accelerate reduced greenhouse gasses along with promoting the economys competitiveness.

Since then, Quang Ninh Province, Lam ong Provinces a Lat City, Ha Nam Province, HCM City, Cao Bang Province, Bac Kan Province and Ha Noi had developed their own green growth action plans, said Nguyen Tuan Anh, deputy director of Department for Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under MPI.

Ha Noi has shown its strong commitment in managing waste, setting up rooftop solar panels on public building and using CNG eco-friendly buses.

Domestic policy instruments and official development assistance (ODA) have created favourable conditions to increase investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation.

Viet Nam also played an active role in pursuing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

According to the Private Climate Expenditure and Envestment Review of Viet Nam, 255 projects registered CDM, however, as the market for Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) collapsed, almost no CDM projects are presently being developed.

The lack of interest of local companies in investing in clean energy-related projects as well as difficulties of the domestic intermediary banking institutions limit potentials of ODA loans and credit offers by international financial institutions in developing new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Experts expressed their hopes of opening up opportunities for public-private partnerships for low carbon development and promoting private investment in the Mekong Delta.

Scott C. Bartos, Environment Team Lead of the Environment and Social Development Office under USAID, stressed upon the cooperation of the government, private sector and international organisations in striving to reduce GHG, improving environment and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

After three years working in Viet Nam, I have learnt the importance of having agencies at different levels engaging in and communicating (to solve problems). One cannot be successful without others, he said.

The government cannot clear a path without understanding sector by sector and source by source to find solutions for green growth and emission mitigation.  VNS
EFE Latam

El Cairo, 1 dic (EFE).- El Gobierno considera que pese a la revision a la baja por parte de la OCDE de sus previsiones de crecimiento para Espana, esta organizacion certifica que la recuperacion economica del pais va a ir "de menos a mas" y con muy buenos datos de empleo.
By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has decided not to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, disregarding advice from his own ethics officials, a high-ranking Justice Department official said on Thursday. The decision by Whitaker, known for making comments critical of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe before being appointed last month by President Donald Trump, was conveyed in a letter to congressional leaders by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd. Boyd said in the three-page letter department ethics officials determined that Whitaker lacked any personal, political or business conflicts that would disqualify him from supervision of Mueller's investigation. Ethics officials concluded, however, that if their recommendation were sought "they would advise that the acting attorney general should recuse himself" because "a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts likely would question" Whitaker's impartiality, Boyd wrote. Boyd said the "appearance-of-impartiality" test in Whitaker's case was deemed a "close call" in which "credible arguments could be made either way," a finding he said Whitaker cited in his decision to retain his discretion to oversee the Mueller investigation. "The ultimate decision about whether or not to recuse from a matter in a case such as this rests with the acting attorney general," Boyd said. The letter, obtained by Reuters, was addressed to the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker Paul Ryan, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Mueller's investigation, which Trump has derided as a "witch hunt," is also examining whether Trump's election campaign had colluded with Moscow and any possible obstruction of justice. The probe has already ensnared Trump's former campaign manager, former personal lawyer and his former national security adviser. Trump has denied wrongdoing and Moscow has said there was no interference. The president's frequent criticism of the probe has raised concerns he may attempt to shut it down, putting a spotlight on the top Justice Department officials overseeing it. It is unclear how long Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney and conservative commentator, will head the department. His appointment, immediately following Trump's ouster of Jeff Sessions as attorney general in November, is under challenge in several court cases contending that the president violated the constitution by installing Whitaker without Senate confirmation. Trump has already picked former Attorney General William Barr to become the department's new permanent chief, but the nomination needs to be approved by the Senate. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said on Thursday Barr was unfit to serve given a memo he wrote to the Justice Department arguing that Mueller should not be permitted to look into possible attempts by Trump to obstruct the investigation. "The president must immediately reconsider and find another nominee who is free of conflicts and will carry out the duties of the office impartially," Schumer said. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Lisa Lambert in WASHINGTON and Steve Gorman in LOS ANGELES; Editing by Tim Ahmann, James Dalgleish and Paul Tait)
FILE PHOTO: Trading information for KKR & Co is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., August 23, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

(Reuters) - MYOB Group Ltd (MYO.AX) said on Monday it would recommend U.S. private equity giant KKR & Co's (KKR.N) buyout offer for the Australian accounting software maker.

Last week, KKR cut its A$1.8 billion buyout proposal for the struggling Australian company. This came seven weeks after KKR upped its indicative bid to access MYOB's financial records.

MYOB's acceptance comes after it initially said on Thursday it would reject the new suggested price of A$3.40 per share, which was slashed from A$3.77.

Shares of the Melbourne-based company tumbled 14 percent following KKR's lowered offer price and last traded at A$2.870 on Friday, representing a 18.5 percent discount to the new price.

KKR cut its offer price at a time when global technology players such as Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Google owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) have fallen sharply amid concerns about incursions on privacy, sparking a sell-off across the broader sector.

MYOB Chairman Justin Milne said the proposal was in the best interest of shareholders, considering "market uncertainty and the longer-term nature of the strategic growth plan the Company has embarked upon."

He added that "the unique provisions of the agreement with KKR provide a level of certainty for our shareholders."

In its statement, MYOB also said it expects revenue growth in the 2018 financial year of about 7 percent, while it sees its EBITDA margin between 42 percent and 43 percent.

Under a scheme of arrangement, MYOB has agreed to "go shop" provisions with KKR, which allows MYOB to seek alternate superior proposals until Feb. 22, 2019.

(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Jane Merriman and Dan Grebler)
bitmain bitcoin mining

Bitmain, the largest manufacturer of Bitcoin mining equipment, is experiencing something of a rough patch, as Hong Kongs stock market overseers might be reluctant to approve the initial public offering (IPO) application of the company, given their stated concerns about the lack of a proper regulatory framework that can govern the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry.

Per a report from the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), might not give their blessings to Bitmain, as well as other DLT-based firms, to launch an IPO, arguing that the blockchain industry in the country is still immature.

According to public listing rules in Hong Kong, there would be a closed-door hearing meeting with the Listing Committee, which gives the final approval or rejection within six months of filing for an IPO. A listing can lapse if the applicant fails to hear from the Committee within the six months period.

Established by Micree Zhang and Jihan Wu back in 2013, the China-based Bitmain is said to be the biggest manufacturer of crypto-mining chips. According to the prospectus filed with HKEX, the manufacturer recorded over $2 billion in revenue and a profit of $1.22 billion during the crypto boom of 2017.

Earlier in the year, Bitmain was able to raise $400 million from a pre-IPO funding round that was led by Sequoia Capital as a part of the manufacturers objective to raise $1 billion before beginning efforts to secure its IPO. In September, the crypto mining manufacturer officially applied to go public in Hong Kong.

From the filing:

According to Frost & Sullivan, we are the largest global ASIC-based cryptocurrency mining hardware company in terms of sales revenue in 2017, accounting for a market share of 74.5%. We offer a variety of mining hardware equipped with proprietary ASIC chips under our Antminer brand.

Bitmain is estimated to have about a 67% share in the market for Bitcoin mining equipment, and the company generated about 60% of the industrys computing power. Canaan Creative, another manufacturer of Bitcoin mining hardware, also filed an application in June to list shares in the Hong Kong market. However, the manufacturers $400 million IPO application lapsed in November.

Story continues

If it does not fall through, Bitmains IPO would likely set a record for a cryptocurrency IPO. However, it would seem that, considering the volatile status of the crypto market and the lack of a robust regulatory framework, that may not happen anytime soon.

Featured Image from Shutterstock



The post Bimains IPO Application in Doubt as Hong Kong Calls Crypto Industry Immature appeared first on CCN.


LONDON (Reuters) - A Canadian regulator will consider on Tuesday whether to accept a proposal from Katanga Mining Limited to settle allegations related to the Glencore-controlled company's activities in Democratic Republic of Congo. Katanga said in a statement on Monday it could not give details of the proposal until after the hearing, at which the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) will consider whether a global settlement with Canadian-listed Katanga is in the public interest. Glencore declined to comment. OSC's statement of allegations, reviewed by Reuters, alleges Katanga Mining made "financial disclosure that was misleading in a material respect". The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Katanga had agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle the Canadian allegations. Last year, after an internal review into Katanga identified weaknesses in its financial reporting controls, three Glencore executives, including Aristotelis Mistakidis, the head of its copper group, stepped down from the board of Katanga. Mistakidis, one of Glencore's most senior executives, retires at the end of the year, Glencore announced earlier this month. Glencore has faced a series of legal problems related to its activities in Congo, which is home to almost 60 percent of the world's supply of cobalt, a mineral expected to be in demand for batteries used in electric vehicles. In an emailed statement, Moody's credit agency said the OSC case had no bearing on Glencore's credit rating and the expected settlement was equivalent to around one day of free cash flow generation from the Glencore group. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; Editing by Mark Potter)
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's national flag carrier Garuda expects to end 2018 in profit and is targeting a net profit of 1 trillion rupiah ($69.03 million) for 2019, its chief executive said on Friday.

PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk saved $96 million by working with lessors to restructure the financing of its planes until November 2019, CEO Ari Askhara told reporters.

"Our net profit for 2018 is positive, even though it might be a small amount," he said, attributing the result to cost-cutting, renegotiation of aircraft leases and new partnerships.

The result would be a marked improvement for the airline, which reported a $116.86 million net loss for the first six months of 2018. Askhara in September declared Garuda had abandoned hopes of making a profit this year, after struggling with fuel costs and a rising rupiah versus the U.S. dollar.

The new partnerships include Garuda taking operational control of rival Sriwijaya Group in November, gaining a majority share of the fast-growing domestic aviation market.

That partnership could be escalated to a 51 percent share ownership of Sriwijaya, depending upon discussion with Garuda advisors and the state-owned enterprise ministry, Askhara told a media briefing. Garuda's profit had yet to see a positive boost from Sriwijaya, he said.

"Garuda might also see a partnership with (Malaysia's) AirAsia... through (Garuda unit) Citilink but it's very early," he said.

AirAsia's president director Dendy Kurniawan confirmed in a statement that early talks with Garuda were underway, with "various forms of cooperation to support the industry being discussed", but noted no final decision has been reached.

Garuda has been battling for market share against local market leader Lion Air, which in October suffered a crash of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet, killing all 189 people on board.

Askhara said Garuda had 30 million passengers in 2018 and would expand its fleet to include a new Airbus SE 330 Neo in September 2019 and a Max jet at the end of 2020.

Story continues

New profitable routes domestically and internationally are planned for 2019, he said.

Askhara also said an intended private placement of shares from subsidiary PT Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia Tbk to longtime partner Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance had been cancelled.

He told Reuters he considered the current share price of GMF AeroAsia too low and wanted to increase the company's valuation first.

Askhara also said GMF Aeroasia would partner with Dunlop and China Construction Indonesia to build a tyre plant in 2019, with the first stage seeing a $300 million investment from the companies involved.

The plant would be for the domestic market and supply 50 percent of its output to Garuda, 48 percent to Lion Air and 2 percent to AirAsia Group Bhd.

Domestic air traffic more than tripled in Indonesia over the past decade as rising prosperity and lower fares made flying affordable for more people.

With 129 million passengers in 2017, the Southeast Asian country is the world's 10th-largest aviation market and is projected to continue growing.

($1 = 14,487.0000 rupiah)

(Reporting by Cindy Silviana; Writing by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announces Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 in St. Paul, Minn. the filing of a lawsuit against Comcast/Xfinity, alleging the company has overcharged thousands of consumers for cable TV packages, charged them for unordered equipment and services, and failed to deliver on promised Visa gift cards. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Latest on Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson's lawsuit against Comcast (all times local):

1:55 p.m.

Cable and internet provider Comcast is defending itself against a consumer fraud lawsuit filed by Minnesota's attorney general.

The lawsuit filed Friday alleges that the company has overcharged thousands of consumers for cable TV packages, charged them for unordered equipment and services, and failed to deliver on promised Visa gift cards.

Comcast spokeswoman Jill Hornbacher says the facts don't support the allegations from Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson. She says Comcast fully discloses all charges, fees and promotional requirements.

The spokeswoman says Comcast would "like nothing more than to work collaboratively" with the attorney general's office to address the complaints it has raised. But she says Swanson's office has "largely ignored" the company's efforts to do so.

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12 p.m.

Minnesota's attorney general is suing Comcast/Xfinity, alleging the company has overcharged thousands of consumers for cable TV packages, charged them for unordered equipment and services, and failed to deliver on promised Visa gift cards.

Attorney General Lori Swanson says the lawsuit follows more than two years of investigation.

The lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis on Friday, alleges consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices. It seeks a court order to stop Comcast's allegedly deceptive business practices, and for unspecified amounts of restitution, civil penalties and legal fees.

Swanson says a trial is underway in a similar lawsuit in Washington state, and that Comcast recently agreed to settle a similar case in Massachusetts.

Comcast representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The Latest on the Brexit deal (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

Hungary's prime minister says it's a "gloomy Sunday" because of the Brexit agreement between Britain and the European Union.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on state TV that "no matter how well a divorce is organized, it remains a divorce."

Orban said the EU leadership bore responsibility for Brexit, adding that if Britain, a rich country, had remained in the EU, Hungary would have received more EU funds in the future.

Orban said: "That is to say, the loss suffered by the EU can be measured in money, as well, besides the political and economic losses suffered."

Orban also said that had the countries in Western Europe not allowed migrants in, the British would have stayed in the EU.

"Gloomy Sunday" (originally "Szomoru vasarnap") is a 1930s Hungarian song written by Rezso Seress.

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4 p.m.

A former leader of Britain's Conservative Party says he cannot support the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Michael Howard said Sunday that May's deal has many shortcomings, adding "It's not a deal that is a good deal for the U.K."

Howard says the biggest problem is the way Britain would have to seek European Union permission to sever all ties to the EU if a "backstop" agreement comes into force.

"That seems to me to be an absolute negation of taking control, that would put us in a worse position than we are now," he told BBC Radio.

Howard was party leader when the Conservatives were defeated by Tony Blair and Labour in 2005. He serves in the House of Lords.

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3:25 p.m.

Romania's president has welcomed the Brexit agreement saying it will protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of Romanians in Britain.

President Klaus Iohannis said Sunday that while most EU members were sad that Britain was leaving the bloc, if the agreement passes it "will protect Romanians and other Europeans who are in Britain." He also said after the summit that "it guarantees all their rights ... they can work, study, receive pensions, health insurance and so on. "

"We were very concerned about these issues, and we successfully pushed for these things to be clearly defined."

Story continues

He welcomed the fact that Romanians wouldn't need visas to travel to Britain after it leaves the bloc.

Romanian officials estimate about 500,000 Romanians live in Britain, although just 190,000 are officially registered there.

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2:45 p.m.

The leader of Britain's main opposition party says that it will vote against the Brexit deal when it comes before Parliament.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said after the EU summit Sunday that the arrangement agreed to by Prime Minister Theresa May is a "bad deal for the country" that "leaves us with the worst of all worlds."

He said that Labour's goal is to vote this deal down in Parliament and then "work with others to block a no-deal outcome" that many believe would badly damage Britain's economy.

The party would instead fight for a "sensible deal" that would include a permanent customs union, a single market deal and guarantees on workers' rights and other issues.

Labour's opposition to May's proposal will make it harder for her to win majority support in Parliament.

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2:30 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the European Union must "learn lessons" from Britain's decision to leave it.

Speaking from Brussels, Macron said that the exit of a major member state for the first time in the bloc's history showed "Europe is fragile" and the EU "is not a given."

The French leader said European leaders have a duty to "protect it against all those who forget that it is a guarantee of peace, prosperity and security."

Macron also paid homage to British Prime Minister Theresa May for seeking a "path to durable cooperation" with the EU, while defending UK interests during negotiations.

Twenty-seven EU leaders endorsed a deal Sunday that sets out the terms of Britain's departure on March 29 and sets a framework for future ties.

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2 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she is not sad about leaving the European Union even though she recognizes some Britons and some European leaders feel that way.

May said Sunday she is "full of optimism" about Britain's future outside the EU bloc, after leaders finally signed off on a Brexit deal in Brussels after months of negotiations.

"The way I look at it, actually, this is for us now to move on," she told a press conference, asserting Britain had reached a "good deal" with many benefits for Britain and its people.

She spoke after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders expressed sadness about Britain's planned departure.

May said Britain will continue to have warm, friendly relations with European countries after it leaves the EU bloc.

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1:50 p.m.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is welcoming the Brexit agreement, saying that anybody who believes a better deal can be found is deluding themselves.

Varadkar said that "the entire European Union today was very much of the view that there couldn't be a renegotiation."

He said those who oppose the deal "don't agree among themselves what that better deal could be. They probably wouldn't have a majority in parliament for an alternative deal either, and they certainly wouldn't have 28 member states signed up to it."

He added: "Any other deal really only exists in people's imaginations."

Varadkar said he believes British Prime Minister Theresa May's chances of getting the agreement through parliament are strong.

British lawmakers, he believes, will see that "the alternative is a no deal, cliff edge Brexit which is something of course that we all want to avoid."

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1:40 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the Brexit deal that European Union leaders signed off on Sunday was the best and "only possible deal" for the British parliament to vote on, warning lawmakers there would be no option to renegotiate anything.

May told reporters after a Sunday morning summit she agreed with EU leaders saying that there would be no other options on the table before Britain leaves the bloc on March 29.

"If people think somehow there is another negotiation to be done, that is not the case," she said.

"This is the deal that is on the table. This is the best possible deal. It is the only possible deal."

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1:30 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says the U.K. Parliament will vote on the divorce deal with the European Union before Christmas.

May says Sunday's signing-off on the agreement by the EU marks the end of one phase and the start of a "crucial national debate" on Britain's future.

May says she will fight "heart and soul" to get backing for the deal, which faces huge opposition among her Conservative lawmakers as well as the opposition.

She says "I think we have a duty as a Parliament ... to deliver Brexit."

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1:25 p.m.

The Spanish prime minister says that Spain's position on the disputed British overseas territory of Gibraltar has emerged stronger in the Brexit deal signed off Sunday by European Union leaders.

"With the departure of the U.K. we all lose, especially the U.K.," Pedro Sanchez told reporters at a news conference Sunday after the EU leaders meeting. "But in relation with Gibraltar, Spain wins, and Europe wins."

Spain claims Gibraltar even though it was ceded to Britain in 1713. The country was the last to agree to the Brexit deal, saying it would only back it on condition of a guarantee of Madrid's say in the future territory at its southern tip.

Asked whether Spain would seek co-sovereignty of Gibraltar during future negotiations, Sanchez said that his government planned to "talk about everything."

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1:20 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tells reporters in Brussels the Brexit deal brokered between the EU and Prime Minister Theresa May is a "diplomatic piece of art."

Merkel says "it's a historic day, which triggers very ambivalent feelings ... it is tragic that the UK is leaving the EU now after 45 years, but we have to, of course, respect the vote of the British people."

She praised the deal struck "in an extremely difficult situation, in a situation without any precedence because we haven't had it before that a European country leaves the EU."

Merkel said while the agreement was based on very hard negotiations, it "considers both sides' interest"

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12:40 p.m.

The European Commission chief is urging the British parliament to back the Brexit deal brokered between the EU and Prime Minister Theresa May, saying "this is the only deal possible."

At the end of a largely ceremonial summit to rubber-stamp the U.K. withdrawal agreement from the bloc and a draft text on the future relations, Jean-Claude Juncker made it clear the British House of Commons should not count on starting a renegotiation.

"It would not be a good idea to lecture the House," Juncker said, but insisted that it was only deal possible.

The deal must still be endorsed by the British parliament and EU parliament. Opposition parties and many in May's own Conservative Party have opposed the agreement.

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12:15 p.m.

The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland says there are no circumstances under which her party would support the current Brexit deal.

Arlene Foster said minutes after the deal was endorsed by European Union leaders in Brussels on Sunday that her party is firmly opposed to its provisions because it would separate Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom.

She stopped short of saying her party would end its support of Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party, a key point because the DUP supplies the votes needed to prop up May's minority government.

Foster is calling for more talks to come up with a better plan.

"I believe we should use the time now to look for a third way, a different way, a better way," she told the BBC.

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12:10 p.m.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has used the EU Brexit summit to highlight a separate issue  violence against women.

Tajani sported a red swipe under his left eye as he addressed a press conference at the EU summit. In Italy, the mark stands for support of the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Tajani said in a Twitter post that "Nothing can justify violence against women. My mother taught it to me. I taught it to my children."

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10:45 a.m.

European Council President Donald Tusk says the European Union has approved a Brexit deal with Britain.

Tusk tweeted that 27 EU leaders meeting in Brussels "endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future EU-UK relations."

The deal sets out the terms of Britain's departure on March 29 and sets a framework for future ties.

Now British Prime Minister Theresa May faces the tough task of selling the deal to a skeptical U.K. Parliament.

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10 a.m.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says it's a tragedy that Britain is leaving the European Union but that the country is walking away with the best deal it could hope for.

Juncker said that "it's a sad day," as he arrived Sunday for an EU summit in Brussels to endorse the Brexit agreement.

He told reporters that the summit "is neither a time of jubilation nor of celebration. It's a sad moment, and it's a tragedy."

Asked whether a better agreement can be found, should the U.K. Parliament reject it, Juncker said: "This is the deal. It's the best deal possible. The European Union will not change its fundamental position."

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9 a.m.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite says European Union leaders will agree Sunday on the terms of Britain's departure from the bloc, but that "it is up to Britain what is next."

Asked at an EU summit Sunday what would happen if the U.K. Parliament rejects the Brexit deal, Grybauskaite said: "it's not now our concern, it's a British concern."

She says several things could happen in that case, including a new referendum on Brexit, new elections in the U.K., or a request to renegotiate the deal with the EU.

Britain leaves on March 29, but future relations and trade will be tackled during a transition period lasting at least until the end of 2020.

Grybauskaite said "the process will still be long."

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8:30 a.m.

European Union leaders are gathering to seal an agreement on Britain's departure from the bloc next year, the first time a member country will have left the 28-nation bloc.

At a summit in Brussels Sunday, the leaders are due to endorse a withdrawal agreement, which would settle Britain's divorce bill, protect the rights of citizens hit by Brexit and keep the Irish border open.

They will also rubber stamp a 26-page document laying out their hopes for future relations after Britain leaves at midnight on March 29.

The last big obstacle to a deal was overcome on Saturday, when Spain lifted its objections over Gibraltar.

The deal must still be endorsed by the British parliament and EU parliament.
The Goldman Sachs company logo is seen in the company's space on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 17, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

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 (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 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," the spokesman said.

"Certain members of that government and 1MDB lied to Goldman about the use of proceeds from these transactions."

Story continues

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 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 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.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi in Kuala Lumpur and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Stephen Coates and Christopher Cushing)
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.

Story continues

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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Sunday

Watership Down (Netflix, Mini-series Premiere) - Set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England, this tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, towards a promised land and a more perfect society.

The Year: 2018 (8 p.m., ABC, End of Year Special) - A recap of the year, including its biggest names, hottest trends and lowest moments.

Monday

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders (6:15 p.m., ESPN) - The Broncos take on the Raiders at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Its a Wonderful Life (7 p.m., NBC) - Frank Capras classic stars Oscar nominee James Stewart as George Bailey, a decent small town banker who learns what life would have been like if hed never been born.

Beauty and the Beast (7 p.m., ABC) - Oscar-nominated animated musical about the romance between a French belle who sacrifices her happiness to save her father and a prince whos been transformed by a magical spell.

Tuesday

Disney Parks Christmas Parade (10 a.m., ABC, Holiday Special) - Gwen Stefani, Olivia Holt, Andrea and Matteo Bocelli and a host of others perform during the Disney Parks Christmas Day celebration.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (7 p.m., NBC, Holiday Special) - Boris Karloff narrates this 1966 classic.

Wednesday

Ferris Buellers Day Off (4:15 p.m., Starz Comedy) - A charismatic high school student convinces his repressed best friend to play hooky with him and his girlfriend.

The 41st Kennedy Center Honors (7 p.m., CBS) - Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter and Hamilton co-creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire are honored.

Thursday

The Godfather (3:30 p.m., AMC) - Watch one of the greatest films of all time today. Its followed by The Godfather Part II at 7:30 p.m.

The Simpsons (6-10 p.m, FXX) - Enjoy Americas favorite dysfunctional family for four hours tonight.

Friday

Popstars Best of 2018 (8 p.m., The CW) - Elizabeth Stanton and James Maslow count down the greatest and most memorable moments of 2018. Based on polls from Popstar Magazine.

Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood (9 p.m., PBS) - Leonard Bernsteins music is celebrated on his 100th birthday.

Saturday

A Midnight Kiss( 6 p.m., Hallmark, Movie Premiere) - With only one week to prepare, a party planner must enlist the help of a relative stranger to help her pull off the event, but she ends up falling in love in the process.

Mickeys 90th Spectacular (7 p.m., ABC) - A celebration of Mickey Mouses 90th birthday featuring Josh Groban, Meghan Trainor and many more.

Gazette media columnist Terry Terrones is a member of the Television Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association. You can follow him on Twitter at @terryterrones.
The Twitter logo is displayed outside the companys headquarters in San Francisco.
Authorities in Idaho are reporting they aided in finding evidence tied to the suspected murder of a Woodland Park mother.

The body of Kelsey Berreth has yet to be found but authorities have arrested her fiance, Patrick Frazee, on first-degree murder charges. On Saturday, the Twin Falls Police Department announced they were contacted by the FBI on Dec. 15 for help in the investigation.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office and the Twin Falls Police Department reportedly worked with the FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigations to prepare and serve several search warrants as well as process some items of evidence. The Twin Falls Police Department did not elaborate on what kind of evidence was found.

Read more at kktv.com.
Most visitors to Santa Fe come to immerse themselves in the citys internationally renowned art and culture. Others are drawn by the New Mexic
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We did not have a plan for Lakewoods Green Mountain, which turned out to be a good way to go. You know the drill: Bring water, have sturdy fo
City Editor

Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.
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
Joe Barrera, Ph.D., is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS, and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War.
The tamales at T-Byrds be on fleek, according to the sidewalk sign in front of the downtown Colorado Springs restaurant on East Kiowa Street.

For those not in the know,  ... that still means good, right? Cause theyre the best! the message continued, scrawled in colorful markers on the dry-erase board sign.

A-frame signs designed to lure passersby into shops and restaurants have begun to take over the sidewalks of downtown Colorado Springs in recent years. Many list specials or advertise a sale. Others simply direct people inside.

But some aim higher.

Snaps of sidewalk signs often are shared widely across social media, and some businesses might feel pressure to be clever and find a voice through their signs. But there have been missteps, like the sign outside Ink Coffee in Denvers Five Points  Happily gentrifying the neighborhood since 2014  that prompted neighborhood protests, boycotts and a national outcry.

Staff at The Perk Downtown, a coffee shop on South Tejon Street, began writing daily messages on a chalkboard A-frame sign over the summer, said manager Taylor Dodson.

One of the ways we found that actually gets people to look at it is if you have something comical on it, Dodson said. For the most part, it seems to work.

We have some regulars who come in every day and say like, Who wrote the sign today? It was so funny, said Lexy Hesselberg, one of the baristas who writes on the sign in the mornings. Well see people take pictures with them, and theyll be like, Oh, my friend is going to love this.

Regular customers are more likely to comment on the sign because they see it change every day, Hesselberg said.

But Dodson said he does see people take pictures of the sign without coming inside. Naturally, The Perks sign often references caffeine.

Some of them I come up with on my own, Hesselberg said. I really like puns and plays on words and that kind of things.

Others are inspired by posts she sees on Pinterest.

Some are kind of a combo: Ill see one and itll be about beer, so Ill change it and make it about coffee, she said.

Customers often comment on T-Byrds signs too, said general manager Julia Viet.

Today was tamales, and theyre like, We saw on the sign that you have tamales, whats that about? Viet said. Or theyll be like, Your sign outside is so funny, or something like that. Your sign caught our eye, so we came in.

One of the hostesses helps come up with ideas for the sign, Viet said. Oftentimes, inspiration comes from the internet.

We recycle some stuff, she said. We try to be creative. Some days its just hard, so sometimes its super basic. But definitely the more creative ones do catch peoples eyes more.

The number of A-frame signs seem to be increasing, said Matthew Fitzsimmons, a city planner for downtown Colorado Springs. That could be because when they see that other businesses have them, they want them also, he said.

A $10 annual permit is required for each A-frame sign, and the signs must adhere to a slew of regulations, Fitzsimmons said.

They must be between 2 feet and 4 feet tall and no more than 30 inches wide. They have to stand in front of the business theyre advertising and must be taken inside at night. They cant be fastened directly to public property, like the sidewalk or a light pole.

You can be as creative as you want  I love that, when they say clever things that make people want to read them  just do it in a safe manner.

The permits protect the city from liability, keep passersby safe and allow pedestrian traffic to flow uninterrupted, Fitzsimmons said. A warning notice is sent to a business that doesnt have a permit or that is breaking a rule.

Theyre a great way to bring attention to someone that might not be looking at the stores while theyre walking, but they might see a sign and be like, Oh! Todays special, exactly what I wanted, he said.

Fitzsimmons said hes a fan of whatever makes our downtown more friendly and (makes) people want to be down here. A-frame signs, I feel, add more character. Each store can kind of express their character on the sign  who they are inside.
The GoFundMe campaign that aimed to raise $1 billion for the border wall is shutting down, and the $20 million raised will be refunded to donors.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Makena Resources Inc. (Makena) (CSE: MKNA) is pleased to announce: (i) a non-brokered private placement of up to an aggregate of $15.0 million (the Private Placement); and (ii) the appointment of a new management team (the New Management Team) and new board of directors (the New Board) in connection with the completion of the Private Placement (collectively, the Recapitalization). Completion of the Recapitalization is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE).

Makena is also pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with BioCan Technologies Inc. (BioCan) and Epimeron Inc. (Epimeron) dated as of December 19, 2018, pursuant to which, concurrent with the completion of the Recapitalization, Makena will: (a) acquire all of the: (i) common shares in the capital (BioCan Shares) of BioCan; and (ii) common shares in the capital (Epimeron Shares) of Epimeron through the issuance of an aggregate of 857,142,858 common shares (Common Shares) of Makena for a total transaction value of $30.0 million; and (b) complete a business combination with BioCan and Epimeron pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the Plan of Arrangement) under the Alberta Business Corporations Act (the Arrangement and, together with the Recapitalization, the Transaction) which will result in the combination of Makena, BioCan and Epimeron under the name Willow Biosciences Inc. (Willow or the Company). The Arrangement is subject to, among other things, the execution of a definitive agreement among Makena, BioCan and Epimeron (the Arrangement Agreement) and customary closing conditions, including the approval of shareholders, the Alberta Court of Queens Bench and the CSE. It is anticipated that the Arrangement Agreement will be executed on or about January 2, 2019 and the Recapitalization and the Arrangement are expected to be completed on or about January 31, 2019 (the Closing). Pursuant to the letter of intent, Makena has agreed to deal exclusively with BioCan and Epimeron with regard to the Recapitalization and the Arrangement.

Upon completion of the Transaction, Willow will be positioned to become the industry leader in cannabinoid biosynthetic production by capturing key intellectual property around the most cost-effective methods to produce cannabinoids. Willows operational capabilities will span the entire product development pathway. The Companys integrated team in Canada and the United States will have full capabilities to underpin achievement at all stages of development cycle.

Pharmaceutical and consumer-use markets currently can only procure high purity cannabinoids from chemical synthesis or plant-based extraction, both of which come at a high cost. Furthermore, rare cannabinoids and novel cannabinoids are not available via plant-based extraction commercially. Yeast-based biosynthesis presents an attractive alternative by giving low cost, high purity and scalable production for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets, also giving them access to rare cannabinoids and cannabinoids tailored to precise treatments.

New Management Team

The New Management Team will be led by Trevor Peters as President and Chief Executive Officer, Travis Doupe as Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Peter Facchini as Chief Scientific Officer, Jerry Ericsson as Vice President, Operations, Dr. Jillian Hagel as Vice President, Applied Science, Dr. Mathias Schuetz as Vice President, Research and Development and Sanjib (Sony) Gill as Corporate Secretary.

The members of the New Management Team include world-leading discovery biologists, cannabis geneticists and the founding shareholders, senior officers and board members of BioCan and Epimeron.

Trevor Peters

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Peters is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of BioCan. Mr. Peters is an experienced executive having co-founded four start-up companies in the past 15 years. Mr. Peters has raised over $1.0 billion in equity and debt financings at various stages of corporate development and has been integral to successful transactions totalling over $4.0 billion on sale. Mr. Peters has an extensive intellectual property and patent protection background in the energy technology sector.

Travis Doupe

Chief Financial Officer





Mr. Doupe is the Chief Financial Officer of BioCan. He has over 18 years experience in financial leadership roles in the international oil and gas industry, during which time he provided corporate strategic direction while overseeing all aspects of financial operations, including budgeting and planning, treasury, accounting, tax, reporting and investor relation functions. Over half of Mr. Doupes 18 years of financial experience has been in various Chief Financial Officer roles, principally in publicly listed companies. Mr. Doupe holds a CA-CPA designation and a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Peter Facchini

Chief Scientific Officer







Dr. Facchini is the Chief Scientific Officer and a co-founder of Epimeron. Dr. Facchini has been Professor of Plant Biochemistry in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary since 1995. Dr. Facchini is the Canada Research Chair in Plant Metabolic Processes Biotechnology and he received the C.D. Nelson Award from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists as the outstanding young plant biologist in Canada. Dr. Facchini has published over 150 research papers and scholarly articles in high-impact journals such as Nature Chemical Biology, Plant Cell, Plant Journal and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Dr. Facchini received a PhD from the University of Toronto in 1991 and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Kentucky and the Universite de Montreal.

Jerry Ericsson

Vice President, Operations



Mr. Ericsson is an experienced clean-tech executive responsible for raising more than $25.0 million to commercialize thermochemical technologies. Mr. Ericsson has more than 15 years of experience in research and development of novel technologies in forestry and agricultural industries and eight years experience in integrated pest management (IPM) research in greenhouse and field crops. Mr. Ericsson has authored or co-authored three patents and more than ten peer-reviewed papers in international journals.

Dr. Jillian Hagel

Vice President, Applied Science



Dr. Hagel is the Chief Operating Officer and a co-founder of Epimeron. Dr. Hagel has over 17 years experience in medicinal plant biochemistry. Dr. Hagel has co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications in high-ranking journals such as Nature Chemical Biology, Nature Communications and Plant Cell, presented internationally and been the recipient of multiple academic awards. Dr. Hagel is the co-inventor on numerous patent applications and received a PhD in 2010 from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Mathias Schuetz

Vice President, Research and Development

Dr. Schuetz is the Adjunct Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of British Columbia and a researcher and plant molecular biologist with extensive expertise in plant genetics and cannabis technology. Dr. Schuetz has over 14 years research experience and he is the author of many peer-reviewed publications in prestigious plant science journals. Dr. Schuetz has received numerous citations and awards for research excellence and received a PhD in 2009 from Simon Fraser University.

Sanjib (Sony) Gill

Corporate Secretary







Mr. Gill is a partner at McCarthy Tetrault LLP, a national law firm. Mr. Gill has dealt with all aspects of a public and private companys creation, growth, restructuring and value maximization. Mr. Gill has extensive experience in the negotiation, structuring and consummation of a broad range of corporate finance, securities and mergers and acquisitions transactions. He serves on the board of directors of, and acts as corporate secretary to, numerous public and private companies. Mr. Gill is recognized in Chambers Canada as a leader in Corporate Commercial  Alberta. He also appears in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Corporate Mid-Market, and as a leading lawyer in the current edition of Whos Who Legal: Energy. In 2011, he was named among Lexpert magazines Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.

New Board of Directors

Upon closing of the Transaction, the New Board will be comprised of Dr. Joseph Tucker (Executive Chairman), Trevor Peters, Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal, Sadiq H. Lalani, Donald Archibald and Dr. Fotis Kalantzis.

The New Board has extensive experience in successfully founding, growing and monetizing public companies. The directors combined experience and expertise will provide the New Management Team with invaluable advice, guidance and mentorship.

Dr. Joseph Tucker (Executive Chairman)





Dr. Joseph Tucker is the Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Epimeron. Dr. Tucker possesses extensive senior leadership experience, having served as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of multiple public and private biotech companies. He has taken companies from incorporation through to acquisition, out-licensing and stock market listing. Dr. Tucker holds more than 20 issued or pending patents and is a member of the Board of Directors of BioAlberta. Dr. Tucker received a PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal





Dr. Seufer-Wasserthal has more than 25 years experience in the technology and biotechnology sector. Dr. Seufer-Wasserthal is currently Chief Commercial Officer of Origenis GmbH and previously served as Vice President, Business Development for Intrexon Corporation, responsible for business development in Europe and Asia for four years. Dr. Seufer-Wasserthal received his PhD from the Technical University of Graz.

Sadiq H. Lalani





Mr. Lalani has been Chief Financial Officer of Kelt Exploration Ltd. since October 2012 and Vice President since October 2017. Before that, Mr. Lalani was Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Finance of Celtic Exploration Ltd. from October 2002 to February 2013. He has over 25 years experience in leadership positions. Mr. Lalani holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary.

Donald Archibald











Mr. Archibald is an independent businessman and the Executive Chairman of Cequence Energy Ltd. Mr. Archibald was a former director and audit committee member of numerous public issuers, including Spartan Energy Corp. from December 2013 to May 2018 when it was acquired for approximately $1.4 billion by Vermilion Energy Inc. and Spartan Oil Corp. from June 2011 to January 2013 when it completed a business combination with Bonterra Energy Corp. for a total transaction value of approximately $480 million. Mr. Archibald has held senior executive positions with a number of public and private issuers, including roles as President of Cypress Energy Corp., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cyries Energy Inc. and President and Chief Executive Officer of Cequel Energy Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a Masters of Business Administration.

Dr. Fotis Kalantzis









Dr. Kalantzis has been co-founder of several public companies and has over 25 years experience in oil and gas exploration and development in technical and leadership positions. Dr. Kalantzis has been instrumental in a number of significant transactions including in his capacity as a senior officer with Spartan Energy Corp. from December 2013 to May 2018, Spartan Oil Corp. from June 2011 to January 2013, Spartan Exploration Ltd. (public) from September 2010 to June 2011 and Spartan Exploration Ltd. (private) from January 2008 to September 2010. Dr. Kalantzis holds a MSc from the University of Saskatchewan and PhD from the University of Alberta and has published and presented many papers in international journals and conferences.

Corporate Strategy

The New Management Team has extensive experience creating shareholder value on an absolute and per share basis through a focused full-cycle business plan and believes Willow will have an unrivalled advantage in a market where demand for cannabinoids is accelerating and high purification costs create the need for advanced, cost-effective manufacturing. Willows world-leading discovery biologists and business experts will guide a multidisciplinary team that will involve the entire supply chain, from gene discovery through manufacturing and commercialization.

Yeast fermentation cannabinoid production offers significant advantages over plant-based extraction. The controlled manufacturing environment facilitates scale up, purity, security of product supply and is pesticide-free and substantially more cost-effective. In addition, rare and novel cannabinoid production, inaccessible by plant-based extraction, requires the same cost inputs as more abundant cannabinoids such as CBD, opening up new consumer and pharmaceutical markets.

Willow has a proven ability to commercialize fermentation-based production, leveraging:

Discovery biology to identify important genes in desired metabolic pathways;

Past success securing intellectual property to protect and commercialize discoveries;

High-throughput targeted evolution and screening technology to generate higher yields; and

Relationships with leading contract development and manufacturing organizations in Canada and the United States.

The use of proceeds of the financing will fully fund Willow to complete research and development to commercial production of high purity cannabinoids via yeast-based biosynthesis.

Epimeron has been a University of Calgary spin out company working with Innovate Calgary, the universitys knowledge transfer and business incubator. The University of Calgary has actively supported the translation of Dr. Facchini and Dr. Hagels work in the area of plant genomics. Going forward, Willow will continue to conduct research at the University of Calgary.

The formation of Willow Biosciences Inc. is another example of how social and economic gains are created through the translation of research. Were pleased for Willow and are looking forward to continuing to support them in their next stage of business growth, states Peter Garrett, Associate Vice President Research - Innovation, University of Calgary and President, Innovate Calgary.

The Arrangement

Pursuant to the Arrangement:

each holder of BioCan Shares shall exchange such BioCan Shares for Common Shares on the basis of a deemed value of $0.035 per Common Share and shall receive approximately 7.301 Common Shares for each BioCan Share held by such shareholder; each holder of Epimeron Shares shall exchange such Epimeron Shares for Common Shares on the basis of a deemed value of $0.035 per Common Share and shall receive approximately 577.687 Common Shares for each Epimeron Share held by such shareholder; and the name of Makena shall be changed to Willow Biosciences Inc.

Completion of the Arrangement is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions, including, but not limited to: (i) the execution of the Arrangement Agreement; (ii) receipt of the approval of shareholders of Makena, BioCan and Epimeron; (iii) receipt of Court approval of the Arrangement; (iv) receipt of CSE conditional approval for the Arrangement and the issuance of Common Shares pursuant to the Arrangement; (v) all conditions under the Arrangement Agreement (other than the issuance of Common Shares necessary to complete the Arrangement) having been satisfied or waived; and (vi) receipt of all other required regulatory, governmental and third party approvals.

Eight Capital and Laurentian Bank Securities Inc. are acting as advisors in respect of the Transaction.

The Transaction is expected to constitute a Fundamental Change pursuant to the policies of the CSE and is subject to the acceptance of the CSE and the approval of shareholders of Makena, BioCan and Epimeron.

Shareholders holding not less than 50% plus one Common Share of the issued and outstanding Common Shares and not less than 66.67% of the issued and outstanding Epimeron Shares will approve the Transaction by way of written resolution.

In connection with the Transaction, it is expected that BioCan will hold a meeting to seek shareholder approval of the Arrangement.

Makena intends to submit all requisite filings with the CSE in due course, including a management information circular in respect of the Transaction.

The Arrangement will not result in the creation of a new control person, as such term is defined by the policies of the CSE.

Private Placement

Pursuant to the Private Placement, investors will subscribe for up to an aggregate of 428,571,429 Common Shares or units (Units) of Makena at a price of $0.035 per Common Share or Unit, as applicable, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $15.0 million. The completion of the Private Placement will be concurrent with, and is conditional on, the completion of the Arrangement and is expected to occur on or about January 31, 2019 (the Closing).

Units will be issued to subscribers that are members of the New Management Team and the New Board, together with certain additional subscribers identified by such persons. Common Shares will be issued to all other subscribers.

Each Unit will be comprised of one Common Share and one performance-based Common Share purchase warrant (each, a Performance Warrant). Each Performance Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.035 for a period of five years. The Performance Warrants will vest and become exercisable as to: (i) one-third upon the 20-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares (the Market Price) equaling or exceeding $0.0525; (ii) an additional one-third upon the Market Price equaling or exceeding $0.070; and (iii) a final one-third upon the Market Price equaling or exceeding $0.0875. In addition, in the event the Market Price equals or exceeds $0.140, each Performance Warrant will be exercisable for 1.5 Common Shares, provided that, at the time of exercise in respect of the additional 0.5 of a Common Share per Performance Warrant (the Performance Incentive), the Common Shares are: (i) listed on the facilities of a recognized stock exchange (other than the CSE or the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV)); (ii) acquired for cash; or (iii) acquired for the securities of a company listed on a recognized stock exchange (other than the CSE or the TSXV).

The resignation of the current board of directors and management team of Makena and the appointment of the New Management Team and the New Board will occur contemporaneous with the Closing.

The Private Placement will not result in the creation of a new control person.

The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund the pro forma business plan of the Company and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

About BioCan

BioCan, a company incorporated under the laws of Alberta, is a research and development company focused on plant research as it relates to biosynthesis of high value plant products. Much of BioCans research efforts over the past several years has been devoted to the biosynthesis of phytocannabinoids to better understand how they can be produced more efficiently for the pharmaceutical or fine chemical market. Developments from BioCans research not only furthers the fundamental understanding of how specialized metabolite (e.g. cannabinoids and terpenes) biosynthesis is regulated, but also provides important targets for product developments. BioCan has a corporate office in Calgary, Alberta, has established research collaborations at the University of British Columbia, and has its private laboratory and research facility in Burnaby, British Columbia.

The current directors and officers of BioCan are: Trevor Peters (President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director), Travis Doupe (Chief Financial Officer), Jerry Ericsson (Chief Operating Officer), Dr. Mathias Scheutz (Chief Scientific Officer), Douglas Edward Allen (Director), Gregory G. Turnbull (Director) and Dr. Jonathan Chan (Director).

As of the date of this press release, 58,450,444 BioCan Shares, 11,621,334 BioCan common share purchase warrants and 250,000 stock options are issued and outstanding. In connection with the Transaction, all outstanding Biocan stock options will be exercised for cash.

For more information on BioCan, please visit https://www.biocantechnologies.com .

About Epimeron

Epimeron, a company incorporated under the laws of Alberta, is working to enable the commercialization of high-value bioproducts by making key discoveries in plant genomics for Epimerons synthetic biology partners. At Epimeron, newly discovered genetic elements and biochemical strategies are translated into the appropriate commercial host organism. Epimeron seeks to partner and work together to enhance the success of manufacturing programs.

The current directors and officers of Epimeron are: Dr. Joseph Tucker (Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder), Dr. Peter Facchini (Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder), Dr. Jillian Hagel and (Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder).

As of the date of this press release, 549,001 Epimeron Shares and 207,500 stock options are issued and outstanding. In connection with the Transaction, all outstanding stock options will be exercised.

For more information on Epimeron, please visit http://epimeron.com .

About Makena

Makena is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in Canada.

Upon completion of the Transaction, the Company will execute a new cannabinoid science and biosynthesis strategy, conducting business as Willow Biosciences Inc.. The Transaction has received unanimous approval from the board of directors of Makena.

There are currently 35,246,184 Common Shares, 18,243,708 share purchase warrants and 963,050 stock options of Makena issued and outstanding. Pursuant to the Transaction, all outstanding options of Makena will vest and become exercisable until the date that is 30 days following Closing, at which time, all outstanding options shall be cancelled. Assuming the exercise of all existing stock options and share purchase warrants and proceeds of $15.0 million from the Private Placement, and including the Common Shares to be issued in connection with the Arrangement, there will be approximately 1,340,167,229 Common Shares outstanding at Closing.

Additional Information

Additional information regarding the Transaction, BioCan, Epimeron, Willow, the financial statements of BioCan and Epimeron and pro forma financial statements of the Company after giving effect to the Transaction will be made publicly available by Makena in due course, including pursuant to the management information circular to be filed on SEDAR in connection with the Transaction at www.sedar.com . The Companys work program and other information regarding BioCan, Epimeron and Willow will be submitted to the CSE for their review.

For further information, please contact:

Trevor Peters

T: (403) 669-4848

E: t.peters@biocantechnologies.com

Joseph Tucker, PhD

T: (508) 627-0485

E: jtucker@epimeron.com

202, 1201 - 5th Street SW

Calgary, AB T2R 0Y6

Reader Advisory

Completion of the Arrangement and the Recapitalization are subject to a number of conditions, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of the CSE, Court approval and shareholder approval. The Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Arrangement or the Recapitalization will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Makena should be considered highly speculative.

This press release is not an offer of the securities for sale in the United States. The securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the Arrangement or the Recapitalization and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (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 news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words expect, anticipate, continue, estimate, objective, ongoing, may, will, project, should, believe, plans, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly, and without limitation, this news release contains forward looking statements and information concerning the Arrangement, the Recapitalization, the expected composition of the board of directors and management of Willow, the application to the CSE in respect of the Arrangement and the Recapitalization, the completion and timing of the transactions contemplated herein, the change of name of Makena, the Companys corporate strategy and the anticipated benefits of the Transaction. In addition, statements relating to Willows business, strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions, including research and development programs and collaborations and partnerships, the performance of Willows business and operations; the competitive conditions of the industry in which Willow will operate and the competitive advantages of Willow; and the Companys future product offerings, including analytical testing, genetics, pest and disease management and cannabinoid production.

The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Makena, including expectations and assumptions concerning: Makena, BioCan, Epimeron and Willow; the Recapitalization and the Arrangement, including CSE, Court and shareholder approvals and the execution of the Arrangement Agreement and the satisfaction of other closing conditions in accordance with the terms of the Arrangement Agreement; the future operations of, and transactions completed by, Willow; the availability of sufficient capital; the availability of and access to qualified personnel; Willows ability to protect its intellectual property; the expected growth in the cannabis market, including demand for cultured cannabinoids; expectations regarding the regulatory framework for cultured cannabinoids; the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance of cannabis; the securities markets and the general economy; the legalization of the use of cannabis for medical and/or adult use in jurisdictions outside of Canada; and applicable laws not changing in a manner that is unfavorable to Willow.

Although Makena believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward looking statements and information because Makena can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. By its nature, such forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties, which could cause the actual results and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. Without limitation, these risks and uncertainties include: the parties being unable to obtain the required CSE, Court and shareholder approvals; the failure to complete the Private Placement on satisfactory terms, risks associated with the cannabis industry in general, infringement on intellectual property, failure to benefit from partnerships or successfully integrate acquisitions, actions and initiatives of federal and provincial governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies, import/export and research restrictions for cannabinoid-based operations, the size of the medical-use and adult-use cannabis market, competition from other industry participants, adverse U.S., Canadian and global economic conditions, failure to comply with certain regulations and departure of key management personnel or inability to attract and retain talent. Makena undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
VeritasKarishma wrote:

manugmat123 wrote:





Which of the following, if it could be carried out, would be most useful in an evaluation of Lakeview's assessment of the causes of the increased voter participation in its precinct?



(A) Determining the average increase in voter participation in each neighborhood of Lakeview.



(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.



(C) Comparing the total number of voters participating when the busing campaign brought them to their neighborhood polling station to the total number of voters participating before the busing campaign.



(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.



(E) Comparing the long-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter registration patterns with the short-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter participation.



Show Spoiler Correct Answer: D



The comparison suggested in D would be useful in evaluating Lakeview's assessment of the causes of the increase in its voter participation. If the increase in voting is as great in precincts that are, except for the existence of busing campaigns, demographically similar to Lakeview, then the conclusion is undermined. However, if the increase in participation is not as great in such precincts as in Lakeview, the election board's claim is supported. Thus, choice D is the best answer.



Choices A and B are both inappropriate because they concern only the rates of participation, and do not assess a hypothesis of the causes of participation.



Choices C and E suggest comparisons that would not assess the election board's claim about this election.



Rather, choices C and E suggest comparisons of separate elections within Lakeview, where factors other than the busing campaign may cause different rates of participation. Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation, Lakeview's election board claimed that the increased participation in its precinct resulted from the new busing campaign that brought many voters to their neighborhood polling station on Election Day.Which of the following, if it could be carried out, would be most useful in anof Lakeview's assessment of the causes of the increased voter participation in its precinct?(A) Determining the average increase in voter participation in each neighborhood of Lakeview.(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.(C) Comparing the total number of voters participating when the busing campaign brought them to their neighborhood polling station to the total number of voters participating before the busing campaign.(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.(E) Comparing the long-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter registration patterns with the short-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter participation.

The state has seen a boom in voter registration and participation.Lakeview, a precinct, experienced an increased participation.Lakeview's election board claimed it is because of the busing campaign.We need to evaluate this claim - whether busing campaign played a role.(A) Determining the average increase in voter participation in each neighborhood of Lakeview.Dividing Lakeview into neighbourhoods and comparing those will not help evaluate if busing campaign helped. We know that busing campaign was run across the precinct to bring people to their neighbourhood polling station.(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.Any prediction will not help in arriving at the reason.(C) Comparing the total number of voters participating when the busing campaign brought them to their neighborhood polling station to the total number of voters participating before the busing campaign.The most tricky one - we want to compare numbers before and after the busing campaign. Sure. But how does that help? We already know that "after" numbers are greater than "before" numbers. The argument says "increased numbers in Lakeview". Say I find that participation was 50% before and is 60% now. How does this tell me whether the busing campaign helped or something else? There has been a state wide boom in numbers and in Lakeview too.(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.Now this makes sense. When the comparison is with "similar units", it is often relevant. Comparing with demographically similar precincts, if we see that other precincts have seen a similar increase too without the busing campaign, it is possible that a second factor is causing increase everywhere. If other similar precincts which had no busing campaign did not see an increase, it increases the probability that busing campaign helped in increasing participation.(E) Comparing the long-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter registration patterns with the short-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter participation.Irrelevant.Answer (D)
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In order to clear things up, Shahram Ahmadi Nasab Emran explained it as such:

 Dissidents  People unhappy with the Regime and the status quo in Iran, which pretty much refers to all Iranians and groups inside Iran and across the Diaspora

 Freedom Fighters  Those who have actively stood up against the mullahs and pursued regime change, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its main constituent member the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK)

Who are the NCRI and the MEK?

The NCRI, founded in 1981, is a coalition of pro-democracy groups that want to bring democracy to Iran. They were lauded by the international community for revealing Irans clandestine nuclear programme in 2002, which resulted in the inspection of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The MEK has been the leading opposition group in Iran for over 50 years, but they have paid a heavy price for their resistance, with over 120,000 members and supporters executed for their political activism. Their sacrifice has inspired many more Iranians to come out in favour of regime change and their organisational efforts have made this years anti-regime protests in Iran a force to be reckoned with.

The fundamental difference here is that the MEK and NCRIs goals and organizational capacities mean that they can help bring democratic change to Iran. After all, they have a longstanding commitment to regime change, while most Iranian dissidents preferred some kind of internal reform within the country until recently. Internal reform that the freedom fighters knew would never come. While the change in position by the Iranian dissidents is welcome, they need to now throw their support being these freedom fighters.

Other differences include that while the Iranian dissident groups are diverse and disparate, the freedom fighters are unified and organized, with a shared political platform, which makes them the only effective viable alternative to the ruling mullahs. And something that the dissidents and the freedom fighters can all agree on is that the Regime needs to go.
In previous articles this week, weve spoken about the speech of MEK leader Maryam Rajavi at the conference, during which she said that a firm approach towards the mullahs was the only way for Western leaders to see any sort of change in Iran.

She also said that if the international community was unwilling to stand up for the rights of the targeted MEK, they should surely still be willing to stand up for the rights of their own citizens, given that most of these terror attacks were planned to hit European countries. Indeed, so far this year, we know of at least three thwarted Regime terror attacks against the MEK in France, Albania, and the US.

But perhaps most importantly, Rajavi explained that the MEK was the group that would soon bring freedom to Iran, thanks to their longstanding commitment and the support of the Iranian people.

Rajavi was far from the only person at the event to laud the MEK for its tireless dedication to bring freedom to Iran.

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy said that the MEK and their noble cause enjoyed bipartisan support in the US, contrary to the propaganda of the Regime.

Kennedy, a long-time MEK supporter, said: [We] stand with the Iranian people in their desire for change and to have a republic based on free election, separation of religion and state and gender equality. It is within this context that we support Maryam Rajavi and her ten-point declaration for a free Iran.

He said that the mullahs anti-MEK propaganda, actually just showed how scared the Regime was of the MEK, its popularity, and its role in the anti-regime protests. He then called on Europe to stand up to the mullahs over their terrorism and region meddling.

While Ingrid Betancourt, a former Colombian Presidential Candidate, agreed with the idea that Europe should adopt a firm approach toward the Regime, as it has markedly increased its terrorist activities and propaganda against the MEK in Europe over the past year.

She said: This clearly shows the fear of the regime from the MEK and its decisive role in the continued anti-regime protests in Iran and their desire for regime change.

Also in attendance were representatives from more than 300 Iranian associations, who pledged their support for the MEK and their Ten-Point Plan for a Free Iran.

Fershteh Riazi Doust from The Netherlands said that the MEK has stood up to slander from the Regime, whilst wanting nothing for itself; only freedom for Iran.

While Amineh Gharaee from Norway brought up the 1988 massacre of 30,000 MEK members by the Regime, which still goes unpunished, and called for the mullahs to face consequences.

Other participants in the conference included Minister of State for Diaspora and former Prime Minister of Albania Pandeli Majko; Republican Party Leader and former Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu; former Algerian Prime Minister Syed Ahmad Ghozali; Deputy Leader of the UK Liberal Democratic Party Lord Navnit Dholakia; French Governor and former Director of DST Yves Bonnet; Chair of the Committee on Equality of Men and Women in the Parliament of Romania Christina Luristina; Deputy Chair of the Financial Committee in the Senate of South Ireland Gerry Horkan; Member of Italian Parliament Antonio Tasso; Member of the Norwegian Parliamentary Judiciary Committee Peter Eide, and more.
The tension that VOA News perceives in the meeting between Rouhani and Erdogan stems from questions regarding the expanded role that Turkey would assume in the absence of serious American influence, and whether that role would be more in line with American or Iranian interests. Bloomberg quoted one expert as saying that the US troop pullout could be regarded as a green light for Turkish attacks on Kurdish forces that were previously American-backed. The same expert notes that this perception could be strengthened by President Trumps recent proposal for the sale of a Patriot missile defense system to the Turkish military.

On the other hand, Trumps proposal arguably signifies confidence that Turkey will behave in a way that is not significantly at odds with US strategies in the region. Similar confidence presumably underlay Trumps specific request for Turkey to begin playing a stronger role in the right against ISIL, which he acknowledged on Thursday was not yet at an end, in spite of the forthcoming withdrawal.

The international community can certainly expect a generally stronger role from Turkey, but it is by no means a foregone conclusion that that role will serve American interests instead of reflecting an expanded partnership between the Erdogan government and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Indeed, Bloomberg declared in no uncertain terms on Thursday that the question of whether to deepen ties with NATO or with Iran constituted a dilemma for Ankara.

If Turkey ultimately decides to follow through on attacks against former US allies in northeastern Syria, the effort might prove beneficial to Iran, which has long been committed to the complete removal of all groups that represent persistent opposition to the government of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. This is especially true in light of the fact that Iran has issues with Kurdish separatists groups within its own borders, some of which have significant ties to armed groups in other Kurdish regions.

On the other hand, Tehran has developed working relationships with certain other Kurdish groups, and some recent reports indicate that this model is being emulated in Syria as ISIL shrinks and US support wanes. Some Kurdish groups have reportedly been seen fighting alongside Iran-backed entities instead of rebel coalitions in recent weeks.

In this sense, a Turkish attack on the Kurds could have either a positive of a negative impact on the most up-to-date Iranian goals for the region. Thus, the future of Iranian-Turkish relations may depend in large part on the extent to which the two countries are willing and able to coordinate their plans.

Many of the reports that emerged in the wake of Trumps withdrawal announcement suggested that the Turkish and Iranian leadership are committed to a high degree of collaboration under the emerging circumstances, or at least that they wish to give the impression of forthcoming collaboration. The VOA News report underlined the notion that Thursdays meeting between Rouhani and Erdogan could have the precise effect of extending the trend toward deterioration of relations between the US and Turkey.

And Rouhani himself seemed to push for that effect by coloring public commentary on the meeting with reference to Turkish help in opposing the supposed unilateralism of an American government whose action against Iran constitutes a 100-percent terrorist act.

Al Jazeera referenced these quotations in the context of an article that credited both Rouhani and Erdogan with vowing to work closer with each other over the future of the Syrian crisis. If both governments follow through on that mutual promise, it may set the stage for their resolution of the potential conflicts surrounding Kurdish separatists and a Turkish incursion into the countrys northeast.

More than that, it may set the stage for more general Turkish support of Iranian positions, given that the two countries are supposedly pursuing an overall boost in bilateral relations.

The Iran Project boasted of the effect of Thursdays meeting upon these relations and the surrounding anti-American rhetoric. In what was surely a veiled reference to the US and other Western enemies, Rouhani proclaimed that no third country could weaken the relationship between Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, the two presidents reportedly agreed upon a goal of nearly tripling trade between their countries to 30 billion dollars per year. The central bank governors for each country evidently also met on Thursday to discuss facilitating this goal, and two cooperation agreements were supposedly signed between Tehran and Ankara.

Yet none of this discounts the fact that Turkey is torn between regional partners like Iran and Western allies affiliated with NATO. This situation presumably discouraged Erdogan from matching Rouhanis rhetoric in discussing mutual cooperation and trade agreements. According to the Associated Press, the Turkish president did, however, use a joint news conference on Thursday as an opportunity to criticize US sanctions on Iran, asserting that they put regional safety and stability into danger.

It remains to be seen whether this comment is indicative of a broader opposition to American strategy in the region. But in the meantime, it does cast doubt upon President Trumps apparent confidence regarding the role that Turkey will play vis-a-vis Iran. And this in turn amplifies the criticisms that quickly emerged from many of Trumps traditional allies, alleging the withdrawal of American troops from Syria would ultimately be a victory for Iran.

Those traditional allies include members of the presidents own foreign policy team, but also Middle Eastern partners of the United States. While the former group has little recourse other than to petition Trump for another change of strategy, regional actors may continue to take action on their own in Syria and surrounding areas, perhaps even striving to compensate for the loss of American manpower.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced these specific intentions on Thursday, but also signaled that he expected American support for an anti-Iranian strategy, even if it no longer included US troops in Syria.

Reuters quoted Iranian Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon as echoing this sentiment in an interview with Israels Army Radio. Of course the American decision is not good for us, he said of the withdrawal announcement. But we know that safeguarding Israels security is also an American interest in the region.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Overcast. Areas of dense fog developing. Low 57F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Areas of dense fog developing. Low 57F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)  led by CBC Chair Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02) and the co-chairs of the CBC Education and Labor Task Force, Congressmembers Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)  released the following statement on the school safety report the Department of Education released this morning.

The Trump Administrations School Safety Commission Report is not only a missed opportunity to ensure every student is both safe and supported in the classroom, but it is also a blatant affront to communities of color. Its suggestion that federal civil rights enforcement  and not the prevalence of firearms  is to blame for school shootings is baseless and wrong.

The use of a school tragedy to roll back Obama-era evidence-based guidance to curb discrimination in education is an outrage and will lead to more students of color being funneled into the school-to-prison pipeline. Sending the message that schools are safest when they discriminate against students of color will encourage the further criminalization of non-criminal behavior  criminalization experienced daily by students living while black, whether it be while swimming at a pool, eating barbecue, sitting at a restaurant, babysitting, or merely walking home from school.

The Congressional Black Caucus stands ready to hold this administration accountable for protecting and promoting the civil rights of all students.

CBC Chairman Richmond is the sponsor of the Student Disciplinary Fairness Act of 2017. If passed, the bill would establish within the Department of Justice (DOJ) an Office of School and Discipline Policy to reduce the number of students who are incarcerated and develop a criminal history based on activity that occurs at school.
The Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement on the passage of the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act, also called the First Step Act. The bill was supported by Chairman Richmond and all of the other members of the CBC.

This legislation is what it says it is: a first step; and while it is an important first step, it is not comprehensive criminal justice reform.

As a result of the First Step Act, judges will be able to give fairer sentences to defendants, defendants wont be charged for multiple crimes for a single incident, pregnant prisoners will not be shackled, $75 million will go toward reentry programs for the recently released, the reduced 18:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine will be made retroactive, and 4,000 prisoners will be released early. In addition, the prison reform provisions of the First Step Act will apply retroactively to all prisoners sentenced after 1987 as a I requested when the House Judiciary Committee reviewed the legislation.

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So what is the problem? The problem is that every dollar we spend toward mass incarceration leaves our communities less safe and the First Step Act does not address mass incarceration. The First Step Act also does not address police accountability, private prisons, life without parole for juveniles, black families that were broken by the War on Drugs, among other issues.

I applaud Congressman Jeffries, Congressman Collins, Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, the ranking member of the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Senator Booker, Senator Harris, and others for working to pass this legislation, and I look forward to working with them on all that is left to be done to ensure our justice system is fair.

Below are some of the issues the First Step Act does not address that the CBC would like to see included in comprehensive criminal justice reform legislation.
United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos moved to make several policy changes affecting American higher education in 2018.

This included reversals in court, some criticism and also several new policies.

Rules for investigations into sexual attacks

DeVoss move in 2017 to withdraw guidance for colleges and universities given by the administration of former President Barack Obama has faced criticism. The guidance dealt with what colleges and universities should do about accusations of sexual assault.

In January 2018, three activist groups took legal action against the department. The groups said withdrawing the guidelines hurt protections guaranteed by the 1972 federal law known as Title IX.

Title IX bars discrimination based on sex at American colleges and universities, as well as at elementary and secondary schools. Schools that receive federal money are required to offer a clear way for students and employees to report sexual assault. They also must hold fair, open investigations.

In 2011, the Obama administration added guidance about how to deal with sexual violence accusations. Some rights groups praised the new rules at the time.

However, the Education Department withdrew the Obama administration rules in September 2017. It said they failed to provide fairness to both the accuser and the accused.

Skye Perryman is with Democracy Forward. Her group, the National Womens Law Center, and the National Center for Youth Law brought the action against the Department of Education. Perryman told VOA that DeVoss withdrawal of the 2011 guidelines would have a bad effect on those who might experience sexual violence.

Individuals whove experiencedsexual violence, and sexual assault on campuses have been chilled in their ability to bring claims, because they do not believe that the system will protect them, she said.

New rules released for public comment

In November, DeVos released new, proposed rules for investigating sexual wrongdoing at colleges and universities.

The new plan must go through a 60-day public comment process before it can be finalized. It includes some changes sought by some groups. For example, one of the new guidelines would give accused students the chance to ask their accusers questions.

In a statement, DeVos said, We can, and must, condemn sexual violence and punish those who perpetrate it, while ensuring a fair grievance process.

Under the proposed rules, schools would only be required to investigate accusations if the reported incidents happened on areas overseen by the schools. The earlier guidelines had required schools to investigate all accusations wherever they were reported to have taken place.

Some rights groups, like the American Civil Liberties Union, have said on Twitter that the proposed rules are unfair to the accuser.

The period for comment on the new rules ends in January.

Student borrowing legal case

In early March, former Corinthian Colleges students made the claim that the Education Department unfairly used information about how much money they earn. The students said the agency used information from the Social Security Department to limit their student loan debt relief.

Corinthian Colleges was a for-profit higher education company that operated several schools across the U.S. and Canada. In 2015, the U.S. government found evidence it was illegally misinforming its students.

The Education Department has the ability to, in many cases, forgive student loan debt. Under former President Obama, the department paid $550 million to forgive student loans for tens of thousands of former Corinthian students.

The department then made rules designed to clarify how students can get debt relief. The rules were opposed by many for-profit colleges and universities.

The policy is known as borrower defense, and the changes were meant to go into effect in July 2017. But DeVos said the rule made forgiving loans too easy and was unfair to taxpayers. So she blocked it while attempting to create a new policy to replace it.

In September 2018, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss decided that DeVoss delay was unlawful.

Changes without opposition

Some of DeVoss policy changes have not faced legal opposition.

In September, the Education Department removed national median data from its online tool that helps students decide which college or university to attend. A median number is one in a series of numbers that represents the middle value.

In 2013, the Obama administration launched the website, called College Scorecard. It is a database for important information on schools across the country, including yearly costs and average student debt.

The Education Department removed national median numbers from the website this year. It said that it was unfair to compare all schools with that measure. However, even some supporters of Secretary DeVos and her efforts found the change in the College Scorecard troubling.

If you do not have anything to compare it to, you dont understand  whats out there, said Daniel Elkins with the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. Then you have to compare multiple graphs, multiple charts, and try and figure out an average on your own, he added.

The Associated Press reports that DeVos announced one more major policy proposal for schools of all levels on Tuesday.

In 2014, the Obama administration urged schools not to suspend, remove or report students involved in bad behavior to police, except in extreme cases. That guidance came after research showed black students were more than three times as likely as white students to be suspended or removed.

However, a federal school safety commission has recommended changes to that policy in its final report. DeVos led the commission. She said that the federal government should not make one rule for all schools.

The primary responsibility for the physical security of schools and the safety of their students naturally rests with states and local communities, DeVos said.

Im Pete Musto.

And Im Dorothy Gundy.

Pete Musto adapted this story for Learning English using materials from VOA, the Associated Press and other online sources. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. What other policy changes to you think Betsy DeVos will attempt next year? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Quiz

Quiz - US Education Secretarys Policy Changes Had Mixed Results in 2018 Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

reversal ( s )  n. a change to an opposite state, condition, or decision

assault  n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically

campus  n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school

chilled  adj. to make someone less likely to do something especially through fear of penalty

perpetrate  v. to cause something that should be stopped, such as a mistaken idea or a bad situation, to continue

grievance  n. a statement in which you say you are unhappy or not satisfied with something

oversee(n)  v. to watch and direct a place or group of people in order to be sure that things are done correctly

relief  n. the removal or reducing of something that is painful or unpleasant

graph(s)  n. a drawing that uses a series of dots and lines to show how much or how quickly something changes

chart(s)  n. information in the form of a table or diagram


Here are some of the most popular science stories on the VOA Learning English website in 2018.

Gene-edited babies announced

A Chinese researcher reported last month that he helped to make the worlds first genetically edited babies. His claims were quickly condemned by other scientists who denounced his claims as irresponsible.

The researchers employer, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, said it did not know about his activities. Chinas government ordered a halt to the work soon after news media reported on the experiment.

The researcher, He Jiankui, said that he had edited or changed the genetic material of two human embryos. The embryos developed into two girls, who were born recently. He Jiankui said he had performed the gene editing to help protect the babies from infection with HIV, the virus responsible for the disease AIDS. He said the process had worked safely and the two girls were as healthy as any other babies.

There has been no independent confirmation of Hes claims, and he has yet to provide documentation of his research.

Chinas Ministry of Science and Technology called the experiment unacceptable.

In 2017, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said gene editing should be used for research and only in a laboratory to learn how to change embryos.

The Academies also said the technique is not ready for human pregnancies. And if it is ever permitted, it should be used to treat or prevent serious diseases when no better choices are available.

Gene-editing, however, could soon be approved for agricultural products. In fact, the technology used to edit genes has become widely available.

The first foods from plants or animals that have had their genetic material, or DNA, edited are expected to appear in stores as early as next year.

CRISPR and TALENs are two of the gene-editing systems that scientists are using. Scientists hope these tools will enable them to make very small, exact changes to plant or animal DNA. The tools operate like scissors, cutting off molecules from DNA structures.

The researchers are trying to create foods like soybeans that are healthier to eat, citrus fruit that resists disease and cows that do not have horns.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences says that gene editing is needed to feed the worlds growing population. However, governments are not yet sure how to oversee the use of this technology. It also is unclear whether people will be willing to buy gene-edited foods.

Private space flight takes another step

The dream of visiting space for pleasure took another step closer to reality this year.

The space travel company Virgin Galactic announced it had successfully sent a rocket ship into space for the first time in December.

The SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity climbed to 82 kilometers above Californias Mojave Desert on December 14. Virgin Galactic noted that the U.S. Air Force and other government agencies have long used 80 kilometers as their measuring point for space.

The company hopes that people will pay $250,000 for a 90-minute flight. Its chief, Richard Branson, is among the more than 600 people who have expressed a willingness to go.

The company hopes to launch its first passengers into space by March of 2019.

A competing company, SpaceX, wants to take space tourism to an even higher level. In September, SpaceX announced who would be its first private passenger to the moon.

Yasaku Maezawa is the chief executive of Japanese online clothing seller Zozo. He wants to take a trip around the moon in 2023.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said the moon trip will use the companys Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR. He predicted that the rocket will cost about $5 billion to develop. Musk did not say how much Maezawa would pay towards his flight.

Climate change concerns

2018 was marked by continuing concerns about rising temperatures and climate change.

Hurricanes striking the eastern United States and wildfires in California led to urgent calls for new measures. Reports from the U.S. government and United Nations also predicted increased weather-related disasters. These include drier than normal weather conditions, rising sea levels, hunger and other problems, if nothing is done.

In December, officials of nearly 200 countries met in Poland for talks on how to reduce production of carbon gases linked to rising temperatures.

The U.N. conference did not reach agreements on production targets for such gasses, however.

In October, a U.N. report said that many climate-related problems could be avoided if surface temperatures could be kept from rising by .5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, reported that it is possible to limit the earths warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. But to do so would require big changes in the international economy, including a move away from carbon-based fuels like oil and coal.

The United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait opposed calls to include that statement in the IPCC report.

Cleaning the Pacific Ocean

Plastic is a big concern for people living in the Pacific Ocean. There something huge, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is growing.

Experts estimate 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic are floating within a few meters of the oceans surface.

A group of engineers launched what they hope will solve the problem in September. The group Ocean Cleanup sent a huge barrier designed to capture plastic waste. It uses the suns energy and is designed to keep sea life safe.

Boyan Slat of the Netherlands leads Ocean Cleanup. He said the goal is to remove 50 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years.

Products made from plastic take a long time to break up. Many sea animals mistake plastic particles for food. In recent years, whales, sea turtles, birds and other sea life have been found dead with plastic waste in their stomachs.

Environmentalists at the Ocean Conservancy note that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.

Im Alice Bryant. And Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Mario Ritter wrote this report from VOA Learning English. The report was based on stories published on our website earlier this year. George Grow was the editor.

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Quiz

Quiz - Science 2018: Gene Editing, Private Space Travel Top List Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

edit  v. to make changes to something, such as a piece of writing, by adding or removing parts of it

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)  n. a substance that carries genetic information in the cells of plants and animals

executive  n. a person who supervises or directs other people in a company or organization

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
3 dead in Khotang tractor accident

Three people died and another person was seriously injured in a road accident that took place in Khotang on Sunday.
Sherpa is pursuing a masters in environmental management in New Zealand.
Bishal Chaudhary, one of the suspects in Nirmala murder case, says police tortured him to extract confession

Bishal Chaudhary, one of the suspects in the Nirmala Pant murder case, has been released from police custody after he was cleared by DNA evidence. His release comes at a time when police have been insisting that Bishal and the other suspect, Pradip Rawal, have confessed to raping and murdering 13-year-old Nirmala in Bhimdattanagar, Kanchanpur, on July 26.
Angola Cables has concluded deals with several Internet service providers (ISPs) in South Africa, with a total of six already signed up to use the cables operated by the company.

Antonio Nunes, the CEO of Angola Cables, has said that the combination of its South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) and the MONET cable is a game-changer for the Southern hemisphere.

Not only does it open up a route for Internet traffic running from South America to Asia, via Africa, it also offers a lower latency route from Sub-Saharan Africa and South America to North America.

For Internet users in South America, the MONET cable is a revolution  reducing latencies to North American servers from 240 or 250 milliseconds (ms) to less than 65ms.

Live on SACS

In South Africa, Internet service provider Cool Ideas is already live on SACS. Traceroutes to Fortaleza in Brazil and Miami in the United States reveal that the cable offers much lower latencies than the alternatives.

On the West Africa Cable System (WACS), pings to Brazil from South Africa measured 223ms. On SACS, traffic between the same locations had a latency of 116ms.

Between South Africa and Miami the latency on WACS is 265ms, while on SACS it is 222ms.

SACS launched commercial services in September, and features four fibre pairs with a total design capacity of 40Tbps between Fortaleza in Brazil and Luanda in Angola.

In addition to offering lower latency, Angola Cables has said that the cable will also contribute to reductions in data traffic costs between South America and Africa.
INX-ZA recently stated that the Johannesburg Internet Exchange (JINX) has seen no downtime in 22 years, providing uninterrupted services to users since June 1996.

It is a significant technical achievement and were quite proud of it, INX-ZA manager Nishal Goburdhan told MyBroadband.

JINX started as a project of the Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA) and INX-ZAs exchange points remain community-run initiatives to this day.

Despite its humble beginnings from a single switch in a closet outside an Internet Solutions data centre, JINX has maintained 100% uptime.

The key for us has been to keep things simple, Goburdhan said.

There are a lot of ways an INX can complicate its operation. For us a crucial factor in ensuring uptime is to avoid complexity, follow best practices, and exercise caution before implementing changes  following the principle of measure twice cut once.

Asked how they ensured that JINX never went down in the early days without a redundant switch, Goburdhan said that they used tight configuration control management, and created templates to work from.

If you keep everything you do simple, then you make this management easier and drastically minimises the likelihood for mistakes to creep in.

Good switches

It also helps that the mean time between failures for good switches  the kind that cost upwards of R150,000  is 35 years, he said.

He said that he recently decommissioned the last of a set of switches that Cisco donated to JINX which had been in service for many years. One had been running continuously since 2006, and the other since 2010.

Goburdhan added that a lot also has to be said for the facilities in which JINX has been hosted over the years.

The exchange has moved several times, and in 2016 it expanded beyond the Internet Solutions data centre that had served it faithfully for nearly 20 years.

JINXs multi-site capabilities have grown further since then, and it is currently hosted in data centres operated by Hetzner, Teraco, Liquid Telecom (South Africa Data Centre), and Internet Solutions.

Today i switched off a hidden legend in #SouthAfrica. In service non-stop until yest., its had 100% uptime for 8years, as one of two #peering switches donated by @Cisco to the #JINX. #tearful #unsungheroes pic.twitter.com/g78nWJYhqx  Nishal Goburdhan (@ngoburdhan) November 2, 2018

South Africas Internet exchange

Before 2013, ISPAs Internet exchange project was entirely volunteer run. When the organisation decided that the exchange points needed to become multi-site, it employed someone to drive the initiative.

You couldnt expect volunteers to do that, Goburdhan said.

He explained that the landscape for Internet services is changing in South Africa, and to maintain the kind of uptime their exchanges in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban had achieved, they could not be at just one site.

Thats what was driving us to get this multisite thing set up.

While INX-ZA is no longer purely volunteer-run, it continues to be driven by the community of Internet service providers in South Africa.

The community determines the prices for INX-ZAs services, and provide expertise where required, said Goburdhan.
Government to reduce E-levy from 1.75% to 1.5% ...
St. Helena Preschool for All held its first annual family Christmas party for the 20 families involved in the preschool program at Nimbus Arts in St. Helena on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The afternoon was designed to bring the families of the St. Helena Preschool for All program closer together during the holiday season and to foster a continued sense of community within the program, according to a press release. The event was created in collaboration with Nimbus Arts to reflect an afternoon of holiday art projects geared toward preschool age children, their siblings, and their families.

Nimbus Arts developed three craft activities in their Main Street studio that each family could engage in with their young children and take home at the end of the event. Kids enjoyed enriching art activities, holiday music, lunch and Christmas treats in a welcoming, art-filled environment.

Executive Director Julio Olguin, along with Board of Director members Jennifer Lamb, Shannon Pestoni and Nadia Torres, attended the event to represent the organization and help with art activities for the families.

As part of the 2018-2019 program goals, St. Helena Preschool for All plans to host regular activities for the participating children and their families, building on their preschool experience in an effort to involve the entire family in enriching educational and community experiences.

More events are scheduled for the spring and summer of 2019, such as expanded literacy programs, family museum outings, and library visits.

For more information about St. Helena Preschool for All, visit shpreschoolforall.org.
The Culinary Institute of America at Copia will be offering these classes between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6. More information and registration is at ciaatcopia.com.

Thursday, Dec. 27

 Young Chef: Latin Cuisine  One-day culinary camp for ages 13 and older., Hestan Kitchen, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $150.

Teens can explore a professional kitchen and learn new cooking and baking techniques from CIA chefs for Latin-inspired dishes in a full-day program of hands-on cooking, chef demonstrations, tours, lectures, and more.

Young chefs must be signed in by an adult. At the conclusion of the program, adults must pick up their young chef at Copia. Young chefs cannot leave Copia without their designated accompanying adult.

Friday, Dec. 28

 Young Chef: Basic Culinary Camp for Ages 912, Hestan Kitchen, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., $100.

Introduce youngsters to the professional kitchen where they will learn new cooking and baking techniques from CIA chefs.

Young chefs must be signed in by an adult. At the conclusion of the program, adults must pick up their young chef at Copia. Young chefs cannot leave Copia without their designated accompanying adult.

 The Chefs Table: Pasta, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 5  7 p.m., $150.

An evening of food and fun at The Chefs Table where you will gather round the table in the Napa Valley Vintners Theater and watch CIA chefs work their magic as you learn great tips and techniques. Ask the questions and enjoy delicious food and beverage pairings. You wont leave hungry.

Class instruction will include making dough, rolling and cutting techniques, and cooking and saucing your pasta. (18 and older only)

Saturday, Dec. 29

 How To: Taste Wine in 90 Seconds, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 11 a.m.12:30 p.m., $35.

From tongue to brain stem takes just nanoseconds and yet a Master Sommelier candidate has a little over four minutes to taste, evaluate, and identify wines. What happens in between? How much time do you really need to figure out what you think and how you feel about a wine? In this class, youll taste five wines, learn the lingo, understand what you prefer, and how to enjoy it with food, family, and friends. Youll leave with a practical, fun, and common sense way to appreciate, record, and remember the wines youve tasted so you can find more wines you want to drink and avoid the ones you dont. (21 and older only).

 CIA Skills: Cooking with Wine (hands-on class), Hestan Kitchen, 3:30  6:30 p.m., $125.

In this class, were not talking about enjoying a glass of wine while you cookwe mean reserving some for your recipes. Thats because wine is more than just an accompaniment with dinner; as an ingredient, it can add complex flavor to your dish. Find out how, as your instructor guides you through some of the many delicious ways you can add a little more wine to your mealsand your life.

This is a small, hands-on class in our Hestan Kitchen concluding with a meal and wine. (18 and older only)

Sunday, Dec. 30

 Family Funday: Tacos, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 1:30  2:30 p.m., $15.

Get a family fiesta going with a taco making party at the CIA. In this class, well explore ways to make one of this favorite, flavorful foods a healthy and interactive family activity. Youll leave knowing how to spice things up (or down!) as well as create your own taco-centric meals and even how to make your own hand-pressed tortillas so that you can turn your home kitchen into your familys favorite taqueira.

Good for ages 4 and older. All children must be accompanied by at least one adult. All adults must be accompanied by at least one child. Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision and behavior of minors while on a CIA campus or in attendance at a CIA-sponsored event.

 Bubbles for Every Occasion, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 6. 7:15 p.m., $35.

Whether youre spending time with your love, your family, your friends or just yourself (and your cat), sparkling wines from all over the world can make every moment a happy one. This class will talk about tasting, buying, serving sparkling wines, along with great pairings for it. This class will give special attention to seasonal foods, holidays, and traditions.

If theres one time of year to enjoy the real thing, New Years Eve is it. But whats all the fuss? Youll taste the differences between Champagne and some of our favorite wines made in the same style. Youll also get the chance to compare wines from many price points and styles to find your favorites for any occasions Who knows? 2019 could be filled with some new, sparkling discoveries. (21 and older only).

Thursday, Jan. 3

Chefs Class: Soups with Flair, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 1:302:30 p.m., $30.

Whether its broth-based, creamy, or chunky, theres a soup to suit every season and occasion. In this class, youll learn the techniques and essential flavor and seasoning fundamentals you need to prepare satisfying bowls of your favorite soups at home.

Featured recipes include Chestnut Soup with Fresh Ginger and Roasted Garlic Soup

Friday, Jan. 4

The Chefs Table: California Bounty, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 5:307:30 p.m., $150.

An evening of food and fun at The Chefs Table will cover trimming, cutting, and cooking the perfect steak, tips on cooking seasonally, and a celebration of Californias agricultural bounty.(18 and older only).

Saturday, Jan. 5

 Handmade Dim Sum & Dumplings (Hands-on Class), Hestan Kitchen, 11 a.m.1 p.m., $95.

Learn the techniques to make popular dim sum dishes at home. You will steam and deep fry your way to a delicious brunch meal, and youll be amazed at how easy (and delicious) homemade dim sum and dumplings can be!

 Pairing Basics: Basic Flavor Interactions, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 3:305 p.m., $35.

Do you ever wonder just how to make that Chardonnay taste fruitier, Merlot taste less bitter, or that roast chicken really sing? This class is the perfect place to begin. Starting with an unseasoned blank canvas, youll learn how 12 different food components, including examples of salt, spice, sweet, acid, fat, and umami interact with four different styles of wine. Youll learn and taste the various ways to enhance either the flavor of the wine or the flavor of the food. (21 and older only).

Sunday, Jan. 6

 Family Funday Special Edition: How to Make Eclairs and Their Cousins, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, 1:30  2:30 p.m., $15.

Did you know it takes about the same amount of time to whip up a batch of eclairs as it does to make a batch of muffins? Learn how just one dough can be turned into all sorts of crowd-pleasers such as eclairs, cream puffs, gougeres, churros, and beignets.

Well take away the fancy and leave only the fun  but get ready to roll up your sleeves. In this hands-on class, we will teach you simple techniques for preparing the dough along with tips on how to pipe, fill, and glaze your way to success.

Fun for ages 4 and older. All children must be accompanied by at least one adult. All adults must be accompanied by at least one child. Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision and behavior of minors while on a CIA campus or in attendance at a CIA-sponsored event.
By late 2010, I was pretty sure my journalism career was over. I had left newspapers almost a decade before to be a freelance writer. The first few years were great  I was making plenty of money and getting some nice bylines working for good clients, including Time and People magazines and the well-regarded Philadelphia Business Journal.

But about 2007, things started to sputter and news organizations scaled back on freelance budgets. I saw my income plummet and I was down to editing business documents and picking up whatever low-paid scraps I could scrounge. Finally I had to give up and take an office job in a non-profit organization run by a former newspaper editor I knew.

The final blow to my career hopes came when my wife got a great job at a hotel in Calistoga. Sure, I was looking forward to moving to the Napa Valley and being back in California after seven years back east. But no way was I ever going to be a reporter again, and I had no idea what I would do for a living.

Then something weird happened. I saw a small item on the website of the Weekly Calistogan saying that the longtime editor was retiring in the spring. No word on who would replace him.

I wasted not a minute hunting down the publisher, some guy named Doug Ernst.

Guess what, I told him  Ive been a journalist for more than 20 years. Ive even run my own weekly newspaper. Ive covered Congress and the White House, but I really (really) love local news. Im moving to Calistoga anyway, all on my own dime, and oh, by the way, I dont really care what you pay me.

I dont think he believed a word of it.

The family moved out here in April with no job for me and Doug still sounding a bit dubious. Finally, I convinced him to sit down for lunch, and he finally seemed to believe that maybe, yeah, this Scully guy could do the job.

After months of me sweet talking him, Doug finally called and offered me the job, effective at the end of June.

So began my unexpected second act in journalism.

I only got to work directly with Doug a short time, since he lost his job as publisher in a company restructuring a few months later. But I continued to work with him regularly in his new roles, as a PR consultant and, later, spokesman for Napa Valley College.

Through the loss of his job, through the uncertainty of his own career reinvention, and lately through his failing health, Doug maintained his good cheer and his genuine concern for me and all the other journalists he had hired and supervised over the years.

Meanwhile, my own journalistic reinvention continued in ways I could barely imagine back in 2010: a job at the excellent Press Democrat of Santa Rosa and then, in 2014, my dream job  editor of the Napa Valley Register. None of this would have happened had Doug not believed my story and offered me the job at the Weekly Calistogan.

Doug died this month after a brief struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or as it is generally known, Lou Gehrigs Disease. Although his own journalistic career was cut short in 2011, he leaves behind a long line of journalists whom he hired, mentored, or as in my case, rescued from professional oblivion.

He was a good boss, a gracious gentleman, and I owe him my undying thanks.

You can reach Sean Scully at 256-2246 or sscully@napanews.com.

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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 Sentinel sister 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 the 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 last 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 President Donald Trumps definition of fake news, which simply is his view of reports that arent favorable 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 has set a troubling tone, Time wrote.

Troubling doesnt cover it. Potentially destructive is closer.

Writers of the 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 Sentinel, only a couple 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.

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 a reliable news sources is one of the critical threads that binds people together and makes this tricky thing called democracy a success.

Lauren Ritchie is a columnist for The Orlando Sentinel.
Probe panel to look into Dang bus accident

Province 5 Police Office Tulsipur formed a probe committee to look into the bus accident that occurred at Ramri in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City-3 on Friday.
Two and a half years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Brexit is a mess. Prime Minister Theresa May, who once opposed the policy, can't sell the departure agreement she negotiated with the European Union, and she barely survived a no-confidence vote in her own party this month. Few in Britainbelieve she will make Brexit successful - or even know what a successful Brexit would be. Indeed, after a couple of years of debate, several myths have developed.

- Myth No. 1: A Brexit vote was inevitable.

Former prime minister David Cameron has justified his 2013 promise to hold a referendum on Britain's membership in the EU by saying the situation was "unsustainable" - that it "needed to be addressed." Shortly after the vote, the Conservative Brexiteer Boris Johnson said that the vote was "inevitable," because there was "no way of dealing with a decision on this scale except by putting it to the people."

But polls from the time tell a different story. In the months before Cameron's promise, Ipsos MORIasked Britons what the biggest issues facing their country were. Sixty-one percent said the economy, followed by 35 percent who said unemployment. Just 1 in 20 mentioned Europe. According to a BBC tally, 138 Conservative members of Parliament supported Brexit, compared with 185 who wanted to remain in the EU The vast majority of other parties supported staying in the bloc.

Cameron's referendum wasn't answering any demands from the British public. The prime minister was worried that pressure from a few euroskeptic Conservative lawmakers and the fringe anti-EU party UKIP would cost him a parliamentary majority in the next election. (He thought the vote would neutralize those critics, and he didn't expect it to pass.) But Brexit was a self-fulfilling policy: Polls show that, since the plebiscite, Europe is consideredthe biggest problem facing the country.

- Myth No. 2: Brexit spells doom for the European Union.

Immediately after Britain's vote to leave the EU, some predicted that it heralded the beginning of the end for the bloc. "Europe will fall," said Peter Lundgren, a member of the European Parliament from the far-Right Sweden Democrat party. A YouGov poll from July 2016 found that many around Europe thought more countries would leave the EU as a result of Brexit.

Two and a half years later, how has that panned out? Even when populists have taken power in other nations, they haven't pushed for their own EU exits. Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini said this month that he is not seeking a "Brexit all'Italiana," while Poland's ruling party, Law and Justice, has also distanced itself from a Polish departure. France's Marine Le Pen, a leading force in European populism, has said she no longer supports a "Frexit" - because she doesn't think French voters want it.

This doesn't mean Brexit is good for Europe; a no-deal departure, in particular, would hurt EU members. But Brussels has gained a great argument against nations seeking their own farewell: Look at what's happening in Britain!

- Myth No. 3: May's recent deal is a betrayal of Brexit.

Brexiteer critics of the prime minister say the withdrawal agreement she crafted with EU leaders and announced this month is disloyal to the 2016 referendum. Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of the most prominent Conservative euroskeptics, arguesthat staying in the EU's customs union, as May proposes, "would not be delivering the result of the referendum." Johnson writes that Britons "want this Government to fulfil the mandate of the people and deliver a full British Brexit."

But this idea of a "Brexit betrayal," as hard-right protesters put it, makes little sense. The 2016 referendum asked one simple question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" Voters were asked to leave or remain - not how they should leave or remain. In a 2017 election manifesto, May pledged to leave the EU's single market and customs union. But the Conservatives lost their majority in that election: hardly a decisive mandate.

Besides, May's deal is based on the premise that staying in the customs union would be temporary. Hard-line Brexiteers don't trust this assurance, but so far they haven't offered a realistic alternate pact. Rees-Mogg sounds oddly sanguine about a "no deal" Brexit - widely seen by analysts as the worst possible option - an indication, perhaps, that he knows no better agreement can be reached.

- Myth No. 4: "Remain" would easily win a second referndum.

The idea of a redo has many admirers. It's not hard to see why. It could clear a democratic path out of the impasse, and more specific ballot language could help overcome the vague nature of the first question. The left-wing New Statesman has argued that another vote would undo the whole Brexit crisis, and a recent poll from YouGovfound that 72 percent of Remain voters thought Remain would win a second referendum.

Such confidence is unfounded. Although some polls have discovered shifts in support when they ask how people would vote in the 2016 referendum if it were held again, changing an old vote is quite different than starting from scratch. According to a survey by Deltapoll, 60 percent of Britons - voters for Leave and Remain - now say they just want the government to get on with it.

John Curtice, a polling expert at Strathclyde University, has written that there seems to be relatively little evidence of people changing their minds about their original votes on Brexit, but people who didn't vote last time now lean toward Remain. This means that any new vote may hinge on turnout - and that Remain would have to overcome voter apathy and cynicism to win.

- Myth No. 5: Brexit was an anti-establishment uprising.

Britain's June 2016 vote left analysts around the world scrambling for a way to describe it. The Guardian's Owen Jones dubbed it a "working class revolt," while UKIP's former leader Nigel Farage called it a move "against the establishment." And it's true that Britons with a university degree were more likely to vote Remain than those without.

But this class contest was hardly unanimous. Polling data has shown that people employed in administrative or professional roles were more likely to vote for Brexit than manual laborers, but it wasn't an overwhelming divide: Almost 4 out of 10 unskilled and casual workers wanted to remain in Britain; notably, those from nonwhite ethnic backgrounds largely voted to stay in the EU. The vote was relatively close overall - and also across all different social classes: Millions and millions of working people voted against Brexit, and millions of upper-class people wanted it.

What's more, from the very start of the campaign, Brexit hard-liners have come from the elite. Farage is the son of a stockbroker, educated at London's exclusive Dulwich College. Johnson and Rees-Mogg were educated at Eton - just like Cameron.

Adam Taylor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. Originally from London, he studied at the University of Manchester and Columbia University.
California will send only seven Republicans to represent its 53 seats in Congress, the smallest Republican delegation since 1883.

Explaining their defeat in last months election, GOP operatives blamed everything from overconfidence to democracy itself. Speaker Paul Ryan called Californias policy to count every vote bizarre, a sentiment echoed by Republican Congressman Jeff Denham, who was ousted from his San Joaquin Valley seat.

Service Employee International Union members have a different view. House members were elected to represent their constituents values of dignity, respect and inclusion, but instead chose to stand for extremism and exclusion. They paid the price at the polls.

I grew up in a small town in Denhams district, a two- hour drive on Highway 99 from Republican Congressman David Valadao district to the south.

My parents were farmworkers and we stretched hard earned dollars by buying most of our goods at swap meets.

My mom was lucky enough to get out of the fields and into Foster Farms where her union job gave her access to healthcare and a retirement account. Our family was one of the few who had healthcare.

More than 300,000 people in Denhams district and 400,000 people in Valadaos district rely on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act for their care.

With the Affordable Care Act on the line in 2017, 1,000 people packed into a town hall and heard Denham promise to protect their care. Valadaos constituents found his seat at their town hall empty.

Days later, both GOP members played a crucial role in moving President Donald Trumps extremist Affordable Care Act repeal out of the House, even though their constituents would have been among the hardest hit by the legislation.

Earlier this year, news networks streamed the sights, sobs and screams of children in cages, after being ripped from their mothers arms. Denham used the humanitarian crisis as a publicity opportunity  taking to national TV to call for a bipartisan solution to end family separation, and inviting cameras to follow him to an immigrant detention center.

Valadao initially spoke out against the separation of migrant families, but soon shifted to Trump-speak, invoking language of crime and prosecution rather than humanity toward refugees, babies and toddlers.

Given the chance to prevent separation of immigrant children from their parents, Denham and Valadao voted with Trump on a bill the American Academy of Pediatrics blasted for subjecting even more children to long-term detention.

When all the votes were counted, it was clear that voters had imposed a price on Republicans who turned their backs on their constituents. Latino voters in particular held officials accountable for representing our values.

SEIUs Protect Our Kids and Our Healthcare PAC invested heavily in a Latino-focused voter engagement campaign targeting Republican members of Congress from California who refused to stand up to Trump.

It worked. In Californias Central Valley and Orange County districts where Republicans lost, post- election polls show strong indications of an uptick in Latino turnout.

Much has been said about how California Republicans can become relevant. Their road is a long one, and it cuts through the heart of the Central Valley along Highway 99 and winding along a now solid blue Orange Countys I-405.

From the farm fields to the suburban neighborhoods, to the coastline, Californians voted their values of dignity, respect, and accountability at the polls in 2018. The SEIUs effort will continue through 2020. Well be looking to see whether House members stick to their promises and vote their values on Capitol Hill.

Alma Hernandez is executive director of the Service Employees International Union in California, Ahernandez@seiucal.org. She wrote this commentary for CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters.
Dusit Dusit Thani Group, also known as Dusit International, an international hotel chain has just opened its doors in Bhutan.

A report published by Bhutan Times on Friday stated that dusitD2 Yarkay Thimphu held its soft opening on Wednesday in the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu.

The hotel, which is located right in the heart of the town, is the international chains first foray into the country and is the largest internationally-branded hotel in Bhutan.

The hotel has 83 guest rooms and suites.

Dusit International is a Thai multinational hospitality company headquartered at Bangkok in Thailand. Founded by Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui in 1948, Dusit International, which has 29 hotels and resorts in 18 countries, is now led by Suphajee Suthumpun.

Drawing inspiration from the beloved national folktale of the Four Harmonious Friends  four animals who work together to harvest fruit from a magical tree  each guest floor of the hotel is dedicated to a different animal from the tale.

It has been reported that the guest rooms and suites feature colorful and contemporary motifs to match the theme.

According to their website, facilities at dusitD2 Yarkay Thimphu include a Thai spa, a fully equipped gym, an international all-day-dining restaurant, a vibrant bar, and the first authentic Thai restaurant in Bhutan, the report says.

Dusits latest hotel in Bhutan is one of the growing portfolios of hotels that the chain has opened lately.

On December 15, Dusit International also launched its newest resort at Krabi in Thailand.

The dusitD2 Ao Nang has 173 guest rooms and suites with a choice of mountain, sea or pool views.

Another international chain that is set to open in Bhutan is the luxurious Six Senses resorts, which will spread across five locations across the country, the report further said.
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
Drop in permits to work in Malaysia

The number of permits issued to Nepalis aspiring to work in various countries has gone down in the past few months.
YEREVAN.  The likelihood of increase in gas prices is not too small, economist, ex-deputy Vardan Bostanjyan told Armenian News- NEWS.am.

The term of the gas supply agreement between Russia and Armenia has expired, and Russia can sell gas at the same price as to Europe, that is gas will be more expensive. And it is possible that as a result of the negotiations, Armenia will be offered the same price as on the international market, and this will be tough for Armenians. In any case, everything will turn out as a result of negotiations, but the likelihood of price increase is not that small, he said.

According to the economist, the tariff for gas and electricity could be reduced, and he addressed acting PM Nikol Pashinyan, however, in fact, this question remained unanswered.

And now we are confronted with such a problem, when the gas price can rise, and this will be a burden for us, he said.

According to Bostanjyan, gas imports from other countries, in particular Iran, is a very complex issue for Armenia, which is in the focus of countries pursuing conflicting interests. The interests of small countries such as Armenia are pushed to the background, he added.

The only option is to maintain a flexible and efficient foreign policy, and in this case we will be able to survive, the economist said.
Income investors see rising yields.

Wall Street's volatility is a huge cause for concern when your primary goal is to buy low and sell much higher. However, income investors with a long-term focus on regular dividend payments instead of share appreciation have much more to be cheerful about. That's because when share prices decline, dividend yields rise. (It's always important to check the quality of that dividend yield before you invest.) That said, slumping prices have created yields of more than 6 percent in 10 top dividend payers in the S&P 500 index lately, and income investors should take a close look at these names as they position their portfolio for the New Year.

Altria Group (ticker: MO)

Altria is the company behind big U.S. cigarette brands like Marlboro, smokeless tobacco products including Copenhagen and Skoal, and wines under labels including Chateau Ste. Michelle. These products admittedly aren't the healthiest and struggle to find growth, but they certainly have strong baseline sales from loyal customers year after year. That reliable revenue fuels reliable dividends, with Altria recently increasing payouts in August from 70 cents to 80 cents per share. Longer term, Altria has a strong history of dividend payments, too, with at least one annual increase in its dividend for the last 49 consecutive years.

Current yield: 6.8 percent

Macerich Co. (MAC)

Macerich is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that develops and manages malls. As of 2018, Macerich owned 52 million square feet of real estate in 48 regional shopping centers from Arizona to Chicago to the District of Columbia. Real estate is a capital-intensive business and the IRS allows companies like Macerich tax breaks if they are structured as trusts. That's good for MAC because it cuts operational costs, but it's also good for investors because 90 percent of taxable income must be returned to shareholders as dividends. As long as the shops make their rent payments on time, this REIT passes a big chunk on to shareholders.

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Current yield: 7 percent

Seagate Technology (STX)

Hard disk drive manufacturer Seagate is normally on lists of dividend stocks like this, which is sometimes surprising to new investors. After all, in the age of mobile technology, why would it be wise to invest in an old-school disk drive company? While there may not be dramatic growth in STX's future, there is strong baseline for sales since many businesses rely on laptops and desktop computers to the get the job done. That results in steady sales and steady dividends, even if you may never see STX shares go on a huge rally in the age of smartphones.

Current yield: 6.7 percent

Navient Corp. (NAVI)

Navient is a financial corporation that mainly provides student loan services, including federally subsidized loans through the U.S. Department of Education. College education costs are a sore subject for many Americans since the cost of a degree has spiraled higher, plus the fact that student loan debts are incredibly difficult to discharge. NAVI presents a unique opportunity for investors to profit from these trends even if you don't agree with them. Thanks to continued interest payments from borrowers, Navient can support a consistent dividend payment to shareholders.

Current yield: 7.2 percent

AT&T (T)

The telecom industry was a sector targeted for growth, but nowadays the entrenched domestic operations of mega-cap AT&T give it the appearance of a utility. After all, an internet connection is similar to electricity in that it's a must-have for households in the 21st century. There may not be a ton of growth ahead of AT&T given the costly upkeep on its network and the highly regulated nature of telecoms, but there also is little chance of disruption. And, for income investors, the company steadily returns a portion of its customer bills back to shareholders via regular paydays.

Current yield: 7 percent

Kimco Realty Corp. (KIM)

Kimco is another REIT that focuses on shopping space. Kimco is one of North America's largest owners and operators of open-air shopping centers. Unlike malls, these retail districts have more of a Main Street feel and tend to feature more upscale merchants. Thanks to Kimco's locations largely in top metropolitan markets, there's plenty of foot traffic, and with strong consumer sentiment lately, there are plenty of potential customers.

Current yield: 7.5 percent

Iron Mountain (IRM)

Iron Mountain began in the 1950s as a document storage company and recently moved into the digital age with information management and security offerings. Regular fees from clients fuel a revenue stream for IRM that supports a steady and growing dividend yield. While share prices haven't moved dramatically in the last five years, dividend payouts have surged from 27 cents quarterly in 2014 to almost 59 cents presently -- growth of 117 percent in a short time.

Current yield: 7.3 percent

Ford Motor Co. (F)

U.S. auto sales set records in 2015 and 2016, but since it has been a much rougher road for auto stocks, including Ford. Not only have sales slumped at home, they have also seen pressures abroad thanks to trade conflicts. The icing on the cake is a fundamental shift in the dynamics of the car marketplace, with a move toward electric vehicles and autonomous cars. Long-term investors know this century-old automaker has coped with rough times, including the Great Depression and the 2008 financial crisis that bankrupted competitor General Motors Co. (GM). The lower share price allows for a buying opportunity -- and a generous dividend.

Current yield: 7.2 percent

Invesco Ltd. (IVZ)

With its share price falling nearly in half in 2018, asset manager Invesco has plenty of reasons to make investors nervous. But that declining value has supercharged its yield, and the dividend may be juicy enough to attract aggressive investors. The challenge is IVZ offers exchange-traded funds that are quirky and more costly than mainstream offerings from Vanguard or Fidelity. That makes it hard for Invesco to attract investors in a volatile market and fuels concerns about how many funds investors will support. The firm's dividend is less than half of total earnings per share, so if you have the nerve, IVZ may be worth the risk.

Current yield: 7.2 percent

CenturyLink (CTL)

The telecom sector is rough for smaller players, so in 2017 CenturyLink continued its acquisition push, buying Level 3 Communications for $25 billion and taking on a huge amount of debt. Wall Street remains concerned that the company can't pay down those loans and continue to invest in its business, let along keep dividends steady, and has shied away from CTL stock as a result. Still, if you don't mind taking on the risk, it's hard for income investors to ignore the massive double-digit yield from this S&P 500 component.

Current yield: 13.9 percent

S&P 500 stocks that pay great dividends.

To recap, these S&P 500 stocks are paying great dividends.

-- Altria Group (MO)

-- Macerich Co. (MAC)

-- Seagate Technology (STX)

-- Navient Corp. (NAVI)

-- AT&T (T)

-- Kimco Realty Corp. (KIM)

-- Iron Mountain (IRM)

-- Ford Motor Co. (F)

-- Invesco Ltd. (IVZ)

-- CenturyLink (CTL)
While many across the country will be hoping for a white Christmas this year, the areas expected to have some white on the ground will be restricted to the northern tier of the country, and in the higher elevations of the West.

The standard for a white Christmas is an inch of snow on the ground during the morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The regions most likely to have a blanket of snow on the ground this Christmas include the interior Northeast, the Upper Midwest and the mountains of the West.



White Christmas Dec 24 pm

Northeast

A storm arrived in time for part of the Northeast to be treated to a white Christmas, but it failed to produce widespread snow.

While fresh snow spread over the central Appalachians, rain dampened the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City on Sunday night.

The air was cold enough for snow to streak over southern New England on Monday, but most of the snow did not whiten the ground.



Farm snow

"Snow showers and even a few heavier squalls will continue downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario into Monday night," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve Travis.

Over 3 inches fell around the Syracuse, New York, area on Monday, ensuring a white Christmas that area.

Aside from a few flurries lingering over western and central New York, Christmas Day will be dry and seasonable across the Northeast.



Tuesday NE Dec 24

Upper Midwest

As of Monday, a few inches of snow continued to blanket the ground across eastern North Dakota, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern parts of the Lower Peninsula.

With a reinforcing shot of cold air, most of this snow is expected to stick around into Christmas Day.

With no snow on the ground across Nebraska and through the central Plains, and mild temperatures expected to continue through the holiday, a white Christmas is not expected across the rest of the Plains.

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Those hoping for a white Christmas will be disappointed to learn that snow, though along with major travel disruptions, is on the way to the northern and central Plains Wednesday and Thursday.

Mountainous West

The higher elevations of the West, from Colorado to Washington and California, are expected to enjoy a white Christmas.

"Most of the snow will already be on the ground prior to Christmas Day in the West, with just a few exceptions," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

A moderate snow depth was already in place as of Monday across the Rockies from western Colorado to Idaho and western Montana, as well as in the Sierras and across the Cascades of Oregon and Washington.

"A storm system will dive southward on Christmas Eve, spreading rain and snow from southern Oregon and Northern California into Nevada," said Sosnowski.

This snow will bring a fresh blanket of snow for the mountainous areas that already have several inches of snow on the ground. But this could also bring some snow to the lower terrain across eastern Oregon and much of Nevada.



Christmas Day Dec 24 pm

A push of cold air following the storm is likely to keep any accumulations around into Christmas Day. Some areas may also receive additional snow on Tuesday.

As this storm moves farther east, it is likely to bring a little snow into Utah and parts of Arizona on Christmas Day. Snowflakes may fly around Flagstaff and Salt Lake City, but it may take until Tuesday night for the snow to accumulate in the latter city.


Deleting your Facebook account isnt a bad New Year resolution  the company has proven yet again it violated public trust

Time and time again Facebook has made it abundantly clear that it is a morally bankrupt company that is never going to change unless it is forced to. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Prepare yourself for an overwhelming sense of deja vu: another Facebook privacy scandal is upon us.

A New York Times investigation has found that Facebook gave Netflix, Spotify and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) the ability to read, write and delete users private messages. The Times investigation, based on hundreds of pages of internal Facebook documents, also found that Facebook gave 150 partners more access to user data than previously disclosed. Microsoft, Sony and Amazon, for example, could obtain the contact information of their users friends.

Netflix, Spotify and RBC have all denied doing anything nefarious with your private messages. Netflix tweeted that it never asked for the ability to look at them; Spotify says it had no idea it had that sort of access; RBC disputes it even had the ability to see users messages. Whether they accessed your information or not, however, is not the point. The point is that Facebook should never have given them this ability without getting your explicit permission to do so.

In a tone-deaf response to the Times investigation, the tech giant explained: None of these partnerships or features gave companies access to information without peoples permission, nor did they violate our 2012 settlement with the FTC. Perhaps not, but they did violate public trust.

The Times new report caps off a very bad year for Facebook when it comes to public trust. Lets just recap a few of the bigger stories, shall we?

March: The Observer reveals that Cambridge Analytica harvested the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent for political purposes. It is also revealed that Facebook had been keeping records of Android users phone calls and texts.

April: It was revealed that Facebook was in secret talks with hospitals to get them to share patients private medical data.

September: Hackers gained access to around 30m Facebook accounts.

November: Facebook acknowledges it didnt do enough to stop its platform being as a tool to incite genocidal violence in Myanmar. A New York Times report reveals the company hired a PR firm to try and discredit critics by claiming they were agents of George Soros.

December: Facebook admitted it exposed private photos from 68 million users to apps that werent authorized to view your photos. (You can check if you were affected via this Facebook link.)

If youre still on Facebook after everything has happened this year, you need to ask yourself why. Is the value you get from the platform really worth giving up all your data for? More broadly, are you comfortable being part of the reason that Facebook is becoming so dangerously powerful? Are you comfortable being on a platform that has, among other things, helped incite genocide in Myanmar?

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Facebook has made it very clear that it thinks it can get away with anything because its users are idiots

In March, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook put out print ads stating: We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we cant, we dont deserve it. I think theyve proved by now that they dont deserve it. Time and time again Facebook has made it abundantly clear that it is a morally bankrupt company that is never going to change unless it is forced to. Whats more, Facebook has made it very clear that it thinks it can get away with anything because its users are idiots. Zuckerberg famously called the first Facebook users dumb fucks for handing their personal information over to him; his disdain for the people whose data he deals with doesnt appear to have lessened over time.

To be clear, Im not urging everyone to delete Facebook. For some people Facebook really is a valuable tool. Further, unless all of its 2 billion users delete it en masse, Facebooks abuse of power isnt a problem that we can solve as individuals. Technology giants must be regulated.

However, having said that, if Facebook doesnt provide you with an invaluable service, Id urge you to extricate yourself from the company as much as possible. If youre looking for a New Year resolution, deleting Facebook isnt a bad one. After all, if we all continue using Facebook after it betrays our trust time and time again then maybe Zuck is right. We are dumb fucks.
Income-seeking investors tend to focus most of their attention on a stock's dividend yield. However, that approach can cost them thousands of dollars. I know this to be true because I've fallen for my share of dividend yield traps. These mistakes have taught me some valuable lessons that have changed how I approach investing in high-yield dividend stocks.

Here are three tips that should help income-seeking investors focus on the metrics that matter more than a stock's dividend yield.

A man in a suit counting cash.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Growth matters more than a big-time yield

Dividend-paying stocks can be powerful wealth creators. Companies that pay a dividend have historically outperformed the market. According to data by Ned Davis Research, dividend-paying stocks in the S&P 500 have produced an average total annual return of 9.25% from the start of 1972 through the end of last year compared to a 7.7% return for the S&P 500. However, as the following table shows, dividend growers and initiators have outperformed all others by a wide margin:

Grouping Returns Dividend growers and initiators 10.07% Dividend payers 9.25% No change in dividend policy 7.47% Non-dividend payers 2.61% Dividend cutters and eliminators (0.35%)

Data source: Ned Davis Research.

Because of that, investors should look past a stock's current yield to its growth prospects since that should earn them a larger return over the long term. That has certainly been the case for oil giant Chevron (NYSE: CVX), which has now increased its dividend for 31 consecutive years. That steady dividend growth has enabled Chevron to produce a more than 1,800% total return over that time frame, easily outperforming the S&P 500's roughly 1,200% total return during that period.

Chevron's top priority going forward is to maintain and grow its dividend. The company aims to invest a large portion of the cash it generates after paying shareholders into expansion projects that will increase its cash flow. That should give it the funds to continue boosting its dividend in the coming years.

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2. Look for a high, but not the highest, payout ratio

Another thing investors should consider when looking at high-yielding dividend stocks is the dividend payout ratio, or the percentage of profits returned to investors. Higher-yielding stocks tend to have higher payout ratios. However, research by Wellington Management found that stocks with high, but not the highest, payout ratios outperformed the market more frequently.

Wellington put dividend stocks into five groups based on their payout ratios. Companies with the highest payout ratios -- 71% of earnings on average -- tended to outperform the market 77.8% of the time. Meanwhile, those with the second-highest payout ratios -- 41% on average -- beat the market 88.9% of the time. As a result, investors should look for stocks that have healthy payout ratios but still retain a meaningful portion of their cash flow. That not only provides a nice margin of safety for the dividend, but gives them funds to reinvest in expanding their businesses so that they can continue growing cash flow.

A calculator and pen on top of $100 bills.

Image source: Getty Images.

3. Consider the whole financial picture

While the payout ratio is an important metric, investors should also consider a company's overall financial profile such as its balance sheet, cash flow stability, and capital spending requirements. One of the reasons Chevron, for example, has been able to continue increasing its dividend over the years even though it operates in the volatile oil market is that the company maintains a top-tier financial profile.

It currently has the second-best credit rating among large oil companies, backed by one of the lowest debt ratios in the sector thanks in part to the nearly $10 billion in cash it has on its balance sheet. Consequently, it has the financial flexibility to bridge funding gaps that might occur during periods of low oil prices. On top of that, the company can fund its dividend as well as its growth-focused capital investments on the cash flows it produces at $50 oil, which is well below the current price. That ability to weather periods of market turmoil increases the probability that Chevron can continue growing its high-yielding dividend in good times and bad.

These three stock tips could enrich your portfolio over the long term

Companies that grow their dividends tend to produce higher total annual returns than those that don't, which can add up over the long term. That's why investors should focus their attention on companies that can bolster their payouts on a consistent basis. That means not only putting a priority on growing their dividends but retaining enough cash to continue expanding while also having a strong financial profile that will enable them to weather future storms in the market. If investors follow these tips, they could make a lot more money over the long haul than if they bought a stock based on yield alone.

More From The Motley Fool

Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. advance team arrived in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah on Sunday to start monitoring a ceasefire and withdrawal of forces agreed by the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and Saudi-backed government forces, the United Nations said. The warring parties in Yemen's nearly four-year war reached the deal at U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden earlier this month. The truce began on Tuesday but skirmishes continued on the outskirts of the city. The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the deployment - for an initial 30 days - of an advance monitoring team led by retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert. He is chair of a Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) that includes representatives from both sides of the conflict. "General Cammaert is encouraged by the general enthusiasm of both sides to get to work, immediately. One of the priorities in the coming days will be the organization of the first joint RCC meeting, which is projected for 26 December," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Cammaert's team, which the United Nations has said will not be uniformed or armed, will oversee the truce and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports. The United Nations will also provide support for the management of and inspections at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa; and strengthen its presence in the war-torn region. Hodeidah, the main port used to feed Yemen's 30 million people, has been the focus of fighting this year, raising fears abroad that a full-scale assault could cut off supplies to nearly 16 million people suffering from severe hunger. The deal reached in Sweden is meant to pave the way for a wider ceasefire in the impoverished country and a second round of talks in January on a framework for political negotiations. A Sunni Muslim Arab alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered the war in 2015 against the Houthis to restore the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa. The Houthis control most urban centers, including Sanaa, while Hadi's government is based in the southern port of Aden. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Agile Group Holdings Limited (HKG:3383), which is in the real estate business, and is based in China, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$12.36 and falling to the lows of HK$8.41. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Agile Group Holdingss current trading price of HK$8.95 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Agile Group Holdingss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Check out our latest analysis for Agile Group Holdings

Is Agile Group Holdings still cheap?

According to my relative valuation model, the stock seems to be currently fairly priced. In this instance, Ive used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stocks cash flows. I find that Agile Group Holdingss ratio of 3.87x is trading slightly below its industry peers ratio of 5.2x, which means if you buy Agile Group Holdings today, youd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Agile Group Holdings should be trading at this level in the long run, then theres not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Agile Group Holdingss share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will Agile Group Holdings generate?

SEHK:3383 Future Profit December 23rd 18

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the companys future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 21% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Agile Group Holdings. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

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What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? 3383s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at 3383? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 3383, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for 3383, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on Agile Group Holdings. You can find everything you need to know about Agile Group Holdings in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Agile Group Holdings, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker chose not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution," a senior official said Thursday.

Whitaker's past criticism of the Russia investigation has raised questions about whether he can oversee it fairly. The ethics official said this week that a recusal was "a close call" but suggested that Whitaker remove himself, even though he was not required to do so.

Whitaker decided not to take the advice.

Earlier Thursday, a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Associated Press that Whitaker did not have to recuse himself from overseeing the probe. But that wasn't the full picture. Later, a senior Justice Department official provided a much more detailed account of the ethics consultation.

It showed that although Whitaker was not required to step aside from the investigation, the issue wasn't so clear cut. That official spoke with reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.

Members of Congress have expressed concerns about Whitaker's past criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The probe is looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to President Donald Trump's campaign. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had overseen the investigation until last month, when Trump ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the probe, and appointed Whitaker. The senior official said Rosenstein continues to have day-to-day oversight of the probe.

The questions about Whitaker's decision not to recuse himself will add to the controversies surrounding his appointment. Beyond the criticism about his comments on the Russia probe, Whitaker has also faced scrutiny for his involvement with the company that was accused of misleading consumers and is under investigation by the FBI and over questions about whether he violated federal law because a campaign committee set up for his failed 2014 U.S. Senate bid accepted $8,800 in donations this year.

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He will almost certainly face questions from Congress if he is called to testify before a permanent attorney general is confirmed. President Donald Trump named William Barr  who was attorney general under President George H.W. Bush  to serve as the next attorney general, though Barr will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

When Whitaker was appointed, he formed a group of four Justice Department officials  led by a veteran U.S. attorney  to advise him on the transition and ethics process, the senior official said. That small group of officials met repeatedly with the Justice Department's career ethics officials.

While working as a legal commentator for CNN, Whitaker once opined about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe. His other past public statements have included an op-ed in which he said Mueller would be straying outside his mandate if he investigated Trump's family finances. In a talk radio interview, Whitaker maintained there was no evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.

Whitaker was not required to solicit a recommendation from ethics officials, and it was at Whitaker's discretion whether he should recuse, the senior official said. Ethics officials had also told Whitaker's advisers that they had no precedent of another attorney general recusing himself or herself because of a perceived conflict.

Since taking office, Whitaker has not been briefed on specific developments of the special counsel's investigation, and Rosenstein will continue to maintain day-to-day oversight for the foreseeable future, the official added.

However, the official said Whitaker can be briefed as the investigation moves forward, though there isn't a set timetable yet on when that might begin.

Late Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Steven Boyd sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to lay out the ethics consultation. The Justice Department's ethics officials had advised Whitaker that he should recuse himself because a "reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts likely would question the impartiality of the Acting Attorney General," said Boyd in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

But Boyd defended Whitaker's choice not to recuse himself, saying that he had praised Mueller as a "professional" and a "good man" and that Whitaker believes he is "fully acquainted with the ethical duties of a prosecutor."

"Mr. Whitaker's refusal to recuse is an attack on the rule of law and the American justice system, but it is undoubtedly consistent with what President Trump wanted - an unethical yes-man who will do his bidding rather than do what's right," Schumer said in a statement.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who will take over as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in January, said it was "unacceptable" that Whitaker didn't inform members of Congress about his decision not to recuse himself and vowed to question Whitaker before the committee.

The question of whether an attorney general can or should recuse from a particular criminal investigation has long been politically fraught, and decisions in both directions have had far-reaching ramifications.

In 2016, for instance, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch opted not to recuse herself from the Hillary Clinton email investigation despite an impromptu chat with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, at an airport tarmac in Phoenix. Lynch opted instead to accept the FBI's recommendation on whether to bring charges. Former FBI Director James Comey has acknowledged being frustrated by that decision and went ahead days later with a controversial news conference at which he announced the FBI's recommendation against charges.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation just days into his job as attorney general. He said it was because of his work as a campaign surrogate for Trump, but the announcement followed 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.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Rodrigo Marques is the CEO and founder of Atlas Quantum, Latin Americas largest cryptocurrency investment platform. In fact, its Latin Americas largest cryptocurrency company, period. And hes on a mission to make it a top five global one by 2020.

I caught up with Rodrigo at Web Summit in Lisbon to find out more about his company, his personal take on the importance of access to financial instrumentsand why he believes that Atlas Quantum can take on the world.

Blockchain Technology to Help the People

Rodrigo Marques Headshot

Its easy to look at a financial services company and assume that the founders care only about creating wealth. But thats not the case with Rodrigo. Hes a software engineer who also has a financial background, working for Brazilian banks and the Bovespa (Brazils stock exchange).

He got into Bitcoin all the way back in 2010 and saw an opportunity for the technology to cut out intermediariesspecifically, in the coffee production industry.

So he took his knowledge, youth, and enthusiasm and headed to Central America to tackle the seething pit of corruption in the coffee supply chain in Honduras in 2013. He set up a commodities exchange to bring transparency and fairness to the system.

It was a huge opportunity, he explains, eyes blazing, there are about 100,000 families that depend on coffee production and they receive like $2 for a bag of coffee. Then there is the other side like Nestle and Starbucks that pay $20. In the middle, there are 4-5 intermediaries taking all these profits. I saw this chance to make a commodity exchange that could make it transparent for both sides so they could meet openly on this market.

But he ran into hurdles. Namely, the fact that most of the middlemen he wanted to cut out were also criminals and cartel members.

The plan was to make prices available in local currency, dollars, and bitcoin. But what happened is that those intermediaries that work in Honduras he pauses for a moment, trailing off as his eyes mist over

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Well, they were also criminals. Some producers that sold coffee to us, to be able to sell to Nestle and Starbucks, these guys went down and burned their farms. Theres a short silence again before gathers himself and says, So it didnt work out.

Shaken but undeterred, he returned to his homeland of Brazil to think of another way to combine his knowledge and skills. He wanted to help people with this technology. Thats where I arrived at Atlas Quantum, he says.

Investing, Rather Than HODLing Your Bitcoin

I ask Rodrigo to tell me a little about his company and how exactly people invest their bitcoins. He says, We believe in making wealth through cryptocurrencies and we have two types of products. The first product is Atlas Quantum. The only way to invest is with bitcoin and when you withdraw, it is with bitcoin.

The other product thats just for Brazilians is OTC, whereby you pay with Brazilian reals and you can buy bitcoin and you can withdraw in reals or bitcoin.

So, what about the investment strategy? How does it work?

Our main premise is that real people dont need to know exactly how finance works and they dont want to know how finance worksbut they still want to have access to financial products. Thats why what we do is put all that work in the hands of specialists who really know what theyre doing, so people can just invest and monitor their investment. Under the hood, we take those bitcoins and through automated strategies, especially through arbitrage, we discover price points where its better to sell and buy at the same time.

And this is all automated?

Yeah, every day they receive a report with their profits in bitcoin.

And their losses as well?

Well yes, its important to say that its possible to lose with any kind of investment, its not a guaranteed investment. The volatility associated with bitcoin is all part of the normalization of a still immature market. But usually, with arbitrage, its a really safe bet and weve been able to provide profits again and again for almost two years.

Its also important to note here that not everyone is in agreement with Rodrigos sentiment about arbitrage being safe. In fact, several outlets have been quick to label it a scam. To be fair though, in the crypto world, being labeled a scam is pretty much a rite of passage.

But still. It seems that using a trading bot to crawl the spread between exchanges to ensure continued profits in a bear market is something the crypto community has heard of before. And not in a good way. Something about a company promising 50.57% returns in a year rings the alarm bells for even the rookiest of traders.

Atlas Quantum promises super high returns

It makes them think its a Ponzi scheme. And it makes them think of Bitconnect. Neither of these are positive associations. I called Rodrigo out on this and asked what he had to say about the accusations that his company trying to dupe investors.

There is a lot of disinformation in the crypto space currently, he affirms, and anyone who attempts to paint Atlas Quantum as a scam is simply uninformed. We welcome anyone with questions to reach out to uswe have conversations with clients all the time who want to learn more.

The bottom line is that crypto markets, broadly speaking, are still in their infancy and there are significant opportunities to make money right now. Our strategy of choice, high-frequency automated arbitrage, continues to generate solid returns for our investors and we have every intention of continuing to broaden our strategies and product offerings.

What Is Arbitrage?

Just in case you were reading this and wondering whether to open up Investopedia, arbitrage, in this case, is basically the simultaneous buying and selling of bitcoins in different markets that takes advantage of differing prices for the same asset. In short? Taking advantage of the spread between exchanges, buying low and selling high. Rodrigo says:

Arbitrage can work because the spread between exchanges can be very big. There are times the spread grows and reducesthats normal. As more money goes into the market, the more spread we see, and as the markets continue to evolve well see more and more opportunity for arbitrage. At the same time, thats not the only strategy that we are using right now. We are using artificial intelligence to make market predictions. Thats a small size still but I believe that as the market matures that will be a bigger and bigger side of the business.

Who is Atlas for then? What type of customers do you attract?

So we believe that Atlas Quantum is for everybody that doesnt want to be in traditional markets, that wants to be cooler, smarter and on the edge on innovation. 70 percent of our users made their first life investment on Quantum. Were much easier to invest in than a traditional bank in Brazil or anywhere else in the world for a matter of fact. Our typical clients go from 20 to 45 years old, and we usually have two or three types of clients. The first type are the new ones that want to show their parents that theres a new and smarter way to invest. The second type are the veterans that know how to invest in traditional markets and are diversifying their portfolios, and then right in the middle, we have people that are from all the market that, for the first time in their life, they have access to financial instruments. This is a big revolution for them.

And Atlas is mainly available in Brazil?

The OTC product is only for Brazilians, but we have clients in 50 countries already, most of them are in Brazil but we are planning to expand to other countries outside of Latin America as well, so for 2019, that will be our focus.

So, world expansion? What are the main challenges for you with that [besides being labeled a Ponzi scheme]?

Well, I would say the software is almost where I want it to be so a lot of the work that we have to do now is to make it available and make it so a lot of people know about it. We have a huge conversion rate. When people see it, they like it, they want it, so the challenge is to make it culturally available for each type of customer in each country that we plan to expand to in 2019. Bitcoin is a word in the mouth of everybody especially in Brazil, so were reaching those customers through offline media and visual content as well, bringing awareness to the brand and helping people try the product and make it easier to invest in cryptocurrency through our platform.

Whats the situation like with banks in Brazil?

Its an evolving question and was a big question in 2018 and I believe it will still be a big question in 2019. Some banks have concerns about anti-money-laundering policies that some players in Brazil are doing. We are explaining as a whole as a market what the policies are that we are following. Several players are following what is almost like a guideline and the government and banks need to be able to make sure that we really can know our customer and its not possible to do money laundering through our platform.

So you have KYC?

Yes. Looking through the Atlas Quantum promotional material, flyers and the like at their stand, I see many claims that make me raise my eyebrows slightly. For example, they speak of Bitcoin being trustworthy, private, faster, seamless and stable, among other thingsmany of which are in dispute. So, I have to wonder, what are they comparing it to? Thats a really good question, he says, pausing as he ponders his answer. I mean, look at the countries in Latin America, especially Venezuela and Argentina. Its very hard for people to move money outside of these countries and people see bitcoin as a way to protect their investments. So its not just a matter of its faster and more stable, but making it possible for some people in some places to actually hold on to what they own, protecting their wealth. But when we talk about faster, and stable and seamless, we come back to the same discussion of whether bitcoin is a payment method or a reserve of funds. If we are talking about a payment method, its important to be fast. But if it is a store of funds that doesnt matter, because thats the benefit of protecting your wealth and investing as we do. I do believe that 2019 will see several products that will make bitcoin and other currencies easier to use as a payment method though, and it will be very interesting to see how this evolves.

Are you working just with bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies as well?

Right now we just do bitcoin, we are looking at working with other cryptocurrencies as well and working with spreads but for our customers right now only bitcoin is available. The reason for this is there is not too much pressure from our customers right now for other cryptocurrencies. I believe that they see bitcoin and an umbrella for cryptocurrencies.

Atlas Project

Its Impossible to Say Youre 100% Secure

What about security? Are you custodians and how do you stay one step ahead of the hackers?

Its pertinent to add here that Atlas was hacked earlier this year. While the company maintained that users funds were safe, more than 264,000 customers had their personal information leaked, including emails, names, and phone numbers.

A company statement at the time said:

We would like to point out that this wasnt a bitcoin theft or a violation of our accounts in the exchanges. However, our customer base was exposed. At the time of the incident, we took immediate steps to protect the database and [the] passwords and private keys are encrypted.

Rodrigo says:

Yes, I mean even Facebook was hacked recently so its impossible to say that youre 100 percent secure but we have a Chief Security Officer thats a reputable person from Brazil that oversees our operation. We work with Tempest, the biggest cybersecurity provider in Latin America and they provide security for the big banks in Brazil, and we always try to keep ahead by testing the product, again and again, to be sure that we are safe. So, its always a long run, right, so you have all these scripts with the product and whatever languages you develop on or operational systems We look to patch our servers as fast as possible and to keep looking also on the dark web to see if someone is talking about us. If they are, were protecting it (the platform) more. So, this way were managing to stay one step ahead.

What about the negative side of bitcoin? The people who associate it with criminals, that point to lack of regulation, or say that its a bubble what do you say to these people?

Well its interesting, people have been saying that bitcoin was a bubble since it was in the $20-dollar price range. So, I dont believe its a bubble because there are actually fundamentals behind Bitcoin. Blockchain is a technology thats evolving and bringing humankind to a future that is disintermediated. People see value in that proposition and thats a huge fundamental for bitcoin. I dont think that will burst like a bubble. In the early days, maybe some people were attracted because it was unregulated, but now, the markets are evolving to bring more money, more traditional money to this market and clear and simple regulations are required. I think that this is the main message of Bitcoin, its not a finished technology, blockchain is not ready, but its going in the right direction. I believe that were only at the beginning of this technological revolution that points us to a disintermediated future where people can have great access. Several great players will continue to build on that premise because thats really what people want: direct access. Direct access means transparency and this can actually change peoples lives.

And do you think yours is a model that can compete internationally? Where is the next market?

Well, our biggest plan is international expansion. Our customers in Brazil proved that our value proposition is worth it and we plan to bring this everywhere. Right now we are the biggest cryptocurrency company in Latin America and within two years we believe that we will be between the top five players in the world in the crypto space.

No one could say that Rodrigo Marques is a man without ambition. One can only hope that the intermediaries being cut out over the next few years wont be burning down more landand that their arbitrage bot wont turn out to be a cousin of Bitconnect.



The post Atlas Quantum CEO Says Access and Transparency Will Change All Peoples Lives appeared first on CCN.


Guarantee equal career opportunity for all staff, suggest Indian experts

At a time when the government is struggling to adjust civil servants in the provinces and the local levela crucial part of creating a well-functioning federalismIndian civil service experts have advised Nepali officials not to hinder the career growth of the employees mobilised.
Assessing Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limiteds (HKG:371) performance as a company requires looking at more than just a years earnings data. Below, I will run you through a simple sense check to build perspective on how Beijing Enterprises Water Group is doing by comparing its most recent earnings with its historical trend, in addition to the performance of its water utilities industry peers.

See our latest analysis for Beijing Enterprises Water Group

Could 371 beat the long-term trend and outperform its industry?

371s trailing twelve-month earnings (from 30 June 2018) of HK$4.2b has jumped 17% compared to the previous year.

However, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 28%, indicating the rate at which 371 is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Well, lets look at whats occurring with margins and whether the entire industry is feeling the heat.

SEHK:371 Income Statement Export December 23rd 18

In terms of returns from investment, Beijing Enterprises Water Group has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 13% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 4.7% is below the HK Water Utilities industry of 4.9%, indicating Beijing Enterprises Water Groups are utilized less efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Beijing Enterprises Water Groups debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 7.7% to 7.3%.

What does this mean?

Though Beijing Enterprises Water Groups past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? You should continue to research Beijing Enterprises Water Group to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 371s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 371s outlook. Financial Health: Are 371s 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 June 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.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilians' optimism that their economy, Latin America's biggest, will soon improve has shot up dramatically, according to a poll released Sunday just over a week before a new far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, takes office.

The Datafolha survey showed 65 percent of respondents believed the economy -- which is still limping after a record-busting recession that ended two years ago -- would be doing better within months.

That was a huge jump over the Brazilian polling firm's last survey in August, when only 23 percent thought an improvement was coming.

The survey was released ahead of the January 1 inauguration of Bolsonaro.

The formerly obscure politician found electoral success in October on a pro-business agenda promising to cut Brazil's towering debt, usher in privatizations and back powerful agricultural and mining interests over environmental concerns.

He also won voter support by railing against the leftwing Workers Party which ruled Brazil from boom to bust between 2003 and 2016, and which has been marred by multiple corruption scandals.

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said the optimism rating was the highest recorded since Datafolha started polling on it in 1997.

It added that while public optimism usually spiked before a new president took over, the sense of buoyancy ahead of Bolsonaro's presidency was higher than for his predecessors.

- Sky-high popularity -

Datafolha polled 2,077 people across the country on December 18 and 19 for the survey. The margin of error was two percentage points.

According to the survey, two-thirds of Brazilians believe their personal financial situation will improve in 2019 and nearly half reckon unemployment will decline.

Bolsonaro enjoys 75 percent popularity in Brazil, according to a survey published December 13 by another polling firm, IBOPE.

Analysts say that public backing could help Bolsonaro push economic reforms through Congress, where he is relying on ad-hoc alliances with deputies sharing his base's views.

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Those lobbies are described as "Beef, Bible and Bullets," representing agribusiness, a burgeoning evangelical movement and pro-gun interests.

But analysts say expectations are so high for Bolsonaro's presidency that he could face a precipitous drop in public support if he stumbles politically.

The 63-year-old former army captain, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, is relying heavily on a free-market advocate, Paulo Guedes, to implement the reforms at the head of an economy ministry with sprawling powers.

Yet a third of Bolsonaro's cabinet is made up of ex-military men, who traditionally object to changes that could allow key state assets to come under foreign control.
London (AFP) - The latest Brexit summit in Brussels leaves Theresa May facing a dwindling number of options over Britain's exit from the EU.

The 27 leaders made abundantly clear to the British prime minister that the draft withdrawal agreement they reached after nearly two years of talks was not open to change.

Any meaningful alterations will come only in a separate treaty on future economic relations that the sides will begin discussing after Britain leaves the bloc on March 29.

Here are the four main scenarios facing Britain while the clock ticks down to the day it departs the European project after 46 years:

- Deal -

This is the Brexit that the British government and EU leaders want -- and one which the British parliament refuses to accept.

The deal has been rejected from opposing wings of parliament for either keeping Britain tied too closely or remotely to the European Union.

May aborted a vote on the deal set for Tuesday because of its certain defeat.

Brexit backers in her party then plotted an ultimately unsuccessful coup that saw more than a third back a motion to force May out.

May promised them she would wring concessions from Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

But exasperated EU leaders told Britain to finally make up its mind about what it wants.

May's government intends to reintroduce the very same draft for a vote some time between January 7 and January 21.

It will hope that fear of the chaos that a no-deal exit might bring will force lawmakers to put aside their reservations.

- No-deal -

This is the doomsday scenario that threatens to trigger a recession in Britain and markedly slow the European Union's economic growth.

May's agreement was meant to keep trade rules between the world's fifth-biggest economy and largest single market almost unchanged for a transition period running through the end of 2020.

A sudden shift to different standards would impact almost every economic sector -- and possibly see the costs of everyday products in Britain soar.

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Both sides have been forced to ramp up their preparations for a disorderly Brexit over the past few weeks.

UK businesses are stockpiling goods while Brussels is trying to find a way to maintain free-flowing operations involving London's massive financial services hub.

- Second referendum -

Britons have been mulling another vote on their relationship with Europe since shortly after the first one backed Leave by a 52-48 margin in June 2016.

There is no law keeping Britain from doing it all over again.

Yet many question whether this would be democratic -- and why a second attempt should take precedence over the first.

It also threatens to be just as divisive. Opinion polls show the country still split over whether Brexit is worth it or not.

Proponents are mostly EU supporters who argue that the Brexit people were promised looks nothing like the deal the sides have reached.

They add that Britons never backed a no-deal scenario and should be given the chance to opt out.

Opponents say that Britain cannot simply keep voting until people who like the EU get their way.

It is also unclear what options to give people in a second ballot -- and what happens if Brexit wins again.

- No Brexit -

Britain appears to have two ways of still staying in the European Union.

The first would involve a referendum in the which Remain wins.

The second could see the government decide on its own to revoke Article 50 of the EU treaty that lays out the process for leaving the union.

Leaders ranging from EU President Donald Tusk to France's Emmanuel Macron have said in the past year that Britain would be welcomed back with open arms.

Yet May shows no signs of changing her mind.
London (AFP) - Paddy Ashdown, the former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats who served as the international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, died Saturday at the age of 77, his party announced.

He made an "immeasurable contribution to furthering the cause of liberalism" and will be "desperately missed", the Lib Dems said in a statement.

Ashdown, a former special forces officer, led the centrist Liberal Democrats in opposition from 1988 until 1999, reviving their fortunes after years in the wilderness. He served as the international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006.

He revealed in November that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

"I have the best of people and the best of friends to fight this with, which makes me, as so often in my life, very lucky," Ashdown said.

Current Lib Dem leader Vince Cable said it was a "hugely sad day" in British politics and paid tribute to Ashdown's talents beyond the political arena, including as an author, a marine and in the diplomatic service.

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May said she learned of his death with "great sadness" and praised his service to Britain and the international community.

"He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed," she said.

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair said Ashdown was a "political visionary" who was "motivated by values of compassion, decency and a profound commitment to make the world a better place".

"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," said Blair, who was in power from 1997 to 2007.

"He had courage, personal and political, unafraid to speak his mind yet always open to the views of others."

Blair's successor Gordon Brown said Ashdown was "one of the towering political figures of our generation who spoke always as a strong European, a committed internationalist and a dedicated constitutional reformer".

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- 'I will miss him terribly' -

Conservative former prime minister John Major, in office from 1990 to 1997, hailed Ashdown as "a man of duty, passion, and devotion to the country he loved".

"In government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent. In life, he was a much-valued friend," said Major.

"Even when he knew he was gravely ill, Paddy's concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking."

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who led the Lib Dems into a coalition government with PM David Cameron's Conservatives in 2010, said Ashdown was the reason he became a liberal and entered politics, and had been a "lifelong mentor, friend and guide".

"He was the most heartfelt person I have known -- loyal and generous to a fault. Like so many others, I will miss him terribly," said Clegg.

Cameron said Ashdown was brimming with dynamism and whose passion, charisma and ability to communicate helped governments focus on solving the Balkans crisis in the 1990s.

"The UK, liberal democracy and rational, moderate, cross-party debate have lost a great advocate," he said.

At Ashdown's final general election as leader in 1997, the Lib Dems won 19 percent of the vote, securing the party 46 seats, then a record showing for a third party in Britain.

Tim Farron, who headed the party from 2015 to 2017, 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."

- 'Agent of reconciliation' -

For nearly four years Ashdown served as the de facto leader of Bosnia, earning a reputation as a no-nonsense implementor of tough measures to help the country recover from its 1992-1995 war.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, leader of the world's Anglicans, said Ashdown was "an advocate for those others forgot.

"He served the people of the Balkans with passion and inspiration, an agent of reconciliation."

Ashdown also 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.

He was married with two children and lived in Yeovil, southwest England, which he represented in the lower House of Commons.
Montreal (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Canadian troops deployed as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mali, he said on Saturday.

"The men and women of the @CanadianForces make immense sacrifices to serve our country and keep us safe. Today I visited with them in Mali, bringing the thanks of Canadians for all their hard work. Thank you to everyone at Camp Castor for everything you do, and merry Christmas!" Trudeau tweeted.

The premier was accompanied by Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of the Defense Staff, General Jonathan Vance, a statement from his office said.

Trudeau also met with his Malian counterpart Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, his office said.
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.

Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD) investors should pay attention to an increase in enthusiasm from smart money of late. Our calculations also showed that CBD isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds.

Hedge funds' reputation as shrewd investors has been tarnished in the last decade as their hedged returns couldn't keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since May 2014 through December 3, 2018 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter.

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Ken Fisher FISHER ASSET MANAGEMENT

Let's take a look at the key hedge fund action encompassing Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD).

How are hedge funds trading Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD)?

At the end of the third quarter, a total of 10 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of 43% from one quarter earlier. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in CBD over the last 13 quarters. With hedge funds' sentiment swirling, there exists a few notable hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes significantly (or already accumulated large positions).

CBD_dec2018

According to Insider Monkey's hedge fund database, Fisher Asset Management, managed by Ken Fisher, holds the number one position in Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD). Fisher Asset Management has a $25 million position in the stock, comprising less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio. The second most bullish fund manager is Renaissance Technologies, led by Jim Simons, holding a $11.8 million position; less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Other hedge funds and institutional investors with similar optimism consist of Paul Marshall and Ian Wace's Marshall Wace LLP, Israel Englander's Millennium Management and Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group.

Now, key money managers were breaking ground themselves. Marshall Wace LLP, managed by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace, established the biggest position in Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD). Marshall Wace LLP had $4 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group also made a $1.2 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The other funds with brand new CBD positions are Matthew Hulsizer's PEAK6 Capital Management and Mike Vranos's Ellington.

Let's now take a look at hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD). These stocks are Store Capital Corporation (NYSE:STOR), LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE:LTM), Leggett & Platt, Inc. (NYSE:LEG), and Enel Generacion Chile S.A. (NYSE:EOCC). This group of stocks' market valuations match CBD's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position STOR,19,720759,2 LTM,5,28344,1 LEG,10,26768,-2 EOCC,3,2582,0 Average,9.25,194613,0.25 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 9.25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $195 million. That figure was $48 million in CBD's case. Store Capital Corporation (NYSE:STOR) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Enel Generacion Chile S.A. (NYSE:EOCC) is the least popular one with only 3 bullish hedge fund positions. Companhia Brasileira de Distrib. (NYSE:CBD) is not the most popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still above average. This is a slightly positive signal but we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. In this regard STOR might be a better candidate to consider a long position.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

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Based on the fact that hedge funds have collectively under-performed the market for several years, it would be easy to assume that their stock picks simply aren't very good. However, our research shows this not to be the case. In fact, when it comes to their very top picks collectively, they show a strong ability to pick winning stocks. This year hedge funds' top 30 stock picks easily bested the broader market, at 6.7% compared to 2.6%, despite there being a few duds in there like Facebook (even their collective wisdom isn't perfect). The results show that there is plenty of merit to imitating the collective wisdom of top investors.

Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS) was in 11 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of September. SBS shareholders have witnessed an increase in hedge fund interest lately. There were 10 hedge funds in our database with SBS holdings at the end of the previous quarter. Our calculations also showed that SBS isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds.

In the 21st century investors toolkit there are a lot of formulas stock market investors can use to size up stocks. A pair of the less utilized formulas are hedge fund and insider trading interest. Our experts have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top fund managers can beat their index-focused peers by a superb margin (see the details here).

MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT

We're going to analyze the new hedge fund action regarding Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS).

What have hedge funds been doing with Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS)?

At Q3's end, a total of 11 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, a change of 10% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 11 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in SBS heading into this year. So, let's find out which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves.

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SBS_dec2018

Among these funds, Impax Asset Management held the most valuable stake in Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS), which was worth $113.6 million at the end of the third quarter. On the second spot was Renaissance Technologies which amassed $23 million worth of shares. Moreover, AQR Capital Management, Millennium Management, and Arrowstreet Capital were also bullish on Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS), allocating a large percentage of their portfolios to this stock.

As industrywide interest jumped, some big names have been driving this bullishness. Arrowstreet Capital, managed by Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell, established the most valuable position in Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS). Arrowstreet Capital had $3.2 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. D. E. Shaw's D E Shaw also initiated a $0.5 million position during the quarter. The other funds with brand new SBS positions are Mike Vranos's Ellington and Matthew Tewksbury's Stevens Capital Management.

Let's check out hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS) but similarly valued. We will take a look at International Game Technology PLC (NYSE:IGT), Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:PAG), Clean Harbors Inc (NYSE:CLH), and Corelogic Inc (NYSE:CLGX). This group of stocks' market caps match SBS's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position IGT,37,963167,2 PAG,20,94346,3 CLH,18,238648,5 CLGX,20,378350,4 Average,23.75,418628,3.5 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 23.75 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $419 million. That figure was $157 million in SBS's case. International Game Technology PLC (NYSE:IGT) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Clean Harbors Inc (NYSE:CLH) is the least popular one with only 18 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo - SABESP (NYSE:SBS) is even less popular than CLH. 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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The Insider Monkey team has completed processing the quarterly 13F filings for the September quarter submitted by the hedge funds and other money managers included in our extensive database. Most hedge fund investors endured a torrid quarter, which certainly propelled them to adjust their equity holdings so as to maintain the desired risk profile. As a result, the relevancy of these public filings and their content is indisputable, as they may reveal numerous high-potential stocks. The following article will discuss the smart money sentiment towards Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED).

Is Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) a buy right now? Investors who are in the know are getting less optimistic. The number of bullish hedge fund bets went down by 3 lately. Our calculations also showed that ED isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds. ED was in 11 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of the third quarter of 2018. There were 14 hedge funds in our database with ED positions at the end of the previous quarter.

In the financial world there are a lot of methods market participants can use to grade publicly traded companies. A pair of the best methods are hedge fund and insider trading sentiment. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the elite fund managers can outperform the S&P 500 by a significant amount (see the details here).

AQR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

We're going to take a look at the new hedge fund action regarding Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED).

What does the smart money think about Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED)?

At Q3's end, a total of 11 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of -21% from the previous quarter. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in ED over the last 13 quarters. With hedge funds' positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a few key hedge fund managers who were boosting their holdings substantially (or already accumulated large positions).

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ED_dec2018

The largest stake in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) was held by AQR Capital Management, which reported holding $727.7 million worth of stock at the end of September. It was followed by Renaissance Technologies with a $232.5 million position. Other investors bullish on the company included Two Sigma Advisors, GLG Partners, and PEAK6 Capital Management.

Seeing as Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) has experienced falling interest from the entirety of the hedge funds we track, we can see that there exists a select few hedgies that decided to sell off their full holdings heading into Q3. Interestingly, Sara Nainzadeh's Centenus Global Management said goodbye to the largest stake of all the hedgies monitored by Insider Monkey, totaling an estimated $16.4 million in stock. John Brandmeyer's fund, Cognios Capital, also dumped its stock, about $2.6 million worth. These moves are intriguing to say the least, as aggregate hedge fund interest fell by 3 funds heading into Q3.

Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) but similarly valued. These stocks are M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT), and Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB). This group of stocks' market valuations match ED's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position MTB,41,2338443,2 RSG,26,610706,4 WIT,8,67451,2 DB,9,1416896,0 Average,21,1108374,2 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 21 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $1.11 billion. That figure was $1.00 billion in ED's case. M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is the least popular one with only 8 bullish hedge fund positions. Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) 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 MTB might be a better candidate to consider a long position.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

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India relaxes cross-border power trading guidelines

India for the first time has given explicit recognition to the tripartite arrangement in cross-border trading of electricity, paving the way for Nepal to export surplus electricity to Bangladesh via Indian transmission lines.
Los Angeles (AFP) - The death toll in northern California's so-called "Camp Fire" rose to 87, officials said late Saturday, adding that the blaze was almost fully under control.

Cal Fire, the state fire authority, said in its latest bulletin that the fire - which broke out on November 8 - was 98 percent contained.

The office of the Butte County Sheriff said that 249 people remained unaccounted for - a steep drop from 474 missing reported earlier in the day.

It added that only 54 of the fatalities have been identified.

More than 153,000 acres have been torched, with nearly 14,000 homes and hundreds of other structures destroyed by the powerful blaze, California's deadliest and most destructive fire ever.

Previously the death toll had been put at 84.

Rain that soaked the Butte County fire area in the past days helped douse the remaining flames, but also made it more difficult for crews searching for bodies.

"Areas experiencing significant rainfall following a wildfire are at risk for debris flow and flash flooding," the Sheriff's office warned.

Cal Fire said that the remaining uncontained fire "is isolated in steep and rugged terrain where it is unsafe for firefighters to access due to the heavy rains."
New York (AFP) - 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.
Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, considered one of the most talented of his generation, will leave Calvin Klein little more than two 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 the self-taught Simons in New York in August 2016 after four years at Dior caused a sensation. Dubbed "chief creative officer," he had 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.

Calvin Klein's shows at New York Fashion Week were among the most popular but the fashion house will not organize any runway events at the next Fashion Week to take place in February, PVH said.

Simons' last Fashion Week runway show in September was inspired by "Jaws," the 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster film.

"The landscape of America -- literal and psychological -- inspires Calvin Klein. A journey through America leads, inevitably, to the edge of the landscape: the beach," where there is "this incredible idea of beauty, but also a tension," Simons wrote in notes for the show.

Simons, 50, has been credited with giving the iconic American label renewed relevancy, his collections diving deep into the good, the bad and the ugly of the United States.

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But several industry news sites had speculated about the departure of Simons, after the PVH group head blamed him during a third-quarter earnings presentation for a lack of dynamism in sales.

PVH chairman and CEO Emanuel "Manny" Chirico announced a more commercialized marketing approach, signaling that the Simons creative era was ending.

Calvin Klein, the New Yorker who in 1968 founded the label bearing his name, sold it in 2003 to PVH which also has the Tommy Hilfiger brand.
N'DJAMENA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he deeply regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

In an abrupt policy shift, Trump announced on Wednesday that Washington would withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, upending a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and alarming U.S. allies.

"I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria," Macron said during a news conference in Chad.

"To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It's the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military," he said. "An ally should be dependable."

Macron stressed the importance of the work of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which has captured large parts of northern and eastern Syria from Islamic State.

"I call on everyone ... not to forget what we owe them," he said.

U.S. officials justified the decision by saying Islamic State had been defeated.

(Reporting by Madjiasra Nako; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams)
WASHINGTON  The partial government shutdown could go on for potentially many more days  and perhaps weeks  but the White House indicated Sunday that it was backing down on its main sticking point: It was requesting less than $5 billion for border wall funding.

Still, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney didnt indicate what that number was. President Donald Trump is not backing down from his "fight over border security," Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday.

"I don't think things are going to move very quickly," Mulvaney said.

He also said "there's a chance this could go into the next Congress," which begins Jan. 3.

Mulvaney said the White House provided "a counteroffer" Saturday to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and is awaiting a response.

While not providing many details, Mulvaney said the White House has reduced its demand for $5 billion in wall funding but is also demanding more than the $1.3 billion Democrats are talking about. He did not provide the new number.

"We moved off the 5  we hope they move off the 1.3," Mulvaney said, adding of the Democrats: "The ball right now is in their corner."

The parties could not vote on a new deal even if they were inclined.

Related Video: Mulvaney Says Govt' Shutdown May Go Into 2019

While Trump postponed his end-of-the-year trip to Florida, most lawmakers have left the capital ahead of the Christmas holiday. He tweeted Sunday morning that a wall would help stop drugs, gangs and criminal elements from entering the country.

The only way to stop drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into our Country is with a Wall or Barrier. Drones and all of the rest are wonderful and lots of fun, but it is only a good old fashioned Wall that works!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

With no signs of a deal, the Senate adjourned for the holidays Saturday afternoon and made no plans to return until Thursday, ensuring that the shutdown will drag on for at least several more days. Mulvaney said federal paychecks would go out Dec. 28, but that the paychecks scheduled Jan. 11 would be affected.

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"This is what having a president who is nontraditional, whos a different kind of president looks like," Mulvaney said. "He is not going to be an ordinary president, and that's not what people wanted when they elected him."

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the outgoing chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told CNNs "State of the Union" that the shutdown was unnecessary and juvenile because both parties want to work on immigration issues.

Corker noted that Democrats and Republicans supported legislation to provide $25 billion for border security while also dealing with young immigrants who arrived with parents who entered the country illegally. The legislation wasn't ultimately approved. But in contrast, Corker said the shutdown fight is over much less.

"This is a made-up fight," Corker said. "This is something that is unnecessary. It's a spectacle. And, candidly, it's juvenile."

The shutdown takes place during an especially chaotic time in the Trump administration, including the resignation Thursday of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the announced withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, a plunging stock market and Trump attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Mulvaney also told ABC's "This Week" that Trump "now realizes" that he "does not have the ability" to fire Powell. Mulvaney said Trump won't change the withdrawal plan for Syria, despite Mattis' resignation and objections from elsewhere within the administration.

"This is what Washington looks like when you have a president who refuses to go along to get along," he said.

Schumer blamed the shutdown on Trumps two-week temper tantrum over border wall funding and said the Senate has no interest in swindling American taxpayers for an unnecessary, ineffective and wasteful policy.

President Trump, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said senators would be told when a vote was scheduled and that "negotiations will continue" in the meantime. The Senate next plans to meet Thursday for debate. The House has instructed lawmakers no votes are expected until at least Thursday.

At the White House, Trump canceled an end-of-the-year trip to Florida and huddled Saturday with his advisers and with a small group of GOP lawmakers to discuss border security but did not include any Democrats in the meeting. Among the Republicans who were invited were members of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, which has urged Trump not to abandon the fight for border wall funding.

This is not about the wall for Democrats. Its not even about immigration for Democrats, tweeted Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was invited to the meeting. This is about denying (Trump) a win on a signature agenda item that he promised the American people.

The latest shutdown is the third one this year  and the third of Trumps presidency  and was triggered just after midnight Friday when the budget standoff caused funding to lapse for nine federal departments and several smaller agencies. A quarter of the government shut down, and some 800,000 government employees were forced to go on furlough or work without pay.

Agencies affected include the FBI, Bureau of Prisons, Customs and Border Patrol and the IRS, as well as national parks and forests. In all, the nine departments affected are Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development.

The White House said federal employees in those departments would be paid for days worked before the shutdown began. The pay period ended on Saturday, and those checks will go out on Dec. 28. Employees deemed essential and forced to work during the shutdown will be paid once federal funds start flowing again, the Trump administration said, although that would require congressional action.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is met by reporters as he arrives at the Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown, as Democratic lawmakers, and some Republicans, are at odds with President Donald Trump on spending for his border wall, in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018.

Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes negotiations continue  primarily at the staff level  in an attempt to break the funding impasse and end the shutdown.

On Saturday, Trump turned to one of his favorite forums  Twitter  to reiterate his case for a border wall, which he vowed repeatedly during his presidential campaign would be paid for by Mexico.

The crisis of illegal activity at our Southern Border is real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall. Let work begin! he wrote in one message.

A few minutes later, he tweeted again, 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!

The House has passed a bill that includes $5.7 billion in funding for border security, including a wall. But the proposal is stalled in the Senate and cannot pass without the support of Democrats.

The crisis of illegal activity at our Southern Border is real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall. Let work begin!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

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!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

More: The government shutdown is here. How does it affect you?

More: A look at what public services will  and wont  be interrupted during the government shutdown

More: Will NORAD's Santa Tracker still monitor St. Nick's journey even if there's a government shutdown?

More: Government shutdown: History suggests stock market can weather storm

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown, day 2: White House makes 'counteroffer,' asks for less than $5B for border wall funding
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
Sanaa (AFP) - The head of the UN team tasked with monitoring a fragile ceasefire in Yemen's port city of Hodeida arrived in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Sunday, an AFP photographer said.

Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint committee including members of the government and the Huthi rebels, in charge of monitoring a truce in the Red Sea city and its surroundings.

Cammaert was greeted by head of the Huthi delegation, Ali al-Mushki, and a number of other members of the UN team at Sanaa international airport. He did not comment upon arrival.

He is making a stop in Sanaa before heading to Hodeida, a lifeline port city that serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen, a UN official said, after holding talks Saturday with Yemen government officials in Aden.

On Saturday, Cammaert urged the government and the Saudi-led coalition backing the loyalists to uphold the ceasefire that came into effect last week, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

He also "sought their commitment and cooperation to secure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid", said Dujarric, adding that Cammaert will "convey similar messages" to the Huthis in Sanaa.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeida, which is held by the rebels and has been subjected to an offensive by pro-government forces.

A halt to fighting in the strategic port city follows intense diplomatic efforts which culminated in peace talks earlier this month 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 aims to secure the functioning of Hodeida port and supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city.

The text approved by the Security Council "insists on the full respect by all parties of the ceasefire agreed" for Hodeida.

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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.

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.
Before we spend days researching a stock idea we'd like to take a look at how hedge funds and billionaire investors recently traded that stock. S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY) lost 8.7% through October 26th. Forty percent of the S&P 500 constituents were down more than 10%. The average return of a randomly picked stock in the index is -9.5%. This means you (or a monkey throwing a dart) have less than an even chance of beating the market by randomly picking a stock. On the other hand, the top 25 most popular S&P 500 stocks among hedge funds had an average loss of 8.8%. In this article, we will take a look at what hedge funds think about China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC).

Hedge fund interest in China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC) 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 American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT), VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), and CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) to gather more data points.

So, why do we pay attention to hedge fund sentiment before making any investment decisions? Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since May 2014 through December 3, 2018 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter. Even if you aren't comfortable with shorting stocks, you should at least avoid initiating long positions in our short portfolio.

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D. E. Shaw

We're going to review the fresh hedge fund action surrounding China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC).

Hedge fund activity in China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC)

At the end of the third quarter, a total of 10 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, no change from the second quarter of 2018. On the other hand, there were a total of 11 hedge funds with a bullish position in LFC at the beginning of this year. With the smart money's capital changing hands, there exists a few key hedge fund managers who were boosting their holdings meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions).

LFC_dec2018

More specifically, LMR Partners was the largest shareholder of China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC), with a stake worth $14.8 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing LMR Partners was Arrowstreet Capital, which amassed a stake valued at $14.6 million. D E Shaw, Renaissance Technologies, and Millennium Management were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios.

Seeing as China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC) has experienced declining sentiment from hedge fund managers, we can see that there were a few hedgies that elected to cut their positions entirely in the third quarter. Intriguingly, David Kowitz and Sheldon Kasowitz's Indus Capital dropped the largest investment of all the hedgies tracked by Insider Monkey, totaling close to $1.8 million in stock. Matthew Tewksbury's fund, Stevens Capital Management, also dropped its stock, about $0.8 million worth. These bearish behaviors are important to note, 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 China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC). We will take a look at American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT), VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX), and FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX). This group of stocks' market valuations resemble LFC's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position AMT,42,2904624,3 VMW,38,2366199,1 CSX,54,6677253,2 FDX,42,3460281,-1 Average,44,3852089,1.25 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 44 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $3.85 billion. That figure was $53 million in LFC's case. CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW) is the least popular one with only 38 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (NYSE:LFC) is even less popular than VMW. Considering that hedge funds aren't fond of this stock in relation to other companies analyzed in this article, it may be a good idea to analyze it in detail and understand why the smart money isn't behind this stock. This isn't necessarily bad news. Although it is possible that hedge funds may think the stock is overpriced and view the stock as a short candidate, they may not be very familiar with the bullish thesis. In either case more research is warranted.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

Related Content
World leaders descend on Buenos Aires this weekend for the G-20 summit, with Russias seizure of Ukrainian sailors, the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and Britains impending exit from the E.U. all high on the agenda.

But while substantial progress is not expected on these issues in the Argentine capital  the G-20 is oft-derided as a costly talking shop  many hope for meaningful headway on one burning issue: the escalating trade war between China and the U.S.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to sit down with U.S. President Donald Trump on the G-20 sidelines with hopes for a negotiated resolution to the hiked tariffs hes put on $250 billion Chinese imports.

Trump has also threatened tariffs on $267 billion of other Chinese exports while Beijing has responded with $110 billion of its own tariffs on U.S. products, with the tumult upsetting global supply chains and imperiling economies across the globe.

It got bigger than anyone thought it was going to get, says Jeffrey Towson, a private-equity investor and business professor at Peking University. Trump has shown his hand, that hes willing to take it to a more serious level. China hasnt really given an indication that theyre going to match that or try something else.

Although this month Trump indicated that a deal could be struck, his administration has also accused China of not improving unfair practices in an update to a March report.

Read more: Farmers Know Trumps Trade War Is Hurting Them

Trump has long said that intellectual property theft, currency manipulation and aluminum and steel dumping by Beijing contribute to a record $375 billion trade deficit. Theres little sign that the tariffs are correcting that, however, with Chinas monthly trade surplus rising to an unprecedented $34 billion in September.

Nevertheless, analysts are skeptical that any deal could be thrashed out. China appears willing to renegotiate certain aspects of policy, such as boosted IP protection and cyber security regulations, as well as increased market access to bring it into line with WTO rules.

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But Trump has repeatedly said he wants to bring down the trade imbalance by a whopping $200 billion, which would require China imposing artificial limits to trade. Not only is this highly problematic for the worlds largest trading nation, it would also run counter to WTO rules.

The irony is that China is now in a position of trying to uphold the WTO system, and essentially the rule-based international trading order, while Trump has no use for rules, hes a results-based businessman, and doesnt want to be constrained by rules or laws, says James H. Nolt, a China specialist for the World Policy Institute.

The Trump administration appears to be eyeing a system similar to the voluntary restraint agreement that the Reagan government imposed from April 1981 to limit the number of Japanese vehicles imported into the U.S.

Read more: Even this Chinese CEO Whos Benefiting From Trumps Trade War Says Its a Dumb Idea

But while that was relatively straightforward to implement  the handful of Japanese automakers divvied up their own market shares, and instead increased profits by producing higher-quality cars  Chinese trade is spread amongst hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized exporters. It would also run foul of the WTO, which was formed in 1995 precisely to boost free commerce.

Meanwhile, real action to address the trade imbalance  though nowhere near the quixotic $200 billion target  would be to negotiate Chinese market access for U.S. financial services providers. This is something that the Beijing government has repeatedly supported, though repeatedly stalled rolling out, and has the potential to benefit both nations economies.

Trump, however, is no friend of the banks, being a debtor and many times bankrupted himself, and is lukewarm on the prospect. This is not least that expanding financial services to China wont bring home the low-skilled manufacturing jobs that appeal to his base, and in fact could even facilitate U.S. businesses shifting capacity to China.

That leaves both nations at something of an impasse, with the real fear that Trump might move ahead with the extra tariffs. What China can realistically offer to counter this is unclear.

No country is going to cede sovereignty that way and give up treaty rights, least of all China, which of course suffered under unequal treaties during the 19th and early 20th century, adds Nolt. Theyre quite content to have a rules-based system, even to agree to modified rules, but theyre not going to agree to them based on power alone and might makes right.
Khambuwan gives up arms, enters into peaceful politics

Khambuwan Mukti Morcha Samyukta, an armed outfit fighting for a separate statehood in eastern hill districts for the past eight years, has surrendered weapons and pledged peaceful political activism.
Beirut (AFP) - Hundreds of Lebanese took to the streets Sunday in Beirut to protest rampant corruption and poor living conditions, as anger mounts over political deadlock that has left the country without a government since May.

People marched to the prime minister's office in central Beirut to demonstrate against Lebanon's fractious political class, widespread graft and failing public services.

Some protesters sported the iconic yellow vests worn by anti-government protesters in France, adorned with a cedar tree -- Lebanon's national symbol.

"There is corruption and theft of state funds," 43-year-old Hana told AFP.

"We are governed by a political class of corrupt thieves who rule with sectarian fanaticism," she said.

Parliamentary polls in May gave Saad Hariri a new term as prime minister, but seven months on, debate still drags on over ministerial portfolios.

Demonstrators demanded what they called their "most basic rights", including a reintroduction of housing loans stalled for nearly a year and more access to healthcare, water and electricity.

They were met by security forces who erected a cordon in the city centre.

Dozens also demonstrated in the northern city of Tripoli and in Nabatiyeh in the south.

The protests came after hundreds took part in demonstrations led by Lebanon's Communist Party last Sunday.

Lebanon's economy is on the brink of collapse and France warned this month that the country could soon miss out on a much-needed aid programme agreed in Paris earlier this year if the political deadlock continues.
Mumbai (AFP) - An Indian startup is turning its attention towards usurping the West's largest hotel chains after establishing itself as India's biggest player and shaking up the Chinese market.

Oyo Rooms, which specialises in no-frills accommodation, was only formed in 2013 but is already worth an estimated $5 billion after receiving funding from international venture capitalists.

The app-based company has quickly become India's largest hotel firm by number of rooms and one of the biggest in China as it pursues an aggressive expansion abroad.

Oyo, as it is commonly called, entered the British market in September and is eyeing other European countries, fuelled by money from Japanese group SoftBank and America's Sequoia Capital.

"We are seeing great results in all our global markets and are growing aggressively in London," Oyo's founder, 25-year-old Ritesh Agarwal, told AFP.

"We will definitely consider expanding into the broader European region," he added in the telephone interview.

Oyo teams up with owners of budget hotels to help connect them with tourists looking for cheap but clean accommodation that meets certain hygiene standards.

Oyo staff carry out inspections of hotels. If they are deemed to be up to scratch then they are made available for booking on Oyo's website and mobile app.

Many offer hot water, free wifi and regular laundry services for as little as 1,800 rupees ($25) a night, well below what mid and high-range hotels charge.

The startup takes a commission for facilitating bookings while the hotels -- often small, independent ventures -- are re-branded as an "Oyo hotel".

The company's distinctive red and white logo has been put up outside thousands of Indian hotels across the vast Asian country over the past five years.

Those signs could soon become omnipresent across Europe's main cities, unsettling major hotel chains like Marriott International if Agarwal has his way.

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"We want to bring quality affordable spaces for travellers and help neighbourhood hotels beat the big hotel chains," he said.

"Small asset owners are finding it hard to survive while the big hotel companies are continuing to win in every neighbourhood.

"We want to lead and empower those small franchise owners and make sure that they thrive," Agarwal added.

- Growth -

The entrepreneur, now one of India's youngest billionaires, founded Oyo when he was just 19 years old.

He had seen enough dingy hotels promising services that they didn't offer to know that there was a gap in the market for a company that would give accommodation a stamp of approval.

It started with a tie-up in New Delhi and now vouches for 164,000 hotel rooms in India and 180,000 in China.

Oyo claims it has broken into China's top 10 hotel chains since entering in October 2017 and announced last month that it was investing $600 million there to bolster operations further.

Oyo received $1 billion in funding from a consortium of investors led by SoftBank in September this year, increasing its valuation five-fold and making it one of India's wealthiest startups.

Oyo also operates in Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates and could feasibly stake a claim to be the world's fastest-growing hotel chain.

The company has been on a hiring spree and recently appointed the former chief of budget Indian airline IndiGo Aditya Ghosh as its new CEO to lead its forays into new markets.

It is also tying up with more upmarket properties through its Oyo Townhouse project.

Analysts warn that Oyo could be in danger of overstretching itself if it continues to grow at the same pace.

"(Their) key challenge is to ensure level of services and maintaining quality over a period of time, especially during the fast growth stage with a lean team," Bhairav Dalal, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, told AFP.

Their expansion hasn't been welcomed by everyone in India.

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, claimed to AFP that Oyo was involved in "predatory pricing" while plenty of users have left negative comments about some of the hotels online.

Agarwal insists he always welcomes criticism and feedback.

"We have had many good and bad days and in time we have been able to learn and improve and not just improve incrementally but become a market leader," he said.
Weve lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, wed be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE:CMD), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Cantel Medical

Cantel Medical Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Chairman and Member of Office of the Chairman Charles Diker made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$2.3m worth of shares at a price of US$119 each. While the sale doesnt make us feel confident, we do note it was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$71.73. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.

Over the last year, we note insiders sold 88.17k shares worth US$9.6m. In total, Cantel Medical insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The average sell price was around US$109. We are not joyful about insider selling. However, we do note that the average sale price was significantly higher than the current share price (which is US$71.73). 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!

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NYSE:CMD Insider Trading December 23rd 18

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Cantel Medical Insiders Are Selling The Stock

The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Cantel Medical shares. Specifically, Executive VP Eric Nodiff ditched US$270k worth of shares in that time, and we didnt record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but its not the be all and end all.

Insider Ownership of Cantel Medical

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. Cantel Medical insiders own 11% of the company, currently worth about US$323m based on the recent share price. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Do The Cantel Medical Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider sold stock recently, but they havent been buying. And even if we look to the last year, we didnt see any purchases. On the plus side, Cantel Medical makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesnt make us feel confident about the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Cantel Medical.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said that the U.S. military presence in Syria had been "a mistake, illogical and a source of tension", in Tehran's first reaction to President Donald Trump's planned pull-out. Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, saying on Wednesday they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country. "From the 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," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state media on Saturday. Trump said in a tweet on Thursday that "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy" about the planned U.S. withdrawal. Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war, has sent military "advisers" as well as military equipment and regional Shiite militias to fight anti-government groups. Tehran has opposed the presence of foreign forces in Syria, except those -- from Iran and Russia -- which have been invited by the Assad government. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Tehran (AFP) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged Muslims worldwide on Saturday to unite against the United States and assured Saudis they were "brothers" who had nothing to fear from Tehran.

US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran in May and has since reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions.

"What the United States wants of (the Middle East) today is enslavement," Rouhani told an Islamic unity conference in Tehran.

Instead of "rolling out the red carpet for criminals," Muslim governments should unite against the United States and "the region's cancerous tumour", Israel, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch Trump ally and a bitter critic of the 2015 deal, lashed out in a statement at "the murderous Iranian regime".

"Rouhani's slander, which calls for the destruction of Israel, proves yet again why the nations of the world need to join in the sanctions against the Iranian terrorist regime which threatens them," he said in an English-language statement.

Rouhani urged Shiite Iran's Sunni rival Saudi Arabia to end its dependence on "insulting" US military aid.

"We are ready to defend the Saudi people's interests against terrorism and superpowers with all our might," he said.

"We do no ask $450 billion for it and will not insult you."

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in January 2016 after protesters stormed its diplomatic missions in Iran following its execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

It accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among Shiites in the Gulf Arab states and the two governments have supported opposing sides in devastating civil wars in Syria and Yemen.
JERUSALEM (AP)  One month after the shooting of an Associated Press cameraman in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military still has not commented on the incident or provided any updates about the status of an investigation.

Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near Gaza's northern border with Israel on Nov. 19 when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified himself as a journalist and standing with a crowd of other journalists some 600 meters (660 yards) away from the Israeli border when he was hit.

Rashid, 47, was allowed to enter Israel for medical treatment. He has been hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem to repair multiple fractures and a gaping hole in his left leg. Doctors say the injuries are not life threatening.

At the time of the shooting, the AP urged the army to conduct a thorough investigation.

The army says it typically investigates such incidents, and it has implied that it is looking into Rashid's shooting. But it has not responded to repeated requests for comment or updates about the investigation. It also has not attempted to interview Rashid or other AP staffers who witnessed the incident, or asked to view AP footage of the shooting.

"The Associated Press urges the Israeli military to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the shooting of its cameraman, Rashed Rashid, who was shot while doing his job," said Lauren Easton, the AP's director of media relations.

The AP footage taken by Rashid shows a small group of Palestinian youths several hundred meters (yards) in front of him approaching the border, one of them hurling a stone with a sling shot toward an Israeli watchtower in the distance. A military jeep rolls past, firing tear gas toward the crowd.

The popping of sporadic gunfire is heard, including one shot that causes a group of medics to duck their heads and a youth to jump to the ground as a bullet apparently whizzes by. That same bullet appears to be the one that hit Rashid, who is heard screaming in pain a split second later. The medics then point in Rashid's direction and start running toward him.

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Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group has been orchestrating border protests since March in an effort to break a crippling Israeli blockade. Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade in 2007 after Hamas, an armed group that opposes Israel's existence, took control of Gaza.

Some 175 Palestinians have been killed in the protests, and thousands more wounded. Israel accuses Hamas of endangering civilians by using the crowds as cover to attempt to carry out cross-border attacks. Protesters have hurled firebombs, flaming tires and grenades at Israeli troops, and one soldier was killed by a Hamas sniper last summer.

But Israel has come under heavy international criticism for the large numbers of unarmed people, including journalists, medics and children, who have been shot far from the border. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, two journalists and three medics have been killed, while an additional 42 medical workers have been struck by live bullets.

Palestinians and human rights groups have long accused the Israeli military of failing to carry out serious investigations into possible wrongdoing by troops.

Two years ago, the Israeli human rights group B'tselem said it would no longer work with the Israeli military in investigating alleged violations, ending a 25-year relationship.

It said only a tiny percentage of complaints of improper violence against Palestinians has resulted in indictments and accused the military justice system of "whitewashing" violations.
Rome (AFP) - The Italian Senate on Sunday passed a revised 2019 budget agreed after a tense standoff with Brussels which saw the populist government water down key measures.

Senators passed the budget put forward by the governing coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the anti-immigration League by 167 votes to 78, with three abstentions.

It was passed by a vote of confidence after midnight that avoided debate of around 700 amendments, provoking acrimonious scenes in the Senate with the opposition complaining about the lack of debate.

The budget is expected to go to the lower house after Christmas and before a New Year deadline.

In a historic first, in October the European Commission rejected Italy's big-spending budget, which promised a universal basic income and scrapped pension reform.

In a deal reached on Wednesday, Italy agreed to reduce the cost of both of its landmark measures, and is now committed to not adding to its colossal two-trillion euro debt load next year.

The EU and Italy negotiated intensely with both sides worried that a protracted feud would alarm the markets and ignite a debt crisis in the eurozone's third biggest economy.

Without the compromise, Italy would have ultimately faced a fine of up to 0.2 percent of the nation's GDP after a long and rancorous process with its eurozone partners.

The talks centred on the so-called structural deficit, which includes all public spending minus debt payments.

Italy's first budget was set to blow through commitments made by the previous government, and require Rome raising even more debt.

Last week's deal anticipates that this will now be balanced, with the overall deficit target lowered to 2.04 percent of GDP.

Italy's public debt is a big problem and now sits at a huge 2.3 trillion euros ($2.6 trillion), or 131 percent of Italy's GDP -- way above the 60 percent EU ceiling.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  The Latest on charges brought after a West Virginia coal mine rescue (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

More charges have been brought after four people entered an inactive coal mine in West Virginia and three were trapped inside.

The Raleigh County Sheriff's Office said Friday afternoon that it has obtained arrest warrants on Kayla Williams, Erica Treadway and Cody Beverly for entering the mine. News outlets reported earlier that the sheriff's office was seeking to arrest Williams' cousin, Eddie Williams Jr., on charges including entering without breaking.

The four entered an idle Clear Creek coal mine this month. Eddie Williams left the mine two days later, and authorities later rescued the other three.

Kayla Williams' father, Randall, has said his daughter was looking for copper. The Register-Herald reports Eddie Williams was indicted in May on charges including trespassing and grand larceny related to the theft of copper wire from an Alpha Resources mine.

___

11:30 a.m.

A sheriff's office in West Virginia says it has issued an arrest warrant for a man who escaped a coal mine where three other people were trapped.

News outlets report the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that it's seeking to arrest Eddie Williams Jr. on charges including entering without breaking.

Williams and his cousin Kayla Williams along with Erica Treadway and Cody Beverly entered an inactive Clear Creek coal mine early this month. Williams left the mine two days later. Authorities later rescued the other three.

Kayla Williams' father, Randall, has said his daughter was looking for copper. The Register-Herald reports Eddie Williams was indicted in May on charges including trespassing and grand larceny related to the theft of copper wire from an Alpha Resources mine.
Lack of publicity renders citys pick and drop drive ineffective

The new pick and drop rule introduced by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) aimed at easing the perennial traffic jams in the Capitals core areas has not been effective as both drivers and passengers seem unaware about the initiative.
WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (AP)  The Latest on the arrest of a Colorado man in the disappearance of his fiance on Thanksgiving (all times local):

4:25 p.m.

A Colorado man suspected of killing his fiance has made his first court appearance.

Patrick Frazee appeared by teleconference at a Teller County District Court hearing.

Frazee was arrested earlier Friday in the disappearance of 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth. Authorities say the 32-year-old Frazee faces charges of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder.

Berreth was last seen in the Colorado town of Woodland Park on Thanksgiving Day.

KOAA-TV reports a public defender was appointed for Frazee.

A judge set Frazee's next court appearance for Dec. 31. He's being held without bond.

___

10:40 a.m.

Officials say the daughter of woman her fiance is suspected of killing will live with the woman's family.

Woodland Park police Chief Miles de Young said the family of 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth does not want to comment.

He told reporters Friday that Berreth's cellphone was found in Idaho and that investigators are working to recover it.

The fiance, Patrick Frazee, was charged with the murder of Berreth and solicitation to commit murder.

The two lived separately and De Young says authorities have evidence suggesting the killing happened at Berreth's home in Woodland Park, in central Colorado.

Frazee was arrested at his residence in the community of Florissant, about 20 minutes from Woodland Park.

De Young says about 30 FBI agents in several states are participating in the investigation.

___

10:20 a.m.

Officials say that a missing Colorado woman was probably killed at her home but have declined to speculate on where her body might be.

Woodland Park police Chief Miles de Young told reporters Friday that investigators believe 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth was killed at her home.

Her fiance Patrick Frazee was arrested Friday morning at his home in the community of Florissant, Colorado.

He was charged with first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder.

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De Young declined comment on what led to the solicitation to commit murder charge.

___

9:50 a.m.

Authorities have charged the fiance of a Colorado woman missing since Thanksgiving with first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder.

Teller County sheriff's Cmdr. Greg Couch says could provide no information about anybody else under investigation or whether the body of 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth had been found.

Police arrested Patrick Frazee Friday morning at his home in the community of Florissant, Colorado.

Berreth was last seen in a grocery store near her home Woodland Park, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Florissant.

___

8:40 a.m.

Authorities say they have arrested the fiance of a Colorado woman who was last seen on Thanksgiving.

Teller County sheriff's Cmdr. Greg Couch says Patrick Frazee was arrested at his home in the community of Florissant, Colorado, Couch said he could not provide any information about charges.

Kelsey Berreth, 29, was last seen in a grocery store near her home in Woodland Park, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Florissant.

Surveillance video showed Berreth entering the store with what appeared to be her 1-year-old daughter in a baby carrier.

Frazee told police he last saw her later that afternoon when he picked up the couple's daughter.
By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON, England (Reuters) - London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travelers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. Sussex police made two arrests late on Friday in connection with the disruption and urged the public and passengers around the airport to remain vigilant. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick since an Icelandic volcanic ash cloud in 2010, the airport had said around 700 planes would take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations. Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal. "Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield." Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack. Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinized by security forces and airport operators across the world. The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday. No group has claimed responsibility publicly and police said there was no evidence another state was involved. Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible. "In terms of the motivation, there's a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high-end criminal behavior that we've seen, all the way down to potentially, just individuals trying to be malicious, trying to disrupt the airport," he said. After a boom in sales, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year. THERMAL IMAGING? The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said it understood "detection and tracking equipment" had been installed around Gatwick's perimeter. BALPA said that it was extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. Flying drones within 1 km (0.6 mile) of a British airport boundary is punishable by five years in prison. The defense ministry refused to comment on what technology was deployed but drone experts said airports needed to deploy specialist radar reinforced by thermal imaging technology to detect such unmanned flying vehicles. Other ways to tackle them is typically by frequency jamming that can disable or disrupt control signals and the GPS signals that allow the drones to navigate. The Telegraph newspaper had reported earlier that the perpetrator had circled the drone around the airport building and flashed its lights. A description of the drone by witnesses had enabled experts to determine the model of the machine, according to the report. The drone sightings caused misery for travelers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airport. The disruption affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday but flights were restarted at 0614 GMT on Friday. At 1740 GMT flights were suspended again but restarted less than an hour later. It was not immediately clear what the financial impact would be on the main airlines operating from Gatwick including easyJet , British Airways and Norwegian . Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event to be 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, however, and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations. Some airport staff handed out chocolate and Christmas elf toys to stranded passengers. Some, like Sarah Garghan-Watson, chose to stick it out at the airport overnight, having arrived at 8 a.m. on Thursday. "It's now 2 o'clock in the morning at Gatwick, and it's very bright and very noisy. It's now also very cold," she said in a video shown on Sky. "All I can see tonight ... is a sign that says 'no more sleeps until the beach'. And here we are, sleeping, in the stairs at Gatwick, because there's no flights." (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams, David Stamp and Sandra Maler)
Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil is excluding representatives of Nicaragua from the January 1 inauguration of new president Jair Bolsonaro because of "violations" against its own citizens, the country's incoming foreign minister said Sunday.

"The inauguration of President Bolsonaro will mark the start of a government with a firm and clear stance defending freedom," Ernesto Araujo tweeted.

"Because of this and given the violations of (Daniel) Ortega's regime against the freedom of Nicaragua's people, no representative of that regime will be received in the event on the 1st (of January),"

Bolsonaro, a far-right politician aligned with the worldview of US President Donald Trump, has already said the leftwing leaders of Cuba and Venezuela are not invited to his inauguration.

He has has said he will do everything "within democracy" to counter the Cuban and Venezuelan governments.

Araujo, a mid-ranking foreign ministry employee tapped to head a diplomatic network that is among the top 10 in the world, has enthusiastically embraced Bolsonaro's positions.

They include encouraging foreign investment while taking a cautious position toward China, its biggest trading partner, which Bolsonaro has repeatedly said is trying to "buy Brazil."

Political oppression and violence have surged in Nicaragua since April this year as leftwing President Daniel Ortega has tried to extinguish protests against his rule.

At least 320 people have been killed, according to rights groups.

Ortega has ordered police raids on the offices of an opposition newspaper and rights groups, and on Wednesday he expelled expert mission from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The United States in November imposed sanctions on Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, as well as his national security advisor.

Ortega first came to power in 1979 as a leader of the leftist Sandinista rebels that toppled the US-backed Somoza family dictatorship. After leaving office in 1990 he returned to power in 2007.
No-deal is Brexit default position, says Leadsom

A no deal Brexit is the default position, House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom has said.

MPs who want to block a no-deal Brexit will have to either vote for Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement or a replacement to do it, Leadsom has warned.

The Brexiteer warned politicians lining up to block efforts to take the UK out of the EU in March without an alternative no-deal was the legal default position.

Leadsom has previously spoke in support of a managed no-deal as a possible alternative to the PMs Withdrawal Agreement should it fail to pass the Commons in Januarys planned vote.

Three Tory MPs  Nick Boles, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston  have warned they would resign the whip if a no-deal Brexit ever became official Government policy, and Justice Secretary David Gauke has suggested he would quit the Government.

Mrs Leadsom, who publicly supports Theresa Mays Brexit deal, told the Sunday Telegraph: Parliament can always of course express a view, but in order to avoid a no-deal Brexit, Parliament does need to vote for a deal.

She told the Sunday Telegraph: The legal default position is that if there isnt a deal then the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 without a deal.

Writing in the same paper, Mr Boles spoke of how he left a hospital bed to vote for the triggering of Article 50.

Theresa May sits with members of her cabinet, including, from left, the defence secretary, Gavin Williamson; the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt; and the chancellor, Philip Hammond.

He said: I refuse to be bullied into accepting that crashing out of the EU with no deal would be an acceptable course for any British government to pursue.

Nor am I willing to swallow pie in the sky about how no-deal Brexit might be managed or mitigated, especially when it is peddled by people who spent most or all of the last two-and-a-half years in Cabinet failing to make any preparations for this eventuality.

Theresa Mays 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.

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However, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who supports the Best for Britain group backing a second referendum, insisted that MPs do have the power to stop a no-deal Brexit.

She said: Is this really where the Brexiters have ended up? The merchants of take back control have pivoted to you cant stop us from crashing the car.

This is a barking dog that will never bite. The reality is that Parliament can, and will, stop a no-deal Brexit. No politician worth their salt would allow such chaos and unnecessary harm.

In a sign of the widening splits in Tory thinking over no-deal, former chancellor George Osborne earlier warned that a no-deal Brexit could see the party stuck in opposition unless it abandoned the reckless decision of hard Brexiteers.

Earlier, Mr Osborne had launched a scathing attack on the Tories, warning that the party will not remain in power 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 Ministers 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.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  State and federal investigators are trying to find out who hung seven nooses in trees outside the Mississippi Capitol early Monday, a day before a U.S. Senate runoff that has focused attention on the state's history of racist violence.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety says the nooses were accompanied by handwritten signs referring to Tuesday's election as well as to lynchings  most of them in the state's turbulent past, but also one recent case that remains under investigation, of a black man whose body was found hanging in central Mississippi. The department posted photos of the signs on social media and sought information about them from the public.

One sign referred to the Tuesday runoff between appointed Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is white, and Democrat Mike Espy, who is black. The sign also read: "We need someone who respects the lives of lynch victims."

Another sign read: "We're hanging nooses to remind people that times haven't changed."

Hyde-Smith has drawn fire for a photo showing her wearing a replica hat of a Confederate soldier, and a video showing her praising a supporter by saying, "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." She said the hanging remark was an "exaggerated expression of regard" for the supporter, but the remarks drew sharp criticism in a state with a 38 percent black population. She apologized "to anyone that was offended."

Espy is trying to become the first African-American U.S. senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction.

Neither Espy nor a Hyde-Smith campaign spokeswoman would comment on the nooses.

Chuck McIntosh, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, which oversees the Capitol, said the nooses and signs were found starting shortly before 8 a.m. Monday outside the Capitol in downtown Jackson.

The matter is under investigation by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Mississippi Capitol Police and the U.S. attorney's office.

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"With our law enforcement partners, we are actively looking into these acts of hate and intimidation," U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said in a statement. "Let me be perfectly clear  there is absolutely no place in our state for these unacceptable symbols or tactics to intimidate others. If we find evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that a federal crime has occurred, these criminals will be swiftly prosecuted."

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who has an office in the Capitol, called the nooses and signs "reprehensible."

Mississippi has a history of racially motivated lynchings. The NAACP website says that between 1882 and 1968, there were 4,743 lynchings in the United States, and that nearly 73 percent of the victims were black. It says Mississippi had 581 lynching during that time, the highest number of any state.

Civil rights activists were also beaten and killed in Mississippi as they pushed for African-Americans' voting rights, particularly from the end of World War II until the 1960s.

____

Associated Press writer Jeff Amy contributed to this report.
Kuwait City (AFP) - Oil ministers from leading OPEC nations said Sunday they expect prices will arrest their recent slide and rebalance early next year, when a deal on new production cuts takes effect.

Oil prices have shed more than 36 percent since early October to trade at $54 (47 euros) per barrel, due to fears of oversupply and weak global demand.

But president of OPEC and UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said that the surplus in the oil market was small compared to 2017 and expected it to vanish in one or two months.

"Based on available figures, we have around 26 million barrels of surplus ... compared to 340 million barrels in early 2017," Mazrouei told a press conference in Kuwait City.

"I think that we can easily do with this surplus and reach market rebalance in one or two months... in the first quarter of next year," he said.

OPEC -- a cartel of producer countries that has long manipulated output of the commodity, to influence global prices in members' favour - and non-OPEC members agreed in early December to trim production by 1.2 million barrels a day from January 1, in a bid to shore up sagging prices.

Mazrouei said that there has been higher than anticipated supply on the market in recent months, as US sanctions on Iran have had a less pronounced effect on the country's oil exports than had been expected.

Iraq's Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadhban said that there is a consensus among OPEC and non-OPEC producers to comply with the new agreement to trim output in a bid to stabilise the market.

He said the new agreement is valid for six months and the ministers will meet in April to assess the impact of the cuts.

Ghadhban said he believes that the new measures taken by producers will "stop the slide in oil prices."

Mazrouei said that producers are ready to renew the agreement or increase cuts in case the market does not balance.

"If the production cuts of 1.2 million barrels a day is not enough, we will meet again to see what is enough and apply it," he said.

During their meeting next April, the producers are also expected to sign a long-term agreement to formalise cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members over oil output.

OPEC has lately been cooperating closely with Russia and other non-cartel producers, in a bid to impose greater control over global output and prices.
Ice and volcanic fire long ago sculpted Iceland into an otherworldly masterpiece, leaving behind a geological time capsule with all sorts of dramatic flourishes: Monstrous craters. Bright blue icebergs. Countless waterfalls. Even bubbling pits of earth spewing steam and sulfur.

This is why so many fantasy features have filmed here, including "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Its also a big reason tourism here has exploded. A record 2.2 million foreigners visited Iceland in 2017, up from 556,000 in 2011, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.

More: 9 tips for Americans traveling to Iceland

If you can't make the trip, we've put together a slideshow of Iceland's most stunning landscapes. Click through the gallery above for a virtual vacation.

More: Rick Steves: 10 ways Iceland can kill you

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Photo tour: The most beautiful places in Iceland
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis abruptly announced his resignation this week. The retired Marine Corps general said in his resignation letter that he was stepping down so President Trump could hire someone whose "views are better aligned with" his own. News of his departure came one day after Trump declared victory over the Islamic State and announced that the U.S. would withdraw troops in Syria. The decision was met with swift criticism, including from Republicans who called it a "grave error" and an "Obama-like mistake."

Other major headlines of the week included the Senate overwhelmingly passing a sweeping criminal justice bill, the death of "Laverne & Shirley" star Penny Marshall and the CBS board denying Leslie Moonves $120 million in severance pay.

Click through the slideshow above to see photos from all of these events and more, and be sure to check back next weekend for our selection of the best photography from the week.
Nepal Army chief Thapa to visit India on January 11

Chief of Army Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa will be leaving for India, his first international trip since taking charge of the Nepal Army, in the second week of January. He will be conferred the title of honorary general of the Indian Army. , Army spokesperson Brig Gen Gokul Bhandaree confirmed.
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump's anger at Mattis' resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy.

On Thursday, Mattis had abruptly said he was quitting, effective Feb. 28, after falling out with Trump over his foreign policy, including surprise decisions to withdraw all troops from Syria and start planning a drawdown in Afghanistan.

Trump has come under withering criticism from fellow Republicans and international allies in recent days over his moves to wind down U.S. involvement in Syria and Afghanistan, against the advice of his top aides and U.S. commanders.

RELATED: 19 memorable quotes from James 'Mad Dog' Mattis

The exit of Mattis, highly regarded by Republicans and Democrats alike, added to their concern over what they see as Trump's unpredictable, go-it-alone approach to global security.

In announcing his resignation, Mattis distributed a candid resignation letter addressed to Trump that laid bare the growing divide between them, and implicitly criticized Trump for failing to value America's closest allies, who fought alongside the United States in both conflicts. Mattis said that Trump deserved to have a defense secretary more aligned with his views.

Trump made his displeasure with Mattis clear on Saturday night by tweeting that he had been "ingloriously fired" by former President Barack Obama and he had given Mattis a second chance. Obama removed Mattis as head of U.S. Central Command in 2013.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan would take over for Mattis on an acting basis on Jan. 1. In a tweet, Trump called the former Boeing Co executive "very talented."

In his letter, Mattis had said he would step down at the end of February to allow for a successor to be confirmed and attend Congressional hearings and a key NATO meeting.

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A senior White House official said that Trump was irked by the attention given to Mattis' resignation letter.

"He just wants a smooth, more quick transition and felt that dragging it out for a couple of months is not good," the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The official said Trump was expected to pick a nominee for defense secretary over the next couple of weeks.

Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White said Mattis would work with Shanahan and Pentagon leadership to ensure the department "remains focused on the defense of the nation during this transition."

Shanahan, in his job as deputy defense secretary, has largely focused on internal Pentagon reform and issues like the creation of a Space Force, a project championed by Trump but which has met resistance from lawmakers and parts of the Pentagon.

A senior administration official told Reuters that Shanahan "has a deep-seated understanding of military operations, and global security affairs, and importantly, has the breadth of large-scale business management experience that will enable him to effectively oversee the Defense Department."

'SLOW' SYRIA PULLOUT

In a shock announcement on Wednesday, Trump said he was withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria, citing its cost both in terms of lives of U.S. military and financially. A day later, U.S. officials told Reuters the United States was planning on pulling about half of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Mattis, a retired Marine general whose embrace of NATO and America's traditional alliances often put him at odds with Trump, had advised against the Syria withdrawal - one of the factors in his resignation.

On Sunday, Trump said he had spoken with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan about a "slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal, suggesting that he might slow down the process after the barrage of criticism.

"We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, and the slow and highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area," Trump said in a tweet.

A U.S military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the withdrawal would be "safe, professional and deliberate" but was not aware of any new guidance from the White House.

A plan on the pullout is expected to be presented by commanders to the Pentagon some time this week, the official said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he deeply regretted Trump's Syria decision.

The plan has also prompted unusually sharp criticism of Trump from some of his fellow Republicans.

Senator Bob Corker, the influential Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was "saddened" by Trump's withdrawal decision.

"I think he knows he made a mistake," Corker, who is retiring, said on CNN. "The president's tendencies are to dig in and double-down if he knows he has done something that is probably incorrect." (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Steve Holland, additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Phil Stewart Editing by Mary Milliken, Phil Berlowitz and Rosalba O'Brien)
A whopping number of 13F filings filed with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been processed by Insider Monkey so that individual investors can look at the overall hedge fund sentiment towards the stocks included in their watchlists. These freshly-submitted public filings disclose money managers equity positions as of the end of the three-month period that ended September 30, so lets proceed with the discussion of the hedge fund sentiment on Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS).

Is Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS) a sound investment now? Investors who are in the know are reducing their bets on the stock. The number of long hedge fund positions retreated by 3 in recent months. Our calculations also showed that RBS isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds.

At the moment there are numerous indicators stock traders employ to grade publicly traded companies. Some of the less utilized indicators are hedge fund and insider trading moves. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top money managers can outperform their index-focused peers by a significant margin (see the details here).

CITADEL INVESTMENT GROUP

Let's take a gander at the recent hedge fund action encompassing Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS).

What does the smart money think about Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS)?

At the end of the third quarter, a total of 6 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of -33% from the previous quarter. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in RBS over the last 13 quarters. With the smart money's positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a few notable hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions).

No of Hedge Funds With RBS Positions

More specifically, Renaissance Technologies was the largest shareholder of Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS), with a stake worth $29 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing Renaissance Technologies was Weiss Asset Management, which amassed a stake valued at $1.3 million. Marshall Wace LLP, Two Sigma Advisors, and Citadel Investment Group were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios.

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Due to the fact that Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS) has experienced a decline in interest from the aggregate hedge fund industry, we can see that there is a sect of funds that elected to cut their entire stakes in the third quarter. At the top of the heap, Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital dropped the largest investment of all the hedgies watched by Insider Monkey, worth an estimated $0.5 million in stock, and Ken Fisher's Fisher Asset Management was right behind this move, as the fund cut about $0.2 million worth. These transactions are interesting, as aggregate hedge fund interest dropped by 3 funds in the third quarter.

Let's check out hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS) but similarly valued. These stocks are Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI), Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS), and Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS). This group of stocks' market valuations match RBS's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position KMI,50,1504171,10 WM,34,3428401,-2 BCS,11,584129,4 CS,13,126319,0 Average,27,1410755,3 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 27 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $1.41 billion. That figure was $32 million in RBS's case. Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) is the least popular one with only 11 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (NYSE:RBS) is even less popular than BCS. Considering that hedge funds aren't fond of this stock in relation to other companies analyzed in this article, it may be a good idea to analyze it in detail and understand why the smart money isn't behind this stock. This isn't necessarily bad news. Although it is possible that hedge funds may think the stock is overpriced and view the stock as a short candidate, they may not be very familiar with the bullish thesis. In either case more research is warranted.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

Related Content
At Insider Monkey we follow around 700 of the best-performing investors and even though many of them lost money in the last couple of months (70% of hedge funds lost money in October whereas S&P 500 ETF lost about 7%), the history teaches us that over the long-run they still manage to beat the market, which is why it can be profitable for us to imitate their activity. Of course, even the best money managers can sometimes get it wrong, but following some of their picks gives us a better chance to outperform the crowd than picking a random stock and this is where our research comes in.

SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) has seen an increase in enthusiasm from smart money lately. Our calculations also showed that sap isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds.

So, why do we pay attention to hedge fund sentiment before making any investment decisions? Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 18 percentage points since May 2014 through December 3, 2018 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter. Even if you aren't comfortable with shorting stocks, you should at least avoid initiating long positions in our short portfolio.

Jeffrey Talpins Element Capital

Let's analyze the new hedge fund action regarding SAP AG (NYSE:SAP).

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Hedge fund activity in SAP AG (NYSE:SAP)

At Q3's end, a total of 12 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, a change of 9% from one quarter earlier. On the other hand, there were a total of 8 hedge funds with a bullish position in SAP at the beginning of this year. With hedge funds' sentiment swirling, there exists a few key hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes significantly (or already accumulated large positions).

No of Hedge Funds with SAP Positions

Of the funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Fisher Asset Management, managed by Ken Fisher, holds the largest position in SAP AG (NYSE:SAP). Fisher Asset Management has a $831 million position in the stock, comprising 1% of its 13F portfolio. Coming in second is Soroban Capital Partners, led by Eric W. Mandelblatt and Gaurav Kapadia, holding a $585.4 million position; 8.9% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Some other hedge funds and institutional investors with similar optimism encompass Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital, D. E. Shaw's D E Shaw and Jeffrey Talpins's Element Capital Management.

As aggregate interest increased, key hedge funds were leading the bulls' herd. Marshall Wace LLP, managed by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace, created the most valuable position in SAP AG (NYSE:SAP). Marshall Wace LLP had $2.2 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Michael Platt and William Reeves's BlueCrest Capital Mgmt. also made a $0.8 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The only other fund with a brand new SAP position is Frederick DiSanto's Ancora Advisors.

Let's go over hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to SAP SE (NYSE:SAP). These stocks are PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), Unilever plc (NYSE:UL), Unilever N.V. (NYSE:UN), and DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE:DWDP). This group of stocks' market caps match SAP's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position PTR,14,170267,0 UL,14,137235,1 UN,14,1117559,0 DWDP,69,4551261,-6 Average,27.75,1494081,-1.25 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 27.75 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $1.49 billion. That figure was $1.66 billion in SAP's case. DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE:DWDP) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) is the least popular one with only 14 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks SAP SE (NYSE:SAP) is even less popular than PTR. 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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Belgrade (AFP) - Thousands of protesters marched in Serbia's capital Belgrade on Saturday for the third week in a row against what they say is a crackdown by the government of President Aleksandar Vucic on opposition parties and the media.

Some chanted "Vucic, thief" at the latest rally in the first significant opposition demonstrations since spring 2017, when thousands of young Belgraders protested for weeks against Vucic's presidential victory.

"People are silent because of fear, because the spoken word has become dangerous, you can lose your head as I almost lost mine," said journalist Milan Jovanovic.

His Belgrade house was burnt down earlier this month in a molotov cocktail attack that his lawyer says was related to the journalist's work revealing corruption.

"But Serbia has woken from its hibernation and decided not to be silent," Jovanovic said before the start of Saturday's march.

Between 35,000 and 40,000 people attended the protest, organisers said. The police did not immediately offer a crowd size estimate, but have challenged the 20,000 number given by organisers for the previous Saturday's protest.

Vucic, a hardline nationalist-turned-European, is accused by the opposition and civil society of having established autocratic rule and full control over media, using them to campaign against opponents.

"They can march as much they want, without violence," Vucic said on Saturday.

"But the people understand very well that after each demonstration me and my party are stronger."

The protests were first called by opposition parties after one of their leaders was beaten ahead of a political gathering in central Serbia last month.

The opposition Alliance for Serbia (SZS), an umbrella of parties from across the political spectrum, accused the attackers of being supporters of Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), a claim the authorities denied.

In its latest report on Serbia, the European Parliament "strongly" encouraged Serbian authorities" to "improve the situation regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the media".
By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) - A SpaceX rocket carrying a U.S. military navigation satellite blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Sunday, marking the space transportation company's first national security space mission for the United States.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying a roughly $500 million GPS satellite built by Lockheed Martin Corp lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 8:51 a.m. local time (1351 GMT). Four previous scheduled launches in the last week, including one on Saturday, were canceled due to weather and technical issues.

Related Video: New Generation of GPS Satellites Launching

The successful launch is a significant victory for billionaire Elon Musk's privately held rocket company, which has spent years trying to break into the lucrative market for military space launches dominated by Lockheed and Boeing Co .

SpaceX sued the U.S. Air Force in 2014 over the military's award of a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed. It dropped the lawsuit in 2015 after the Air Force agreed to open up competition.

The next year, SpaceX won an $83 million Air Force contract to launch the GPS III satellite, which will have a lifespan of 15 years.

The satellite is the first to launch out of 32 in production by Lockheed under contracts worth a combined $12.6 billion for the Air Force GPS III program, according to Lockheed spokesman Chip Eschenfelder.

The launch was originally scheduled for 2014 but has been hobbled by production delays, the Air Force said.

The next GPS III satellite is due to launch in mid-2019, Eschenfelder said, while subsequent satellites undergo testing in the company's Colorado processing facility.

(Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson and Gina Cherelus; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Daniel Wallis)
The delights of classic chicken pot pie are many_from the burnished, flaky crust to the luscious, savory filling.

But putting it together can be a chore: Between making pie dough (which often requires pulling out a food processor), poaching chicken in one pot and building a gravy in another, and then transferring the filling and crust to a pie plate to bake, this comfort food requires a major time commitment, not to mention a battery of pots and pans.

We wanted an easier way and found our trusty Dutch oven to be just the ticket to get us there using only one pot.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces, were easy to work with and stayed moist through cooking. While tasters liked the deeper flavor provided by browning the chicken, they weren't keen on the crusty, browned exterior on the pieces_it didn't jive with the luxurious, creamy filling.

Instead, we simply stirred bite-size pieces of chicken right into the gravy and turned to two powerhouse ingredients_tomato paste and soy sauce_to boost savoriness without being distinguishable in their own right.

To give our pot pie fresh spring flavor we swapped in leeks for onions and stirred in some fresh asparagus, peas, and tarragon after pulling the pot from the oven.

With our one-pot filling perfected, we turned to the crust. Instead of labor-intensive home-made pastry, we decided to use buttery store-bought puff pastry and wove it into a simple but stunning lattice. But no matter what we tried, baking the crust on top of the filling inevitably led to sorry, soggy results.

In the past we skirted this problem by baking the crust separately on a baking sheet, but we were hesitant to add more dishes to our recipe. We realized, however, that the lid of the Dutch oven could act as a stand-in baking sheet: We simply turned the lid upside down before covering the pot and baked the pastry on top. A simple egg wash turned the crust a deep golden. Once we slid the baked crust onto the filling, our simplified centerpiece was complete.

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To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. We prefer to place the baked pastry on top of the filling in the pot just before serving for an impressive presentation; however, you can also cut the pastry into wedges and place them over individual portions of the filling.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Servings: 6

Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes

1 (9 1/2-by-9 inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, and washed thoroughly

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon tomato paste

3 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 bay leaves

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on bias into 1 inch lengths

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or parsley

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice

Cut sheet of parchment paper to match outline of Dutch oven lid and place on large plate or upturned rimmed baking sheet. Roll puff pastry sheet into 15-by-11-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter. Using pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut pastry widthwise into ten 1 1/2 inch-wide strips.

Space 5 pastry strips parallel and evenly across -parchment circle. Fold back first, third, and fifth strips almost completely. Lay additional pastry strip perpendicular to second and fourth strips, keeping it snug to folded edges of pastry, then unfold strips. Repeat laying remaining 4 pastry strips evenly across parchment circle, alternating between folding back second and fourth strips and first, third, and fifth strips to create lattice pattern. Using pizza cutter, trim edges of pastry following outline of parchment circle. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing filling.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, garlic, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in cream, soy sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to simmer and cook until mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and return to simmer.

Off heat, cover pot with inverted lid and carefully place parchment with pastry on lid. Brush pastry with egg and sprinkle with salt. Transfer pot to oven and bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pot halfway through baking.

Remove pot from oven. Transfer parchment with pastry to wire rack; discard parchment. Remove lid and discard bay leaves. Stir asparagus into filling and cook over medium heat until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in peas and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Adjust filling consistency with extra hot broth as needed. Stir in tarragon and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set pastry on top of filling and serve.

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Nutrition information per serving: 631 calories; 308 calories from fat; 34 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 212 mg cholesterol; 768 mg sodium; 40 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 40 g protein.

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For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Chicken Pot Pie in "Cook It In Your Dutch Oven ."

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America's Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.
Nepali cancer patients forced to seek cure in Delhi as home hospital cant care

Fifty-four-year-old Durga Prasad Bhusal, a resident of Jagatpur, Chitwan, has been receiving treatment for urinary bladder cancer at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre in New Delhi for a year. Bharatpur Cancer Hospital in Nepal is just 14km from his homea half-an-hour bus ride.
Beirut (AFP) - Turkey on Saturday sent military reinforcements to northern Syria near an area controlled by Kurdish forces as Ankara threatens to carry out a fresh offensive to wipe them out, a war monitor said.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement on Wednesday of the withdrawal of American troops stationed in northeastern Syria alongside Kurdish fighters, a long-time enemy of Turkey.

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 dominated by the People's Protection Units (YPG).

But on Wednesday Trump said he was ordering a withdrawal of the estimated 2,000 US troops in Syria because IS had been defeated, an assessment rubbished by many.

"Around 35 tanks and other heavy weapons, carried aboard tank carriers, crossed the Jarablos border crossing in the early evening," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.

"They headed for an area near the Sajour River, between Jarablos and Minbej, not far from the front lines where Kurdish fighters of the Minbej Military Council are stationed," he added.

Turkey accuses the YPG of being a "terrorist offshoot" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday vowed to drive both the YPG and IS from Syria.

Ankara fears a Kurdish state could be established on its borders, which it believes could reinforce separatist ambitions of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.

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.

In the past two years Turkey has conducted two offensives into northern Syria. In 2016 it launched an operation against IS, which also aimed to block the YPG from joining up the territory it held in northern Syria.

And in January 2018 Turkey staged an offensive against the militia in its northwestern enclave of Afrin.
BEIRUT (AP)  Turkey is massing troops near a town in northern Syria held by a U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led force, a war monitor said as Turkish media reported Sunday new reinforcements crossing the borders.

The Turkish buildup comes even though Turkey said it would delay a promised offensive in eastern Syria in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision this week to withdraw U.S. troops.

Trump tweeted on Sunday that he had a "long and productive" call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed "the slow & highly coordinated" pullout of U.S. troops from the area. This is the two leaders' second phone conversation in 10 days. U.S. military officials are scrambling to come up with a schedule for the withdrawal of an estimated 2,000 troops.

A statement from the Turkish presidency said the two leaders agreed to coordinate militarily and diplomatically to ensure the U.S. pullout from Syria does not lead to an "authority vacuum."

Trump's decision, announced last week after a call with Erdogan, surprised his allies and own experts, sparking the resignation of two of his top aides. He had asked for an immediate withdrawal, but experts convinced him that they needed time to work out a timetable.

The Turkish IHA news agency reported that a convoy of Turkish troops  a commando unit  had been sent into Syria overnight.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the reinforcements were sent to the front line with Manbij, where U.S. troops have been based. The Observatory said 50 vehicles crossed into Syria  carrying troops and equipment.

A Turkish military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, said the military reinforcements were dispatched to the areas administered by Turkey in northern Syria, without elaborating.

The spokesman for the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council, Sharfan Darwish, said Turkish reinforcements have arrived in the area. "We are taking necessary measures to defend ourselves if we are attacked," he said without elaborating.

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U.S. troops based around Manbij patrolled the town and surrounding area on Sunday and were photographed speaking with the residents.

Turkey has welcomed Trump's decision. Ankara views the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces as an extension of the insurgency within its borders. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to dislodge the Kurdish fighters from along its border with Syria.

The U.S. has since 2014 partnered with the Syrian Kurdish militia to drive out the Islamic State group, a partnership that soured relations between Ankara and Washington.

Allaying some of Turkey's fears was a deal reached in June over Manbij. According to the deal, the Kurdish militia would withdraw from Manbij and U.S. and Turkish troops would patrol the area as a new administration for the mixed Arab-Kurdish town is elected.

But Ankara says the U.S. and the Kurds didn't live up to their end of the deal and that it would start an offensive in eastern Syria to drive out the militia. Turkey already has troops in northwestern Syria and has backed Syrian fighters there to clear towns and villages of IS militants and Kurdish fighters.

After Trump's decision, Erdogan said he would delay the eastern Syria offensive and would work on plans to clear out IS from the region.

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighting group said the continued Turkish and allied forces buildup is to prevent Syrian government troops from taking advantage of the tension in the area to seize territory.

Youssef Hammoud, spokesman for the Syrian opposition fighters, accused the Kurdish militia of reaching out to the Syrian government to replace U.S. troops if they withdraw.

Darwish dismissed the claims as "untrue," calling them "old accusations" from the rival Syrian groups.

Also Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he "deeply regrets" Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and warned it could have dangerous consequences.

Macron showered praise on U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit in the wake of Trump's unexpected move. "An ally should be reliable, coordinate with other allies. Mattis understood this," Macron said during a trip to Chad.

Macron said that the troop withdrawal endangers Kurdish fighters, who were instrumental in the U.S-led coalition's fight against IS militants.

"We should not forget ... what we owe to those who died on the ground fighting terrorism," he said, referring to the SDF. "The SDF is fighting against the terrorism that fomented attacks against Paris and elsewhere ... I call on everyone not to forget what they have done."

Macron did not say what France's military will do next in Syria. Kurdish officials met with a French presidential adviser Friday, and one asked France to play a larger role in Syria following the American withdrawal.

________

Bilginsoy reported from Istanbul. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Nearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their country after Turkey's two cross-border operations in northern Syria, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying on Saturday. Turkey has carried out two operations, dubbed "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch", against Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State 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 Islamic State 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 migrants from the Middle East and Africa taking the sea route to European Union territory in 2015. The influx of 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 Washington's decision to withdraw its troops in the area. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Ros Russell)
Two prominent Republican senators are presenting two diametrically opposed perspectives on President Trumps decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky appeared back to back on CNNs State of the Union With Jake Tapper on Sunday morning. Corker accused Trump of making a hasty decision that would endanger our allies, but Paul contended that U.S. military intervention overseas often foments terrorism and backfires.

Sen. Bob Corker, President Trump and Sen. Rand Paul. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP [2], Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Corker, who has distanced himself from Trump over the past year and is retiring from the Senate, said the U.S. military has been working with 60 coalition groups, including the Kurdish and Arab members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the fight against ISIS and other terrorists in Syria. He said ISIS is now mostly confined to the Euphrates River valley and that the United States and its allies are only a few months away from finishing something that we started and annihilat[ing] a large number of ISIS members.

Im just saddened for our country. Im saddened for the broken relationships with countries that have been with us. Im saddened for the many Kurds and others who will likely be killed and slaughtered by either the Syrians or the Turks. Im saddened for our country in being so unreliable, Corker said.

Corker, chairman of the Senates Committee on Foreign Relations, said he was devastated by James Mattiss decision to resign as defense secretary Thursday, a development he said was very important for our country. In his resignation letter, which was precipitated by Trumps sudden announcement of the pullout from Syria and a 50 percent reduction in U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Mattis made it clear that he disagrees with how the president is handling Americas relationships with allies and adversaries.

For some of these machinations we see coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania [Avenue], people realize they dont really matter, Corker said. This one matters. It matters to our country, our foreign interests. This matters to our citizens.

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U.S. soldiers gather for a briefing during a combined joint patrol rehearsal in Manbij, Syria, on Nov. 7. (Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino via AP)

Corker acknowledged that armed forces have been in Afghanistan for a long time and understands the frustration with continued U.S. presence there. But he said Syria is different and that the relatively small cost of keeping around 2,000 troops there justifies the effort to destroy ISIS and keep a check on Russia and Iran.

I have no understanding of why we did what we did in Syria. It totally boggles any sane thinking that could take place, he said. I dont understand it.

Paul, the next guest on State of the Union, offered a different view of Trumps decision. As he did in his 2016 presidential campaign, and has done in the Senate for years, Paul argued for avoiding unnecessary foreign entanglements and ending the seemingly perpetual military deployments overseas.

Im very proud of the president. This is exactly what he promised, and I think the people agree with him, Paul said. People believe that weve been at war too long and in too many places and that we do need to turn attention to problems we have at home here: roads, bridges, schools. We have a lot of problems in our country.

Tapper asked Paul if he is at all concerned that the Turkish defense minister has publicly threatened to attack Americas Kurdish allies as soon as the United States withdraws.

Even Gen. Mattis has sort of admitted that theres no military solution to Syria and that theres no military solution to Afghanistan. So, I think really its the opposite. I think the burden should be on Gen. Mattis and those who want to stay forever in every war theater around the world, Paul said.

Military officials have said a precipitous withdrawal of U.S. troops could result in a military catastrophe and that allies would think twice before joining us for future emergencies.

The president said when we went into Syria very clearly, Were going to defeat ISIS. That was our goal. Then all these people who believe in forever war changed the goal. They changed the goalposts. They changed the mission, and they started saying, Oh, were going to stay there until Iran and Russia leave. That means were staying forever, you know?

Smoke billows after bombings in the province of Deir Ezzor, near Hajin, eastern Syria, on Dec. 15. Kurdish-led forces seized the Islamic States main hub of Hajin on Dec. 14. (Photo: Delil Souleiman AFP/Getty Images)

Paul said Iran is not leaving unless the United States wants to start another war with Iran and that everyone involved needs to find a peaceful solution, which he acknowledged would be difficult. Nevertheless, he said that leaving U.S. troops in Syria is a trip wire to an even larger, expansive war.

He said that having Americans policing Muslim lands engenders more terrorism and that the United States should not be involved in nation-building.

Were not going to create a nation out of that chaos of Syria or Afghanistan. Were going to take care of things weve got here at home, Paul said. And I think the people are with him. Washingtons against [the president], but this wouldnt be the first time that Washington doesnt represent the people very well.

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Read more from Yahoo News:


By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's Treasury secretary called top U.S. bankers on Sunday amid an ongoing rout on Wall Street and made plans to convene a group of officials known as the "Plunge Protection Team."

U.S. stocks have fallen sharply in recent weeks on concerns over slowing economic growth, with the S&P 500 index <.SPX> on pace for its biggest percentage decline in December since the Great Depression.

"Today I convened individual calls with the CEOs of the nation's six largest banks," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Twitter shortly before financial markets were due to open in Asia.

U.S. equity index futures dropped late on Sunday as electronic trading resumed to kick off a holiday-shortened week. In early trading, the benchmark S&P 500's e-mini futures contract <ESv1> was off by about a quarter of a percent.

The Treasury said in a statement that Mnuchin talked with the chief executives of Bank of America <BAC.N>, Citi <C.N>, Goldman Sachs <GS.N>, JP Morgan Chase <JPM.N>, Morgan Stanley <MS.N> and Wells Fargo <WFC.N>.

"The CEOs confirmed that they have ample liquidity available for lending," the Treasury said.

Mnuchin "also confirmed that they have not experienced any clearance or margin issues and that the markets continue to function properly," the Treasury said.

Mnuchin's calls to the bankers came amid a partial government shutdown that began on Saturday following an impasse in Congress over Trump's demand for more funds for a wall on the border with Mexico. Financing for about a quarter of federal government programs expired at midnight on Friday and the shutdown could continue to Jan. 3.

The Treasury said Mnuchin will convene a call on Monday with the president's Working Group on Financial Markets, which includes Washington's main stewards of the U.S. financial system and is sometimes referred to as the "Plunge Protection Team."

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The group, which was also convened in 2009 during the latter stage of the financial crisis, includes officials from the Federal Reserve as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Wall Street is also closely following reports that Trump has privately discussed the possibility of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Mnuchin said on Saturday Trump told him he had "never suggested firing" Powell.

Trump has criticized the U.S. central bank for raising interest rates this year, which could further dampen economic growth. The Fed's independence is seen as a pillar of the U.S. financial system.

Mnuchin's calls come as a range of asset classes have suffered steep losses.

In December alone, the S&P 500 <.SPX> is down nearly 12.5 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> has slumped 13.6 percent. The Nasdaq is now in a bear market, having declined nearly 22 percent from its record high in late August, and the S&P is not far off that level.

Corporate credit markets have been under duress as well, and measures of the investment grade corporate bond market are poised for their worst yearly performance since the 2008 financial crisis.

The high-yield bond market, where companies with the weakest credit profiles raise capital, has not seen a deal all month. The last time that happened was in November 2008.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Additional reporting by Dan Burns; Editing by Dan Grebler and Rosalba O'Brien)
Shyrokyne (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukrainian soldiers busily dug trenches and stuffed rucksacks with emergency rations and ammunition after an unprecedented state of martial law came into force on Wednesday.

"It's better to dig a trench 10 metres long than two metres deep," a 22-year-old soldier, Timokha, joked -- referring to the depth of a grave.

The troops are positioned in the ruins of eastern Ukraine's flashpoint village of Shyrokyne around a kilometre from the frontline, facing regular gunfire from Russia-backed separatists in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Just 800 metres away is the Sea of Azov, shared between Russia and Ukraine. While trying to reach this strategic location, three Ukrainian navy ships were seized by Russian forces on Sunday in a clash that has sharply worsened relations.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has triggered martial law in 10 regions, including areas close to separatist-controlled territory and the Sea of Azov's coast.

"We've been digging since early morning, as soon as martial law began," Timokha said.

Poroshenko has warned that the country is now facing the threat of "full-scale war" with Russia, even if Russian President Vladimir Putin has played down the "small incident."

Though the region has been at war since 2014, for Timokha and his fellow soldiers, martial law means a major build-up in their operation.

"Under martial law, we're watching the enemy more closely, we've put up more observation posts," he said.

Troops were packing emergency rations and ammunition "so if something comes up, we can counter an attack by the enemy and move in various directions, not be tied to one place," said balaclava-clad Timokha.

Yet he was scathing about Poroshenko's move now, saying "they should have brought in martial law when Crimea happened," referring to Moscow's annexation in 2014.

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- 'Leave us in peace' -

Russian military showed themselves then, but now is just another spike in the hostilities," he said.

Behind him on the wall someone had scrawled "Glory to Ukraine" in felt-tip pen.

A 21-year-old machine-gunner nicknamed Trotsky stood inside a trench fortified with sandbags.

Since the clash at sea, the troops have begun to sense a new threat from the Sea of Azov, rather than the frontline, he said.

"It's like we're boxed in, like we're surrounded."

No civilians have lived in Shyrokyne since it was devastated by heavy fighting including tank battles in 2015.

Streets are strewn with burnt-out cars and children's toys. The soldiers have set up a field kitchen and washing area in the yard of a house, with machine gun ammunition hanging on the gate.

In Kiev-controlled Mariuopol, a strategic port town about 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the west, around 100 residents held a rally in support of Ukrainian sailors captured in the clash. Their boats had been heading for Mariuopol from Odessa.

"We can't stay silent when our sailors are held prisoner," said the organiser, Galyna Odnorog.

"We came to the protest to tell Putin: leave our country in peace."

The town's border guards were all out on patrol in the Sea of Azov, only returning to refuel and grab food.

Otherwise, the town seemed to be working normally and the Kiev-backed authorities in the region say they have not introduced any changes such as curfews or shutting checkpoints because of martial law.

A Ukrainian soldier stationed at Mariupol's commercial port, Sergiy, 26, said simply: "Nothing has changed for us with the introduction of martial law. We're already into our fifth year of war."
WASHINGTON (AP)  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 Defense 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.

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"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 Defense whose views are better aligned with yours."

The withdrawal 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.

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.'"

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.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats said Friday that his agency has not found any evidence of any direct interference in the midterm elections.

Coats said he has submitted a required report to President Donald Trump that says the intelligence community has not uncovered any compromise of election infrastructure that would have disrupted balloting or changed results.

Coats said the intelligence community did find a continuation of previously disclosed "influence activities" and "messaging campaigns" by countries such as Russia, China and Iran ahead of the election.

He said in a statement issued Friday that the intelligence community did not assess whether those activities affected the outcome of the 2018 election.

The report, not publicly released, was submitted to Trump and is being reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.

An executive order signed earlier this year requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report assessing foreign interference in U.S. elections within 45 days after the conclusion of the election.

Trump has faced criticism for not doing enough to respond to Russian election interference in 2016, but his administration has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia, Russian entities and individuals over their roles in the election meddling.

While this report does not find interference, it could increase pressure on Trump to prevent foreign influence campaigns ahead of elections scheduled for 2020.
A volcano-triggered tsunami has left at least 222 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said Sunday, voicing fears that the toll would rise further.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) on Saturday after a volcano known as the "child" of Krakatoa erupted, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Dramatic video posted on social media showed a wall of water suddenly crashing into a concert by pop group "Seventeen" -- hurling band members off the stage and then flooding into the audience.

In a tearful Instagram post, frontman Riefian Fajarsyah said the band's bassist and road manager had been killed and his wife was missing.

Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 222 people confirmed dead, 843 people injured and 28 missing, Nugroho said.

Tsunamis triggered by volcanic eruptions are relatively rare, caused by the sudden displacement of water or "slope failure," according to the International Tsunami Information Centre.

Unlike those caused by earthquakes, which trigger alert systems, these tsunamis give authorities very little time to warn residents of the impending threat.

The destructive wave left a trail of uprooted trees and debris strewn across beaches. A tangled mess of corrugated steel roofing, timber and rubble was dragged inland at Carita beach, a popular spot for day-trippers on the west coast of Java.

Photographer Oystein Andersen described how he was caught up in the disaster while on the beach taking photos of Anak Krakatoa.

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m inland," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"(The) next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it."

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the "powerful waves" reached a height of 30-90 centimetres (1-3 feet).

Story continues

Asep Perangkat said he was with his family when the wave surged through Carita, carving a swath of destruction, dragging cars and shipping containers.

"Buildings on the edge of the beach were destroyed. Trees and electric poles fell to the ground," he told AFP.

In Lampung province, on the other side of the strait, Lutfi Al Rasyid fled the beach in Kalianda city, fearing for his life.

"I could not start my motorbike so I left it and I ran... I just prayed and ran as far as I could," the 23-year-old told AFP.

Kathy Mueller from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the toll was likely to rise as the conditions on the ground became clearer.

"The situation, and the death toll, will remain fluid over the next days and even weeks," she told AFP.

Aid workers were helping to evacuate the injured and bring in clean water and tarpaulins to provide shelter, she added, saying the group was preparing for the possibility of diseases breaking out in the tsunami zone.

US President Donald Trump was among world leaders to offer messages of support after the "unthinkable devastation" of Saturday's tsunami.

"We are praying for recovery and healing," he tweeted. "America is with you!"

The UN and European Union both pledged to mobilise humanitarian support if requested by Jakarta.

"The United Nations stands ready to support the ongoing government-led rescue and relief efforts," a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

- 'An initial error' -

Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive eruption in 1883 killed at least 36,000 people and affected global weather patterns for years.

"The cause of the undersea landslide was due to volcanic activity of Anak Krakatoa, which coincided with a high tide due to the full moon," Nugroho told reporters in Yogyakarta.

Professor David Rothery from The Open University said that the proximity of the volcano to the coast gave authorities very little time to act.

"This is so close to the affected shorelines that warning time would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel," he said.

Indonesian authorities initially said the wave was not a tsunami, but instead a tidal surge and urged the public not to panic.

Nugroho later apologised, saying because there was no earthquake it had been difficult to ascertain the cause of the incident early on.

"If there is an initial error we're sorry," he wrote on Twitter.

Large numbers of casualties were recorded at two hotels in Pandeglang district, Nugroho said, without elaborating.

Eleven people died further north in Serang, while 48 were killed in South Lampung, on Sumatra island.

Heavy equipment was being transported to badly hit areas to help search for victims, and evacuation posts and public kitchens were being set up for evacuees, Nugroho added.

According to Indonesia's geological agency, Anak Krakatoa had been showing signs of heightened activity for days, spewing plumes of ash thousands of metres into the air.

Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.

Most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island a quake and tsunami in September killed thousands of people.

On December 26, 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the Sumatra coast in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

burs/aph/rma/gle/bbk
Total U.S. oil production around 2025 will almost equal the combined production of Russia and Saudi Arabia, Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency on Friday.

The huge growth in U.S. shale production will completely change the balance of oil markets, Birol told the news agency.

The IEAs Oil 2018 report from earlier this year sees the United States dominating the global oil supply growth over the next five years.

OPEC capacity will grow only modestly by 2023, while most of the growth will come from non-OPEC countries, led by the United States, which is becoming ever more dominant in the global oil market, the IEA said.

Driven by light tight oil, U.S. production is seen growing by 3.7 million bpd by 2023, more than half of the total global production capacity growth of 6.4 million bpd expected by then. Total liquids production in the United Statesincluding conventional oil, shale, and natural gas liquidswill reach nearly 17 million bpd by 2023, easily making it the top global producer, and nearly matching the level of its domestic products demand, the IEA said in March this year.

The United States is set to put its stamp on global oil markets for the next five years, Birol said back then.

The U.S. is currently pumping oil at record levels of more than 11 million bpd, while Russia and Saudi Arabiawhich also hit record highs in October and November, respectivelywill curtail 230,000 bpd and 322,000 bpd of their production in the first six months of 2019, respectively.

In its December Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. crude oil production to have averaged 11.5 million bpd in November, up by 150,000 bpd from October, thanks to platforms resuming normal operations after hurricane-related outages in October. The EIA sees U.S. crude oil production averaging 10.9 million bpd this year, jumping from 9.4 million bpd in 2017. The forecast for next years U.S. crude oil production currently stands at 12.1 million bpd.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Police in Nigeria are investigating the murder of three Chinese people whose burnt bodies were found in Lagos over a week ago.

According to the official radio station of Zhejiang province, the three Chinese victims were employees at a furniture factory in Nigerias largest city owned by a businessman from Ruian city and they were killed in a cruel manner on December 15.

The three people went missing after dinner and their bodies were found the next day, the factory owner, surnamed He, told the station.

Two of the victims, surnamed Zhang and Hong, came from Zhejiang province while the third, named Sun, was from Shandong.

The Chinese consulate-general said on Saturday that the circumstances of the case were complicated without providing further elaboration.

It took [local police] hours to find them, their bodies were badly burned. The way they were treated was extremely cruel, the factory owner told the radio station.

Chinese diplomats have urged local authorities to step up the investigation, said the consulate-generals statement.

China has close political and trade ties with Nigeria, with roughly one-third of its foreign direct investment coming from China in 2016.

According to Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Zhou Pingjian, there are about 40,000 to 50,000 Chinese people in the African country, mostly Chinese workers and businessmen as well as people of Chinese descent.

This article Burnt bodies of three Chinese factory workers found in Nigeria first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
Tribhuvan International Airport runway extension project gets go-ahead

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has decided to sign a contract to lengthen the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) with a Nepali joint venture Kalika-Tundi, following legal advice to go for it.
China's legislature is considering a new law governing foreign investment that will streamline existing rules and prevent the forced transfer of technology, state media reported Sunday. The new "unified law" will replace three existing laws on Chinese and foreign equity joint ventures, non-equity joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises, the official Xinhua news agency reported. A draft of the proposed legislation was presented at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) which began Sunday. When in place, the new law would bar local governments from restricting market access for foreign firms and from forcing them to transfer technology. This will ensure foreign investors would enjoy the same privileges as Chinese companies in most sectors except those excluded on a "negative list". US and EU officials have long complained of a lack of fair access for foreign companies in China, as well as rampant theft of intellectual property. "In order to further expand opening up, actively promote foreign investment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investment, and promote the formation of a new pattern of comprehensive opening, the State Council has proposed a bill," the Standing Committee said is a statement about the meeting posted on the NPC website. The moves signal China's increased support for the economy as a bruising trade war with the US has stymied growth. Top policymakers on Friday pledged support with tax cuts and other policy measures including further opening the economy and better protection of intellectual property rights. Economic data has shown China's economy slowing this autumn, with Chinese consumer spending growing at its slowest pace in 15 years during November and factories easing up on production. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump agreed to a 90-day tariff truce this month, as the two sides try to find a more permanent solution to the trade dispute. Senior officials from both countries had a phone conversation on Friday and "made new progress" on several issues including trade balance and strengthening intellectual property protection, China's commerce ministry said in a statement Sunday. The meetings of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a powerful body of lawmakers headed by top legislator Li Zhanshu, run until Saturday.
China has issued a new travel alert warning its citizens about the risks of visiting Sweden, the second such statement in three months, as it continues its diplomatic dispute with Stockholm.

The two sides have been at loggerheads over human rights, but the initial flashpoint was an incident in early September when a group of Chinese tourists claimed they had been mistreated by the Swedish police  an incident that generated fierce nationalist backlash.

The latest travel advisory published on Saturday by the Chinese embassy in Stockholm and Foreign Ministry said there had been over 40 incidents  including thefts and robbery  involving Chinese tourists over the past three months.

It also said that it had not been given any information by the Swedish police about how the investigations were progressing.

The Swedish government has yet to respond to a request for comment.

The first travel warning was issued on September 23 and expired on December 22, but it has been renewed and extended until March 22 because of the security situation in Sweden.

Relations between the two sides deteriorated after a group of Chinese tourists were removed from a Swedish hotel by police on September 2.

They had arrived at night, a day before their reservation began, and refused to leave the lobby when asked to do so.

The trio later accused both the hotel and the police who removed them of mistreating them  a claim that won the support of the government in Beijing and Chinas ambassador to Sweden, who described their handling as brutal and demanded an apology in a series of fiery comments.

The dispute took a turn for the worse when a local Swedish broadcaster SVT aired a segment in a comedy show, poking fun at the incident.

While Swedish government defended the television programme as an act of freedom of expression, the incident ignited an online furore in China, prompting calls among social media users for boycotts of Swedish brands, such as Ikea and H&M, and Sweden itself.

Story continues

Relations between the two countries had already been frayed by a visit to Sweden by the Dalai Lama and Beijings continuing detention of the Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen.

Bjorn Jerden, head of the Asia Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, said the Chinese embassy appeared to have returned to its old ways after lying low for a few weeks.

He said it was hard to say exactly whats going on behind the scenes, but noted that the embassy had issued a slew of angry interviews and attacks on critical press reports in September and October, before apparently changing tactics and falling silent.

However, last week it renewed its attacks on the media after news outlets criticised Telia, a partially state-owned telecoms firm for including the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in its TV packages.

Its hard for them since the media is just becoming more critical toward China, said Jerden, adding that the trend was likely to continue in light of the increasing international criticism of China over issues such as the Xinjiang detention camps.

Jerker Hellstrom head of Asia & Middle East Programme at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, said the Swedish police had refused to apologise to the three tourists involved in Septembers incident, adding: It seems as if the embassy remains disappointed with the fact that its requests werent met.

Last month Swedens King Carl Gustaf cancelled a visit to mainland China and Hong Kong amid a diplomatic impasse over Guis fate.

The kings last-minute cancellation was believed to be a move to exert pressure on the Chinese government over the release of the detained publisher as negotiations over Gui had entered a critical moment, according to the Swedish broadcaster SVT.

However, the royal court later said he was needed at home to assist talks on forming a new government after Septembers election.

Gui, 54, who published books on the personal lives of Communist Party leaders, was one of five booksellers who disappeared in 2015.

Gui was believed to have been kidnapped in Thailand and then turned up in police custody in China. He was released in October last year after serving a sentence for a traffic offence in 2003 but then vanished into Chinese custody again in January in murky circumstances.

This article China renews warning against travelling to Sweden amid ongoing diplomatic row first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
The head of the United Nations team tasked with monitoring a fragile ceasefire arrived in Yemen's embattled port city of Hodeida on Sunday, a UN source said. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint committee including members of the government and the Huthi rebels, in charge of monitoring a truce in the vital Red Sea city and its surroundings. Cammaert arrived in Hodeida from the rebel-held capital Sanaa after meeting with government officials in Aden. He is expected on Monday to tour Hodeida's lifeline port, which serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen, before starting meetings with the committee on Wednesday. Yemen's warring sides agreed on a ceasefire to halt a devastating offensive by government forces and an allied Saudi-led coalition against rebel-held Hodeida at peace talks in Sweden this month. The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to Hodeida to monitor the truce that came into effect on Tuesday. In Sanaa, Cammaert was met by the head of the Huthi delegation, Ali al-Mushki, as he arrived there earlier on Sunday. The visit to the rebel bastion came after the UN lead monitor urged Yemeni leaders and the Saudi-led coalition to uphold the ceasefire at talks in Aden on Saturday. Cammaert also sought government loyalists' "commitment and cooperation to secure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid", the UN said, adding that he was conveying "similar messages" to the Huthis in Sanaa. - UN to secure port - Both the government and the rebels have backed Friday's UN resolution to deploy observers to Hodeida. Rebel negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam said it marked "an important step towards stopping the aggression and lifting the blockade". He was referring to the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in 2015 and imposed a blockade on Yemeni waters and airports. The internationally-recognised government, in turn, reaffirmed in a statement its "commitment (to respect) the agreement" reached in Sweden and endorsed by the UN resolution. The halt to fighting in the strategic port city follows intense diplomatic efforts led by the UN which culminated in the truce agreed at the peace talks in Sweden. The ceasefire has remained shaky, however, with both sides accusing each other of violations in Hodeida province. The UN monitoring team aims to secure the functioning of Hodeida port and supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city. 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. Around 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led intervention began, 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.
An archaeologist inspects the remains of a horse skeleton in the Pompeii archaeological site, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. A tall horse, well-groomed with the saddle and the richly decorated bronze trimmings, believed to have belonged to an high rank military magistrate has been recently discovered, Professor Massimo Osanna, director of the Pompeii archeological site said to the Italian news agency ANSA. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP)

Archaeologists have unearthed the petrified remains of a harnessed horse and saddle in the stable of an ancient villa in a Pompeii suburb.

Pompeii archaeological park head Massimo Osanna told Italian news agency ANSA that the villa belonged to a high-ranking military officer, perhaps a general, during ancient Roman times.

Osanna was quoted on Sunday as saying the remains of two or three other horses were also discovered.

The villa's terraces had views of the Bay of Naples and Capri island. The area was previously excavated, during the early 1900s, but later re-buried.

The volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed flourishing Pompeii, near present-day Naples, in 79 A.D.

Osanna says suffocating volcanic ash or boiling vapors killed the horses. He hopes the villa eventually will be open for public visits.

An archaeologist inspects the remains of a horse skeleton in the Pompeii archaeological site, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. A tall horse, well-groomed with the saddle and the richly decorated bronze trimmings, believed to have belonged to an high rank military magistrate has been recently discovered, Professor Massimo Osanna, director of the Pompeii archeological site said to the Italian news agency ANSA. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP)

An archaeologist inspects the remains of a horse skeleton in the Pompeii archaeological site, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. A tall horse, well-groomed with the saddle and the richly decorated bronze trimmings, believed to have belonged to an high rank military magistrate has been recently discovered, Professor Massimo Osanna, director of the Pompeii archeological site said to the Italian news agency ANSA. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP)

Explore further Dig at Italy's Pompeii volcanic site yields 5 skeletons

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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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.

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Frances data protection agency had fined the ride-sharing company Uber with 400,000 euros ($455,000) over a 2016 data breach.

The data breach suffered by Uber in 2016 exposed the personal data of some 57 million clients and drivers worldwide.

In November 2017, the Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced that hackers broke into the company database and accessed the personal data (names, email addresses and cellphone numbers) of 57 million of its users, the disconcerting revelation was that the company covered up the hack for more than a year.

The attackers accessed also the names and drivers license numbers of roughly 600,000 of its drivers in the United States.

The hack happened in 2016, it was easy for hackers that according to a report published by Bloomberg, obtained credentials from a private GitHub site used by the company development team. The hackers tried to blackmail Uber and demanded $100,000 from the company in exchange for avoiding publish the stolen data.

Rather than to notify the data breach to customers and law enforcement as is required by Californias data security breach notification law, the chief of information security Joe Sullivan ordered to pay the ransom and to cover the story destroying any evidence. The payout was disguised as a bug bounty prize complete with non-disclosure agreements signed.

According to the French Data Protection Authority, the company failed to adopt elementary security measures.

In September, Uber agreed to pay $148 million settlement with US States and the District of Columbia.

In November, British (385,000 pounds) and Dutch (600k euro fine ) data protection regulators fined the company with $1,170,892 for the 2016 data breach.

Uber was informed about the breach by the hackers themselves, and the firm paid them $100,000 to keep quiet about their exploit and destroy the data.

After the incident and in the following years we made several technical improvements to our security, said an Uber spokeswoman.

We have also made important changes to our management to insure transparency with regulatory authorities and clients, she added.

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  hacking, 2016 data breach)

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Now 32 years old, Sho Ueda remembers the thrill he felt as a nine-year-old when his father bought him his first model from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series. With massive red-and-white shoulder protectors, powerful robotic legs and headgear reminiscent of a samurai warriors helmet, Ueda says he was hooked after building his first Burning Gundam model.

A confessed otaku, or geek, with an abiding passion for animated science-fiction series, Ueda estimates he has now built about 50 models from the series and keeps many of them on a shelf in his bedroom.

I like the television programmes, but I also find making models like these very relaxing, almost therapeutic, and I feel satisfied when I complete one, he said. It helps that they are already painted so theyre not difficult to put together, which was a big plus when I was much younger, but they are also very high quality, so they always go together well.

Uedas latest purchase is a model of the sword wielding Gerugugu robot warrior from the series, although he hasnt started putting it together yet. And just like his first model, the Gerugugu kit has the logo of Bandai, the largest toymaker in Japan, on the box. Ueda says he has tried other brands, but they are never quite as good.

Nearly 70 years after Bandai was founded, Yumiko Taguchi, a spokeswoman for the Tokyo-based company says the founder would be pleased to hear that the ethos he wanted to instil in his fledgling firm remains in place today.

Naoharu Yamashina originally named his company Bandai-ya, from the ancient phrase bandai fueki, which means eternally unchanging and incorporates the aspiration to always create products that satisfy the souls of people of every age, she says.

Yamashina wanted to bring joy to children who were growing up in the difficult times immediately after the war, which is why he started a toy business, and the principles that he insisted upon then remain at the heart of the company to this day, she says.

Story continues

The eldest son of a rice retailer in the city of Kanazawa, Yamashina graduated from a business high school before serving in the second world war, during which he lost the sight in his right eye when he was injured by shrapnel from a hand grenade.

After the end of the war, 29-year-old Yamashina was working for his brother-in-laws textile wholesale company, an area that was struggling in the austere period shortly after Japans defeat. Casting around for an alternative way of making money, he realised that children had few toys to play with and that little effort was being made to fill this apparent gap in the market.

Despite the risk  people had little money and food would always be the priority, with toys something of a luxury  he convinced his brother-in-law to turn over part of his factorys production processes to toys and put him in charge.

Over the next three years, he kept a careful eye on the market, assessed the toys that children wanted, and devised ways to manufacture them in sufficient quantities to meet demand, keep costs down and make the toys affordable.

In 1950, Yamashina started his new company  which at the outset had six employees  and named it Bandai-ya, which was abbreviated in 1961 to Bandai.

Bandais first original toy was a beach ball with a bell inside that was named the Rhythm Ball, although early versions suffered from quality problems. The companys earliest metal toy was a model of an American B-26 bomber, which had been deployed against Japan during the war.

After rectifying the initial problems with the Rhythm Ball, by the mid-1950s Bandai-ya was exporting inexpensive metal cars, aircraft and other simple toys to the US and other overseas markets  in the vanguard of the Japanese-made products that were about to arrive in the US.

At home, austerity was beginning to fade and people had money in their pockets for little luxuries once again, so Bandai began to focus on the domestic market.

The company underlined its commitment to products that could stand up to rough handling by kids, by introducing a quality-control system in 1950 and covering its toys with a warranty  the first example being a metal replica of the first-generation Toyota Crown.

Expansion through the 1950s also saw the introduction of a research and development division, and a dedicated in-house transport department.

Continued growth  in terms of the products released and the companys reputation  enabled it to invest in its first television advert in 1958, under the slogan The Red Box means a BC-guaranteed toy, while a range of metal cars from around the world the following year boosted its international outlook and reach.

A representative office opened in New York in 1963, and the firms racing car set was an immediate and huge commercial success.

The release in 1963 of the first Astro Boy toy, based on the character from the popular manga and anime series, heralded a new business opportunity for the company of collaborations with television companies. Over the following decades, Bandai manufactured toys with ties to the Kamen Rider TV character, the Space Battleship Yamato programme, Ultraman, the Power Rangers and the Gundam series.

Yamashina wanted to bring joy to children who were growing up in the difficult times immediately after the war, which is why he started a toy business

Yumiko Taguchi, Bandai spokeswoman

We went through the biggest growth phase in late 1971, in large part due to the release of the Kamen Rider Belt toy, and again in July 1980 with the release of the Gundam model figures, Taguchi says.

Domestic expansion continued with alliances with foreign toymakers, notably Tonka of the US, and the creation of a number of specialist subsidiaries such as Bandai Models and Popy, which focused on manufacturing character toys. Bandai America began operations in 1978 as the local sales and marketing operation.

Yamashina handed over the presidency of the company to his son, Makoto, in May 1980 and took up the post of chairman of the board. He surrendered that title to become an adviser to the board in 1987, three years after he had donated US$3.3 million to set up the Japan toy Library Foundation, which provides toys to handicapped children.

The arrival of a new generation at the helm led to some significant changes, including a policy of hiring young staff with new ideas, while the new management also did away with the traditional supply system of using intermediaries to instead deal directly with retailers.

By the start of the 1980s, the Japanese economic boom was in full swing and Bandai  under the new corporate slogan Dreams and Creation  branched out into the apparel market, lifestyle goods and card games, as well as video games.

By the middle of the decade, Bandai had cemented its position as Japans largest toy company, enhancing that reputation with the launch of such globally recognisable launches as 1996s Tamagotchi  which sold 40 million units around the world and was so popular that production could not keep up with demand. An enhanced version, released in 2004, was also popular.

Even though he had largely relinquished control of the company, Yamashina was reportedly heartbroken to see the organisation he had created on the verge of being swallowed up in a proposed merger in January 1997 with Sega Enterprises, the video game manufacturer.

Middle managers throughout the company were similarly aghast at the suggestion and internal opposition forced Makoto to call off the deal and step down as president. The following month, his father collapsed from a stroke at a ranch in Hokkaido, where he often spent the summer. He died in October that year at the age of 79.

The company finally merged in 2005 with Namco, which develops video games and operates amusement facilities across Japan, with Bandai now a part of Bandai Namco Holdings.

The brand continued to diversify with the launch of the Premium Bandai internet shopping site in 2009, the opening of the Gundam Cafe in Tokyos Akihabara district, and more alliances with television series, such as the release in 2014 of a range of watches linked to the Yo-kai Watch series.

Today, the company has units in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Taiwan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia, three European units, in Britain, France and Spain, as well as divisions in the US and Mexico.

In April 2018, the company announced a new midterm vision  titled Break out of the box! Wow the world!  under which it plans to launch intellectual properties (IPs) worldwide, acquiring, creating, nurturing and strengthening local IPs, developing original products and accelerating the localisation process. In tandem with that expansion, the company says it plans to expand its reach through the internet and other e-commerce strategies.

A key part of that expansion will be in China, the company confirmed, in a full-scale entry into the largest market in Asia. Given that 85 per cent of Bandais toys are now manufactured in China and a supply chain is already firmly established, it seems likely that the company is about to embark on another major round of expansion.

This article From Astro Boy to Gundam to Ultraman, how Bandai became Japans top toy company first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
The death toll from a double car-bomb attack near the presidential palace in Somalia rose to 20 on Sunday, police said. Police on Saturday had said seven people were killed following the two blasts in Mogadishu, which were claimed by the jihadist Shabaab group. "The number of victims who were killed in the blasts increased to 20 and more than 40 others have been wounded," said a Somali police official, Ibrahim Mohamed. He said the toll had risen after some of those wounded on Saturday died in hospital. Both civilians and members from the security forces were among the casualties, the official said. Somalia's London-based Universal TV said on Saturday that three of its staff were among the fatalities, naming one as Somali and British dual national Awil Dahir. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemned the "cowardly attacks". "We will continue defeating terrorists in order to lead the Somali people to stability and prosperity," he said in a statement. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire visited the wounded in hospital. The first explosion happened at a checkpoint outside the national theatre, some 500 metres (yards) from the palace on Saturday morning. The second blast, more powerful according to witnesses, came minutes later at a nearby crossroads. Mohamed Abdullahi, a senior local official who was slightly wounded in the first blast, said members of his security team were among the dead. "Seven of my security escort and a driver were among those killed in the blast, but such attacks will encourage our efforts to redouble the war against terrorists", he said in a statement. A Shabaab statement on Saturday said the Islamist group's "martyrdom operation" had targeted "a security checkpoint that used to protect the presidential palace." The group was largely driven out of the capital in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities. The group has vowed to topple the internationally-backed government. The worst carnage to date in Somalia occurred on October 14 last year when 512 people were killed in Hodan, a busy commercial district in the capital.
BERLIN (AP) -- The Latest on developments in and related to Syria (all times local):

2:25 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the United States decided to its withdraw troops from Syria after he reassured U.S. President Donald Trump that Turkey could eradicate the remnants of Islamic State group from the country with just logistical help from Washington.

Addressing a business meeting in Istanbul Friday, Erdogan said Turkey would work on plans to conduct operations to eliminate both IS and Syrian Kurdish militants from the region.

"We will be working on our operational plans to eliminate IS elements, which are said to remain intact in Syria, in line with our conversation with President Trump."

"We will adopt an operational style geared toward eliminating (Kurdish militia) and (IS) remnants," he added.

Erdogan welcomed Trump's troop withdrawal decision, calling it "the clearest and most encouraging statement" from Washington. He said however, that Turkey remained cautious citing "negative experiences of the past."

___

2:10 p.m.

A senior Kurdish politician has called on France to play a stronger role in Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.

Ilham Ahmed also says 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 U.S. military withdrawal from Syria as well as Turkey's threats to launch a military operation against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Ahmed said the Kurds may have to withdraw from the front lines with the Islamic State group in eastern Syria to deploy along the Turkish border following Turkish threats.

President Donald Trump's abrupt call on U.S. troops to leave Syria has left America's only allies in the country in the lurch

___

1:35 p.m.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says his country welcomes the decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Story continues

Cavusoglu spoke Friday during a visit to Malta in comments that were broadcast on Turkish television. His comments were the first official reaction to the U.S. decision to pull troops out.

The minister spoke of a need to coordinate the withdrawal with the United States and said all countries need to be vigilant toward the remnants of the Islamic State group.

He also warned that the withdrawal should not create a vacuum that could be filled by terrorist groups.

Cavusoglu said the international community needs to focus on a "political process" for the future of Syria.

___

1:15 p.m.

The German government says it wasn't consulted by Washington before the United States announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

Government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told reporters in Berlin on Friday that Berlin would have appreciated prior consultations.

Demmer said the U.S. decision could affect the dynamics of the conflict, adding that "much remains to be done" for a final victory over the Islamic State group.

She said the United States is an "important ally" but declined to say whether Germany considers it a "reliable" one, too.

German Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said the decision has no immediate impact on Germany's aerial surveillance missions over Syria.
2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #51

Posted on 23 December 2018 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Video of the Week... Reports of Note... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week...

Story of the Week...

The Green New Deal, explained

An insurgent movement is pushing Democrats to back an ambitious climate change solution.

Photo Credit: Sunrise Movement Facebook Page

If the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to be believed, humanity has just over a decade to get carbon emissions under control before catastrophic climate change impacts become unavoidable.

The Republican Party generally ignores or denies that problem. But the Democratic Party claims to accept and understand it.

It is odd, then, that Democrats do not have a plan to address climate change.

Their last big plan  the American Clean Energy and Security Act  passed the House in 2009 but went on to die an unceremonious death before reaching the Senate floor. Since then, theres been nothing to replace it.

Plenty of Democratic politicians support policies that would reduce climate pollution  renewable energy tax credits, fuel economy standards, and the like  but those policies do not add up to a comprehensive solution, certainly nothing like what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests is necessary.

Young activists, who will be forced to live with the ravages of climate change, find this upsetting. So they have proposed a plan of their own. Its called the Green New Deal (GND)  a term purposefully reminiscent of Franklin Delano Roosevelts original New Deal in the 1930s  and it has become the talk of the town. Here are Google searches from the past few months:

The Green New Deal, explained by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 21, 2018

Toon of the Week...

Hat tip to the Stop Climate Science Denial Facebook page.

Graphic of the Week...

Image Credit: NOAA Climate.gov / Fiona Martin

Alternate Version: Sierra Nevada snowpack infographic (large)

Warming winters and dwindling Sierra Nevada snowpack will squeeze water resources in parts of California by Michon Scott, NOAA's Climate.gov, Dec 19, 2018

Video of the Week...

Reports of Note...

The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO play an important role in monitoring, analysing and communicating observed changes in Australia's climate.

This fifth, biennial State of the Climate report draws on the latest monitoring, science and projection information to describe variability and changes in Australias climate. Observations and climate modelling paint a consistent picture of ongoing, long term climate change interacting with underlying natural variability.

These changes affect many Australians, particularly the changes associated with increases in the frequency or intensity of heat events, fire weather and drought. Australia will need to plan for and adapt to some level of climate change. This report is a synthesis of the science informing our understanding of climate in Australia and includes new information about Australias climate of the past, present and future. The science underpinning this report will help inform a range of economic, environmental and social decision-making and local vulnerability assessments, by government, industry and communities.

Click here to access the State of the Climate: 2018 report.

Coming Soon on SkS...

2018 was the hottest La Nina year ever recorded (Dana)

(Dana) Merry Christmas (John Cook)

(John Cook) Global warming hiatus is the climate change myth that refuses to die (Kevin Cowtan)

(Kevin Cowtan) School strike for climate - save the world by changing the rules (Greta Thunberg)

(Greta Thunberg) New research this week (Ari)

(Ari) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #52 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #52 (John Hartz)

Climate Feedback Reviews...

Popular Friends of Science video promoted by Youtube presents long list of climate myths

Climate Feedback asked a team of climate scientists to review the popular video, Climate Science and the Myths of Renewable Energy - FOS Steve Goreham posted by Friends of Science on YouTube, July 1 2017.

Six scientists analyzed the article and estimate its overall scientific credibility to be 'very low'.

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Biased, Flawed reasoning, Imprecise/Unclear, Inaccurate, and Misleading.

Review Summary

This video of a talk by author and speaker Steve Goreham, posted by the YouTube channel Friends of Science has been viewed over 250,000 times and has been widely promoted by Youtube recently. In it, Goreham claims that climate change is not dangerous, and is not caused by humans.

Scientists who reviewed the talk found that it was comprised of a litany of common myths about climate science. Goreham misrepresents global temperature data, the physics of the greenhouse effect, and the factors controlling sea level rise, among many other things, as explained below by scientists.

Popular Friends of Science video promoted by Youtube presents long list of climate myths, Edited by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Dec 21, 2018

SkS Week in Review...

Poster of the Week...

Hat tip to the Stop Climate Science Denial Facebook page.
President Donald Trumps incoming acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is not holding his breath for a quick resolution that could lead the government to reopen quickly. Its very possible that the shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress, Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday during the second day of the shutdown that so far has no end in sight. Although there had been a bit of negotiation and back-and-forth over the past few days, I dont think things are going to move very quickly here the next couple of days, Mulvaney said.

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Mick Mulvaney tells Chris he thinks the shutdown will go past the 28th #FNS pic.twitter.com/bAXzGmOy1s  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) December 23, 2018

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In an interview with ABCs This Week, Mulvaney made sure to emphasize that Trump remained determined to obtain wall funding from Congress. The presidents not going to not accept money for a border wall. Now, what one people call a wall and another person might call a fence, he said. But Mulvaney did note Trump is willing to accept less than his initial demand for $5 billion. The latest White House offer was $2.5 billion for border security, including new fencing, a Democratic aide told the Washington Post.

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In one portion of the interview, Mulvaney seemed to try to downplay the importance of the wall, only to have Trump contradict him quickly on Twitter. The president has made it very clear, however, that he is willing to discuss a larger immigration solution, Mulvaney said. The wall does not solve all of our problems. A border fence does not solve all of our problems, because so many of our laws are broken. Trump, however, took to Twitter to tout the importance of having a Wall or Barrier at the border. Drones and all of the rest are wonderful and lots of fun, but it is only a good old fashioned Wall that works! Trump wrote.

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney says President Trump "has made it very clear" that he is "willing to discuss a larger immigration solution."



"The wall doesn't solve all of our problems. A border fence does not solve all of our problems," he adds https://t.co/zenxCZOLLW #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/lAr3Om4D1t  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 23, 2018

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The only way to stop drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into our Country is with a Wall or Barrier. Drones and all of the rest are wonderful and lots of fun, but it is only a good old fashioned Wall that works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Democrats for now appear to be holding strong on opposing the presidents demands with Sen. Chris Coons saying on CBS that the president simply wont get the $5 billion for a wall that he is demanding. There is frankly no path towards his getting five billion dollars in American taxpayer money to meet his campaign promise of a big, beautiful wall with Mexico, the senator from Delaware said. There is a path towards our responsibly appropriating about $1.3 billion for border security.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Saturday night to dismiss as no big deal the resignation of Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy in the global coalition to defeat ISIS. The commander in chief said the media was making way too much of an insignificant move by a man who was going to leave soon anyway. Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015. Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving, Trump wrote. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!

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Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015. Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

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McGurk was set to retire in February, but made the decision to leave earlier following the presidents decision to withdraw troops from Syria. But while Trump tried to downplay McGurks significance, Democrats fired back that it was more than a bit concerning for the president to claim he doesnt know his top official charged with fighting ISIS. Uhhhhyou dont know your own coordinator of the anti-ISIS campaign? Murphy tweeted late Saturday. The fact that our President has no clue who Brett is should scare the hell out of every American.

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Uhhhh...you dont know your own coordinator of the anti-ISIS campaign?



Over the past 5 years, no one has done more to put ISIS on its heels than Brett. We all know and rely on him. The fact that our President has no clue who Brett is should scare the hell out of every American. https://t.co/m7SNU1SA7z  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 23, 2018

Susan Rice, the former national security adviser, also harshly criticized Trump for claiming he doesnt know McGurk. The fact that you say you dont know @brett_mcgurk speaks volumes about your commitment to fighting ISIS @realDonaldTrump, Rice wrote. Why dont you know the man who has done more than any civilian to degrade ISIS?

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The fact that you say you dont know @brett_mcgurk speaks volumes about your commitment to fighting ISIS @realDonaldTrump. Why dont you know the man who has done more than any civilian to degrade ISIS? I can assure you @BarackObama knows him well. https://t.co/OzvKRrmVF5  Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) December 23, 2018

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Trump also criticized the media, saying that if anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, would have announced that after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. Instead he is being hit hard  by the Fake News Media. Crazy!

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If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

The president also directed some harsh words toward outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis, claiming he gave him a second chance after he was ousted under the Obama administration. When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldnt, I thought I should, Trump tweeted. Mattis resigned on Thursday, also in protest of Trumps sudden decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. In his resignation letter, Mattis wrote that it was important to do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values. He added that the United States is strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our allies. Trump appeared to respond directly to Mattis by writing that Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.

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President Donald Trump apparently couldnt contain his anger any longer. Fuming over the negative coverage that was sparked by the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the commander in chief is moving forward with a plan to force him to resign nearly two months earlier than planned. Trump took to Twitter Sunday morning to announced that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will be taking over as acting secretary of Defense on Jan. 1. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing, Trump wrote. He will be great! Mattis had said he would stay in his post until Feb. 28 to ensure a smooth transition.

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I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

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Trumps announcement came shortly after the New York Times reported that Trump had been telling aides he wanted to get rid of Mattis. Although Trump had praised Mattis when he first announced he was leaving, it seems the commander in chief didnt quite understand how much the outgoing defense secretary had criticized him in his resignation letter. As days passed and the media increasingly characterized the resignation as a rebuke on his policies, Trump reportedly got increasingly mad and wanted him to leave right away. That anger was evident Saturday night, when he wrote on Twitter that he had given Mattis a second chance.

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When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldnt, 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.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Trump is apparently fond of Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, at least in part because he often tells the president that he is correct to complain about the expense of defense systems, notes the Times.
Trot Insider has learned that former Ontario Jockey Club circuit trainer/driver Clark Allen Lou Grainger has passed away at the age of 70.

Grainger passed away peacefully in Oshawa, Ont. on Saturday, December 22.

Lou has been the beloved husband of Shirley for 16 years and the loving dad of Trina (Rob Stark) and Alana (Ken Westlake). He will be sadly missed by his grandchildren Steven, Danielle, Stephanie, Jamie, Devin and Austin; brothers Robert (Jean) and Heather (Mike); and sister Ann.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43 (471 Simcoe Street, Oshawa) on January 19 at 2:00 p.m. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Oshawa Funeral Home, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234).

Memorial donations would greatly accepted for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Lou Grainger.
Trot Insider has been informed that former Quebec racing official Claude Raymond passed away on December 9.

Raymond, who was a racing judge for the RACJ (Quebec Racing Commission) for many years, was a regular face at Connaught Park.

Raymond is the brother of Donald Raymond, who, as well as being a judge for the RACJ, was also a judge for the Ontario Racing Commission for quite a few years.

Trot Insider will update this notice with additional information if/when it is received.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Claude Raymond.
University of Virginia

The University of Virginia awards master's and doctoral degrees in the nursing field. The Master of Nursing Science offers nine degree options, including Clinical Nurse Leader (Direct Entry) and Pediatric NP - Primary Care. One of the prerequisites for entry into the master's program is a statistics course, which had to be completed within the last five years with a B grade. The Doctor of Nursing Practice offers two options: a post-BSN pathway and post-MSN. The post-BSN option also requires that students meet the statistics prerequisite. For the post-MSN option, students must satisfy a self-study program requirement that illustrates their proficiency in statistics, including an 80% score on a post-test.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Student can choose from several master's degree options at Virginia Commonwealth University, such as family nurse practitioner and psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner. Each degree offers a two or three-year program option. Students must have a bachelor's nursing degree, possess a valid Registered Nurse license, and earn at least a B in three statistics credit hours. Interested students must complete an online application that includes materials like transcripts, three references, and a personal statement. The Doctor of Nursing Program is for students with a master's degree and requires 39 credits for graduation. Admissions requirements for this program include a valid Registered Nurse license, online application, and a personal interview.

James Madison University

Students can earn a Master of Science in Nursing at James Madison University. They can choose from six concentrations: clinical nurse leader, nurse administrator, family nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, adult/gerontology primary nurse care practitioner, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Master's candidates will need to submit a graduate school application. All students will need a 2.8 GPA from their bachelor's degree, with nurse midwifery and nurse practitioner concentrations requiring a 3.0 GPA. Additional requirements also include a valid unrestricted nursing license, CPR certification, and two professional references.

Marymount University

Students can pursue a master's or doctoral degree at Marymount University. The Master of Science in Nursing degree is for students wishing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Forty-five credits are required for graduation, with 700 hours of hands-on, clinical experience. It will take 5 semesters for full-time students to earn their degree, while part-time ones can do so in 7 semesters. Master's candidates should complete an online application. Admissions requirements include the following:

Bachelor of Nursing degree with at least a 3.0 GPA

Valid Virginia Registered Nurse credentials with two years of relevant work experience

Professional statement of 250-500 words

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is designed for students interested in a career in nursing leadership. The first program option is BSN to DNP and requires 75 credits. The second available program is a poster-masters DNP and requires 31-35 credits. Some of the requirements in the admissions process consists of the following:

Bachelor of Nursing degree with at least a 3.3. GPA or Master of Nursing degree with at least a 3.5 GPA

Resume and valid Virginia Registered Nurse credentials

Two recommendation letters

Professional statement of 250-500 words

Hampton State University

Hampton State University offers several graduate nursing degrees:

Master of Science in Nursing

Master of Science in Nursing - Education (Advance Adult, Psychiatric, Community Health)

Master of Science in Nursing - Administration (Advanced Adult, Psychiatric, Community Health)

Master of Science in Nursing - Practitioner (Family/Practitioner): Online program

PhD in Nursing (Family): Online program

Students will need to submit an online application and $50 fee. Application materials include official transcripts, MCAT or DAT scores, personal statement, and two recommendation letters.

Graduate nursing programs in Virginia range from master's in nurse practitioner to online doctoral programs. Application requirements may vary and students can choose from programs that offer part-time or full-time enrollment.
Sunday, December 23, 2018

Wall Street Journal, Pay Taxes With Bitcoin? Ohio Says Sure:

Ohio appears set to become the first state to accept bitcoin for tax bills, a show of support for a technology that has garnered lots of hype but failed to gain traction as a form of payment.

Beginning this week, Ohio businesses will be able to go to the website OhioCrypto.com and register to pay everything from cigarette sales taxes to employee withholding taxes with bitcoin. Eventually, the initiative will expand to individual filers.

The idea to accept the digital currency for taxes came from state Treasurer Josh Mandel, who has held the office since 2011 and started taking an interest in bitcoin several years ago. Mr. Mandel, 41 years old, views the new program both as a convenience for filers and an opportunity for planting a flag for Ohio in the currencys adoption. ...

Ohios move wouldnt give bitcoin legal status, but it would be a kind of tacit approval bitcoin has so far lacked. Tax offices accepting bitcoin does help send a message that bitcoins a technology that can be used by anybodyby bad guys but also by the government, said Jerry Brito, the director of Washington, D.C.-based research firm Coin Center.

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2018/12/ohio-is-first-state-to-accept-bitcoin-for-tax-payments.html
Credit: Malta

Malta has received a round of funding and is graduated from "project" to group that can sail. The Cambridge, MA-based company is focused on the storage of electro-thermal energy and the funding put the group in celebration mode this month. In return, the company is turning up the volume on its potential role in the future of energy storagenamely, working out salt-based electro-thermal energy storage.

Brian Dowling, Xconomy, reported that Malta is heading off into the world "with a $26 million Series A funding round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the climate change fund led by Bill Gates."

Liu Shunxing, chairman, Concord New Energy Group, said that "innovation in energy storage technology will become critical for using clean energy effectively." Malta backers include the Concord New Energy Group and Alfa Laval AB, a Swedish industrial company, said Bloomberg.

The concept is built on already established principles for a system that stores energy as heat in molten salt and as cold in a chilled liquid. The system can store electricity for days or weeks until needed. said the company's news release.

The team was originally "Project Malta" at Alphabet's X, the group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies.

What is the source of the electricity stored? It can come from wind, sun or fossil fuels, in any location. That gives it an advantage over some existing grid-scale power storage technologiesno mountains or caves, for example, are needed. Bloomberg said that "Malta's system can be located almost anywhere, including near solar panel arrays and wind turbines."

Malta's solution is trying to address the major renewables challenge which is energy storage. "A lack of affordable, reliable grid-scale energy storage is currently limiting the shift to renewable energy," said Raj Apte, science advisor at X.

A CNBC article about the project in June said the plan was "to store thermal energy, converted from solar and wind electricity, in giant tanks of molten salt. The technique could prove cheaper and more efficient for longer-term storage of renewable energy."

The company, meanwhile, shares more details about how their proposed solution works. "Malta energy storage system takes electricity, converts and stores that electricity as heat, and then converts it back to electricity to be redistributed on the electric grid. In charge mode, the system operates as a heat pump, storing electricity as heat in molten salt. In discharge mode, system operates as a heat engine, using the stored heat to produce electricity."

They said the system is made up largely of conventional components and raw materials  "steel, air, salt, and commodity liquids."

MIT Technology Review earlier this year make the point that "Cheaper and better forms of grid storage are considered essential to handle fluctuating renewable sources like wind and solar as they start to contribute a greater portion of total electricity supplies."

What's next? "Malta will work with industry partners to turn designs that were first developed and refined at X into industrial-grade machinery for a pilot system," said the company news release.

Malta CEO Ramya Swaminathan said the challenge ahead is about design and manufacturing, in Xconomy. Swaminathan said customers were expected to come from a variety of points in the energy system. Such as? She said they expect "developers with wind or solar projects who want firm power, to grid scale applications that can be in the hundreds of megawatts range, to critical backup for data centers, to isolated grid systems like island economies."

 2018 Science X Network
11 hours ago

Norfolk Southern railroad names new CEO to take over in May

Norfolk Southern Corp. said its CEO will retire next spring, and it will promote one of its executives to replace him. The railroad said Thursday that Jim Squires will step down as chairman and CEO on May 1 after seven years of leading Norfolk Southern.

Read Article




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)


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Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 408320

12-23-2018 03:33 AM











Post: #1 Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

Advertisement The U.S. begins bombing Taliban drug labs as Trumps Afghanistan strategy takes hold



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/chec...edirect=on



Is this what all the globalists are hysterical about with respect to the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan?



"In July 2000, however, as a devastating drought entered its second year and hunger spread across Afghanistan, the Taliban government suddenly ordered a ban on all opium cultivation, in an apparent appeal for international acceptance. A subsequent UN crop survey of 10,030 villages found that this prohibition had reduced the harvest by 94%.



Three months later, in September 2000, the Taliban sent a delegation to UN headquarters in New York to trade upon the countrys continuing drug prohibition in a bid for diplomatic recognition. Instead, the UN imposed new sanctions on the regime for protecting Osama bin Laden. The US, on the other hand, actually rewarded the Taliban with $43m in humanitarian aid, even as it seconded UN criticism over Bin Laden."



https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/ja...fghanistan



Yet another huge reason for a wall on the southern border right now. Is this what all the globalists are hysterical about with respect to the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan?"In July 2000, however, as a devastating drought entered its second year and hunger spread across Afghanistan, the Taliban government suddenly ordered a ban on all opium cultivation, in an apparent appeal for international acceptance. A subsequent UN crop survey of 10,030 villages found that this prohibition had reduced the harvest by 94%.Three months later, in September 2000, the Taliban sent a delegation to UN headquarters in New York to trade upon the countrys continuing drug prohibition in a bid for diplomatic recognition. Instead, the UN imposed new sanctions on the regime for protecting Osama bin Laden. The US, on the other hand, actually rewarded the Taliban with $43m in humanitarian aid, even as it seconded UN criticism over Bin Laden."Yet another huge reason for a wall on the southern border right now. KingBum

Registered User

User ID: 465585

12-23-2018 03:38 AM



Posts: 4,200









Post: #2 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 03:33 AM) The U.S. begins bombing Taliban drug labs as Trumps Afghanistan strategy takes hold



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/chec...edirect=on



Is this what all the globalists are hysterical about with respect to the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan?



"In July 2000, however, as a devastating drought entered its second year and hunger spread across Afghanistan, the Taliban government suddenly ordered a ban on all opium cultivation, in an apparent appeal for international acceptance. A subsequent UN crop survey of 10,030 villages found that this prohibition had reduced the harvest by 94%.



Three months later, in September 2000, the Taliban sent a delegation to UN headquarters in New York to trade upon the countrys continuing drug prohibition in a bid for diplomatic recognition. Instead, the UN imposed new sanctions on the regime for protecting Osama bin Laden. The US, on the other hand, actually rewarded the Taliban with $43m in humanitarian aid, even as it seconded UN criticism over Bin Laden."



https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/ja...fghanistan



Yet another huge reason for a wall on the southern border right now.

Uh no they're not also they're not bombing them more than likely or if they are it's because their competition for Bayer and GSK. As for how a southern border wall connects to this, heaven knows. Uh no they're not also they're not bombing them more than likely or if they are it's because their competition for Bayer and GSK. As for how a southern border wall connects to this, heaven knows. Idealism is the fools shepherd and the braggarts laurels.



Its time to stop pointing fingers, finger pointing gets us nowhere...Steve.



504100 - My number when not logged in. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 445976

12-23-2018 03:42 AM











Post: #3 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

Just think about all that extra acreage we opened up for poppies with all those nice new roads.



Ignore ours please. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 408320

12-23-2018 03:55 AM











Post: #4 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 03:42 AM) Just think about all that extra acreage we opened up for poppies with all those nice new roads.



Ignore ours please.

It's become quite obvious that September 11th was partially perpetrated with the idea in mind of taking over heroin production under the guise of an endless war to fight a perpetual insurgency. It's become quite obvious that September 11th was partially perpetrated with the idea in mind of taking over heroin production under the guise of an endless war to fight a perpetual insurgency. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 424701

12-23-2018 04:01 AM











Post: #5 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

They were bombed into oblivion in 2017. I hope. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 408320

12-23-2018 04:02 AM











Post: #6 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 04:01 AM) They were bombed into oblivion in 2017. I hope.

On the bright side, any Americans operating in the area as part of the drug trade now do so at their own risk. On the bright side, any Americans operating in the area as part of the drug trade now do so at their own risk. KingBum

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User ID: 465585

12-23-2018 04:02 AM



Posts: 4,200









Post: #7 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 03:55 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 03:42 AM) Just think about all that extra acreage we opened up for poppies with all those nice new roads.



Ignore ours please.

It's become quite obvious that September 11th was partially perpetrated with the idea in mind of taking over heroin production under the guise of an endless war to fight a perpetual insurgency.

Yes, in correlation with rising doctor's prescriptions, laxed laws on pharmaceutical companies that benefited the corporate structure while addicting a nation who can then be housed in the rising addiction rehab community that espouses largely Gnostic philosophy wrapped as self help. Yes, in correlation with rising doctor's prescriptions, laxed laws on pharmaceutical companies that benefited the corporate structure while addicting a nation who can then be housed in the rising addiction rehab community that espouses largely Gnostic philosophy wrapped as self help. Idealism is the fools shepherd and the braggarts laurels.



Its time to stop pointing fingers, finger pointing gets us nowhere...Steve.



504100 - My number when not logged in. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 408320

12-23-2018 04:04 AM











Post: #8 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?

KingBum Wrote: (12-23-2018 04:02 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 03:55 AM) It's become quite obvious that September 11th was partially perpetrated with the idea in mind of taking over heroin production under the guise of an endless war to fight a perpetual insurgency.

Yes, in correlation with rising doctor's prescriptions, laxed laws on pharmaceutical companies that benefited the corporate structure while addicting a nation who can then be housed in the rising addiction rehab community that espouses largely Gnostic philosophy wrapped as self help.

You can't build a global anti-Christ society without heroin. You can't build a global anti-Christ society without heroin. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 408320

12-23-2018 06:53 PM











Post: #9 RE: Will They/Did They Burn Heroin Production In Afghanistan Before Withdrawing?





So they invaded Afghanistan in large part to restore the opium industry. And indeed there was zero opium being produced before the US invasion, the academic said.



The first thing in the first year the US did was to release all the drug lords, set them up, and tell them to plant away. Within two years, Afghanistan was setting world records every single year in opium production as US troops guarded the poppy fields and supported the creation of a number of labs which were refining the opium into heroin, which was then transported to the West in Global Hawks  US military vehicles that can fly all way around the world without refueling, he noted."



https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/2...e-industry "The Taliban had shut down opium production in Afghanistan, and it was not tolerable to the Deep State which profits to the tune of $1.5 trillion per year from the heroin industry, which is then moved in a shell-game to various banks and corporations and leveraged into vastly more money than that, he noted.So they invaded Afghanistan in large part to restore the opium industry. And indeed there was zero opium being produced before the US invasion, the academic said.The first thing in the first year the US did was to release all the drug lords, set them up, and tell them to plant away. Within two years, Afghanistan was setting world records every single year in opium production as US troops guarded the poppy fields and supported the creation of a number of labs which were refining the opium into heroin, which was then transported to the West in Global Hawks  US military vehicles that can fly all way around the world without refueling, he noted."

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Page: 1 2 BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 11:56 AM











Post: #1 BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

Advertisement



A 2017 law passed in Texas requires would-be government contractors to sign an oath promising they will not boycott Israel.



Rating



True





https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/texas-...h-boycott/ Does a Texas Law Require Government Contractors to Swear They Wont Boycott Israel?A 2017 law passed in Texas requires would-be government contractors to sign an oath promising they will not boycott Israel.RatingTrue LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:01 PM











Post: #2 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

We control your courts, your lawmakers and your money.



If you admit this to your neighbor, you will be breaking US law. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:07 PM











Post: #3 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK







The New Israel Anti-Boycott Act Is Still Unconstitutional



By Brian Hauss,



Boycott Divest Sanction Sign at Protest

Over the weekend, two senators introduced changes to the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which would criminalize participation in certain political boycotts targeting Israel. The changes attempt to address the civil liberties concerns raised by the ACLU and other groups.



Unfortunately, the revised bill still violates the First Amendment. It does so by unconstitutionally penalizing Americans who participate in political boycotts of companies doing business in Israel and its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, if those boycotts were called for by international governmental organizations like the United Nations.



This is impermissible. Political boycotts are fully protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court made that clear when it recognized, in a landmark 1982 decision called NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware, that the Constitution protected a 1960s boycott of white-owned businesses in Mississippi. If the Israel Anti-Boycott Act were to pass and take effect, we would strongly consider challenging it in court.



The Israel Anti-Boycott Act seeks to amend a 1970s law known as the Export Administration Act. That law was passed in response to the Arab Leagues boycott of Israel, which required U.S. businesses to boycott Israel as a condition of doing business with Arab League countries. To prevent foreign countries from bullying U.S. businesses into these compulsory boycotts, the EAA prohibited U.S. companies from entering into agreements with foreign governments to boycott countries friendly to the United States. Whereas the EAA was meant to protect U.S. companies from these compulsory boycotts, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act seeks to dictate the political activities Americans can and cant engage in. It does so by imposing civil and criminal penalties on American organizations that participate in political boycotts called for by international organizations.



The revised Israel Anti-Boycott Act, amended by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), does contain several significant improvements from the original draft. For example, the bill now makes clear that Americans cannot be imprisoned for their boycott participation. It also provides that speech critical of Israel cannot be used to open an investigation against an individual or as evidence that the person violated the law. These changes alleviate some of the gravest dangers posed by the bill.



https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/ri...titutional If you wrote this, then you wold be arrested for it in the years to come. We can write anything and do... just to gloat and confuse you. I've shared two websites that are controlled by us and written for us. I chose to do this so you would see we my gloating.The New Israel Anti-Boycott Act Is Still UnconstitutionalBy Brian Hauss,Boycott Divest Sanction Sign at ProtestOver the weekend, two senators introduced changes to the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which would criminalize participation in certain political boycotts targeting Israel. The changes attempt to address the civil liberties concerns raised by the ACLU and other groups.Unfortunately, the revised bill still violates the First Amendment. It does so by unconstitutionally penalizing Americans who participate in political boycotts of companies doing business in Israel and its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, if those boycotts were called for by international governmental organizations like the United Nations.This is impermissible. Political boycotts are fully protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court made that clear when it recognized, in a landmark 1982 decision called NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware, that the Constitution protected a 1960s boycott of white-owned businesses in Mississippi. If the Israel Anti-Boycott Act were to pass and take effect, we would strongly consider challenging it in court.The Israel Anti-Boycott Act seeks to amend a 1970s law known as the Export Administration Act. That law was passed in response to the Arab Leagues boycott of Israel, which required U.S. businesses to boycott Israel as a condition of doing business with Arab League countries. To prevent foreign countries from bullying U.S. businesses into these compulsory boycotts, the EAA prohibited U.S. companies from entering into agreements with foreign governments to boycott countries friendly to the United States. Whereas the EAA was meant to protect U.S. companies from these compulsory boycotts, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act seeks to dictate the political activities Americans can and cant engage in. It does so by imposing civil and criminal penalties on American organizations that participate in political boycotts called for by international organizations.The revised Israel Anti-Boycott Act, amended by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), does contain several significant improvements from the original draft. For example, the bill now makes clear that Americans cannot be imprisoned for their boycott participation. It also provides that speech critical of Israel cannot be used to open an investigation against an individual or as evidence that the person violated the law. These changes alleviate some of the gravest dangers posed by the bill. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:12 PM











Post: #4 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK





Abstract

to the Arab Leagues boycott of Israel by passing legislation designed to discourage U.S. persons from participating in unsanctioned boycotts of other countries [1]. One law, the 1977 amendments to the Export Administration Act of 1969, requires U.S. persons to report quarterly to the Commerce Department the requests they have received to participate in, support, or further a prohibited boycott. Those U.S. persons who agree to participate in such boycotts are subject to criminal and civil penalties.



The other anti-boycott law is the Ribicoff Amendment to the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (TRA76). It requires all U.S taxpayers and their related persons [2] to report operations in, with, or related to, boycotting countries or their nationals to the Internal Revenue Service. Operations include any business or commercial transactions even if they do not generate income. Per Internal Revenue Code section 999(a), taxpayers report these operations on



http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/sum...1.385.8512 We already wrote this into US law 40 Years Ago!Abstractto the Arab Leagues boycott of Israel by passing legislation designed to discourage U.S. persons from participating in unsanctioned boycotts of other countries [1]. One law, the 1977 amendments to the Export Administration Act of 1969, requires U.S. persons to report quarterly to the Commerce Department the requests they have received to participate in, support, or further a prohibited boycott. Those U.S. persons who agree to participate in such boycotts are subject to criminal and civil penalties.The other anti-boycott law is the Ribicoff Amendment to the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (TRA76). It requires all U.S taxpayers and their related persons [2] to report operations in, with, or related to, boycotting countries or their nationals to the Internal Revenue Service. Operations include any business or commercial transactions even if they do not generate income. Per Internal Revenue Code section 999(a), taxpayers report these operations on LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:18 PM











Post: #5 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK





If someone asks you to boycott Israel we will have you arrested and destroy your business credit if you don't report these persons to the US government.









U.S. Anti-Boycott Laws



How They Affect Business Credit[/b]



In the 1970's the United States adopted two anti-boycott laws; the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act (TRA), and the amendments to the Export Administration Act passed in 1977. These laws were created to "encourage" companies to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. It is a federal criminal offense under U.S. anti-boycott laws for any U.S. person to knowingly participate in another nation's boycotts or embargoes of third countries. These laws specifically prevent U.S. companies, citizens, overseas subsidiaries of U.S. companies, U.S. subsidiaries of overseas companies, as well as Federal, state and local governments from being used to implement foreign policies of other nations that run counter to U.S. foreign policy.



The Arab League boycott of Israel is the principal foreign economic boycott that U.S. companies must be concerned with today. This boycott relates to goods manufactured in Israel, transported on Israeli flagged ships, and to boats or airplanes that land at a port or an airport in Israel as part of their normal routine.



Conduct that may be penalized or prohibited under these federal laws includes the following:

Agreements to refuse to do business, or refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies



Agreements to discriminate, or actual discrimination against persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationality



Agreements to furnish or furnishing information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies



Agreements to furnish or furnishing information about the race, religion sex, or national origin of another person



Shipping against and presenting documentation in support of letters of credit containing prohibited boycott terms or conditions



One final note: The U.S. Department of Commerce requires quarterly reports of all requests companies have received to take actions to comply with or support an unsanctioned foreign boycott. For more information on how to report an unlawful request, please follow this link: [bWe have been gloating with these 'new laws'. We never needed anymore new laws. We've been controlling US commerce and trade since the the 1970s.If someone asks you to boycott Israel we will have you arrested and destroy your business credit if you don't report these persons to the US government.U.S. Anti-Boycott LawsHow They Affect Business Credit[/b]In the 1970's the United States adopted two anti-boycott laws; the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act (TRA), and the amendments to the Export Administration Act passed in 1977. These laws were created to "encourage" companies to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. It is a federal criminal offense under U.S. anti-boycott laws for any U.S. person to knowingly participate in another nation's boycotts or embargoes of third countries. These laws specifically prevent U.S. companies, citizens, overseas subsidiaries of U.S. companies, U.S. subsidiaries of overseas companies, as well as Federal, state and local governments from being used to implement foreign policies of other nations that run counter to U.S. foreign policy.The Arab League boycott of Israel is the principal foreign economic boycott that U.S. companies must be concerned with today. This boycott relates to goods manufactured in Israel, transported on Israeli flagged ships, and to boats or airplanes that land at a port or an airport in Israel as part of their normal routine.Conduct that may be penalized or prohibited under these federal laws includes the following:Agreements to refuse to do business, or refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companiesAgreements to discriminate, or actual discrimination against persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationalityAgreements to furnish or furnishing information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companiesAgreements to furnish or furnishing information about the race, religion sex, or national origin of another personShipping against and presenting documentation in support of letters of credit containing prohibited boycott terms or conditionsOne final note: The U.S. Department of Commerce requires quarterly reports of all requests companies have received to take actions to comply with or support an unsanctioned foreign boycott. For more information on how to report an unlawful request, please follow this link: http://www.bxa.doc.gov LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:18 PM











Post: #6 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK





We have been gloating with these 'new laws'. We never needed anymore new laws. We've been controlling US commerce and trade since the the 1970s.



If someone asks you to boycott Israel we will have you arrested and destroy your business credit if you don't report these persons to the US government.









U.S. Anti-Boycott Laws



How They Affect Business Credit



In the 1970's the United States adopted two anti-boycott laws; the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act (TRA), and the amendments to the Export Administration Act passed in 1977. These laws were created to "encourage" companies to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. It is a federal criminal offense under U.S. anti-boycott laws for any U.S. person to knowingly participate in another nation's boycotts or embargoes of third countries. These laws specifically prevent U.S. companies, citizens, overseas subsidiaries of U.S. companies, U.S. subsidiaries of overseas companies, as well as Federal, state and local governments from being used to implement foreign policies of other nations that run counter to U.S. foreign policy.



The Arab League boycott of Israel is the principal foreign economic boycott that U.S. companies must be concerned with today. This boycott relates to goods manufactured in Israel, transported on Israeli flagged ships, and to boats or airplanes that land at a port or an airport in Israel as part of their normal routine.



Conduct that may be penalized or prohibited under these federal laws includes the following:

Agreements to refuse to do business, or refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies



Agreements to discriminate, or actual discrimination against persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationality



Agreements to furnish or furnishing information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies



Agreements to furnish or furnishing information about the race, religion sex, or national origin of another person



Shipping against and presenting documentation in support of letters of credit containing prohibited boycott terms or conditions



One final note: The U.S. Department of Commerce requires quarterly reports of all requests companies have received to take actions to comply with or support an unsanctioned foreign boycott. For more information on how to report an unlawful request, please follow this link:

[/quote] cute trickIn the 1970's the United States adopted two anti-boycott laws; the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act (TRA), and the amendments to the Export Administration Act passed in 1977. These laws were created to "encourage" companies to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. It is a federal criminal offense under U.S. anti-boycott laws for any U.S. person to knowingly participate in another nation's boycotts or embargoes of third countries. These laws specifically prevent U.S. companies, citizens, overseas subsidiaries of U.S. companies, U.S. subsidiaries of overseas companies, as well as Federal, state and local governments from being used to implement foreign policies of other nations that run counter to U.S. foreign policy.The Arab League boycott of Israel is the principal foreign economic boycott that U.S. companies must be concerned with today. This boycott relates to goods manufactured in Israel, transported on Israeli flagged ships, and to boats or airplanes that land at a port or an airport in Israel as part of their normal routine.Conduct that may be penalized or prohibited under these federal laws includes the following:Agreements to refuse to do business, or refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companiesAgreements to discriminate, or actual discrimination against persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationalityAgreements to furnish or furnishing information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companiesAgreements to furnish or furnishing information about the race, religion sex, or national origin of another personShipping against and presenting documentation in support of letters of credit containing prohibited boycott terms or conditionsOne final note: The U.S. Department of Commerce requires quarterly reports of all requests companies have received to take actions to comply with or support an unsanctioned foreign boycott. For more information on how to report an unlawful request, please follow this link: http://www.bxa.doc.gov [/quote] LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:30 PM











Post: #7 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

You are powerless to stop us, your slave wage taxes fund our exploits but you cannot criticize us.



We are now editing live streams on youtube, removing your criticism in real time. We Own You!



We are your masters and we'll continue to do the hiring and firing in Washington DC





What are Anti-Boycott Regulations

Anti-boycott regulations prevent customers from withholding their patronage of a business. In the United States, anti-boycott regulations primarily deal with opposing restrictive trade practices against Israeli businesses. The Arab League formally requires member countries to boycott trade with Israel and trade with companies that trade with Israel based on an agreement it enacted in 1948. In response, the U.S implemented anti-boycott laws in the mid-1970s to prevent U.S. companies from boycotting trade with Israeli companies.



The law also prohibits the refusal to employ DUAL U.S. citizens because of their nationality, race or religion.



BREAKING DOWN Anti-Boycott Regulations

The Export Administration Act (EAA) sets forth the U.S. anti-boycott regulations and the criminal and civil penalties (fines, imprisonment and denial of export privileges) for companies and employees who don't comply with the law.





What Anti-Boycott Actions Are Prohibited?

As a result of the two laws dealing with boycotts fostered or imposed by foreign countries against other countries friendly to the U.S., the following actions are prohibited. A person(s) may not discriminate against, or agree to discriminate against, any U.S. person on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin. They also may not refuse to do business with a boycotted or blacklisted entity.



According to the regulations, it is also not permitted to furnish information about business relationships with a boycotted country or a blacklisted entity. In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce must be notified if a person receives a request to comply with an unsanctioned foreign boycotted country or a blacklisted entity.



What Are the Penalties?

The EAA lists a number of penalties for violations of the anti-boycott regulations. Some of the penalties include a fine of up to $50,000 or five times the value of the exports involved (whichever is greater), with a possible imprisonment term of up to five years. Additionally, during times when the U.S. President invokes action from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the criminal penalties may double the length of imprisonment for up to ten years.



Boycott agreements may involve the denial of foreign tax benefits, as well as a denial of export privileges, and possible exclusion from trade practices LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 333816

12-23-2018 12:34 PM











Post: #8 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

You are allowed to not like any of this, you are not allowed to talk about your discontent in a public place.



Soon it will be a five year prison sentence to criticize your masters, we are in control and we will no longer shy away from admitting it. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 479719

12-23-2018 12:37 PM











Post: #9 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

buy and trade nothing from any jew.... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 479723

12-23-2018 01:29 PM











Post: #10 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

The truth is leaking out of the Matrix. Flic Vange

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User ID: 400136

12-23-2018 02:31 PM



Posts: 1,778









Post: #11 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK























































fu*k ISRAEL AND fu*k THE f&*king JEWS!!! Constructive comment coming!!!fu*k ISRAEL AND fu*k THE f&*king JEWS!!! Voltaire: I detest your views but I would give my life to protect your rights to express them.

LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 478202

12-23-2018 02:37 PM











Post: #12 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

Randy-Lal Wrote: (12-23-2018 02:31 PM) Constructive comment coming!!!



this

















































f*#k ISRAEL AND f*#k THE f*cking JEWS!!! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 479732

12-23-2018 02:54 PM











Post: #13 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

Let's keep this one on top Uppity Me

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12-23-2018 02:57 PM



Posts: 38,737









Post: #14 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

It should be COMPLETELY ILLEGAL for anyone holding a government position of any type to have DUAL CITIZENSHIP. You only serve the United States and that's it.







Quote: Les pauvres n'ont-ils des Euros ?

Alors laissez les pauvres 'sh*t' dans les rues Strategos

Against Dystopia

User ID: 455233

12-23-2018 02:57 PM



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Post: #15 RE: BOYCOTT ISRAEL FACT CHECK

Anyone should be free to boycott anything for any reason. Advertisement



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The president of Luxembourg's national federation of music (UGDA) announced her decision to step down from the position.

Vice president Gilbert Girsch will temporarily take over the position at the head of the large musical umbrella organisation.

Deprez became president three years ago when the music federation found itself in a deep crisis. Following a disagreement with the general secretary, almost the entire executive board, the former president, the vice president and the treasurer had resigned with immediate effect.

Deprez told RTL that she was struggling to juggle all her responsibilities, adding that she would rather step down than neglect one of her functions.
What is Abrigado? And how are people dragged into heroin addiction in the country with the highest proportion of millionaire households in Europe? Gerry Erang follows the stories of Luxembourgish drug workers and addicts.

With the festive season approaching almost as relentlessly as the legalisation of recreational cannabis, hordes of merry gift-seekers are on the prowl in Luxembourg City once more. Meanwhile, less than 3km away from the centres luxury stores and bustling Christmas markets, a very different kind of clientele is flocking to a very different kind of establishment.

Luxembourg's Abrigado "fixing room"

Within walking distance from central station lies "Abrigado," a drug addiction centre that opened its doors in 2005. It hosts the countrys only drug consumption room where addicts can legally use illegal hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine under the supervision of qualified staff. Contrary to popular belief, the centre does not provide addicts with class A drugs. Instead, it offers them medical services, psychological support, a night shelter and hygienic injecting equipment in a judgment-free environment.

One of the users I encounter inside Abrigado is young Luxembourger Jules. His drug of choice: heroin, injected. He is a regular here and intoxicated as we speak. Despite constricted pupils and glimmering eyes, he exudes a profound sadness. Ashamed, he tells me of two failed therapies. When I ask why he used heroin the first time, he momentarily turns quiet. I am someone who always craves love. I did not have a happy childhood; my father was abusive and my mum helpless. I feel like nobody can give me the love I crave. The drugs are a substitute. Only the drugs help me forget and suppress. It is a vicious circle. [] But this can happen to anyone, no matter your familys social status."

The prefabricated container building opened its doors in 2005. /  G. Erang The centre also offers a night shelter. One room is reserved for women. Drug use is prohibited in the night shelter, which leads many addicts to sleep outside. /  G. Erang  G.Erang Special ramp to permit wheelchair users easier access to the building.  G. Erang One of the centre's two consumption rooms. /  G. Erang Addicts can receive ear massages to help reduce substance craving. /  G. Erang The injection room. /  G. Erang G. Erang The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question.

Even though the presence of the drug centre has repeatedly sparked public outcry from Bonnevoie residents in the past, Abrigado manager Raoul Schaaf firmly stands behind the project. As he explains, "many people do not really know what kind of work we are doing here."

Apart from connecting users with relevant social services, harm reduction lies at the heart of Abrigado's philosophy: one hopes to prevent overdose deaths and reduce the risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV and Hepatitis.

Combating Luxembourg's record high of HIV infections

Providing users with clean syringes and needles, Schaafs diverse team (ranging from nurses to social workers and psychologists) battle against a worrying trend that the Grand Duchy has witnessed in recent years.

According to the European drug monitoring centres (EMCDDA) most recent report about Luxembourg, an increase in new HIV cases linked to drug injecting has been observed since 2013. In 2016 alone, the reports reads, a total of 19 new cases of HIV infection were reported among people who inject drugs.

According to Schaaf, dependence frequently sees the desperate addicts dragged into street prostitution, which is also instrumental in spreading the diseases.

Communication is key

Arguably the most important function of his team, Schaaf explains, is psychological rather than medical in nature. Communicating and developing personal relationships allow Abrigado's staff to reunite the patients with their human dignity. Especially for rough sleepers, Abrigados contact cafe has become a safe haven where they can have a normal conversation, relax and temporarily forget about the hardship they face on the streets on a daily basis. Nobody judges you here, Schaaf stresses.

R. Schaaf /  RTL

Kim Arrensdorff is an educator who has worked at Abrigado for more than a decade. For her, human interaction is paramount: When they come here, we talk to them on a first name basis. Most of our clients are happy when they can have a good conversation over a cup of coffee. Even though they must always be on high alert, the job's social aspect is rewarding, Arrensdorff stresses. We often get positive feedback, which valorises our work and tells us that we are doing something right.

Pierre, a young heroin addict from France, confirms Arrensdorffs statements. He only started using the drug a year ago and self-loathingly introduces himself as a riche triste. For the staff at Abrigado, he has nothing but praise. The staff here are great, it is like a hotel. There is everything. But we are the real problem, the junkies. We need to work on ourselves. Every day I wake up full of regret. But the temptation is just too big. In his disheartening metaphorical style, he resignedly explains: If you play with fire, you get burned. I initially thought I could be stronger. [...] This is like an open-air prison; we are free to leave but we cant.

 G. Erang

When questioned about potential problems Abrigado is facing, Arrensdorff explains that the system can make it difficult to help rough sleepers. If an individual is without official address, he or she loses social advantages such as unemployment benefits and health insurance. In many cases, homeless drug users are consequently prevented from going to rehab, even if they want to. Abrigado can connect them with other institutions and services but this is a bureaucratically strenuous process and addiction remains a fickle beast: many addicts may swiftly change their opinion if they cannot start therapy right away.

For Schaaf, Abrigado would also benefit from longer opening hours. Some users inject up to 20 times a day and are forced to do so on the street if the centre is closed. Negotiations with the authorities are ongoing.

Drug dealer rings in Luxembourg?

Both Schaaf and the addicts themselves point to another growing problem: highly organised drug dealer rings that usually come to the Grand Duchy from abroad. Bob, an elderly addict that I meet outside the centre, started using drugs more than 30 years ago. Quickly leaving the kiddie drug cannabis behind, he embarked on a rapid downward spiral. In his opinion, the government should take control of the drug distribution. The dealers use chemicals to cut the drugs and make more money. This isnt right. Pointing at another drug user who stabs a needle into his neck, he resignedly sighs: Just look around. We are lost.

 afp

Georges, a 47-year old cocaine and heroin addict, similarly sees in the international drug rings a major problem. Police should do more against the drug dealers. They come here from all over Europe and sell us low-quality stuff. Not without a hint of pride, he adds: I worked as a dealer myself for 16 years you know, I tried to build my own drug ring. But I wasn't anything like these guys.

Looking ahead

According to the EMCDDA's report, Luxembourg's public expenditure on tasks related to drugs is estimated at 0,1% of its gross domestic product. Even though caution is advised when interpreting these statistics (the estimates used in the 2018 report date back to 2009), other countries such as the Netherlands and Sweden spend around 0,5% and up to 0,4% of their GDP respectively. With Luxembourg set to make its public transport network free (and absorbing yearly operation costs of 1bn), the question arises whether enough money is also spent on those who need it most urgently.

The names of the drug users have been changed at their request.

---

Gerry Erang is a freelance contributor and postgraduate literature student living in Amsterdam.


International observers on Thursday raised concerns about violence in Togo before elections later this month, which the government has said will go ahead despite the unrest and an opposition boycott.

The tiny west African country has seen a wave of opposition protests since last year calling for a limit to the number of presidential terms and a two-round voting system.

Protestors have also called for the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005 after taking over from his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema.

On Thursday, the UN, European Union and the embassies of the United States, France and Germany said they were following the situation in Togo "with concern".

In a joint statement they said they "regret the deaths and violence" and "await the results of the investigations announced by the government" following the last protests.

"They underline the need to preserve a climate of peace and avoid all forms of violence," they added.

Amnesty International voiced similar concerns and said the authorities "continue to fuel the violence by deploying military officers carrying firearms to protest sites".

The group's regional director for West and Central Africa, Evelyne Petrus Barry, said that risked "exacerbating an already tense situation".

The human rights organisation also criticised a new cybersecurity law passed on December 7. It "significantly restricts freedom of expression" with "vague terrorism and treason related provisions" that carry hefty jail terms and could "easily be misused", said Amnesty.

On Wednesday evening, Togo's government said the election was going ahead as planned.

"The electoral process is irreversible and the ballot will be held on December 20, 2018," said the Minister of Civil Service Gilbert Bawara in an interview.

The coalition of 14 opposition parties has said it will not take part, citing irregularities in preparations and calling for an overhaul of the electoral commission.

It called for 10 days of protest in the run-up to the vote, but the government banned the action on security grounds.

Bawara expressed regret at violence between opposition supporters and security forces on Saturday and Monday that officially left four dead. The opposition said six died.

But he denounced "certain political leaders" who openly "incite (the population) to attacks and attacks on police.

"No government can accept that a political party or group of parties seeks to block the country and create disorder and chaos," he added.

Talks between the opposition and the government for a way out of the crisis are stalled, but Bawara said there was "no prospect" of regional bloc ECOWAS meeting to discuss Togo.

Rumours of an extraordinary summit were "a vast manipulation of spirits, misinformation and intoxication", he added.

On the elections, he said ECOWAS states were closely monitoring the process.

"The observation missions will be deployed in the field this week," he added.
Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers
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A number of pupils in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday were given a chance to do traffic police jobs on the street in a program intended to raise their awareness of traffic regulations.

Over 50 children from schools across District 1 spent one day learning in a class how to don crash helmets properly, blow whistles, direct traffic, signal to motorcyclists to pull in and book violators.

Police officers teach schoolchildren how to understand the meaning of road signs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A policeman shows a student how to book a violator in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

They then got the hands-on experience of performing the tasks under the guidance of police officers at an intersection in the city, notorious for its frequent vehicle overcrowding and many road-law-defying citizens.

They were also showed how to ask motorcyclists to lawfully stop at the crosswalk  a regulation that is flouted by multiple riders.

Some of the students said the program helped them know more about traffic rules and hoped police step up their road patrols to preempt crashes.

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Vietnamese laborers brought to metropolitan France during the Second World War are acknowledged to resurrect rice cultivation in the European countrys breadbasket of Camargue  a recognition that brings a missing history page to the collective memory of Vietnamese and French people alike.

Frances southeastern wetland Camargue accounts for nearly one-third of domestic rice supplies but the rice production of this 1,500-square-kilometer region next to the Mediterranean Sea does not originate from traditional French farming practices.

It instead comes from the knowledge of people predominantly transported willy-nilly to France from Vietnam, a country under French colonial rule during the world war.

Rice growing in Camargue and the Rhone delta, which partly surrounds it, actually resumed during this epoch.

Camargues white gold

In the 16th and 19th centuries, Camargue farmers tried to grow rice but could harvest from the freshwater plant grains fit to be eaten by livestock and rice was also used to dry marshland and desalinate soil.

The regions last rice paddies were wiped off its face on the eve of World War Two in 1939.

However, cultivating techniques in preparing the ground, planting rice and irrigation had been honed since the year 5,000 BC in present-day Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

When 20,000 young rural Vietnamese men were brought, and in most cases forced, to France between 1941 and 1948, they applied the time-honored techniques on rice fields in Camargue.

With the methods, local farmers and plantation owners thrived, rice growing was revived, and the region was able to ward off a looming famine that might have otherwise played out in the 1941 food shortage.

This explained why residents called rice a type of white gold with great benefits.

Oblivion and gratitude

The young immigrants were from families of more than two sons and went to France as a way to prevent the other members from going to prison by the colonial government.

At home they were called linh tho or cong binh (worker-soldier).

In France the men worked in dreadful conditions at military production factories or in Dordogne marshlands, Vaucluse forests and textile mills in the Rhone delta.

They also labored at salt pans and paddy fields in Camargue, where they were bitten by mosquitos and suffered from the scorching sun.

The Vietnamese immigrants were treated neither as soldiers nor civilians and the French government harnessed their labor for many years without adequately paying them.

The cover of Les linh tho, immigres de force by French journalist Pierre Daum.

Their contribution went unrecognized for a long time in French history until 2004, when Liberation journalist Pierre Daum found a photo showing Vietnamese people planting rice in Camargue.

Daum then wrote books on the laborers, the latest work being comic book Les linh tho, immigres de force, which means Linh tho - people of forced immigration, published in 2017.

In 2009, Herve Schiavetti  mayor of Frances southern city of Arles, which includes a large part of Camargue  honored the Vietnamese immigrants in a ceremony attended by the last survivors of the migration.

In 2013, French director of Vietnamese descent Viet Le Lam unveiled his documentary Cong binh  la longue nuit Indochinoise (Cong binh  long night in Indochina), which had won awards at film festivals in France.

A memorial to Vietnamese workers in France during the Second War War is seen in Arles, southern France.

A memorial to the immigrants was erected in 2014 in Arles area of Salin-de-Giraud, with its words written in both French and Vietnamese expressing gratitude to the Vietnamese workers who were coerced into labor in France between 1939 and 1952.

In March this year, French pay television network TV5Monde broadcast stories about the immigrants from Indochina and included an interview with Tran Van Than, a 100-year-old Vietnamese in the migration.

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Christmas is a perfect time for people to enjoy the gift of giving; and for these young Vietnamese, carrying out their own meaningful charitable programs is the most loved Christmas present.

In the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, about 40 students from the social work team of Hue University, located in the namesake city, have been dressing up as Santas and giving presents to local children since the beginning of the holiday season.

The activity is part of their service, in which parents hire the young men to act as Santas, distribute gifts, and create a Christmas miracle for their kids.

The youngsters would then be paid VND30,000 (US$1.3) to VND50,000 ($2.2).

All of the money they earn from such service will be used in other charitable programs in the future.

There are countless Santa Claus services out there, many of which are very professional. But we still chose these students as they are offering them for a greater cause, Huong, a local parent, said.

According to Truong Tien Du, leader of the social work team, they have about 10 charitable projects every year to help children in remote areas in Thua Thien-Hue.

The team has been running the Santa service to raise funds for the past five years.

We havent accumulated much money yet, but the smiles of the poor children are what we treasure, Du stated.

Meanwhile, a group of benefactors in Ho Chi Minh City named Xe buyt yeu thuong (The loving bus) previously brought this years Christmas gifts to children of the Mong ethnic minority in northern Lao Cai Province, which is over 1,870 kilometers away.

Twelve Santas from the group gifted books, pens, warm clothes, and confectionery to more than 70 students at an elementary school in the province.

Temperature was about eight degrees Celsius while most of the kids did not seem to have enough clothes to keep themselves warm, said Chau Thanh Tri , 31, who is the group leader.

The members had to sell food, drinks, and fruits in order to raise money for the activity, Tri added.

Another team in Ho Chi Minh City, who call themselves The Puzzle, has also gifted orphaned and disabled children at the Thi Nghe protection center in Binh Thanh District this holiday.

The Puzzle includes about 30 members who are students of local high schools and universities.

They have been raising funds by selling creative handmade bookmarks at only VND7,000 ($0.3) apiece.

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Here are todays leading news stores:

Politics

-- Vietnamese General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on Saturday sent a letter of greetings to Japanese Emperor Akihito on the occasion of his 85th birthday (December 23). Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc cabled a congratulatory message to his counterpart Shinzo Abe on the same day.

Society

-- A team of doctors led by Dr. Tran Thi Bich Huong from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City have announced their research that opens up an opportunity for people with kidney failure to lengthen their lifespan.

-- Torrential rain is forecast to dampen localities from the north-central province of Quang Tri to south-central Binh Dinh Province in the next two to three days, starting from Sunday, creating a high risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas.

-- The inauguration of the new Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City is once again postponed to September 2019 in order for its operators to prepare sufficient services for travelers.

-- A man from the south-central province of Phu Yen has asked the police unit and Peoples Procuracy in Dong Hoa District to launch an investigation into the death of his 34-year-old son, who is believed to be killed in an accident involving a pothole along National Highway 1 on December 10.

-- Police in the northern province of Thai Binh affirmed on Saturday they had apprehended two men for allegedly raping a 31-year-old disabled woman.

-- Dozens of merchants at the Sao Mai-Tan Hiep Market in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang have been infuriated after the developer of the marketplace shut down the facility to demand double space rental fees.

Business

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his economic advisory team discussed measures to tackle shortcomings and realize the seven-percent growth rate target set for 2019 during a session held in Hanoi on Saturday.

Education

-- A group of university students in the north-central province of Thua Thien-Hue have been spending their free time running a Santa Claus service this Christmas in order to raise funds for other charitable activities.

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A group of doctors from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has announced a breakthrough research that opens up an opportunity for people with kidney failure to increase their chances of living and lengthen their lifespan.

Tran Thi Bich Huong, a senior doctor and former head of the nephrology department at the infirmary, and her associates has spent the past four years studying the cause and treatment of rapidly progressive renal failure (RPRF), which is considered a rare disease.

According to Dr. Huong, focuses are often directed to acute and chronic renal failure, while RPRF is usually forgotten.

Huong was first interested in the topic when she met a young male patient with lupus nephritis in 2010. She was able to save his life, but not his kidneys.

In 2012, the doctor started a project on diagnosing and restoring kidney functions for patients with RPRF.

She was permitted to conduct kidney biopsy on 14 patients who were undergoing dialysis at the hospital.

All of the patients had their kidney functions recovered without any complication following Huongs treatment.

Dr. Tran Thi Bich Huong during an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The doctor discovered that kidneys of many patients can still be alive and can be saved even if they have to receive dialysis.

Dialysis, or renal replacement therapy, is used when patients enter a severe stage of the disease and their kidneys are believed to be dead.

Huong then gathered her colleagues to begin their research in 2014, in the hope of helping as many people with kidney failure as they can, especially those suffering RPRF.

Thanks to the findings of the study, Huong and her team have been able to save 90 percent of people with serious renal failure from having to undergo dialysis.

About 60 percent of those who have been treated with the renal replacement therapy for at least three months no longer need to be through the process.

Not only did we help these patients save their money, we also helped them extend their lifespan and escape the death sentence, as dialysis can lower their life expectancy by 30 years, Huong elaborated.

Dr. Tran Thi Bich Huong talks to a patient at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The research also revealed that many of the RPRF patients are also diagnosed with thrombosis, which is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.

The condition often occurs to young people from 25 to 35 years old and is 90 percent fatal if not treated properly, the medical practitioner stated.

Doctors previously treated this group of patients with approaches that were not effective and sufficient, as they focused only on one of the two diseases, either RPRF or thrombosis, which lowers their chance of recovery.

The best method is to treat both illnesses at the same time with plasmapheresis, immunosuppressant drugs, anticoagulation, and dialysis if necessary within at least a year, Huong stated.

Huong and her research group are still receiving RPRF patients to treat them with their method.

People with the disease are expected to recover within two years before being able to resume their study, job and have children.

Dr. Tran Thi Bich Huong talks with her patient, H.T.T.X., at Cho Ray Hospital. Photo: Tuoi Tre

H.T.T.X., a young Ho Chi Minh City woman, was diagnosed with the disease, along with heart failure, pneumonia, epileptic seizure, and Thalassemia, which are all very dangerous.

Doctors said my chance of living was only one percent. I thought it would be easier if I could just die, X. said.

Thanks to Dr. Huong, the patients health has recovered by 60 percent so far. She no longer needs cardiac medications and will be able to stop receiving dialysis in the near future.

The woman has also gained eight kilograms and looks much livelier.

Dr. Huong is like a mother to me. She gave me another chance to live, X. said.

On November 25, Dr. Huong and her team were honored with an award in the Creative Ideas for Applied Science category with their research at the 16th annual KOVA Prize in Hanoi.

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Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Thai Binh have captured two men for reportedly raping a disabled woman at her tenanted house in late November.

Officers under the Department of Police in Thai Binh City, capital of the namesake province, affirmed on Saturday they had initiated legal proceedings against Pham Van Net, 40, and Nguyen Huy Thiem, 38.

The two will be held in custody for four months to assist the investigation into the purported crime.

The victim is Chu Thi P., a 31-year-old ethnic minority woman from northern Lang Son Province, who is unable to walk due to an accident that happened when she was young and has to be in a wheelchair most of the time.

Aside from a monthly allowance, P. has to earn a living as a street vendor in Thai Binh City. She lives with her friend in a rented home in Tien Phong Ward.

At around 1:00 pm on November 21, Net and Thiem entered P.s house and raped P., who resisted in vain, according to police records.

It took P. about a week to report the incident to police officers.

At the police station, the two suspects admitted to the rape.

Net said he had left his hometown in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa for Thai Binh City in 2012, earning a living by forming a group of street vendors consisting of disabled and underprivileged people.

The man rented homes for his members and provided products for them to sell along local streets.

These members were then required to pay him a certain amount of money after selling the goods. P. was among the members of this group.

Local authorities are gathering relevant documents and evidence to deal with the case in accordance with the law.

P. was taken to the provincial Center for Social Work and Social Protection on November 27 and stayed there for four days, before her family took her home in Lang Son Province.

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Karl Stefanovic has reportedly hired the lawyers.

News Corp reports he has hired employment lawyers to examine the circumstances of his departure.

While the former Today host remains under network contract, it is unclear whether he will remain at the network after This Time Next Year concludes filming in February.

Nine backflipped on keeping him at Today after continued media coverage of his wedding, much of it negative, including insider access to Seven West Media publication Who magazine.

Reports also suggest he has hired additional lawyers following ex-wife Cassandra Thorburns comments published in New Idea, amid suggestions they may have breached an agreement.

Thorburn, who told Studio 10 she gave no interview, is also reportedly engaging lawyers to prevent the magazine publishing an audio recording.

Stefanovic has remained upbeat in the face of upheaval and intense media attention saying, I suppose, as they say, a change is as good as a holiday, Im looking forward to getting back to work. Im moving forward with a sense of excitement about whats to come.
Interesting articles, stories, news. Views on happenings. Current activities, ideas and events. International and Antipodean affairs - scientific, cultural, political, economic, sociological, anthropological, archaeological and historical environment.
Arrested Yellow Vest leader to appear in court

A leader of the Yellow Vest movement is to appear in court on Sunday after he was arrested in Paris during the sixth round of protests.

Magistrates say they will request that Drouet, 33, be placed under judicial supervision and that he be banned from entering Paris pending his hearing.

He was arrested during Saturdays protest for possession of a Category D weapon, believed to be a kind of baton, and "participating in a group with intent to commit vandalism and violence".

Key instigator of Saturday's demonstrations

Participation in Act VI of the Yellow Vest demonstrations was significantly down in Paris and across France, following the previous weekends' unrest.

Drouet had initially called on Yellow Vests to assemble in the town of Versailles,causing authorities to shut down the Palace of Versailles, one of France's top tourist destinations, amid fears of unrest.

Drouet subsequently changed plans and called for protesters to unite in Paris' famous Montmartre district.

After making their way there, protesters dissipated throughout Paris in small groups.

Violent exchanges between protesters and police were observed at Paris's Champs-Elysees Avenue

Vandal or victim?

Eric Drouet is a truck driver from the Parisian suburb of Melun who defines himself as "apolitical" and "grass-roots".

He created a Facebook page in October, calling for a "national strike against rising fuel prices"

The page was followed by hundreds of thousands of people, and is believed to be the catalyst for 'Act I' of the Yellow Vest movement on October 17.
French President Emmanuel Macron has had pre-Christmas dinner with French soldiers deployed in the Sahel in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, ahead of talks with his counterpart Idriss Deby, to ...

Macron was greeted by Deby at Kossei air base upon arrival Saturday before dining with French troops stationed in the region as part of the anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane.

Macron brought along the Elysees Palace chef, Guillaume Gomez, and enough champagne, foie gras and chocolate for 1,300 troops.

The President also addressed commanders of the British, Estonian, German and Spanish units that are taking part in the operation.

Macron is using his first visit to Chad to reaffirm his commitment to the fight against extremism in the region. The French government's objective is to strengthen its partnership with the new anti-jihadist force of the G5 Sahel supported by Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.

The Barkhane force, which boasts some 4,500 French troops, was launched in 2014 to fight jihadists in the region. A Barkhane commander said the operation's troops carry out 600 operations each month.

French troops patrol huge region

The Sahel region with its huge expanse of remote desert is home to several jihadist groups.

Islamist extremists have been largely chased out of northern Mali by the French military intervention, however they have regained territory in central Mali.

with AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Chad this Saturday to meet French troops deployed in the Sahel with Operation Barkhane, ahead of talks with his counterpart Idriss Deby.

After landing at Kossei air base, Macron met first with Chadian President Idriss Deby before greeting and sharing a pre-Christmas dinner with French soldiers from Operation Barkhane in the capital, N'Djamena.

Macron brought enough champagne, fois gras and chocolate for 1,300 troops with him. 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).

Macron speaks to military commanders

Macron also spoke with the commanders of British, Estonian, German and Spanish units that are taking part in the operation.

According to the Elysee palace, Macron is using his first visit to the north-central African country to reaffirm his commitment to the fight against extremism in the region. The French government's objective is to strengthen its partnership with the new anti-jihadist force of the G5 Sahel supported by Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.

The Barkhane force, which boasts some 4,500 French troops, was launched in 2014 to fight jihadists in the region. A Barkhane commander said the operation's troops carry out 600 operations each month.

French troops patrol huge region

The Sahel region with its huge expanse of remote desert is home to several jihadist groups.

Jihadist groups have been largely chased out of northern Mali by the French military intervention, however they have regained territory in central Mali.

Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger -- among the poorest countries in the world -- have faced a barrage of terrorist attacks as they are on the figurative and literal frontline of the war against Islamist militants.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron held a press conference with the Chadian President Idriss Deby in the capital NDjamena on Sunday, where he spoke about Syria and military operations in the Sahel.

Macron also spoke about US President Donald Trumps decision to pull American troops out of Syria.

The French president said, An ally should be dependable I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria."

Trump made a surprise announcement on December 19 that he would withdraw the roughly 2,000 US troops from Syria, declaring that the Islamic State group had been defeated. Security experts say that it is not the case - and it is also at odds with the assessment of Trump's own administration. The move was met with criticism from allies around the world.

Trump 'shocks' global parters

Brett McGurk, the US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat Isis (another acronym for the jihadist group), resigned on Friday after the presidents decision.

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.

His decision to quit follows the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis the day before.

A French Christmas in Chad

During the joint news conference, Macron reiterated that France would continue to provide military support to Chad in the fight against jihadist groups in the region.

The only forces fighting against terrorism in the Sahel region are the French forces, Chads Deby said, praising Frances military presence.

The double press conference took place after Macron visited French soldiers stationed in Kossei air base near NDjamena. The troops are based there as part of Operation Barkhane, a four-year military campaign to oust Islamic jihadists in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The French president brought typical French Christmas food with him: foie gras, chocolate and champagne for 1,300 troops.
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A month-long worker's strike and protests in Chile's flagship port of Valparaiso turned increasingly violent and spread to other ports along the nation's Pacific coast early on Tuesday, complicating fruit exports at the start of summer.

Workers in Valparaiso, a key port for fruit shipments, first walked off the job in mid-November, demanding a bonus, more formal contracts and improved working conditions. Workers' representatives and Terminal Pacifico Sur (TPS), which operates Valparaiso's port, have met several times over the 32-day strike but have yet to reach agreement.

Protests spread briefly to several other ports overnight on Monday, according to statements from unions posted on Twitter and local media accounts.

Jorge Martinez, regional intendent for Valparaiso, told reporters on Tuesday that the Chilean police had raided union offices in Valparaiso to tame protests late on Monday after about 20 people were seen throwing Molotov cocktails from its roof.

"The country does not deserve this level of violence over a disagreement that should have been dealt with quickly," Martinez said. "This is something that can affect our economy, tourism, our international reputation. We need an agreement now."

Neither the union nor Terminal Pacifico Sur were immediately available for comment.

Local daily newspaper El Mercurio reported on Tuesday that the strike had caused fruit exports from Valparaiso to fall by 95 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics from Chile's Federation of Fruit Producers (Fedefruta).

Valparaiso's port handles approximately 55 percent of Chile's fruit exports, including blueberries, nectarines, cherries, apples, kiwis and pears, according to the Chilean Blueberry Committee.

(Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Fabian Cambero; editing by Bill Berkrot)

See Also:
Master of One | Part IV: A Devastating Divorce, Family Life & More

December 23 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.
"90 Day Fiance" fans caught a glimpse of one of Ashley Martson's kids on Jay Smith's Instagram. Recently, in a post on Instagram, Ashley told fans, "no my children will not be on the show and will not be posted on social media...Please respect our privacy and allow my children to be children. Thanks." Well, now it looks like she almost broke her promise to keep the kids off social media.

Video of Roxy and Jay Smith, but Ashley Martson put up a huge emoji

What do fans of "90 Day Fiance" know about Ashley's kids? Not a lot, it seems, as at least one responded to the video on Jay's account.

They commented, "Wait Ashley has kids??? Omg! How many? She never mentioned them on the show." Actually, we don't know much because so far, Ashley's been determined to keep them out the limelight.

In the video, we see Jay and "Little Roxy" dancing and having a bit of fun. However, you can't actually see much of Roxie - mainly arms and legs as she's hidden behind a giant emoji. When people started to comment on the kids, Ashley replied to them.

Star from '90 Day Fiance' teased a Christmas Photo

In response to the original question about her having kids, Ashley answered, "Yeah, two! I dont post them or put them on tv. I prefer to keep them private." Later, she said, "I may post a Christmas photo though.

The fans are very interested." Well, that's kind of like breaking a promise. One picture is all it takes to expose the kids to stalkers and trolls. However, it's up to Ashley and Jay how they handle it, but maybe she's feeling some pressure from the fans and her good resolve's crumbling?

Also, let's recall that Jay was a teenager not so far back, so his sense of fun may also create opportunities for social media posts of the kids.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Plus, over on her account, it looks like Ashley is maybe beginning to crumble a bit? Certainly, lots of Reality TV stars get accused of "pimping" the kids to promote products. It looks like right now, Ashley's not resisting that temptation much. You can't see her face, but you sure can see Roxy in the post below. OK, kudos to her for keeping Roxy's face turned, but how long can she maintain her promise to keep their faces out of it?

After all, if she does post the Christmas photo, keeping faces hidden would be a bit pointless.

Ashley's kids are off the show but at the shoots for '90 Day Fiance'

In answer to another fan, who asked what happens with the kids while they do the shoots for the show, she said the kids go with them. "The kids are on set with us or if its dads time they are with him," she wrote. So, now you know that the kids are not abandoned for spend hours and hours, nor are they ignored by "90 Day Fiance" stars.

What do you think about the video that showed Jay Smith dancing with Roxy and a giant emoji? Do you think Ashley Martson may post up the Christmas photo that she teased? If she does, is that gonna be a broken promise?

Follow the Reality TV Channel of Blasting Pop to stay in touch with news about "90 Day Fiance."
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Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 414299

12-23-2018 08:08 PM











Post: #1 Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

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Too bad he isn't willing to work for the people he was actually elected to help-AMERICANS! Could you imagine a U.S. politician saying that they were on a mission from Gold to help Christian Russians?







https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/...nsive.html Fox pundit Tucker Carlson is pointing out the hypocrisy of so many of our congressional leaders on building border walls. Leading the charge to stifle any serious effort to build a security wall in America is Sen. Chuck Schumer He is on record for saying " Im on a Mission From God (to Be Israels Guardian in Senate)."Too bad he isn't willing to work for the people he was actually elected to help-AMERICANS! Could you imagine a U.S. politician saying that they were on a mission from Gold to help Christian Russians? Fu King

Registered User

User ID: 430765

12-23-2018 08:24 PM



Posts: 3,346









Post: #2 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

"THE PALISTINIANS WILL BE CRUSHED LIKE GRASSHOPPERS,

THEIR HEADS SMASHED AGAINST THE BOULDERS AND --> WALLS"



Prime Minister of ISRAEL: Yitzhak Shamir

"The New York Times" Apr. 2, 1988 Balut56

Registered User

User ID: 409641

12-23-2018 08:30 PM



Posts: 2,717









Post: #3 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 08:08 PM) Fox pundit Tucker Carlson is pointing out the hypocrisy of so many of our congressional leaders on building border walls. Leading the charge to stifle any serious effort to build a security wall in America is Sen. Chuck Schumer He is on record for saying " Im on a Mission From God (to Be Israels Guardian in Senate)."





Too bad he isn't willing to work for the people he was actually elected to help-AMERICANS! Could you imagine a U.S. politician saying that they were on a mission from Gold to help Christian Russians?







https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/...nsive.html You mean Orthodox Catholics. Nothing else is allowed. Illegal to preach outside the Russian Orthodox Church. Arranged by Pope Francis with many meetings btween him and Krill. So it is hard to imagine because its a mission from Satan.

The remnant shall be saved. You mean Orthodox Catholics. Nothing else is allowed. Illegal to preach outside the Russian Orthodox Church. Arranged by Pope Francis with many meetings btween him and Krill. So it is hard to imagine because its a mission from Satan.The remnant shall be saved. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 414299

12-23-2018 09:01 PM











Post: #4 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

Balut56 Wrote: (12-23-2018 08:30 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 08:08 PM) Fox pundit Tucker Carlson is pointing out the hypocrisy of so many of our congressional leaders on building border walls. Leading the charge to stifle any serious effort to build a security wall in America is Sen. Chuck Schumer He is on record for saying " Im on a Mission From God (to Be Israels Guardian in Senate)."





Too bad he isn't willing to work for the people he was actually elected to help-AMERICANS! Could you imagine a U.S. politician saying that they were on a mission from Gold to help Christian Russians?







https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/...nsive.html You mean Orthodox Catholics. Nothing else is allowed. Illegal to preach outside the Russian Orthodox Church. Arranged by Pope Francis with many meetings btween him and Krill. So it is hard to imagine because its a mission from Satan.

The remnant shall be saved.

There are most certainly is religious freedom in Russia. I suppose you are referring to the Yarovaya Law which was enacted in part to prevent racial Islamic groups from gaining a footing in the country. Public proselyting is ok but not residential. The Jehovah Witnesses have a problem with this, but I bet most Russians don't. There are most certainly is religious freedom in Russia. I suppose you are referring to the Yarovaya Law which was enacted in part to prevent racial Islamic groups from gaining a footing in the country. Public proselyting is ok but not residential. The Jehovah Witnesses have a problem with this, but I bet most Russians don't. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 453934

12-23-2018 10:13 PM











Post: #5 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 445976

12-23-2018 10:17 PM











Post: #6 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

Tell Chuck we can longer defend his Israeli buddies.

Time to pull more globalist meat shield walls back home.



Just build temp bases on border and then let the coyotes and illegals play in the bases.

Might as well be meat shields on OUR borders instead.



Pull the free soldier slaves from the globalists clutches and deals of corruption. Hpnli

lop guest

User ID: 451621

12-23-2018 10:20 PM











Post: #7 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:13 PM) There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego.

Link? Link? engineering

Banned

User ID: 478276

12-23-2018 10:26 PM



Posts: 5,299









Post: #8 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:13 PM) There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego.

America has the highest drug overdose death rate in the world, the drugs come across the border. The cartels send people across the border to keep the drug peddlers inside America in line by raping & murdering their families and friends.



In one month there are more cartel drug related crimes/deaths in America than Israel has in 10 years.



People who aren't politicians and don't support a wall do so out of ignorance. People who are politicians and don't support a wall do so because they have an agenda to profit off the suffering caused by the scum coming across the border without a care in the world about the security of Americans. America has the highest drug overdose death rate in the world, the drugs come across the border. The cartels send people across the border to keep the drug peddlers inside America in line by raping & murdering their families and friends.In one month there are more cartel drug related crimes/deaths in America than Israel has in 10 years.People who aren't politicians and don't support a wall do so out of ignorance. People who are politicians and don't support a wall do so because they have an agenda to profit off the suffering caused by the scum coming across the border without a care in the world about the security of Americans. (This post was last modified: 12-23-2018 10:26 PM by engineering .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 453934

12-23-2018 10:26 PM











Post: #9 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

Hpnli Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:20 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:13 PM) There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego.

Link?

You want a LINK to something that everyone already knows? You want a LINK to something that everyone already knows? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 414299

12-23-2018 10:28 PM











Post: #10 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:13 PM) There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego.

The Palestinian people are victims of Israeli aggression and are entitled to protect themselves and their property from unlawful seizure. if Israel could no longer count on an AIPAC bought out congress to wield the U.S. veto in the U.N. to protect Israel when it builds illegal settlements on stolen land, it would have to pay the price via a sleight of sanctions that would bring the world's biggest outlaw to it's knees.



Israelis are NOT genetically superior to Palestinians. Learn to treat your Palestinian neighbors as you yourself wish to be treated. Do not steal their land or oppress them and you will find peace on this earth. The Palestinian people are victims of Israeli aggression and are entitled to protect themselves and their property from unlawful seizure. if Israel could no longer count on an AIPAC bought out congress to wield the U.S. veto in the U.N. to protect Israel when it builds illegal settlements on stolen land, it would have to pay the price via a sleight of sanctions that would bring the world's biggest outlaw to it's knees.Israelis are NOT genetically superior to Palestinians. Learn to treat your Palestinian neighbors as you yourself wish to be treated. Do not steal their land or oppress them and you will find peace on this earth. engineering

Banned

User ID: 478276

12-23-2018 10:30 PM



Posts: 5,299









Post: #11 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

A few years ago in my city 2 cartel hit men came to collect from someone or something they tied up the husband and wife in the basement shot their kids infront of them and then they lit the wife on fire burned her alive and then burned the house down.

They escaped probably back to south America.



This type of thing is probably a weekly thing in America and not a single politician will touch the subject. Hpnli

lop guest

User ID: 451621

12-23-2018 10:31 PM











Post: #12 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:26 PM) Hpnli Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:20 PM) Link?

You want a LINK to something that everyone already knows?

What I know is we need a free state from the river to the sea ya dig What I know is we need a free state from the river to the sea ya dig LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 438017

12-23-2018 10:35 PM











Post: #13 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

engineering Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:26 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:13 PM) There is a reason the Israelis need a WALL. The Palestinians are

terrorists who MURDER CHILDREN. They blowup school buses.



The Border wall in America is a Phallic Symbol that represents Trump's

missing Manhood. Just look at the wall designs he pushes. Everything

has to be BIG, BIGGER, the BIGGEST or Longer than any other President.



Trump has a serious INFERIORITY COMPLEX and being compared to a

Black Man really tweaked his fragile ego.

America has the highest drug overdose death rate in the world, the drugs come across the border. The cartels send people across the border to keep the drug peddlers inside America in line by raping & murdering their families and friends.



In one month there are more cartel drug related crimes/deaths in America than Israel has in 10 years.



People who aren't politicians and don't support a wall do so out of ignorance. People who are politicians and don't support a wall do so because they have an agenda to profit off the suffering caused by the scum coming across the border without a care in the world about the security of Americans.

If you think a wall will stop drugs and bad people from entering America, you might be brain-damaged.



Supply and demand. If you think a wall will stop drugs and bad people from entering America, you might be brain-damaged.Supply and demand. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 453934

12-24-2018 12:03 AM











Post: #14 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

LoP Guest Wrote: (12-23-2018 10:35 PM) If you think a wall will stop drugs and bad people from entering America, you might be brain-damaged.



Supply and demand.

Anyone who believes that Drug Dealers give a million dollars of drugs

to some poor penniless immigrant and tell him to carry the drugs across

the border is probably ON DRUGS!



Drugs are hidden inside heads of lettuce. Inside of truck tires. In

balloons and swallowed and quite often smuggled in underwater

off the coast. Anyone who believes that Drug Dealers give a million dollars of drugsto some poor penniless immigrant and tell him to carry the drugs acrossthe border is probably ON DRUGS!Drugs are hidden inside heads of lettuce. Inside of truck tires. Inballoons and swallowed and quite often smuggled in underwateroff the coast. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443077

12-24-2018 12:28 AM











Post: #15 RE: Tucker Carlson: Border Wall Good For israel But Bad For America?

Why would I as an American give a crap about Israel? Advertisement



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Daniel Callcut in Aeon:

I am glad, wrote the acclaimed American philosopher Susan Wolf, that neither I nor those about whom I care most are moral saints. This declaration is one of the opening remarks of a landmark essay in which Wolf imagines what it would be like to be morally perfect. If you engage with Wolfs thought experiment, and the conclusions she draws from it, then you will find that it offers liberation from the trap of moral perfection. Wolfs essay Moral Saints (1982) imagines two different models of the moral saint, which she labels the Loving Saint and the Rational Saint. The Loving Saint, as described by Wolf, does whatever is morally best in a joyful spirit: such a life is not fun-free, but it is unerringly and unwaveringly focused on morality. We are to think of the Loving Saint as the kind of person who cheerfully sells all of her or his possessions in order to donate the proceeds to famine relief. The Rational Saint is equally devoted to moral causes, but is motivated not by a constantly loving spirit, rather by a sense of duty.

The Loving Saint might be more fun to be around than the Rational Saint, or more maddening, depending on your own personal temperament. Would the constant happiness of the Loving Saint make being with her easier, or would it drive you around the bend? There is an instruction associated with Buddhism  in fact, coined by the American scholar Joseph Campbell  that asks you to participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world, and the Loving Saint does this to the maximum: but perhaps you would find such joy sustained in the face of the worlds worst horrors inane or inappropriate. On the other hand, the Rational Saint, with his relentless commitment to duty, might be very grating company, too.

Both types of moral saint are likely to present difficulties if you are not a saint yourself.

More here.
Leo Carey in The New Yorker:

On February 22, 1942, the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig and his second wife went to the bedroom of a rented house in Petropolis, Brazil. They lay downshe in a kimono, he in a shirt and tieafter taking an enormous dose of barbiturates. When news of their suicides broke, it was reported as a matter of worldwide significance. The New York Times carried the news on its front page, alongside reports of the rout of Japanese forces in Bali and of a broadcast address by President Roosevelt. An editorial the next day, titled One of the Dispossessed, saw in Zweigs final act the problems of the exile for conscience sake. Zweig, a Jew, had left Austria in 1934, living in England and New York before the final move to Brazil, and his work had been banned and vilified across the German-speaking world. In his suicide note, he spoke of my own language having disappeared from me and my spiritual home, Europe, having destroyed itself. He concluded, I salute all my friends! May it be granted them yet to see the dawn after the long night! I, all too impatient, go on before.

Zweigs death arguably marked the high point of his literary standing: to most English-speaking readers, he is now little more than a name. Yet, for a time, in the nineteen-twenties and thirties, he was the most translated writer in Europe. Along with the fiction and the biographies on which his reputation chiefly rests, he produced a seemingly effortless stream of plays, translations, poems, travelogues, and essayson subjects ranging from manuscripts to Moscow theatre. An energetic literary spokesman and pen member, he lectured, in several languages, around the world. He also championed many other writers, helping them financially and with glowing appraisals of their work.

Beside contemporaries like Thomas Mann and Joseph Roth, Zweig can seem like an also-ran; he left no single, defining masterwork. But, in the past few years, its become possible to appreciate anew the variety and ambition of his writing. New York Review Books and Pushkin Press have reissued most of Zweigs important fiction, often in fine new translations by Anthea Bell, and a number of his biographical studies. They have also published translationsthe first everof an abandoned novel, The Post-Office Girl, and of a long-lost novella, Journey into the Past.

More here. (Note: From August 2012 issue. Recommend his gorgeous book, Beware of Pity)
WASHINGTONA partial US government shutdown that entered its second day on Sunday was set to stretch through Christmas, after Congress adjourned for the weekend with no deal in sight to end an impasse over funding for President Donald Trumps wall on the US-Mexico border. Due to the shutdownin which several key US agencies ceased operations at 12:01 am (0501 GMT) SaturdayTrump said he would remain in Washington over Christmas instead of going to Florida. I am in the White House, working hard, the Republican president tweeted. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay. Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of the border wall, a signature campaign promise and part of his effort to reduce illegal immigration. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of a deal meant federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight Friday. The House of Representatives and the Senate held sessions on Saturday, but both chambers adjourned without agreement, and no votes were expected until Thursday. Visitors to the capitals park-like National Mall, home to attractions including war memorials and the towering Washington Monument, criticized the shutdown which added to an air of chaos in a capital still reeling from Defense Secretary Jim Mattiss resignation last week over Trump policies. The uncertainty also helped pushed Wall Street into another rout on Friday, ending its worst week in a decade.Oh I think its ridiculous. Its unnecessary, Philip Gibbs, a retired business professor from South Virginia, said of the shutdown. Jeffrey Grignon, a Wisconsin healthcare worker, said the politicians need to stop acting like children and do the work they were elected to do. It isnt just one or two people. Its all them, he said. Another visitor, Howard Vander Griend, 57, predicted Trump will come out a winner from the budget impasse. I dont think the shutdown will pressure president Trump at all, said Vander Griend, of Tennessee. So I think he will get what he wants and I think thats a good thing.
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.
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Beth Pendergrass has faced several life-changing events in just 18 months.

She relocated to Seattle from New Mexico in the summer of 2017 for a new job. Six months later she moved back to New Mexico for another new job.

And then six months after that, Pendergrass, 38, found a lump in her breast. She went to her doctor and her worst fears were confirmed  she had cancer. Pendergrass said she allowed herself time to feel sorry for herself, be down in the dumps and feel whatever other emotion came to her. Then she got down to business.

I gave myself a day to cry it out and then I said OK. You need to buck up,' she said. Then the resolve set in.

She said the first thing she did was give her husband three rules as she started chemotherapy.

I asked him to keep the house clean, she said. To keep our backyard looking nice and to pretend he didnt notice if I cried. That Ill get over it. I just need a minute.

Pendergrass, who is the chief communications officer for the Rio Rancho Public Schools district, then began researching the disease and learning how others had dealt with the emotional and mental ramifications of being diagnosed with cancer. She said a lot of people talked about using a journal to cope.

I wanted to document my journey, she said. But I didnt want it to be boring.

Halloween has always been a favorite time for Pendergrass and her husband, Jamie. Shes become skilled at doing make-up and creating costumes. She decided thats exactly what she would do. Each week of chemotherapy, 31 as of the writing of this story, Pendergrass has dressed up as a different movie character and re-created a scene from the film. Her husband photographs her and then she posts the photos on social media with a quote from the movie and her reasons for choosing that particular character and movie.

Accompanying a photo of her depicting Jack Torrance leering through the bathroom door in the classic horror film The Shining, she wrote, I said I was coming for you, Cancer, and I have. I am chopping down doors and you cant escape me.

Other photos include witch Winifred Sanderson from the old-school favorite Hocus Pocus, favorite horror movie host Elvira, Maria standing on a hilltop in The Sound of Music, and Napoleon Dynamite from the cult classic comedy of the same name.

Chris Pruitt was living in Idaho Falls in 2011 when his 11-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer. He and Pendergrass were friends at the time and she helped him navigate the school system to make sure his daughter could continue receiving instruction when she could not attend class. His daughter has since gone into remission, but he said he understands the power behind Pendergrass photos.

You need to have something to keep your mind off of whats going on in your body, he said. Also having something to look forward to when you have cancer is fundamental.

Pendergrass said it was her goal from the start to publicly discuss and document her journey. She still has days where she feels anxious, angry, afraid or physically unwell because of the chemotherapy. She has discussed all this publicly but she said her photo project has helped her cope and she hopes has helped other people, too.

I didnt want it to be sad, she said. I wanted to do something that would make people laugh while being open and honest. I wanted to make it comfortable for people to talk about and ask questions.

Since starting her project, Pendergrass said several people have reached out to her, thanking her, encouraging her and seeking her advice.

Its powerful to me because it keeps me going, she said. Those messages mean the world to me.

Wiley Dobbs is one of those people Pendergrass photos inspired. The two worked together for the Twin Falls, Idaho, school district many years ago. Dobbs himself fought Hodkins lymphoma 24 years ago. Dobbs said he was worried sick upset when hearing about Pendergrass diagnosis. He said her photos, although meant to cheer herself up, have had an unexpected outcome by instead comforting her friends.

They are inspiring, he said. Sometimes they are also very funny. Its reassuring to us friends that Beth is fighting as hard as she can so she can stay with us. We desperately want that.

Pendergrass photos can be viewed on Instagram at the handle instabeth505.
In early May 2013, Gabriel Cordell logged his 1,000th mile in New Mexico as he traveled across the country  by wheelchair.

The Los Angeles residents goal was to roll across the United States  3,100 miles in all  and a film crew captured it all.

The final product, Roll with Me: A Journey Across America, will have a screening at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at the Guild Cinema. Lisa France, the director, navigated the trip with him.

Its been a long process, Cordell says. We didnt think it would take this long. But the film is out and its starting a conversation and its more than what I imagined.

Cordell traveled through California and Arizona before getting to the Land of Enchantment. With stops in Hatch, Truth or Consequences, Socorro and Belen, Cordell and crew have passed through some rough terrain.

New Mexico was definitely the most frustrating state that I rolled across, he says. The wind was the biggest factor. There are so many hills too and it can get tiring. It took us 2 weeks to get out of New Mexico.

Cordell wanted to do the project to inspire others and remind people that there shouldnt be limits to what we each can accomplish.

Cordell has been using a wheelchair for more than 20 years. He became paralyzed from the chest down after an accident in New York City.

I was driving to an audition, he recalls. A lady ran a red light and T-boned me. I flew out of my Jeep and hit a pole with my back. Thats when it all began.

The film has been screening across the country and streaming on Netflix.

Cordell is humbled by the response hes been getting from it.

Its a lot to take in, he says. When people that youve never met share their deepest, darkest secrets with you. Its powerful. I wish everyone could experience that once in their life. I sacrificed a lot in getting this done and showed people my vulnerability. Its connected with them and thats a special feeling too.

Cordell used the time rolling through the country to tell his story.

After the accident, he became addicted to cocaine and later meth.

The film shares the intimate narratives of PTSD, homelessness, family estrangement and sobriety struggles.

I roll to inspire people to live up to their potential, to show them they can do anything they set their mind to, Cordell says.
FORT WORTH, Texas  A North Texas man has been arrested after being accused of shooting his wifes laptop computer because she was playing loud music on it.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that 44-year-old Gary Lykins has been charged with deadly conduct for discharging a firearm.

He remained jailed on Saturday, held with no bond. Jail records didnt list an attorney for Lykins.

Police say they were called to Lykins Fort Worth home around 2 a.m. Saturday.

Authorities say his wife received minor injuries from computer debris after Lykins fired his weapon.

Authorities say Lykins barricaded himself in his home before he was taken into custody.

___

Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com
FORT COLLINS, Colo.  The Salvation Army says a mystery benefactor in Colorado has once again donated a gold coin worth about $1,500.

The charity says someone dropped a South African Krugerrand into a collection kettle in Fort Collins on Dec. 14. It was the 19th time in 20 years that at least one Krugerrand showed up.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Friday the first coin showed up in 1998.

In 2000, a Krugerrand came with a note that said Down but not out, and the next year, no Krugerrand appeared. But the giving resumed in 2002.

Salvation Army Capt. Isaias Braga says a man sometimes buys the coin after the donation. In 2015, the buyer gave his name but said he didnt want to be identified publicly.

Braga says he hasnt seen him since.

___

Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan, http://www.coloradoan.com
A public schools janitor is in some hot water after police say he pulled a gun and threatened to shoot a boy outside an elementary school in the South Valley late Thursday.

Metro Court Judge Christine Rodriguez released Ray Lopez, 32, on his own recognizance Saturday after he was jailed on charges of unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say Lopez  an Albuquerque Public Schools custodian  chased several boys around Barcelona Elementary School before arming himself with a loaded gun and threatening to shoot one of them.

Lopez was arrested around midnight Thursday.

The complaint describes the boys as juveniles but it is unclear how old they are, and a police spokesman did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

An APS spokeswoman also did not respond to requests for comment.

According to a criminal complaint filed in court, an APS police officer called Albuquerque police after detaining several boys and Lopez at the elementary school located near Isleta and Blake SW.

Lopez, who said there had been recent break-ins, told police he chased the boys and pulled a gun on them because he thought they were breaking into the portable buildings.

Police say video surveillance didnt show the boys anywhere near the portables and they claimed to have gone to the school to take a photo because there was a container with Mario on it.

The boys told police they ran when Lopez began to chase them because he was holding a gun and yelling, Im gonna shoot you! Do you wanna die tonight!

Police say Lopez gave conflicting versions of his story during questioning.

Lopez told police he just finished his custodial duties and was about to head home when he saw a light flash from the portable classrooms.

According to the complaint, Lopez went to see what was going on when he saw two of the boys who appeared suspicious and ran off.

Mr. Lopez states he went to his vehicle and grabbed his handgun, a detective wrote.

Lopez told police he chased the boys around with the gun in his hand before he lost them.

Police say Lopez found one of them soon after and chambered a round because the boy reached towards his waistband.

He told the male to stop because he did not want to have to shoot him, a detective wrote.

I asked Mr. Lopez if he saw a weapon and he stated no.

Lopez told police he was in fear for his life during the chase.

In Lopezs vehicle, police say they found a gun with a fully loaded magazine and a round in the chamber.
The Santa Fe Public Schools apparently will be getting a big gift in the new year.

The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, a national nonprofit founded and led by families of those who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut six years ago this month, has created a program aimed at preventing school shootings.

It doesnt cost anything. Santa Fe is headed toward applying to take what the foundation has to offer for a three-year pilot project. At a school board meeting on Dec. 4, the board was guaranteed that its application will be accepted.

The program has four main components, most of them proactive and preventative. Start with Hello is an anti-bullying effort intended to foster socialization, and train students to reach out to loners or outsiders and bring them into a group. An anti-suicide component also includes training, for students and school personnel, on spotting the signs of depression or potential suicide and how to intervene.

A safety assessment and intervention program, developed by the University of Virginia and veterans of the Secret Service, builds a local team to identify and respond to threats and observed at-risk behavior.

The fourth part of the program is getting the most attention around the country. Its called Say Something. It trains students on recognizing red flags and includes a smart phone app (as well as a website and phone call system) for making anonymous tips, broken down into two groups  life safety issues, like an actual active shooter, domestic violence or an attempted suicide, and non-life safety cases, such as anxiety, theft or teasing. Tipsters can send along photos or screen-captures of social media posts.

A trained crisis counselor starts a dialogue with the tipster, triages the information and notifies appropriate personnel  at the school for something like bullying or a student with a minor injury or, in the most serious or threatening cases, law enforcement and the regional dispatch center for emergency responders. The foundation recently told NPR that the number of districts using the reporting system will increase from 150 to 600 in January.

The foundation says there are almost always signs before someone becomes violent and that 80 percent of school shooters tell others about their plans.

Four northwest New Mexico school districts are using the Sandy Hook foundations tools. In Aztec, where a school shooting claimed two students lives a year ago, the superintendent says tips of potential suicide are among the most common and, in one case, got police to the door of a student who was threatening to kill herself before anything happened, according to NPRs report.

There are concerns about fake or prank tips through the Say Something app or similar apps that are springing up. Santa Fe recently had a fake school threat, made on social media, that resulted in a teenager being wrongly arrested and charged. The charges were dropped within a few days.

But others argue that anonymous communications are necessary to make students comfortable about reporting what they see or hear. The Aztec superintendent told NPR there have been a couple of hoaxes since his school started using Say Something this fall, but that the system had been a great benefit and responders are well trained in vetting tips.

(On a separate track, the Santa Fe school district is starting a trial run on its own of a panic button app, at Santa Fe High, and probably Capital High, that can notify police or emergency responders, campus security or just regular school staffers, depending on the incident and level of concern.)

The Sandy Hook foundations outreach also includes what amount to training videos. A new one called Point of View (see it at www.sandyhookpromise.org/pointofview) presents a look at a school day up to the point a gun is produced and aimed toward students. Its scary, but subtle, intended to show how to look for signs of potential violence.

The Santa Fe schools administration appears to be moving forward with the Sandy Hook Foundation project. Its something thats taking a tragedy and trying to make something good out of it, said board member Maureen Cashmon. Superintendent Veronica Garcia called it an amazing opportunity.

Its a good move. Regardless of whether Say Something catches someone actually near the point of launching a school shooting, the foundations overall plan focuses on preventing a situation from going critical and trying to change school culture for the better. It takes on issues like what the foundation calls a lack of mental wellness, as well as bullying and ostracism, and encourages students to look out for each other, not just their friends or a certain clique. If there are major problems with petty or hoax tips, thats the kind of issue that can be worked on during a pilot project.

The Journal North continues to support the idea of armed, law enforcement-certified security personnel at schools (not guns for teachers). The foundations plan is about doing all we can do prevent a cop or security guard from ever having to deal with a school shooter.
Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. is no longer in a court-assisted corporate rehabilitation after substantially complying with the conditions set by Makati Regional Trial Court on August 6. This is indeed welcome news and a perfect Christmas gift. We have been waiting for this and it is in line with our growth aspirations and vision of turning PT&T into a digital services provider, PT&T president and chief executive James Velasquez said over the weekend. PT&T held a stockholders meeting on September 20 and secured the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 31 to increase its capital stock and conduct a debt-to-equity conversion. PT&Ts payment of statutory obligations as listed in the rehabilitation plan are also ongoing. Under a court-approved 14-year rehabilitation plan, the P8.8-billion debt from creditors would be paid in redeemable serial preferred shares of PT&T. The companys rehabilitation plan was approved in 2011. Leaving corporate rehabilitation allows PT&T to further expand its operations and unlock the true potential of PT&T as a fixed and wireless broadband player from its roots in the telecommunications industries since 1962. PT&Ts Congressional franchise was renewed in July 2016. We want to assure the public and the government that we had the financial capability to support our bid to become the new major player and our existing operations, Velasquez said.We were able to cut our liabilities significantly and we posted a profit this fiscal year. What is also relevant to point out is that PT&T met all the financial qualification requirements for the New Major Player bid. The new management promises to sustain our growth trajectory, Velasquez said. PT&Ts total liabilities dropped significantly to P1.5 billion as of October this year from P10 billion with majority of the debt converted to preferred shares. The companys paid-up capital was also raised to P10.9 billion from P2 billion. Assets reached P837.60 million as of October this year, higher than P759.46 million in 2017. PT&T reported a 192-percent increase in net income in fiscal year ending June 2018. The companys revenues jumped 95 percent from last years. PT&T attributed the increase in revenues to the rise in the number of clients since new management came in August 2017. The companys client base jumped 72.6 percent from a year ago.
Every parent knows that having a new child is incredible and wonderful, but also one of the most stressful endeavors anyone can ever hope to undertake. In New Mexico, about 27,000 children are born each year. Many of these newborns are the sons and daughters of first-time parents who are just embarking on a lifetime full of joys and the greatest of challenges.

Every child deserves the best start from birth. We know that the earliest years of our childrens lives are the most important in their social, emotional and cognitive development. Nurturing our youngest children is key to ensuring they grow up healthy and prepared to succeed in life.

But parenting is hard. And it can be especially daunting for parents who have little in resources.

Home-visiting programs can be of great help to new families, providing support and critical assistance that ranges from health care to emotional and social supports at a crucial time in a childs brain development. This legislative session, our leaders have an opportunity to expand Medicaid-funded home visiting to more families statewide. Services that more New Mexicans could access include checking on the development and health of the child, screening mothers for post-partum depression, supporting breastfeeding, and connecting families to community activities.

New Mexico is already moving forward with a pilot home-visiting program for Medicaid eligible families in Bernalillo County starting in January 2019. Curry and Roosevelt counties will join the pilot later in the year. This pilot will implement two different models of evidence-based home visiting, Parents as Teachers and Nurse-Family Partnership, which have been found to produce higher educational and health outcomes for children. Both models measurably reduce birth complications, infant emergency medical care episodes, as well as incidence of child abuse and neglect, and successfully encourage young parents to pursue higher education and job training.

There has never been a more opportune time to invest in our children. The pilot program leverages federal funding to cover about 70 percent of the costs. If our Legislature expanded the program, our state would be able to leverage the same percentage and New Mexico could offer home visiting programs at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost the state.

For every dollar we invest in home visiting, New Mexico can save between three dollars and six dollars in remedial costs. Home visiting establishes a strong foundation for families where children can grow up healthier and safer, and parents can develop stronger parenting skills for the years to come.

We call on our governor-elect and state lawmakers to expand Medicaid-funded home visiting to all New Mexican families. We ask that you pick up the phone and do the same.
Its been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor. A lot of good things have happened since 2011.

When I took office, one of my first duties was to preside over the N.M. Senate. Ten years earlier, I had defeated Sen. Raymond Sanchez, D-Albuquerque, in a hotly contested House race. In 2011, his brother, Sen. Michael Sanchez, was the majority leader of the Senate. There was anticipation fireworks would fly. I went to Sen. Sanchezs office and laid out the case for what we could accomplish if we worked together. He listened and agreed. We worked together to run the best Senate floor possible. Early on, statesmanship won over personal and political gamesmanship.

Eight years later, I experienced one of the most humbling and gratifying moments of my political career as all 42 senators stood one by one for over two hours and honored me with a memorial for my service as the president of the N.M. Senate. It is, to my knowledge, an unprecedented moment in New Mexico Senate politics and certainly an extraordinary moment for me personally.

New Mexico is on an upward trajectory. As I prepare to leave office, I would like to reflect on how far weve come.

Currently, we are the third-largest producer of gas and oil in the United States. This industry contributes over one-third of the state government budget. I am proud of the work we did to ease tax and regulatory burdens while protecting the environment. I have been a strong proponent of alternative energy development in our state. In 2017, New Mexico added wind power capacity at a faster rate than any other state.

Wineries, dairy plants, food processing and digital component manufacturing are all thriving.

This is due largely to the New Mexico Jobs Package that went into effect in 2013, dropping the corporate income tax rate to 5.9 percent and eliminating the double tax matrix for manufacturers.

The aerospace/aviation industry now boasts over 48,000 jobs, generates $1.3 billion in payroll annually and contributes $3.1 billion to our economy. I served as the chairman of the National Aerospace States Association to promote New Mexicos interests in this industry.

The film industry is growing thanks to targeted tax credits. Between 2014 and 2017, the amount of direct, in-state production spending increased from $162 million to $506 million. I have strongly supported this industry.

I internationalized my office, serving as an ambassador for our state. I traveled the globe and hosted more than 40 foreign dignitaries and diplomats here in New Mexico. International trade is now bringing $3.6 billion into our states economy and providing nearly 14,000 jobs. My staff and I have traveled nearly a million miles representing New Mexico.

Jobs and opportunity are what New Mexicans need. I have served on the Innovate ABQ board bringing economic development to our state. According to the Albuquerque Journal, employment in Albuquerque rose 2.8 percent in October. The paper stated the preliminary figure of 403,500 jobs for the metropolitan area is the highest since such records started being kept in 1999.

Ive made numerous trips to the Pentagon to grow the defense investment in our state. At this time, New Mexico is in a prime position to permanently bed down the F-16 training mission at Holloman Air Force Base, which will lead to a $5 billion boost to our economy.

Facebook has built a data center in Los Lunas and continues to hire, while Netflix has announced its plan to buy studios in Albuquerque, agreeing to spend $1 billion on film production in New Mexico in the first 10 years. Netflix is expected to create 1,000 jobs.

Im proud of our achievements during the past eight years. Unlike the conditions we inherited, current economic growth will give the next administration over a $1 billion surplus. I encourage the new regime not to waste this. I pray they will not raid the Land Grant Permanent Fund, which needs to grow to fund critical services in the future.

I am optimistic for New Mexicos future, and mine. I consider myself a better New Mexican and American because of my time serving as your lieutenant governor. May God bless each and every one of you.
There is one thing that cant be disputed about the death of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin. It is a tragedy regardless of where you stand on the immigration issue.

For better or worse, her death has become part of the narrative of an already emotionally charged issue, joining the photo of a child and mother fleeing tear gas at the border a few weeks ago and the stories of children being separated from their parents and held in jail cells earlier this year.

Jakelin died while in the custody of the Border Patrol after she and her father crossed the Mexican border in a rugged, remote portion of southern New Mexico.

The image of a 7-year-old girl dying after a long journey with her father and other migrants from Guatemala paints another unflattering picture of the work done by those who guard our southern border. And, at this point, it is an unfair one.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus  including New Mexicos District 3 Rep. Ben Ray Lujan and incoming District 2 Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, both Democrats  traveled to the border last week retracing the route the migrant group took with the Border Patrol. They were critical of border officials and conditions they found. Texas Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro used the photo-op to demand the head of Customs and Border Protection step down. California Democrat Rep. Raul Ruiz, a doctor, said vulnerable migrants, like children, should have their vital signs checked when taken into custody. Lujan was upset there was no running water and just two portable toilets.

And that raises the question of whether they paid attention to where they were at all.

Jakelin and her father, Nery Gilberto Caal Cuz, 29, were with a group of 163 migrants who crossed the border near Antelope Wells in New Mexicos bootheel. The border station is a forward operating base with bare-bones facilities in the desolate desert at least 90 miles from anything save the odd farmhouse. The four agents assigned there work eight-day shifts because its too far to drive home on a daily basis. And while there is a paved road, there are no utilities, much less EMTs.

CBP officials said the group of migrants, including the girl and her father, had access to water, food and bathrooms. Caal Cuz signed forms agreeing he and his daughter did not have any medical needs or health problems, according to officials. The paperwork is in English, but Border Patrol agents speak Spanish and translated, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

There is a question of whether Caal Cuz understood because he speaks Qeqchi, a Mayan dialect, with Spanish his second language. He also reportedly disputes the initial story his daughter went without food or water for several days before they turned themselves in to Border Patrol on Dec. 6. And on Wednesday, he contended through lawyers that no water was provided to either him or his daughter by the Border Patrol.

Shortly before the bus to take the group to Lordsburg departed at 5 a.m., Caal Cuz notified agents his daughter was sick and had been vomiting, according to CBP. An hour and a half later, when the bus arrived at the Border Patrols small operating station in Lordsburg, the child had stopped breathing.

In Lordsburg, Border Patrol agents revived Jakelin twice and Hidalgo Medical Services provided care before the girl was airlifted to a hospital in El Paso. She died less than 24 hours later.

The members of Congress are right, there needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened. Jakelins family deserves answers. So do the men and women who work border security.

But in the meantime we do not know what caused the childs death or whether border agents should have realized earlier she was sick.

We do know there are no reports the migrants were treated cruelly. And that in a perfect world of unlimited resources, border agents would be able to provide water, food, blankets, interpreters and medical care when they come across migrants crossing in remote areas of New Mexico, Arizona and California.

But it is simply unreasonable to think they would be adequately equipped to meet myriad needs of an unknown number of migrants they might come across in such remote places.

If there is an early lesson to be learned from Jakelins death, its this: Lawmakers need to look inward as well as outward. It is essential Congress finally crafts and passes sensible immigration policy. We need to find a way to make our borders more secure. We need to ensure those who protect our borders are adequately equipped and trained. We also need to make the immigration process more humane and encourage migrants to come here legally through border crossings.

Because putting their health and welfare in the hands of smugglers and the harsh desert climate too often has tragic results.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
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Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

CIUDAD JUAREZ  The weary looking group of Central American parents with children waiting near the nativity scene at the Casa del Migrante shelter had hoped to ask for asylum at the U.S. border but instead they are stuck in Mexico.

It was a difficult journey, said Ilubitza Mazaiegos while holding her young daughter. To keep warm, the little girl wore a donated pink hoodie with rock star stitched on the front. They had traveled more than a month from Guatemala through Mexico to reach the border.

The mother and daughter added their names to the growing list of Central American families waiting to present their asylum claim to U.S. authorities at ports of entry on the Southwest border.

Under a new agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, that wait will be longer since asylum seekers will remain south of the border until their cases are decided by a U.S. immigration judge.

 Catch and release will be replaced with catch and return,  said Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen in announcing the historic measures on Thursday.

Mexico is already a huge waiting room for thousands of Central Americans who have been turned away by overwhelmed Customs and Border Protection officers at official ports of entry. According to CBP, the agency does not have the facilities or personnel to handle the record number of families arriving at the border asking for asylum.

While the high profile caravans of migrants from Honduras on the California-Mexico border attracted most of the attention, thousands of Central Americans have quietly sought asylum by crossing illegally into New Mexico or lining up at official ports of entry in Texas.

In 2018, nearly 93,000 people cited credible fear of returning to their home country  a 70 percent increase in asylum cases from 2017. In 2017, 56,000 migrants asked for asylum, according to CBP data.

These numbers reflect a dramatic increase in initial fear claims by those encountered on the border, which is straining border security, immigration enforcement and courts, and other federal resources, said Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan in a Dec. 10 statement.

Two options

There are two tracks for asylum under U.S. law  affirmative and defensive.

For undocumented migrants arriving at the border, whether at an official port of entry or by crossing illegally, the process is usually defensive, meaning the applicant is claiming asylum as a defense against deportation after entering the United States.

Asylum seekers are taken into custody after an officer determines a credible fear of persecution or torture.

An immigration judge ultimately decides whether the claim is valid, but a backlog of more than 786,000 pending cases in immigration court means some migrants may stay in the U.S. for years while they wait for a decision.

This slowdown both harms those eligible for protection and invites abuse, with some claims filed to secure the right to remain and work legally in the United States while awaiting long-off adjudication, according to a report issued in September by the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., think tank.

In the report titled The U.S. Asylum System in Crisis: Charting a Way Forward, the center examines regional migration dynamics, among them violence in Central America, as well as the changing profile of migrants arriving on the border. Rather than single men looking for work, the largest groups are families.

With limited family detention center space and a restriction on holding children for more than 20 days, Central American parents are usually released with their children.

Most parents wear electronic tracking devices on their ankles and are required to appear in immigration court and check in periodically with ICE.

Under the new agreement with Mexico, after being processed at the border, migrants will get a notice to appear for immigration court and be sent to Mexico to wait. They will be allowed back into the U.S. for court hearings.

Mexicos government will provide waiting migrants with humanitarian visas, work authorization, and other protections, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

To cope with the surge in claims this year, CBP resorted to metering at ports of entry, allowing a limited number of asylum seekers into the country at a time to file a claim. Mexicos migration authorities are in charge of the list of people who can present themselves at ports of entry.

Packed shelters

In Ciudad Juarez, Casa del Migrante is taking the names of those arriving daily seeking temporary shelter as they wait to be allowed into the U.S. to ask for asylum. The shelter, which can hold up to 1,500, is filled to capacity. Migrants can only stay at the shelter for three days.

On a busy afternoon, shelter workers handed out donated clothes and took down the names and basic information from the new group of Central Americans including Mazaiegos and her daughter.

A worker used a large black marker to write a number on each of the migrants forearms, which was their assigned place on the waiting list.

They can also get it written on a little piece of paper, but one woman lost her number and she was turned back at the port of entry, said Rosa Maria Parra, a shelter worker.

Up to 60 people a day are allowed by CBP in El Paso to make an asylum claim during the week. On weekends that number drops to 30, according to the shelter.

CBP notifies Mexican immigration authorities when to send the asylum applicants to the border.

The American Civil Liberties Union claims the lists of asylum seekers turned away at the border are in violation of U.S. and international laws.

Theyre also an example of the United States forcing Mexico to do its immigration dirty work, said Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the ACLU Border Rights Center.

But a CBP spokesman said, No one is being denied the opportunity to make a claim of credible fear or seek asylum.

The CBP has said that more people will be allowed into its facilities for processing once space becomes available or other factors allow for additional parties.

Officers have discretion to allow some migrants to ask for asylum without waiting in Mexico. According to the ACLU, that includes minors traveling on their own. Unaccompanied children should not be subjected to the waiting list, Drake said.

In Ciudad Juarez, a bewildered teen named Baudilio Soto showed up at the Casa del Migrante shelter last week and did not understand the list or the asylum process.

I was told immigration authorities in the U.S. would help me, he said.

The 17-year-old traveled from a small village in Guatemala through Mexico and is trying to reach the states to reunite with an older brother in Florida. He did not know that because he is underage, he would be taken into custody and only released to a vetted sponsor.

Parra, the shelter worker, said youngsters who are not on the list are turned back at the port of entry so she assigned him a number and wrote it on his forearm.

Earlier this month in Tijuana, two Honduran teenagers who were part of the caravan were murdered. Mexican police said they had left a shelter for migrant youth to visit another shelter and were victims of an attempted robbery.

The backlog at official ports of entry along the border has led to some asylum seekers to resort to dangerous alternatives, according to immigrant advocates.

Desert tragedy

On Dec. 6, a 7-year-old girl from Guatemala died after she and her father were taken into custody by Border Patrol agents in New Mexico.

They were in a group of 163 migrants who crossed the border illegally and turned themselves in to agents near the remote Antelope Wells port of entry. That group included 50 minors traveling alone, according to CBP officials.

The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances of Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquins death.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus traveled to the remote stretch of border on a fact-finding mission Tuesday to see where the child crossed and where she was taken.

They also toured the Lordsburg Border Patrol substation and viewed overcrowded holding cells filled with about 200 Central Americans who had crossed into New Mexico.

These are legitimate challenges, but this administration is addressing these challenges in the cruelest way, in a way that in fact makes things much worse, said Veronica Escobar, a Democratic congresswoman-elect who will represent El Paso.

Democrats in New Mexicos congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Michelle Lujan Grisham, signed a letter urging the incoming House and Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to convene oversight hearings on the childs death.

Court challenge

A Trump administration effort to restrict when, where and how migrants can seek asylum is being challenged in court.

A federal judge issued an injunction halting the administrations ban on keeping those who cross the border illegally from applying for asylum. A divided Supreme Court on Friday left the lower courts ruling in place.

And in another setback, a different federal judge on Wednesday declared unlawful the administrations effort to block victims of domestic or gang violence from seeking asylum.

As the battle over asylum plays out in federal court, Central American migrants in Mexico at the Casa del Migrante shelter wait with eager anticipation for their opportunity to make an asylum claim before U.S. authorities.

Esperanza Blanco, whose first name means hope in English, is staying at the shelter with her 6-year-old son, Cristian. The Guatemalan mother said they just want a fighting chance.
Christmas is tamale season in the Southwest and my best friend who also grew up on the border but now lives elsewhere asked about my annual supply.

I get homemade tamales from the woman I consider my mother-in-law.

Mama Linda, as shes known in our extended family, used to have a restaurant, but these days Herlinda Corchado makes a limited number of tamales for close relatives.

Her tamales are treasured like bars of gold.

She learned the recipe from her mother. The key ingredient she said is sun-dried chile from Hatch.

When I asked her who would carry on the tamale tradition, Mama Linda said, I dont know. Her granddaughter quickly chimed in to say her daughters wanted to learn from their great-grandmother.

Tamales are time-consuming: from soaking the corn husks overnight, to preparing the meat or other fillings, to making the chile, and finally stuffing the masa, or the thick corn dough, with delicious ingredients, wrapping it in the corn husks and steaming the tamales in a big pot for several hours.

Even with the abundant supply of prepared masa, tamales are the epitome of slow food in a fast-paced modern world. But thats the point, especially during the hectic holiday season.

It was about work but it was also about catching up and gossiping and talking and laughing, recalled my friend poet and author Benjamin Alire Saenz about his familys tamale tradition.

Saenz grew up on a farm in Dona Ana County, one of seven children. He learned how to make tamales from his mother and cherishes her memory when he gets together with siblings and friends to make tamales this time of year.

We wind up talking about our parents, our memories of childhood and that means were passing on an oral history so it wont be lost, Saenz said.

But what about people who are too busy working to find time to make tamales?

You think the generation of our parents werent working hard? They made the time, Saenz said. Maybe they didnt have any money, but this was a gift that they were giving to their family. And there is nothing better you can get than something someone made you.

Tamale aficionados have been getting some help in the kitchen from Tamale Confidential, hosted by Edmundo Resendez on Las Cruces public radio station KRWG. The broadcast is available online by Googling tamale confidential.

We did it the first year and received such an enormous response, Resendez said.

Now in its third year, the call-in show is a mix of people sharing their New Mexico recipes and others asking for tips as they try to make tamales for the first time.

A caller named Bradon said his favorite tamales are the green chile chicken. But he was looking for meatless options for friends.

Thats something Resendez understands since his daughter, a freshman at the University of New Mexico, does not eat meat.

We had to experiment on how to do vegetarian tamales, he said.

Instead of the traditional red chile and pork he grew up eating, his daughter and a group of six friends made tamales stuffed with beans.

Whatever the ingredients, at Christmas people crave the taste of home. Tamales are a double gift: a delicious corn-husk-wrapped holiday treat and the precious time spent with loved ones during a tamalada.

We create community, and that is what is so lacking in our world, Saenz said.

We live in a contentious time where we exile each other off the map and forget that we really do belong to each other, he said as only a poet could.

Despite the old adage about too many hands in the masa, this holiday season, that might be exactly what we need.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Journal Las Cruces correspondent Angela Kocherga at 263-5008 or akocherga@abqjournal.com
In the Chinese culture, the word sifu means teacher, but it also has the connotation of father.

Thats how students described well-known martial arts master Charles Lin, founder of the Chinese Culture Center, who died peacefully Dec. 9 from brain cancer at his Albuquerque home. He was 66.

Lin, who taught the traditional Chinese arts of kung fu and tai chi, was also described as a mentor, a friend and a healer, said long-time student Cynthia Reyes, a pediatric general surgeon.

He saved my life, said Reyes, 60. More than 10 years ago, I had surgery for colon cancer, and the operation didnt go well. I got very sick and wound up having another surgery from complications. I had been training with Charles for about a year at the time, and because I was in good shape, I survived the complications.

Reyes wanted to resume her training but still sick and weak she couldnt do the more dynamic kung fu. So Charles put me in the tai chi class to rebuild, and it was amazing. Within a year, I was able to go back to kung fu, and it took me two years after that to get back to where I was, but coming from being at deaths door, it was a miracle.

Bill Doleman used to be runner, but knee problems made it difficult to continue that form of exercise. A friend who was a student of Charles suggested that I try tai chi, a softer martial art that is often described by practitioners as a moving meditation.

Doleman, 70, a retired archeologist, said that after a couple of years training in tai chi, he began learning kung fu. He remained a student of Lins for about 30 years.

I realize Im part of a tradition that goes back thousands of years, he said. I get the benefits of fitness and camaraderie, and all the students appreciate and respect one another for how hard each of us trains.

That commitment to perseverance and hard work made a difference in my life, and he credits Lin for modeling that. He was stern and strict, but compassionate, and he judged you on your character, not necessarily your ability; as long as you were working hard and doing your best, he respected you.

Ray Tokuda, 54, now the Sifu at the Chinese Culture Center, began studying with Lin when he was 10 years old. Tokuda, an Albuquerque Public Schools physics teacher, learned tai chi and kung fu, but perhaps the most important thing he learned studying with Lin was discipline and the sense that obstacles can be overcome with hard work, he said. With perseverance and focus, ridiculously hard things can be achieved through the application of will.

Charles Chang-Wei Lin came to the United States from Taiwan in 1974 with about $300 in his pocket that his family in Taiwan scraped together for him, said Lins wife, Synthia Lin. He was one of three well known kung fu teachers invited to Salt Lake City by an American teacher of the art who wanted to expand the number of studios he operated, she said. While there, he met a math professor who was a guest instructor at a local college and was returning to Albuquerque. The math professor, who also studied Chinese martial arts, offered to open a studio in Albuquerque if Lin would teach there.

Later that year, Lin moved to Albuquerque to teach, and in 1975 he met and married Synthia, whose family already lived in Albuquerque. The first studio was located on Central Avenue in the Nob Hill area. Lin soon bought out the math professor who had opened the studio and changed the name to the Chinese Culture Center.

As the number of students increased, the store front space became too small, so Lin designed a larger studio and moved to the new location at 427 Adams SE in 1988.

Lin was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2003. He was treated and back teaching in less than two months. The cancer returned in 2014 and subsequent surgeries and treatments resulted in the left side of his body being impaired. Lin was no longer able to perform martial arts as he had done before, but he continued to teach and serve as an invaluable resource of knowledge for his students.

Lin formally retired in 2017 and a group of 18 of his students pooled their money to purchase the studio.

In addition to his wife, Synthia, Lin is survived by daughters, Vanessa and Tiffany; her husband Nathan; grandchildren, Alice and Adam; mother, Zhou Zhu-Hong; brothers, Lin Shi-Yao and Lin Shi-Liang; and sisters, Lin Ming-Zhen and Lin Fan-Zhen.
CHICO, Calif. - The Chico Lions Club gave away 400 turkey meals just in time for Christmas, for families affected by the Camp Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes.



Behind the Ross store on Notre Dame Boulevard, volunteers were on hand to put meals inside peoples cars.



Recipients had to show proof of residence and their FEMA registration number in order to get a meal.



A toy donation center was also available for those looking for a gift for their children this Christmas.



The giveaway was a first come first serve until all the meals were handed out.
PARADISE, Calif. - A non-profit group based in Vancouver, Washington delivered some Christmas gifts to Camp Fire survivors Saturday.



The group Flash Love and Evergreen Home Loans gathered dozens of volunteers at Costco.



From there they went door to door and delivered dozens of gifts up in Paradise and at the Calvary Chapel in Magalia.



The remaining stockings went to people living at the Torres Shelter in Chico.
PXP Energy Corp. through Forum Energy Ltd. has asked the Department of Energy to lift the force majeure imposed on service contract 72, or more popularly known as the Recto Bank. PXP sent a letter of request to the DoE on Friday seeking the lifting of the force majeure following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and China over cooperation in the West Philippine Sea. We see the lifting of the force majeure as a positive development for our SC 72 block and for the country in general, Forum Energy country representative Daniel Stephen Carlos said. Forum Energy, in which PXP holds a direct and indirect interest of 78.98 percent, has a 70 percent participating interest in SC 72 located in Northwest Palawan. PXP has a total economic interest of 53.1 percent in SC 72.PXP is an upstream oil and gas company incorporated in the Philippines whose shares are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. The company directly and indirectly owns oil and gas exploration and production assets in the Philippines, and indirectly holds an exploration asset in offshore Peru. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier urged PXP Energy Corp. to apply for the lifting of the moratorium of its service contracts in the West Philippine Sea amid the recent breakthrough between the Philippines and China over the disputed West Philippine Sea.
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Calls for abolishing the kafala (sponsorship) system in the Middle East have been revived again following the memorandum of understanding signed between Egypt and Kuwait on Dec. 5, to regulate the sponsorship of Egyptian workers. The memorandum is paving the way for the elimination of this controversial system under which migrants work.

Under the memorandum  inked on the sidelines of the activities of the joint Egyptian-Kuwaiti committee in Kuwait  Egyptian workers can immigrate through an e-linkage system.

In a Dec. 5 press statement, Sultan al-Shaalani, the director for human resources and financial affairs at Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower, operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, said that such an electronic system achieves two goals. The first goal is to ensure the recruitment of workers with adequate qualifications and skills, while the second is to combat human trafficking through the existing kafala system as well as eliminating the residency trade.

The memorandum signed with the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower is to be put into effect in 2019, after being approved by the Kuwaiti Cabinet. The exact date of entry into force has yet to be determined.

This move came in light of the efforts exerted by Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower to control the labor market following Shaalanis Dec. 5 press release.

We, the expats, decided to bear the brunt of such humiliating system with the sole aim of escaping the dire economic conditions that hard hit our pockets in our country. We cannot oppose the kafeel [sponsor] for fear of being deported. This memorandum gives me a glimpse of hope that our dignity will be restored, an Egyptian mechanical engineer, who works in Kuwait, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity in a telephone conversation. He has been working in Kuwait for more than 14 years and called the kafala system modern-day slavery.

He complained that Egyptian expats are living at the mercy of their employers who control everything. For instance, once I arrived in Kuwait my sponsor confiscated my passport so I cannot change my work or leave the country without his permission.

The kafala system offers sponsorship for a foreign and migrant worker by a national who is usually his employer, so the worker can legally reside and work in the country. This system, which is extensively criticized on the international level, is adopted by Gulf countries including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Under this system, the kafeel, which can be an individual or a company, has the upper hand and immensely undermines the mobility of the employee.

Nevertheless, the Gulf states remain an appealing hub for Egyptians who are grappling with deplorable economic conditions at home and struggling to improve their living standards.

The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics reported that the number of Egyptian expats in Arab countries was 6.2 million at the end of 2016, constituting 65.8% of the total number of Egyptians living abroad. As for Kuwait, the number of Egyptian expatriates who hold valid residency including those who are bound by the kafala system has reached approximately 610,000, according to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare.

The kafala system has always been criticized by human rights organizations. In 2009, Bahrain became the first Gulf country to end this system.

Current sponsorship regimes in the Middle East have been criticized for creating an asymmetrical power relationship between employers and migrant workers  which can make workers, and especially migrant domestic workers, vulnerable to forced labor, a report issued on May 8, 2017, by the International Labor Organization said.

This system is not applied to Europeans and Americans. Only Egyptians or Arabs are subject to this unfair employment framework. It is time to end such discriminatory system, the Egyptian engineer said.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Gamal el-Okaby, undersecretary of Parliament's Manpower Committee, lauded the Egypt-Kuwait memorandum, stressing it would help secure the rights of Egyptian expats. On the political level, this move will give an extra boost to the bilateral ties between the two countries. We found many cases where sponsors blackmailed expats. So this archaic system should come to an end, he said.

Meanwhile, Okaby pointed out that the essence of the kafala system is to give nationals a chance to look after the non-nationals. But due to the malpractices committed under the umbrella of this system, many organizations have called for ending the system and adopt the modern principles that strike a balance between the worker and employer's rights, he concluded.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Hamas-controlled military court in Gaza has sentenced six people to death for allegedly collaborating with Israel on a failed covert operation in Gaza on Nov. 11, in which six Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed.

Numerous rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, condemned the verdicts, especially since Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been an outspoken opponent of capital punishment. In June, Abbas signed seven international conventions and treaties, among them the 1989 UN Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which aims to abolish the death penalty. Hamas immediately rejected his action.

Hamas, which administers the Gaza Strip, has ignored the protocol. Mohammad Abu Hashem, a lawyer with the Palestine Center for Human Rights, told Al-Monitor that just since the protocol was signed, civil and military courts in Gaza have sentenced 13 people to die, and that figure doesn't include the six just condemned for allegedly colluding with Israel.

He noted that the criminal codes in place in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip are different, but each provides for the death penalty. "The 1979 Revolutionary Code of Criminal Procedure applicable in the Palestinian Authority (PA) territories sets the death penalty as punishment for 45 crimes," he said. "The 1936 Criminal Code applicable in the Gaza Strip, and the Jordanian 1960 Criminal Code applicable in the West Bank, also provide for this punishment for 15 civil crimes.

Abbas apparently hasn't sought to have new laws implemented to supersede those criminal codes. "The PA hasn't issued such laws since the accession to the protocol in June," Abu Hashem said. Until that happens, the courts aren't legally bound to stop issuing death penalty verdicts.

He also said the courts in Gaza are too willing to impose the death sentence. "[In the Gaza Strip] most of these verdicts are issued against people accused of collaborating with Israel and are pronounced by military rather than civil courts, he said. He pointed out that issuing death penalty verdicts against the six civilians in military courts is considered a violation of their right to a fair trial in a civil court.

According to the Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip, the charges against the six people condemned to death were: collaborating with Israel, leaking information about resistance members in Gaza, collecting information about resistance missions or influencing others into collusion with Israel. The ministry noted that the death penalties would be carried out either by hanging or shooting.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) confirmed in a statement Dec. 4 that death penalty verdicts in PA territories from 1994 to the present reached 215, including 185 in the Gaza Strip  127 of which were issued after the Palestinian internal division in 2007.

Abu Hashem confirmed, Since its establishment, the PA has [carried out] 41 death penalty verdicts, 39 of which were in the Gaza Strip  11 of these were issued before the Palestinian division and 28 after it.

Abbas didn't approve those verdicts. Article 109 of the 2003 amended Palestinian Law stipulates that a death sentence pronounced by any court may not be implemented unless endorsed by the president of the Palestinian National Authority.

But Gaza Strip lawmakers approved their own measure in 2016, stating that carrying out the death penalty in Gaza doesn't require Abbas consent.

Reiterating the PCHRs rejection of the death penalty, Abu Hashem added, The Gaza Strip lacks guarantees of fair trials. The PHCR is against the trial of civilians in military courts and the use of systematic torture methods against them. It classifies the death penalty verdicts in Gaza as extrajudicial killing, since these verdicts are not approved by the Palestinian president.

The Palestinian national Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), based in Ramallah in the West Bank, called for the death penalty verdicts issued by the military court in Gaza last month to not be enforced.

Jamil Serhan, ICHR general director in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor that the ICHR sees the death penalty as a violation of international covenants. The ongoing issuance of such verdicts constitutes a setback in the human rights field in the Palestinian territories," he said. The judiciary in Gaza violates the right of civilians to fair trials in civil courts. The six civilians sentenced to death Dec. 3 appeared before military rather than civil courts.

Serhan demanded fair trials and said all Palestinians should abide by covenants that the PA signed to abolish the death penalty.
In announcing the withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 American troops in Syria, the Trump administration has, in one dramatic act, sought to recast the US-Turkey relationship, which has been in freefall over US partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State.

The SDF is mostly composed of forces from the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the gendarmerie of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey considers a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The United States also considers the PKK a terrorist organization.

In a phone call with President Donald Trump on Dec. 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed both to hold off on a threatened attack on the YPG and to finish the fight against the Islamic State, also known as by its Arabic acronym DAESH, in Syria.

Erdogan said Dec. 21 that this is certainly not an open-ended waiting process, referring to his decision to refrain from an attack on the YPG. In the meantime, he added, within the framework of the phone call with Mr. Trump, we are and will work on our operation plans aimed at neutralizing the DAESH elements that are said to continue their existence in Syria. In other words, it is a must for everyone to know that in the months ahead we are going to pursue an operation plan that will eliminate both the PKK/PYD elements and the last vestiges of DAESH in the Syrian lands.

Erdogan linked his approach to a broader call for security and reconstruction in Syria so that the nearly 4 million Syrian refugees in Turkey can return home. The Turkish president also sang the praises of his countrys cooperation with Iran and Russia in Syria.

The Trump-Erdogan agreement provides an opening, if a fragile and uncertain one, to work out an arrangement between the PYD and the Syrian government that will be acceptable to Ankara  the only realistic endgame for stability in northeastern Syria and, ultimately, the best check on the return of the Islamic State.

Al-Monitor has covered this trend and made this case since at least October 2016, when Mahmut Bozarslan broke the story of a meeting between the Syrian government and PYD officials mediated by Russian officials at Khmeimim air base in Syria. In August 2017, we wrote, Turkeys preoccupation with beating back Syrian Kurdish control in northern Syria could open the door to some type of accommodation with Damascus, and we have continued to report and assess this trend since, avoiding the fashion and pitfalls of those advocating US support for local governance in northeastern Syria on the shoulders of the SDF. As we wrote in October, It is difficult to envision how the United States will be able to rally any type of effective regional diplomacy around Syria while supporting Kurdish-backed local forces and local structures, which seem to muddle the US commitment to Syrias unity, also a pillar of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and give fuel to the Astana parties. Instead, the US approach has boxed the United States into an approach that limits Washingtons ability to divide the Astana group.

Steven Simon, a former official in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, picked up this thread and made a similar case in The New York Times on Dec. 21 when he wrote that there is just one candidate to secure northeastern Syria following the Trump withdrawal: the Assad regime.

The new US-Turkish partnership in Syria might be an opportunity to put Syria on course toward security and reconstruction. It is, so far, not a done deal. Preventing a Syrian-Turkish conflict in the east and a bloodbath in Idlib require more than a phone call, Erdogans promises and the abrupt end of the US military presence. There is also the matter of preventing a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Syria or Lebanon. Akiva Eldar provides background on the subject of Hezbollah tunnels that enter Israel, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the UN Security Council to take up as an unacceptable security risk.

The new arrangement in Syria brings us back to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, we reported in August, has been the "man in the middle" between Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and between Netanyahu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In July, Al-Monitors Ben Caspit broke the story of how Avigdor Liberman, then Israel's defense minister, nixed a Russian deal to push Hezbollah and Iranian backed forces 100 kilometers (62 miles) back from the Israeli border. Axios this week reported on a related Russian effort this past fall. With the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, Netanyahu, whose military is seeking an "operational response to the American exit," as Caspit reports this week, may want to revisit the Russian mediation effort, which the United States should support.

In September, our take was that Trump should trust his instincts about the prospects for the art of the deal with Putin over Syria, as was discussed in Helsinki, and the need to avoid open-ended military commitments. There are no illusions here about the administrations constraints on dealing with Putin given the special counsels investigation into whether there was coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016. Nonetheless, There are other high stakes for US-Russian collaboration in Syria: preventing a conflict between Iran and Israel; defeating both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State; addressing the need for both a political transition that at a minimum reduces Assads power, or even leads to his eventual departure; planning for post-conflict stability as the war winds down; and assuring a responsible exit for American forces from an otherwise likely quagmire." As we wrote in July, after the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, Putin is not someone who works for free. If he believes he is helping Trump to achieve a responsible exit from Syria, while assuring Israels security, this is big stuff, and the Russian president also needs a win from the art of the deal.
Hoover police arrested two Birmingham activists during a banner drop at Riverchase Galleria on Saturday afternoon.

Cara McClure, of Black Lives Matter Birmingham Chapter, and Martez Files, a BLM organizer and an adjunct professor for African American Studies at UAB, were taken into custody shortly after the banner drop started in the food court area of the mall. McClure is also part of a group of female activists known as the Women of the Movement. The group organized the banner drop along with a coalition of other activists.

McClure said before her arrest that they wanted to send a message concerning the officer-involved shooting death of Emantic "E.J." Bradford Jr. According to a private autopsy, Bradford was shot three times from behind after gunfire erupted inside the mall on Thanksgiving night.

McClure, Files and a few more protesters were silently holding banners that said, E.J. was murdered here and #HooverWrong. Police arrived less than ten minutes after the banner drop started at 3:18 p.m. and arrested McClure. The activists were not chanting or making any noise at the time of the arrest.

As McClure was being escorted out of the mall by police, Files asked officers why she was being arrested for trespassing.

"E.J. was killed in this mall by a Hoover cop and then we have to sit here with this trauma every day," Files said to the officers. "You're arresting Cara for what? She going to jail for what?"

Files was then arrested for disorderly conduct. Hoover police said McClure was arrested for trespassing. A little more than an hour after their arrests, both activists were released from jail on $500 bonds.

Multiple activists have been arrested following the demonstrations for justice for Bradford. Activists are asking for police to release any footage they have of the shooting as well as policy changes within the police department.

Hoover police initially identified Bradford as the shooter on Thanksgiving night. The next day, police said Bradford most likely did not fire the shots that injured an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old.

The banner drop was a product of the nonviolent civil disobedience training that was held at a Birmingham church two weeks ago. McClure and activist Amber Haywood released a statement prior to the banner drop condemning the police departments actions so far.

"E.J. Bradford was shot three times from the back, and in the back in the most cowardice manner," the statement said. "His body then laid, uncovered while shoppers looked on. Afterwards, Hoovers chief of police stated that he was 'very, very proud' of the response by officers after gunfire erupted."

Women of the Movement is asking for a police review committee with subpoena power and "a complete overhaul of Hoover police department."

" Hoover doesnt get to continue to put profits over people while a family mourns the loss of their beloved son during the holiday," Women of the Movements statement said.

Story was updated at 5 p.m. after activists were released from Hoover City Jail. Story updated at 10:49 p.m. to include statement from Women of the Movement.
Police officer shot dead in Tacloban

posted December 23, 2018 at 10:40 pm by Ronald Reyes December 23, 2018 at 10:40 pm

Tacloban cityTwo days before Christmas, a police officer was killed on Sunday in Tacloban City in yet another shooting incident involving policemen in Eastern Visayas. Authorities identified the victim as PO2 Lawrence Tabungar, assigned to the Mobile Patrol Unit in Tacloban City Police Office. The shooting incident happened around 9:15 a.m. in front of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Brgy. 93, Bagacay. Initial investigation showed Tabungar was on board his vehicle on his way home when unidentified suspects on board a red-colored pickup truck fired at him.The Tacloban City Police is being directed to conduct an immediate investigation on the incident by no less than Police Regional Director Dionardo Carlos, regional police spokeswoman Supt. Ma. Bella Rentuaya told Manila Standard. The officer sustained several gunshots wounds on his head and body.

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.
Florence police have arrested two men for a homicide that occurred in May.

Police found Jose Elliot D'Leon dead while responding to a medical assist call at 754 N. Wood Avenue on May 2. An autopsy concluded D'Leon was a victim of a homicide.

After gathering evidence for months, authorities issued a murder warrant for 39-year-old Randy Christian Sanchez. Police said Sanchez and the victim were friends at the time of the homicide. Sanchez was arrested on Friday. On Saturday, police also arrested 33-year-old Vincent Fuqua on a murder warrant. Police said Fuqua didnt know DLeon, but Fuqua is Sanchezs friend.

Authorities said they are still gathering information on the case and did not release addition details. Both Sanchez and Fuqua are being held in Lauderdale County Jail. Their bonds have been set to $50,000.
Vapings popularity among American teenagers is soaring, highlighted by startling national statistics released this week by researchers and an unusual epidemic decree on Tuesday by the U.S. Surgeon General.

The news has prompted Alabama pediatricians, researchers and other medical experts to also sound alarms about teenage vaping, and to offer ideas about how to curb its growth.

Its not entirely surprising for those of us who have contact with people in this age group, said Dr. Steven Rowe, professor and director of the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But its shocking, nonetheless, of the degree of addiction and prevalence of use.

Said Dr. Curtis Turner, a professor of pediatrics at the University of south Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatrician with USA Health: What were worried about is if you try e-cigarettes for whatever reason, the risk is that it has nicotine and its very addictive. They get addicted for life.

Alabama lawmakers are also setting their sights on the issue ahead of their 2019 spring session. Other states, this week, began rolling out bills intended to take e-cigarette devices from teens hands, following Surgeon General Jerome Adams call for a crackdown.

I wouldnt be surprised if we saw some legislation introduced regulating underage vaping, said state Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Soaring concern

The issue was thrust into the media spotlight in the past couple of days following the latest report on teen vaping sponsored by the federal governments National Institute on Drug Abuse and conducted by the University of Michigan.

The report produced an eye-popping statistic: Never in the surveys 44-year history had researchers seen such one-year spike in teens experimentation with some chemical stimulant or drug. Among high school seniors, 21 percent said theyd vaped nicotine within the past 30 days, up from 11 percent the previous year.

The study prompted Adams to come out with an official warning, only his second in his 16-month tenure. The first, in April, urged people to carry naloxone as a way to respond to opioid overdoses.

Dr. Susan Walley, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who is the chairwoman for tobacco control efforts with the American Academy of Pediatrics, is another whos disturbed by the data.

A 2016 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, based on an analysis a year earlier,

showed 47.5 percent of high school students admitting to using a nicotine product, and 27.4 percent of middle school students.

The analysis was taken before Juul electronic cigarettes arrived on the market. The sleek devices shaped as USB flash drives are cartridges that contain oils which create vapor when heated. Each Juul pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

I think its fair to say these numbers are lagging behind, said Walley. The statistics of Alabama students using e-cigarettes may be much higher, but we dont know yet.

Juul devices are popular among youths. According to one study, teens are 16 times more likely to use Juul than older age groups. Other e-cigarette devices are commonly used by adults to assist in recovering from cigarette addiction.

An Auburn University study, which will be published in the spring, contains preliminary data that suggests an estimated 24 percent of the universitys students use e-cigarettes/Juul at least once per day.

Linda Gibson-Young, an associate professor at Auburns School of Nursing, said the studys release and the surgeon generals warning will help bring more public scrutiny to the issue.

Parents need to be more aware of what their children are doing, said Gibson-Young. Its hard. Its difficult to keep up with. But being aware of what a Juul is or what an e-cigarette looks like and how children use them  just making the public aware of what they are and what they look like.

Cool Juul

Juul devices are the most talked-about of the e-cigarettes because they can be discretely hidden.

Juul, a San Francisco-based company, has defended its products in recent days. The company claims it is taking steps to prevent teens from using them, and has pledged to cease distributing some flavorings to retail stores. Also, the company is taking steps to stop young people from buying devices online.

But the Juuls cool factor causes researchers to wonder whether its the new generations version the Marlboro Man or Joe Camel.

Its what their peers are doing because they are finding their own identities, said Gibson-Young. If it comes across as the in-thing, they are more than likely will see the trends and follow it.

Dr. Alan Blum, director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, said, Its almost like we havent learned anything from smoking.

So how to combat the rise of e-cigarettes among teens? Lampoonery, Blum said, could be one way.

Looking at kids sucking on USB drives is hilarious enough to come up with all sorts of satire and mockery instead of jumping up and down and saying, Oh, you are going to get addicted, he said.

Blum said, The surefire way to get everyone to try it is to tell everyone how dangerous it is.

Said Rowe, the director of the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center at UAB: I think were behind or getting caught flat-footed.

He said that UAB researchers have gathered enough date to show there will be harmful effects on how a vapers lungs can defend itself from infections.

Its only a matter of time before you start to see all sorts of side effects accumulate, said Rowe. There is a marketing about the coolness and a mistaken perception that its a completely healthy alternative to smoking. Its not.

Legislative action

Blum and others are skeptical that in Alabama, much will be done to regulate the industry.

Alabama is one of a dozen states that has not instituted a ban on public smoking of tobacco. All of those states, excluding Wyoming, are located in the South.

Alabama also doesnt have a tax on e-cigarettes. The state, according to the CDC, had the lowest average monthly sales price for e-liquids in the U.S. at $5.32.

Lawmakers, in 2015, considered a $0.25 per milliliter tax on the liquid products in a move that was backed by Gov. Robert Bentley as a way to generate revenue to patch a budget deficit. The tax failed to advance out of the Legislature, and hasnt resurfaced since.

Eight states and the District of Columbia have an excise tax on e-liquids, including Louisiana and North Carolina.

Alex Clark, CEO of the Consumer for Smoke Free Alternative Association, said Alabama is a tax averse state and he anticipates the issue coming to the fore only if budget deficits need addressing. He said the taxes approved in the Southern states are not that bad as compared other states and localities such as Chicago, where a per unit tax of $0.80 is coupled with a per milliliter rate of $0.55.

Said Blum: Every single legislature is looking at Juul as another source of taxable revenue through sin taxes and getting more revenue into budgets.

Alabama lawmakers could consider weighing in on increasing the smoking age from 19 to 21. If lawmakers endorse the age increase, it would join six other states  none from the South  in raising the tobacco age to 21.

Another 350 localities, but none within Alabama, have approved ordinances hiking the smoking age. Only one locality in the Deep South, in the unincorporated areas of Adams County, Mississippi  home to Natchez  has increased the smoking age.

State Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, sponsored legislation last year to have Alabama join the Tobacco21 movement. The measure didnt go anywhere.

Pringle said he plans to reintroduce the bill this legislative session, and that vaping will be included.

Angi Stalnaker, a Montgomery-based lobbyist representing the Breathe Easier Alliance of Alabama  which consists of approximately 200 e-cigarette businesses in the state  said the organization feels confident that 19 is an appropriate age.

We dont believe the problem is the law, said Stalnaker. Its the enforcement of the law.

She added, In Alabama, it is illegal to purchase vape products or electronic cigarettes if you are under the age of 19. It is illegal for someone to over 19 to purchase them for someone underage. The leadership and members of the Breathe Easier Alliance of Alabama strongly condemns anyone who would sell to those underage or make purchases for those who provide to underage.

She said that if children under 19 were punished for vaping, youd see use among teenagers rapidly decline.

Hoss Mack, the sheriff of Baldwin County, said the concern as he sees it for law enforcement is that the public generally is unaware of the issue.

Mack said that school resource officers have reported to him about vaping becoming a real problem inside schools because the devices are concealed.

If you are out at a ballgame and you see a kid drinking a beer, you think to yourself, thats not right, said Mack. But if you see a kid out there vaping, they may not necessarily not think its right but they dont know its restricted.

He added, I dont think we necessarily need any more laws, but I do think we need an educational thing. I do think this situation has come up that it will need to be addressed in some fashion.

Dana Vandiver, spokeswoman with the Alabama Association of School Boards, said existing policies on cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs at school districts throughout Alabama already apply to vaping.

However, we will be reminding our members to review those policies to determine if any updates are necessary to include specific terms/language addressing vaping/e-cigarettes, she said. Our role with respect to this issue largely focuses on ensuring that school board members have awareness about the problem and are prepared to address it through their district policies.

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A Huntsville man faces charges of promoting gambling after police seized casino machines from inside a former seafood restaurant now being used as a church.

The Decatur Police Department said it had received multiple reports of gambling inside the old McCollums Seafood Restaurant on Gordon Terry Parkway. The building is divided into two parts  one is an antique store and the other is a non-denominational church called Lifes Church. "

A large gambling machine operation was found inside the church, police said. There were also video surveillance and bells to warn of law enforcement, a violation of state law.

Seventeen electronic gambling machines, the video and warning machines and other equipment were seized by law enforcement. Timothy Keith Roberts of Huntsville was charged with promoting gambling and unlawful maintaining of electronic bells, a felony, according to police. Roberts is currently out on bond for establishing a gaming place and possession of a gaming device from an arrest that occurred in Decatur in August 2017.

Prosecutors are currently in the process of revoking Roberts bond from the previous arrest.

Also arrested was Donna Joanne Weir of Meridian, Mississippi, an employee. She is charged with promoting gambling.

Both were taken to the Moran County Jail.
A small passenger plane landed on Interstate 20 in Talladega County on Saturday afternoon, Alabama State Troopers said.

The plane took off from Talladega Municipal Airport before it made an emergency landing at mile marker 173 on I-20 West at 4:21 p.m. Troopers said the emergency landing was due to engine failure and that no one was injured.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
By Claude Fortin, of Opelika

An open letter to Gov. Kay Ivey:

This is in regard to the Board of Pardons and Paroles corrective action plan, which you recently received. I understand that you and your staff are reviewing it. Your Executive Order 716 cited the Boards early parole practices as unjustified by state law and a threat to public safety, explaining their failure to properly evaluate the inmates suitability for parole.

I also understand that you ordered such a review after the board granted the release of Jimmy ONeal Spencer, who allegedly went on to kill three people in Marshall County, including a 7-year-old boy, and after a disappointing meeting with the board and other state stakeholders.

Im assuming that these other stakeholders were district attorneys and representatives from Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL), and that none represented the view of inmates. And, thats why Im writing you. I have a grandson incarcerated at Staton Correctional Center and would like to provide you with another view.

First, I completely agree with the Boards Corrective Action Plan except for one area, Ensuring adequate preparation for parole hearings. I certainly agree with the title but I believe that the board completely missed the point with its improvements to the Early Parole Consideration (EPC) process.

The majority of the boards improvements focus on delaying the time when an inmate can request a parole hearing. Certainly, the longer we keep inmates in jail, the less chance there is of them committing another crime. But time was not the issue, time was not the problem, when the board decided to release Mr. Spencer. The problem was the criteria that the board used to properly evaluate the inmates suitability for parole. We still dont know what that is. Buried in the EPC improvement section is this: Fifth, A new checklist will be used by the review committee to RECORD reasons for granting/denying early parole consideration. Please note the word record. It does not specify the criteria, it only speaks to the review committees reasoning, after its decision.

There was no mention of recidivism in the report by the board, no mention of how well (or badly) the board had done with all the other inmates it had released. There was no mention of this by journalists either. Was Mr. ONeal an anomaly? Unless we understand the criteria better and fix the process, there is still the possibility of the Board releasing someone improperly.

Earlier, I mentioned I had a grandson in prison and I would like to use him as an example of the impact the new rules would have on him. In 2010, he had a domestic dispute with his now ex-wife and cut her and himself with a knife. His attorney was a public defender and this was his first criminal case. In 2011, he was convicted of attempted murder of his ex-wife. His ex-wife was then convinced by the assistant district attorney at the time of sentencing to give him a straight twenty-year sentence instead of a split five. She (ex-wife) regretted her decision after the sentencing but it was too late.

Under the current rules, an EPC request can be submitted for him. The rule reads:

After an inmate has served a minimum of five (5) years, he/she may submit a request, once per calendar year, with designated officers in the Boards Central Office to review the inmates progress to determine whether it may be appropriate to schedule earlier parole consideration. Such a rescheduling may be granted only for good cause shown and circumstances bearing on the inmates probability to succeed on parole, not merely because the inmate is following the rules in prison.

My grandson is just short of serving seven years; we submitted a request last year but it was denied. We were planning on submitting another request next month. If that hearing request was granted, the ex-wife would have testified, that she, as the victim, wanted him released, not only for her sake but for the sake of their two children. Considering that he has been a model prisoner, had never previously committed any crimes, and with his ex-wife's support, there is/was a chance that he would have been released. But, if the new rules take effect, we will be unable to submit an EPC request for another five years. His current official parole date is 15 years; the proposed 3-year maximum on early parole considerations would not allow him to submit a request till his twelfth year.

Also forgotten in this debate over the proper corrective actions is that there is a strong relationship between sentencing and parole rules. All those (judge, prosecuting attorney and victim) who take part in the sentencing are usually aware of the existing parole rules, meaning that they know that the person they are sentencing, as in the case of my grandson, would be eligible to request an early parole hearing after serving five years.

Would all of these individuals (judge, prosecuting attorney and ex-wife) have agreed on the straight 20 year sentence for my grandson if they had known he would not be eligible to request a parole hearing till the 12 year point, or would they have leaned towards the split five sentence?

Going from an EPC date of five years to twelve years is definitely a "far departure" from current guidelines. It is extreme, severe and effectively very punitive. It punishes inmates for the Boards failure in the case of Mr. ONeal. This change will kill the hope of many prisoners. I visit Staton twice a month and I speak to inmate friends of my grandson and they often express hope of getting an early parole hearing. They realize that the hope of a hearing is slim and they know that even if they get the hearing, there's no guarantee they will be released but they have hope, not unlike the millions of people who play the lottery. The latter have a minuscule chance of winning but they have hope and they buy lots of tickets. In prison, all they have is hope...this drastic change will kill their hopes for many years.

I also wonder what impact this will have on prison behavior! The majority of inmates just want to improve themselves, do their time peacefully and safely, and go home. People are placed in prison as punishment for their crimes and they should certainly serve time for that but our prison system also has another responsibility and that is to prepare these citizens to become productive members of society if and when they are released. Its called rehabilitation. I wonder how these new rules will affect the rehabilitation process for our prisoners.

Governor IveyI believe you have listened well to the victims and their families. In a way, we the families of these inmates are victims also. Please find it in your heart to come to a fair resolution to this issueone thats fair to both sides. We ask that you (1) keep todays rules as to when one can request an EPC, (2) direct the Board to give you a solid list of criteria for determining who should be released, and (3) direct the Board to look at recidivism statistics to help them develop those criteria.

If you do decide to approve the new restrictive rules, such as the proposed 3-year maximum on early parole considerations, we ask that they not apply to people who were sentenced while current guidelines were in effect. In other words, we ask that you grandfather in the old EPC rules for inmates currently incarcerated similarly to what was done in 2001 after new rules were instituted.
Advanced manufacturing. Its the latest buzzword in business, defined as the use of innovative technology to improve products or processes.

Its a term that students coming through high school today should get to know. Gone are the days when taking technical classes meant you werent cut out for college.

Today, Huntsville and north Alabamas biggest companies are looking for employees with skills to operate the high-tech equipment they use to make things that will, say, send man back to the moon.

The Boeing Co., long one of Huntsvilles largest employers and most desirable places to work, announced recently that it is investing $250,000 in a new workforce development program to get local students ready for these advanced manufacturing jobs.

The Boeing grant, in partnership with the Alabama Community College System and NextFlex, Americas Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute, will train local high school students from the Huntsville/Madison County area  in partnership with J.F. Drake Community and Technical College and Calhoun Community College -- in the techniques they need to know.

The multi-week program, called FlexFactor, will immerse students not only in the tools of the advanced manufacturing trade, but in the soft skills theyll need to work with todays high-tech employers, said Dr. Robert Smith, a technical fellow with Boeing Research and Technology.

The program layers onto an existing class and requires students to work in teams to identify a real-world problem, conceptualize an advanced hardware solution, and build a business model around it, Smith said. At the end of the program, students pitch their ideas Shark Tank style to a panel of mentors, highlighting how they have considered both technical features and market needs to solve the problem theyve identified. During the program they also visit an area advanced manufacturing company and a local college.

Brynt Parmeter, director of Workforce development at NextFlex, said students complete the program with not only technical skills, but an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to collaborate to solve problems.

Students emerge from the program understanding that they are the ones who will come up with the solutions to the vast range of social, environmental and health problems our world faces, Parmeter said.

Kids and parents, here is the kicker. Todays advanced manufacturing jobs pay in the range of $60,000 a year, right out of the gate. Thats more than a lot of people with four-year degrees will make when they graduate.

And places like Boeing, Polaris, Mazda Toyota and GE Aviation (just to name a few local high-tech manufacturers), are ready to snap up skilled workers.

There are many positions at Boeing that can be filled by students in the Huntsville-Madison County area if they get a two-year technical degree at one of the regional community colleges, Smith said.

Our goal is to train at least 300 students per year but that number can grow to double or triple that amount per year based on the demand from the area high schools, colleges, and participating companies.

Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskinsusing #AlabamaProud
This is an opinion column.

When you ask him where it started, he cant even remember. But somehow over the course of the last three years, my 18-year-old developed a keen interest in the Syrian civil war, and the plight of the people there. Hes always been curious about global politics, but this concern for the embattled Syriansparticularly the Rojavans in the northern part of the countrytook root in his heart and captured his interest in a new way.

He began to track the battle lines between the multiple factions scrapping for territory on a daily basis. He would tell us over dinner how Rojava, seemingly against all odds, was gaining ground. Beating back ISIS, the Assad regime, etc.

He was fascinated by their diversity in a region of the world where religious and ethnic pluralism typically gets one killed. Among the Rojavans there were Sunnis, Christians, Yazidis, and others all working together for freedom. Even more outside-the-box for the Middle East: approximately one third of the fighters in the YPG (the military force for the Kurdish region of Syria) were women. Women.

Women taking ISIS to the woodshed.

You know what hurts an Islamic extremists feelings? Getting his tail kicked by a woman.

When the time came for him to select a topic for his senior thesis (he attended a classical, Christian school where defense of a senior thesis is required for graduation), it was a no-brainer. He wanted to examine the form of government that was working for this diverse group of northern Syrians, keeping them organized and potent enough to fight and win with US backing. His father and I sat slack-jawed as he argued the merits of Democratic Confederalism before the thesis panel last spring.

Its a simultaneously humbling and magical thing to learna lotfrom your child.

Ill admit, there were days when he wandered into the kitchen to explain to me which ISIS stronghold had fallen in the last 48 hours, and I had to pretend to care. It was just so much information about a people so far away. On the one hand I cared, because these are people made in the image of God. On the other hand, there are so many problems right here at home

But because of his regular updates, I began to think more and more of the Christians theremy brothers and sisters in the faithwho have been brave enough to profess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord in a region where that act is a grave risk. I was grateful for my governments support for them, proud that it was US involvement that was giving those scrappy and brave men and women a fighting chance. I was convinced that our engagement there was beneficial to our own interests in the region, and the right thing to do for the souls on the ground.

You know where this is going.

We all realize that US engagement in foreign wars is a complex calculus, and there must be an exit strategy somewhere on the horizon. But because its a complex situation, such an exit strategy must be soberly engineered with the help of military strategists, seasoned diplomatic minds and thoughtful leadership.

Its not something one mana man with zero foreign policy background and zero military expertisecan properly decide alone, even if he possesses the power to do so. Not without disastrous consequences.

I dont fault my fellow Americans for being unclear about the stakes in Syria, because were it not for my child and his focus on the issue, this weeks headlines would just be more static about another foreign conflict that I really dont understand at all. But because God gave him a desire to learn and a heart to care deeply for these people, I do know.

And I cant un-know it.

So when you pray for persecuted Christians around the world, dont forget our brothers and sisters in Syria. Dont forget how close they were to the hope of sustainable religious liberty. And dont forget who pulled the rug out from under them in the middle of the night, in an act of pure hubris.
ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections and past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, ONB, and CAP.

Let's turn Birmingham around. Click here to sign up for newsletter. There's power in numbers. (Opt out at any time)

Today's guest blogger is Zach Woolley. If you'd like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birmingham has kept me alive. Literally!

I'm a twenty eight year old guy with Cerebral Palsy. Very physically disabled. Yep, looking at me you see many of the stereotypical (and, actually, pretty common) characteristics of someone with CP. Not so great.more

CP has not stopped me

However, I lead a full life, grew up here, and graduated from a local high school, Oak Mountain High, with honors. I then attended Mississippi State and graduated with a double degree in political science and philosophy and completed an internship in DC working for the Department of Education. Now, I'm living back here finishing up law school at Birmingham School of Law.

That last paragraph sounds pretty inspirational to a lot of people but to me - it's surviving.

Birmingham nationally recognized

I'm not sure how many people realize just how lucky we are to live in a city and area with such amazing healthcare and organizations that work with individuals and families. There are educational and support systems working with the special needs community which are nationally recognized.

It's funny, realizing all this healthcare stuff this isn't the top of the list for most of us in our 20's - really good craft beer locations are! But when it impacts you personally, you really get it!

I was actually born in Los Angeles at Cedars Sinai Hospital which kept me alive since I came into the world around three months pre-mature and weighing around two pounds. My parents knew they would need to get back here for family support. What is very nice is that even twenty eight years ago, The Children's Hospital of Alabama had such a great reputation, my LA healthcare team was fully confident I would have the support and care I needed back here in Birmingham. As soon as possible, my parents were meeting with doctors and our course was set. I was a "regular" at Children's until I aged out! Their care and skill brought me through many surgeries and emergencies.

From the hospital, my parents were introduced to support groups and life changing organizations such as United Ability, formerly United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham. I rode horses with Special Equestrians, attended Camp ASSCA many times, created art with Very Special Arts, played boccia across the country with Lakeshore, became much more involved with my faith due to Camp McDowell and Special Sessions - all very giving entities of support and love.

I was given Last Rites

Healthcare continues to be a major concern for me. Right at two years ago, I almost died. In fact, I was given Last Rites. But, with the amazing teams at UAB, they saved me and continue to support my ongoing recovery. So, if you have to be sick - Birmingham is the place to do it!

But, as wonderful as that is, we need support in other ways. When you vote, you need to look at the candidates who support those you love. It's very confusing when acquaintances tell you how much they admire and love you and then vote for candidates who are willing to strip the American Disabilities Act.

Don't judge who gets healthcare

If you do love and respect me, then I should be more of a concern than a tax break for you in your decision. If you do feel I have a wonderful family who has brought me up to be as strong and independent as possible, vote in ways that that supports my family, not tear it apart. Don't judge who gets healthcare and who doesn't - that often determines who lives and dies. That's a bigger decision than any of us!

I guess I'm just asking people to put their prejudices aside and vote for those who support folks like me. Also, remember that you can see my disabilities --- there are so many have much deeper issues than I have --- they're just hidden. The older I get, the more important guts and true support forms the basis for my love. I have to respect someone to love them. So, empty words without support is something that truly bothers and disappoints me.

I'm asking you to work and vote beyond your party lines, things that just impacts your immediate community, and even try to remember those you don't really know. It will make our home a much better place.

In all, this is a great place to live. We're blessed with great healthcare and support. To improve, let's help Birmingham and Alabama in general, to give a larger piece of their hearts to those who are different - inside and out. Just because someone is different, that's not a reason to judge.

I see change here and am very excited to see it grow...

Zach Woolley is a graduate of Oak Mountain High School, has earned degrees in political science and philosophy from Mississippi State University, and he currently attends the Birmingham School Of Law. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Zach has faced and overcome multiple health challenges including a recent near-death experience. He plans to use his law degree and real-life experience to be an advocate for healthcare reform and the rights of the disabled.
Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Sunday bewailed the ban on Angkas, a motorcycle ride-hailing application, saying it robs working-class Filipinos of a cheap way to get through horrendous traffic and prevents the creation of decent and quality jobs for Filipinos struggling to make a living. Traffic is a major constraint to development especially for the poor since taxis and Transport Network Vehicle Services are too costly for them. Angkas is a cheap and viable transport solution to millions of low-income Filipinos especially in dense urban areas since it provides cheap and fast point-to-point transportation, explained Marcos, the only local executive running for senator in next years midterm elections. She also pointed out that the ride-hailing app compels taxis and TNVs to offer more competitive rates and enhance their services to justify their higher fares, adding that Angkas is the Grab-choice of millennials and is the fastest way to get to Christmas parties and reunions. Marcos said Angkas and other similar motorcycle TNVs have a markedly lower investment requirement in terms of skill and capital, making it much easier to start an Angkas business than a taxi or Grab-type operation. Angkas and similar TNVs, she said, also increase the mobility of workers as it shortens travel time at much cheaper prices than taxis and car TNVs thereby allowing them access to more job opportunities. An employee from Quezon City would not take a job in Pasay with a three-hour commute, but he could tolerate a much lesser travel time through Angkas, she added.Instead of banning Angkas, Marcos pushed for the development of motorcycle-based TNVs with a regulatory framework different from car-based TNVs, which together with lower taxes, should work to create a new market instead of preventing its growth, to the prejudice of low-income commuters. In place of traditional enforcement practices, regulation of motorcycle based TNVs can be app-based and crowd-sourced where the riders provide regulators with real-time feedback on their Angkas operators, thereby ensuring better services, Marcos said. Marcos cited the case of Go-Jek, which has almost one-million drivers in Jakarta alone. Metro Manila has a population that is about 30 percent larger than Indonesia, so a motorcycle based TNV like Go-Jek can create at least a million jobs in Metro Manila alone, she said. Instead of using the Angkas and similar motorcycle TNVs to our advantage, we are killing the golden goose that can provide more affordable fares to low income commuters, create more jobs, and minimize the economic losses we suffer from horrible traffic. We are clinging to old modes and coddling, in the process, established car-based TNVs who charge high prices despite bad service, Marcos said. We should stop protecting the interests of anti-poor, anti commuter taxi cartels and monopolist TNVs  the interests of the commuting public especially the poor should be first, she added.
December 23, 2016, was supposed to be a happy day for Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein, as he travelled to Cairo to visit his family. But that day turned into a tragedy for him and his loved ones. Upon his arrival, the Egyptian authorities hauled him off to prison, where he has remained for two years now, facing several charges, including spreading false information. He is yet to receive anything remotely resembling a fair trial or even adequate medical care.

Just weeks before Hussein was detained, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced that nine journalists were in jail globally on charges related to fake news. Hussein became the 10th.

Even though the precedent had already been set with such a charge, accusations of spreading false information levelled against journalists increased exponentially after the election of US President Donald Trump that year. His constant use of the term fake news to attack media critical of his policies and actions popularised the term as a rhetorical broadside globally.

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Today fake news is regularly evoked against inconvenient reporting not just by the usual authoritarian suspects, such as in Russia, Syria and Venezuela, but also by governments in relatively democratic countries, including the Philippines, Poland, and Spain.

Legislation criminalising any news reporting that contradicts official information has also proliferated in recent years across the world. Such laws basically determine what reality is  ie, it can be nothing else but the official narrative. In this sense, fake news has not only enabled crackdowns on journalists, but it has also become a legal and rhetorical tool for delegitimising the very notion of independent reporting.

As of December 1, 2018, 28 journalists worldwide are behind bars on fake news charges. This alarming statistic demonstrates how fake news has mutated from a rhetorical cudgel to a legislation-backed weapon employed to silence reporters.

Cameroonian journalist Mimi Mefo was detained in November this year and accused of publishing false information after she reported on the killing of American missionary Charles Wesco and the instability in the countrys Anglophone region. Maria Ressa, founder and executive editor of the news website Rappler, is facing a slew of tax evasion-related charges after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lambasted the media outlet as fake news for its critical coverage of his administration.

But the grand champion of persecuting journalists through fake news charges has been Egypt: 19 of those 28 journalists imprisoned on such charges worldwide are Egyptians.

In fact, the Egyptian leadership has had the dubious honour of being a trendsetter in the use of fake news accusations against journalists: among the first journalists to be hit with these charges were Al Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste, who were arrested on December 29, 2013.

Mohamed, Fahmy, and Greste were later freed after more than a year in detention, but more journalists would take their place. In 2015, Egypt passed anti-terror legislation that specifically made it a crime to dispute official accounts of terror attacks. Since then, more and more journalists have been imprisoned in Egypt, and false information charges figure ever more prominently in the justification for their detention.

Egypt has also resorted to mass trials of media professionals. As of December 1 this year, at least 12 Egyptian journalists have been charged under case 441/2018 with spreading false information. Among them was Wael Abbas, a prominent blogger, who was arrested on May 23 and only freed from custody earlier this month. This case demonstrates how indiscriminate Egyptian authorities have become in their crackdown on the media.

With at least 25 journalists behind bars (19 of whom accused of spreading false information), Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi is betting on the silence of the international community, so he can continue to muzzle dissident voices unobstructed. In doing so he has even taken on international institutions.

In April, the Egyptian foreign ministry slammed UNESCO for awarding detained photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize. Abou Zeid was supposed to be released by now after being sentenced in September this year to five years in prison (which he has already served) in the mass trial of the Rabaa sit-in dispersal; he was charged along with other defendants of organising an armed gathering and resisting the authorities, although he gone to the sit-in to cover it as a journalist. By now, his detention is illegal under Egyptian law and prosecutors are saying that he may not be released until February next year.

The international community must demand the release of Abou Zeid, Hussein and all other unjustly detained journalists in Egypt. An international campaign recently helped Abbas get released from detention. This means the Egyptian leadership clearly cares about its image internationally and therefore, we must keep up the pressure.

We must continue to draw public attention to Egypts imprisoned journalists and call out Sisis weaponisation of fake news. And we must also push back against the increasing prevalence of fake news rhetoric which threatens to criminalise journalists around the globe.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
On December 19, Donald Trump made a move that took almost everybody, including members of his own administration, off guard  he ordered a full, rapid withdrawal of over 2,000 US troops from Syria.

The president justified his decision by saying that the only reason US troops were in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, and now that this mission is accomplished, there is no reason for them to stay in the country.

Trumps unexpected announcement, which underlined the continued absence of a clear and coherent US strategy in Syria and the wider Middle East, is likely to mark the start of a new period of conflict in the region.

Following Obamas footsteps

Over the past few years, apart from defeating ISIL, the US has not been able to define clear political objectives in Syria.

Barack Obama was elected on a promise to reverse his predecessor George W Bushs heavy military involvement in the Islamic world. He hence ordered the full withdrawal of US troops from Iraq at the end of 2011.

In June 2014, Mosuls fall to ISIL forced Obama to get involved in Iraq once again. A US-led international coalition to defeat ISIL and prevent it from establishing a state across Syria and Iraq was formed. However, Obama was still reluctant to commit a large number of ground forces to this fight, so he relied on local proxies to fight ISIL.

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In Iraq, Obama worked with the Iraqi government, Kurdish Peshmerga and Shia militias against ISIL. In Syria, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), the backbone of which is the Kurdish YPG, became Americas most reliable local ally against the armed group. The Obama administration trained, funded and equipped the Kurdish group despite strong objections from Turkey, which considers the YPG a terror organisation.

A full-blown proxy war

Mainly as a result of the Obama administrations reluctance to act as a hegemon, Syrias conflict rapidly transformed into a full-blown proxy war. The unwillingness of the US to play a more active role in the conflict enabled regional powers  such as Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia  to step in and try to influence the course of events in Syria and the Levant at large. Russia also joined the fray in September 2015, when it became absolutely clear that the US had become utterly uninterested in the outcome of the Syrian conflict.

When Trump moved into the White House in early 2017, despite his known disapproval of most of his predecessors policies, and the well-known reluctance of some members of his administration to end the US military presence in the Middle East, he chose to continue with Obamas hands-off approach in the region.

And only a year later, he expressed his intention to go even further than Obama and order a full withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

Trump first announced that the US will be coming out of Syria, like very soon in March 2018. Regional allies and advisers convinced the US president that ISIL was not completely defeated, so he agreed to give the Pentagon and State Department another six months to finish the job, still refusing to commit to an open-ended military presence in Syria.

Implications for Syria and the region

Now that the Trump administration officially announced its intention to leave Syria for good, regional powers who have been active participants in Syrias war will likely increase their efforts to gain control of the areas that are currently under US control.

As things stand now, the US, through its Kurdish allies, controls approximately one-third of Syrian territory. These areas are justifiably dubbed by the media and analysts as useful Syria: They contain Syrias major oil and gas fields, main water resources, dams, power plants and most of its fertile land.





Regaining control over these territories is of vital importance for Russia. Moscow lacks the funds to sustain major reconstruction efforts in post-conflict Syria, without which its costly military achievements  defeating the opposition and securing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad  would be hollow. It also wants to be financially rewarded for its military support of the Syrian regime. Hence it had long been eyeing the oil and gas fields that are currently under US control. Now that the US is leaving, Russia will do everything necessary to be the power that fills this vacuum.

Iran is also interested in the US-controlled Syrian territories, albeit for completely different reasons. Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iran has been working hard to establish a Shia Crescent from western Afghanistan to the Mediterranean Sea. The US withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 brought Iran one step closer towards achieving that goal. Yet, the rise of ISIL and the loss of a huge swath of territories in eastern Syria and western Iraq to the group denied Iran the possibility of keeping a land corridor open from Tehran to Damascus and to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran supported the US war on ISIL and even sought membership in the international coalition against the armed group, with the expectation that the US will leave the region once this fight is over. Now that the US is doing just that, Iran will resume its efforts to have the trans-Syria land corridor reopened by trying to increase its influence over northeast Syria.

The US decision to leave northeastern Syria will also cause problems for Israel. In September, a Russian spy plane was downed by Syrian regime forces after Israeli jets used it for cover during attacks in Syria. The incident caused Moscow to downgrade its cooperation with Israel in Syria. As a result, Tel Aviv became fully dependent on the US to keep Irans influence in Syria in check. Following the US decision to leave Syria, Israel is now left with little leverage to shape events on the ground in Syria.

Saudi Arabia also has strategic interests in the area. Over the past year, Riyadh exerted tremendous efforts to convince President Trump to maintain a substantial military presence in northeast Syria to counterbalance both Turkey and Iran. Last November, the Saudis committed $100m to convince the US to keep its troops in Syria. At one point, Riyadh even offered to send troops to patrol the area alongside the US and the YPG. Hence the US decision to leave the area likely caused major disappointment for the Saudis and encouraged them to play an even more hands-on role in the countrys future.

Turkey too is interested in this part of Syria. It has long accused the US-backed SDF of trying to establish an independent state in northeast Syria and has called repeatedly for the US to end its support for the Kurdish group, which it considers to be the Syrian arm of the PKK. In recent weeks, Turkey threatened to launch a major crossborder military operation to destroy its bases in Syria. Now that the US is withdrawing its troops from the region, it might be tempted to move in and eliminate the YPG as it did with Operation Olive Branch in Afrin early in the year.

This means the SDF is possibly the actor that will be most affected by the US decision to withdraw from Syria. Now that it is officially abandoned by its superpower patron, the Kurdish group will be forced to start looking for new allies to help it survive in the new political environment. Most likely, it will move closer to the Russia-Iran-Syrian regime axis to deter a Turkish military intervention.

ISIL might also find a window for a resurgence in the vacuum that will be created as result of Washingtons exit.

In light of all this, the US withdrawal from Syria is likely to be the single most important development in the Syrian conflict since Russias intervention in September 2015. It could bring the Syrian conflict back to where it was before the rise of ISIL: a major power play fueled by the competing interests of regional actors. We might hence witness another round of conflict in Syria between middle size powers after the departure of the hegemon. In other words, the ultimate outcome of Trumps decision to leave Syria could perhaps be the start of a new all-against-all war in the Middle East.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
In violation of Egyptian and international law, Hussein completes two years in Egyptian jail without charges or trial.

Al Jazeeras journalist Mahmoud Hussein completes two years in an Egyptian prison without charges, trial or conviction, on Sunday.

Husseins detention is now in violation of both Egyptian and international law, with the former setting 24 months as the maximum period for pre-trial detention.

Egyptian authorities have repeatedly renewed his detention, most recently on December 3 for another 45 days.

Egypt has accused the Qatar-based news producer of broadcasting false news and receiving foreign funds to defame state institutions, but he has yet to be formally charged.

Mahmoud Hussein has been put in solitary confinement and denied his legal rights [Al Jazeera]

Husseins detention has already breached Egypts penal code, since he has been held for more than 620 days, the maximum period permitted for an individual being investigated for a felony, without a trial. Authorities should have either released Hussein or referred him to court.

Hussein was detained on December 20, 2016, by Egyptian authorities upon his arrival in Cairo for an annual vacation to visit his family. Three days later he was officially arrested.

Since then he has been put in solitary confinement and denied his legal rights.

It is deplorable that Mahmoud is completing two years of detention for no crime other than being an Al Jazeera journalist travelling to his home country to visit his family and loved ones. Mostefa Souag, Al Jazeera Media Network's acting director general

In February, the United Nations called Husseins jailing arbitrary detention, saying the appropriate remedy would be to release Mr Hussein immediately.

Marking Husseins two-year detention, Al Jazeera Media Networks Acting Director General Mostefa Souag, said Today is a sad day which we hoped would never happen. It is deplorable that Mahmoud is completing two years of detention for no crime other than being an Al Jazeera journalist travelling to his home country to visit his family and loved ones.

The length of his detention is a further testimony that Egypt has turned into a lawless country with no respect for journalists, media freedom, human rights or even its own constitution.

Prisons for journalists

In 2013, Egypt also arrested and later imprisoned Al Jazeeras Abdullah Elshamy, Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste on charges of spreading false news, in a case that was widely condemned by international media outlets and many politicians.

All have since been released.

Ibrahim Helal, former editor-in-chief of Al Jazeera Arabic, was sentenced to death in absentia for purportedly endangering national security. Several other colleagues have also been charged in absentia, such as journalists Sue Turton and Dominic Kane.

Reporters Without Borders ranked Egypt 161 out of 180 in its 2017 press freedom index, a blacklist of countries considered prisons for journalists.

According to our statistics in 2016, we noticed there were at least 20 journalists behind bars because of their work, says Alexandra El Khazen from Reporters Without Borders.

Theyd find themselves in a group political trial with hundreds of others accused. The accusations against them are political, because of their journalistic work, as if they were activists or terrorists.

Husseins current colleagues describe him as a trustworthy, passionate and experienced journalist.

He did his job objectively. He always maintained balance and professionalism in his reportage, Al Jazeera Arabic presenter Mohammad Krichen said.
President Dutertes order to destroy the communist movement could engulf the Reds legal fronts, political parties and allied NGOs, an administration official said, prompting CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison to denounce what he called state-sponsored terrorism. Communications Secretary Martin Andanar was referring to the functions of the task force the President has created against communist movement with the sole purpose of decimating the rebels ranks. Andanar said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB that the insincerity of communist groups in the conduct of peace talks had prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to order security forces to destroy them. Moreover, Andanar pointed out that nothing good has come out of the 50-year-old communist rebellion in the country but only killings. On Saturday, President Duterte ordered government troops to destroy the CPP after the communist group declared a ceasefire in observance of the holiday season. We do not subscribe to their ceasefire. We are ready for anything and I said change your paradigm. Do not fight them. Destroy them. Destroy them. Kill them. Basta destroy, Duterte said. In rejecting the truce, President Duterte is out of his mind, Sison said, labelling Duterte an abominable violator of human rights and mastermind of state terrorism. He exposes himself as an abominable violator of human rights. Relatedly, he has roused his armed minions to show no respect for human rights and human rights organizations, Sison said in a statement Sunday. Nat MarianoHe is the mastermind of state terrorism and No. 1 violator of human rights and someone truly deserving of trial by the International Criminal Court as well as by the peoples court of the peoples democratic government, he added, calling Duterte as a bloodthirsty tyrant. Snubbing the five-day unilateral ceasefire declared by the CPP and the rebel groups 50th founding anniversary three days from now, Duterte advised his troops to always be on the lookout as he believes the communist rebels are out to topple his administration. The President said he was really infuriated with the NPAs Sparrow unit, telling soldiers not to fool each other by believing the infamous hit squad will not throw attacks against the government. Unless we are able to destroy every one of them, our children or grandchildren will still witness communism. And many of them will be soldiers, and many of them will die without seeing the outcome of what would eventually be the Republic of the Philippines, he added, slamming anew the supposed rebellious acts of the rebels which have transpired for half a century. He also recognized the armys 10th Infantry Division for its gallant efforts in combatting communist insurgency that has hounded this part of Mindanao for decades. The surrender of almost 8,000 communist rebels and the recovery of some 700 firearms just this year alone speak well of the divisions commitment to end the rebellion for good, he said. Nat Mariano
A dreary grain silo was transformed into a piece of giant, colourful art in Incheon, South Korea has been named by Guinness World Records as the largest outdoor mural in the world.

An industrial city in South Korea is now home to the worlds largest outdoor painted mural.

A series of grain silos in Incheon were painted to resemble a row of books telling the story of a boys journey into adulthood, while also depicting all four seasons.

The city, home to the international airport that serves nearby Seoul, hopes the mural will appeal to tourists and is now considering other industrial buildings as canvases for potential art.

Al Jazeeras Rob McBride reports from Incheon City.
After extensive manhunt, Colombian police and military kill Walter Patricio Arizala, leader of the Oliver Sinisterra Front, a group of former FARC rebels that refused to sign the 2016 peace deal.

After months hunting him in the Colombian jungle, security forces have shot and killed the man known as Guacho.

The former FARC commander refused to surrender as part of a peace deal in 2016 and continued to lead a group of up to 80 other rebels.

Walter Patricio Guacho Arizala was accused of drug trafficking, extortion and murder, and was on the most wanted lists of both Colombia and Ecuador.

Al Jazeeras Charlotte Bellis reports.
Railway accounts for only one percent of all passenger journeys by land and 1.5 percent of overland freight transport.

Greeces rail network is the smallest in the European Union.

It accounts for only one percent of all passenger journeys by land and 1.5 percent of overland freight transport compared with the European averages of eight and 18 percent, respectively.

But that is all set to change as the countrys railway infrastructure has been revived since its economic crisis, which forced the government to give up its monopoly.

Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos reports on how the Greek railways may yield spectacular results.
Gaza-based movement warns that the move called for by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will bring chaos.

Hamas, the Palestinian party that governs the besieged Gaza Strip, has rejected the decision of President Mahmoud Abbas to implement a court order and dissolve parliament.

The movement warned late on Saturday that the move to dismantle the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and hold elections within six months would bring chaos and destroy the political system.

Abbas decision to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council has neither constitutional nor legal values. It is an invalid political decision because it is issued by an illegal body, a statement by Hamas read.

Abbass announcement is the latest in a series of bitter splits between his Fatah party and Hamas, which began in 2007, after Hamas won a 2006 election and took over Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian siege ever since.

Hamas called on the Palestinian people and other political factions to stop Abbas, whose party holds administrative control of parts of the occupied West Bank.

The movement also called on Egypt  which has been mediating between the two sides in a bid to end the Palestinian division  to block the efforts of Abbas.

We call on Egypt to block Abbas measures that are a fatal blow to the Egyptian endeavours aimed to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation, the statement read.

Last month, delegations from Hamas and Fatah held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on ending the Palestinian division.

The talks were one of the dozens of rounds  in Cairo and several Arab capitals  between Hamas and Fatah since the start of the Palestinian discord in 2007, but discussions have yet to bear fruit.

Elections within six months

The PLC, where Hamas holds a majority, has been largely disabled since the 2006 elections.

If done, breaking up the legislature would remain symbolic, maintaining the already entrenched political divide between the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

We resorted to the Constitutional Court and the court decided to dissolve the PLC and called for parliamentary elections in six months and we have to execute this [decision] immediately, Abbas told a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) meeting in Ramallah on Saturday morning.

Abbas accused Hamas of blocking Egyptian efforts to restore Palestinian unity, a charge Hamas vehemently denies. He said the dissolution of parliament aims to pressure Hamas into accepting proposals for national reconciliation.

But Hamas blamed Abbas and said in its statement that he should have accepted an invitation extended by its leader Ismail Haniya, who last week affirmed his willingness to meet and discuss the internal Palestinian divide.

The movement insists that the PLC expires automatically when a new one is formed following general elections, and expressed its readiness to go through a parliamentary or presidential election.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador campaigned on a promise to curb salaries of top officials and improve workers wages.

When Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexicos new president, was running for office, his vow to curb the salaries of top government officials, including his own, was unsurprisingly very popular.

Now he is in power, he is finding it difficult to deliver on those promises.

Al Jazeeras John Holman reports from Mexico City.
Body found two days ago with gunshot wounds in his face, arm and leg, according to government-backed media.

The bullet-riddled body of a Myanmar policeman has been found in northern Rakhine state, according to government media, as tensions rise in the hotspot where the Rohingya crisis erupted last year.

His body was found two days ago with gunshot wounds in his face, arm and leg, government-backed Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Sunday.

The western territory is a tinderbox of ethnic and religious divisions and security forces have clashed with both Rohingya armed groups and much better-armed Rakhine fighters from the mostly Buddhist Arakan Army.

Private Aung Kyaw Thet went missing in action after an ambush last week by unknown assailants in Maungdaw township near the border with Bangladesh.

The ambush happened the same day that two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men disappeared while fishing in the same township and were later found with their throats slit, prompting the army to launch local clearance operations and raising fears of renewed large-scale violence.

Sundays report in Global New Light did not identify the alleged perpetrators of the shooting but said authorities found foxholes near the scene, bullet casings and biscuits manufactured in Bangladesh.

More than 720,000 Rohingya fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a crackdown on the mostly Muslim minority in August 2017.

UN investigators want senior Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for genocide but the army says it was responding to attacks on border guard posts by Rohingya fighters that killed around a dozen security forces.

The army this week called a rare ceasefire against ethnic armed groups in the northeast of the country, but Rakhine state was not included.

Analysts say the military left Rakhine out because it does not want the Arakan Army to gain a foothold in the state, and has lingering concerns over the less powerful Rohingya armed groups, who call themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
Politicians fail to come to a deal as Trump reiterates his demand for $5bn in border wall funding.

The US Senate adjourned on Saturday with no deal to end a partial government shutdown, which is now expected to last until at least Thursday.

President Donald Trump, who has been demanding Congress allocated $5bn for his border wall, and Democrats played the blame game as negotiations got under way earlier in the day.

Trump warned on Twitter early on Saturday that the shutdown could be a long stay, while Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer continued talks to try to overcome the impasse.

But with the full Senate not scheduled to meet again until Thursday, the shutdown is expected to continue through the Christmas holiday.

The partial shutdown began early on Saturday 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 funds for his border wall.

The US House of Representatives, where Republicans have a majority until Democrats take over on January 3, passed a bill that included the $5bn funding, but it ran aground in the Senate.

Blame game

Democrats blame Trump for being unwilling to compromise, reminding the president 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 toward a Trump shutdown over Christmas, Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday.

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Trump took to Twitter to blame the Democrats, saying there was nothing Republicans could do because they needed Democrats to give us their votes.

About three-quarters of federal government programmes are funded through to September 30 next year, but the financing for all others  including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture  expired at midnight on Friday.

Federal parks are closed 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.

The US National Parks will generally remain open with a skeleton staff, though an alert posted on the website of the National Park Service said some parks are closed completely. Republican governors in at least two states were working to make sure public restrooms get cleaned and visitor centres stay open.

Law enforcement efforts, border patrols, mail delivery and airport operations will keep running.

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.

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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 reopen government when it takes office in January.

The shutdown comes at the end of a perilous week for the president, with Defense Secretary James Mattis resigning in protest after Trumps sudden decision to pull US troops out of Syria. The Syria move was widely criticised, even by senior Republicans in Congress. On Saturday, US media reported that Brett McGurk, the top US envoy to the global anti-ISIL coalition, resigned on Friday due to Trumps decision.

The political turmoil added to investors fears about the economy, helping fuel continued heavy losses in the stock market on Friday.
Some 82,850 people turn up at the birthday ceremony of the outgoing emperor Akihito, according to the state media.

Tens of thousands of citizens paid their respects to Japanese Emperor Akihito, during his last birthday celebration before stepping down next year at Tokyos Imperial Palace on Sunday.

The 85th birthday of the emperor, whose position is ceremonial with no political power, is traditionally marked by a national holiday and an address at the palace, which opens to the public on the day.

The crowd of 82,850  according to the Imperial Household Agency  was the largest birthday attendance during Akihitos three-decade reign, known as the Heisei era, which means achieving peace in Japanese.

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Akihito, flanked by his wife, eldest son Naruhito and other members of the imperial family on a balcony, addressed well-wishers waving small Japanese flags and holding up smartphones.

My thoughts go out to those who have lost family members or those close to them, or have suffered damage and whose lives are currently impaired, he said, referring to the natural disasters that hit Japan in recent years year.

Earthquakes, severe storms and heatwaves killed hundreds of people, destroyed homes and disrupted supply chains, clouding the outlook for Japans export-reliant economy.

First time in two centuries

Along with Empress Michiko, Akihito has spent much of his reign addressing the legacy of the second world war and consoling victims of natural disasters. Akihito has created a broader consciousness of Japans wartime past throughout his symbolic reign.

Akihito, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, is scheduled to step down on April 30, passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to 58-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito.

The last time a Japanese emperor abdicated was in 1817.

In comments made to the media ahead of his birthday, Akihito said: it is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in World War Twoand to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war.

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His conciliatory stance contrasts with gestures made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has adopted a less apologetic tone over Japans past military aggression.

Akihito also referred to foreign workers, saying he hoped that the Japanese people will be able to warmly welcome as members of our society those who come to Japan to work.

Japan enacted a law this month to let in more foreign, blue-collar workers to ease a labour shortage, despite criticism it was too hastily crafted and risked exposing the workers to exploitation.
US president says slow and highly coordinated withdrawal of US troops and ISIL were among the issues discussed.

US President Donald Trump says he has spoken on the phone with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about a slow and highly coordinated withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, and the slow and highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area, Trump said in a tweet on Sunday, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. After many years they are coming home.

Trump said he and Erdogan also discussed heavily expanded trade between the US and Turkey after the two NATO allies relationship went into a tailspin over the summer as a result of a number of issues.

Erdogan said in a separate tweet: I had a productive call with (Donald Trump) today, in which we agreed to strengthen our coordination on a range of issues, including our trade relations and the developments in Syria.

Later on Sunday, a US military spokesperson told AFP news agency that the order to pull US troops out of Syria had been signed, without providing further details.

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Trumps surprise decision on Wednesday contributed to the abrupt resignation of Pentagon chief James Mattis on Thursday. Mattis cited significant policy differences with the president as a reason for quitting.

On Sunday, Trump announced Mattis would be leaving his post on January 1, two months earlier than expected.

Trumps decision to pull troops out of Syria also prompted the early resignation of the USs top envoy in the fight against ISIL, Brett McGurk, who said he would leave at the end of the year, instead of in mid-February as previously planned.

Washington began air raids in Syria in 2014, a year before US ground troops moved in to fight the ISIL group and train Syrian rebels in the war-ravaged country.

I just had a long and productive call with President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey. We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home. We also discussed heavily expanded Trade.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Turkey sends forces to the border

The conversation between Trump and Erdogan came amid activity at the Turkish-Syrian border, with Ankara sending reinforcements to the region.

Erdogan, who in the previous weeks threatened to conduct a military operation into northern Syria, said on Saturday that he might postpone the planned incursion on the armed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) group, after the USs surprise announcement to withdraw its troops from Syria.

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Washington has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the ISIL group in Syria, as part of an international coalition dominated by the YPG.

Ankara considers the US-backed YPG a terrorist group and an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged attacks on Turkish soil since the 1980s as they sought autonomy.

The US has an estimated 2,000 US troops in Syria.

In the past two years, Turkey has conducted two offensives into northern Syria, dubbed Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.
Trump says hes replacing Mattis with deputy defence secretary Patrick Shanahan in an acting capacity on January 1.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defense Secretary James Mattis on January 1 with deputy defence secretary Patrick Shanahan in an acting capacity after Mattis resigned over policy differences and offered to stay in his post for two more months.

Trump announced Shanahans appointment in a tweet, calling the former Boeing Co executive very talented and said that he had a long list of accomplishments.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, said the former Boeing executive will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

Deputy Secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defense will remain focused on the defense of the nation, Buccino said on Sunday.

Mattis resigned on Thursday, a day after Trump overruled his advice against pulling US troops out of Syria and reportedly pressed forward on discussions to withdraw forces from Afghanistan.

Mattis told Trump in his resignation letter that he was leaving because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.

Triumph for Erdogan as US announces Syria pull-out

Mattis said he would stay through February to ensure an orderly transition.

Earlier on Sunday, Trumps acting chief of staff said that Trump had known for quite some time now that he and Mattis did not share some of the same philosophies  have the same world view.

Mick Mulvaney told ABCs This Week that the president and his defense chief just could never get on the same page on Syria, adding that Trump had said since his presidential campaign that he wanted to get out of Syria.

Shanahan (L) was a longtime Boeing Co executive [File: Joshua Roberts/Reuters]

Asked whether Trump wanted a Pentagon leader willing to challenge him or someone in lock step with his views, Mulvaney said a little bit of both.

Ive encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but dont see the world in lockstep with him, Mulvaney said.

Trumps decision to pull US troops out of Syria has been sharply criticised for abandoning Washingtons Kurdish allies. Many also say the move will create the same conditions that gave rise to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Mattis, in his resignation letter, emphasised the importance of standing up for US allies  an implicit criticism of the presidents decision on this issue and others.

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.

Another key player on the Middle East, Brett McGurk, also said he was leaving after years in charge of the war against the ISIL. He too opposed Trumps new Syria policy.
Senator Cynthia Villar was recognized by the Department of Agriculture for her role in the enactment of the law against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. During the First Command Conference of the Philippine Committee against IUUF at the Philippine International Convention Center last Monday, Villar was recognized for her pivotal role in the enactment of Republic Act 10654, which is the countrys legal backbone in the fight against IUUF. Villar as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food principally sponsored the bill which also resulted in the lifting of the yellow tag on Philippine fish imports. If not immediately addressed, the yellow tag would have caused a ban on the Philippines to export fish products to Europe, one of the countrys largest markets. It also would have caused the inclusion of the country in the European Commissions Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus and allowed duty-free entry of over 6,000 Philippine products to Europe. With the enactment of this law, we were able to address two important things: One is to ensure the sustainability of our oceans and two, ensure the livelihood of our fishermen. It also helped the Philippines diversify trade, increase exports and attract foreign direct investments, Villar said. The law which was signed into law February 27, 2015, amended the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. The law sanctions IUUF and modified penalties for a more deterrent effect. The law also provides for the creation of the Fisheries Management Fund from the fines and penalties collected. The fund will provide livelihood and scholarship programs, among others, to fisher folks and their family. Under the law, 35 percent of the fund will be allocated to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for fishery law enforcement and 65 percent will be allotted to provide assistance to poor fisherfolk: A. 10 percent for the purchase, upgrade and maintenance of vessels, communication and other equipment used for the monitoring, control, and surveillance, of Philippine waters and distant water fishing; B. 5 percent for the payment of litigation expenses, cost of conveyance of witnesses and other costs due to cases filed by or against the Republic of the Philippines in international courts arising from the implementation of this act or where apprehending party or parties become respondents or defendants in any tribunal or court of law;C. 15 percent for the operating costs of the IFARMC and MFARMC and payment for the cost of rehabilitation, medical expenses for injury, or indemnity for death of law enforcement officers, including deputized volunteers; D. 20 percent for payment for rewards to informers and those who assisted in fishery law enforcement; E. 5 percent for the continued upgrading of laboratory facilities and equipment; F. 5 percent for the capability development of BFAR personnel, deputized law enforcement agencies and volunteers, and stakeholders; G. 10 percent for scholarship grants for children of fisher folks and fish workers in fish catch, aquaculture, fishing and fish processing; H. 15 percent for livelihood programs for production enhancement and poverty alleviation; and I. 15 percent for assistance to fishermen in the form of shared facilities. With the enactment of the law, Villar said the country was able to fulfill its commitment to the international community to protect marine life and resources. We recognize the threat overfishing poses to all nations of the world. If left unabated, it will not only make deserts out of our oceans in 2050, it will also mean a collapse of the fishing sector as a source of livelihood, Villar said.
Israel, Turkey in new war of words on social media after a year of tense relations over multiple issues.

Turkey has hit out at Israels lawless occupation of Palestinian territory after the Israeli prime minister accused Turkey of massacres against Kurds in a new war of words.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu labelled Benjamin Netanyahu a cold-blooded killer of modern times, in a Tweet on Sunday, adding that the prime minister was responsible for massacres of thousands of innocent Palestinians.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have been tense this year over multiple issues including a controversial law passed by the Israeli parliament in July which defined the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

Netanyahu said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should not preach to Israel after the Turkish leader warned young Turks on Saturday: Do not kick the enemy you have brought down to the ground. You are not a Jew in Israel.

Netanyahu said Erdogan was the occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey in a tweet late on Saturday.

Erdogan  the occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey  should not preach to Israel.  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 22, 2018

Erdogans spokesperson and chief adviser Ibrahim Kalin lambasted Netanyahu, who he said should end the lawless occupation of Palestinian lands and the brutal oppression of Palestinian people instead of begging President Erdogan not to speak out the truth.

Kalin added in the tweet on Sunday: Bashing Erdogan or using Kurds as a political chip will not save him from his domestic troubles.

Instead of begging President Erdogan not to speak out the truth, @netanyahu should end the lawless occupation of Palestinian lands and the brutal oppression of Palestinian people. Bashing Erdogan or using Kurds as a political chip will not save him from his domestic troubles. https://t.co/I6YdwDP2v4  Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) December 23, 2018

On December 14, Erdogan also said Palestinians were subjected to pressures, violence and intimidation policies no less grave than the oppression done to the Jews during the second world war, referring to the Holocaust.

Turkey-Israel ties have been strained since Ankara ordered the Israeli ambassador to leave Turkey in May over the killing of protesters along the separation fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinians, has bitterly criticised Israel previously, calling it in July the worlds most fascist and racist state.
Despite plans to delay crossborder military operation on YPG forces, Ankara sends more armoured vehicles to its border.

Turkey is sending reinforcements to its border with Syria, Turkish media reported on Sunday, adding that some 100 vehicles, including mounted pick-up trucks and weaponry, had made their way to the area.

The heightened military activity comes days after President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would postpone a planned military operation on the armed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) group in northern Syria, after the United Statess surprise announcement to withdraw its troops from Syria.

Washington has for years supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group in Syria, as part of an international coalition dominated by the YPG.

But, on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he was ordering a withdrawal of the estimated 2,000 US troops in Syria because ISIL had been defeated, an assessment criticised by many. US officials have said the details were yet finalised, but they expect the countrys forces to be out of Syria by mid-January.

181220112757906

Anger over YPG

In June, the NATO allies reached an agreement that would see the YPG removed from the area, but Turkey has complained the plan hadnt been implemented.

Turkish media said the Turkish convoy, headed towards the border district of Kilis, located in the southern province of Hatay, included tanks, howitzers, machine guns and buses carrying commandos.

Turkeys state media, including TRT and Anadolu Agency, ran live footage from the outskirts of Manbij, a Syrian town in the Elbeyli district, which has been a source of tension between Ankara and Washington.

Part of the military equipment and personnel are to be positioned in posts along the border while some had crossed into Syria via Elbeyli, private Demiroren News Agency said.

Around 35 tanks and other heavy weapons, carried on board tank carriers, crossed the Jarablos border crossing in the early evening, Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP on Saturday.

They headed for an area near the Sajour River, between Jarablos and Manbij, not far from the front lines where Kurdish fighters of the Manbij Military Council are stationed, he added.





Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey would take over the fight against the ISIL group in Syria as the US withdraws its troops, adding that the planned operation would target the YPG as well as ISIL in Syria.

Ankara considers the US-backed YPG a terrorist group and an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged attacks on Turkish soil since the 1980s in demand for autonomy.

In the past two years, Turkey has conducted two offensives into northern Syria, dubbed Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.

In 2016, it launched an operation against ISIL, which also aimed to block the YPG from joining up the territory it held in northern Syria. In January 2018, Turkey staged an offensive against Kurdish fighters in its northwestern enclave of Afrin.
The former-soldier-turned-politician is credited with making the Liberal Democrats the third-largest party in the UK.

The former leader of the UKs Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, has died at age 77 after a brief illness.

Ashdown, born in India and raised in Northern Ireland, was a member of the Royal Marines and Special Services before turning to politics.

In addition to his domestic politics, Ashdown was also a force on the international scene, investigating war crimes in Bosnia and eventually giving evidence in the trial of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic.

Al Jazeeras Katia Lopez Hodoyan reports.
Its always amusing to watch the pundits and spinners turn on a dime. It used to be harder before the internet made it easy to retrieve what they said in the past. This week, with a tsunami of developments, the spinning is at full force.

Spinning

Lets start with the spinning of the news and how media poisons the well in favor of their loved ones.

A. In 2014 CNN honored a Der Spiegel writer, Claus Relotius as Journalist of the Year. He could be reliably counted on to flatter the readers' anti-American biases, so he was a natural winner for the network. Unfortunately for him, he ran up against some Americans in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, who cared about the truth. They scoured his report on the town, interviewed the people he said he had and exposed him as an utter fraud. That persuaded his bosses to take a second look at the nonsense he had been peddling and they fired him for fabricating his accounts.

Claas Relotius "falsified articles on a grand scale and even invented characters", Der Spiegel said. Among the articles in question are major features that had been nominated for or won awards, the magazine added. Relotius, 33, admitted deceiving readers in some 14 stories published in Der Spiegel, the magazine said. In a statement on Wednesday, the German publication said it was working to establish the full extent of Relotius' "fabrications" after a colleague who worked with him on a story raised suspicions about his reporting. After initially denying the allegations, Relotius confessed last week to inventing entire passages of text in several instances, Der Spiegel says. In some articles, he is said to have included individuals he had never met or spoken to, "telling their stories or quoting them".

If youre a creative writer who hates America and craves getting journalism awards for it, theres now a job opening at Der Spiegel.

B. Of course, thats not the only way to slant the news. You can do it more subtly. Take Tom Bevans comparison of the NY Post and NY Times reportage on the Presidents lifting Russian sanctions:

If you want a perfect example of how screwed up the news business is, take a look at these two stories today on Russia sanctions, one from the New York Post and the other from the New York Times. Tom BevanVerified account @TomBevanRCP 1h1 hour ago 2. It's all about emphasis. The NY Post wrote up a small 200-word blurb on the news, focusing on the new sanctions on hacking, and relegating the lifting of sanctions on Deripaska to a final, 25-word paragraph. Tom BevanVerified account @TomBevanRCP 1h1 hour ago 3. The NY Times went to the other extreme, writing 1,200 words almost exclusively about the lifting of sanctions on Deripaska w/ominous quotes from Dems implying this all fits into the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. [snip] It's the same story: the WH levied some new sanctions on Russia & lifted others. But because of the emphasis, the framing, and headlines, readers of the Post and the Times will come away believing two completely different things about the news -- and you can't blame them.

Unless you read both versions or seek out official documents and transcripts of matters, you do not understand what happened. This may explain why American opinion has become so polarized.

Fake news works tirelessly to glorify the left and denigrate the right in everything -- including appearance and fashion to frame your views as Motus so devastatingly reveals.

About Faces

You can be sure that whatever the left praised Obama for they will criticize Trump for. Equally so, whatever policies they advocated for or against they will take the opposite view once Trump does what they advocated for.

A. General Mattis Retirement and Syria

To be sure, the general is in all respects an exemplary military officer. His leaving is nothing unusual, and reflects yet another policy disagreement with the President -- this time over the decision to withdraw 2,000 troops from Syria.

Little was heard from the left when Obama fired Mattis without even calling him, nor was there any disagreement from that quarter that I can recall when Obama purged the military officer corps.

Mattis has taken positions on a number of things from global climate change and the Paris Accord to transgenders in the military without feeling it necessary to tender his resignation. The issue to him seems to be the troop withdrawal. His resignation letter was petulant and self-serving. Roger Kimball argues that the so-called adults in the administration are childish.

"You do not need an advance degree in hermeneutics to unpack the implications of such statements. I, Jim Mattis, am the adult in the room. I want to foster our partnerships with our allies -- unlike some people -- and I want to be tough with respect to opponents like Russia and China -- again, not stated but clearly implied, unlike some. The implication is made all-but-explicit in the next paragraph which begins Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects Well, because of all this, I quit. In other words, I am the good guy who wants to reward our friends and stand up to our enemies, whereas you, Donald Trump, do not."

There are honorable people who take positions on both sides of the question of our continuing to remain in Syria with the present force of 2,000 men. Most involve the humanitarian concerns for the Kurds who remain there, a people who certainly deserve concern. Some involve concerns over Israels safety.

Kevin Gutzman on Facebook supports Trumps actions:

All over the media, we see people saying that Pres. Trump's decision to keep his campaign promise to withdraw from Syria means Russia will control Syria. Grant it arguendo. So what? When was Syria last not in the Soviet or Russian orbit? What injury did that do the USA, exactly? As I tell my students, "Please be specific." Since the Cold War ended, American politicians like John McCain and Lindsey Graham and intellectuals like Bill Kristol have had the idea that a good foreign policy rule is "Intervene wherever Russia might have influence -- preferably with 'boots on the ground.'" They tried selling that in 2016. They lost. Likely they'll try again in 2020. If they succeed, we can return to borrowing trillions to contest every Godforsaken desert and valley on earth, and for what? Please be specific.

David Goldman, whom I respect, reviews the present state of affairs upon our decision to withdraw troops on Facebook.

Erdogan announces that he "will wait a while" before launching his military offensive vs. the Kurds in northern Syria, citing a telephone conversation with President Trump. That's clearly part of the deal under which Trump ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 US troops. That leaves Russia as the arbiter of the region. Iran's President Rouhani turned up in Ankara yesterday to meet Erdogan, and informed observers say that the purpose of the meeting was a modus vivendi between Turkey and Iran in Syria -- with Russia as the de facto mediator. This also means that Israel has to deal with Russia regarding security matters on its northern border. Russia has in effect said it will contain Iran's presence in Syria. That appears to be the arrangement that President Trump has bought into, presumably because he doesn't want the US to be burdened with the Middle East. I'm not pleased about this, by any means. I'm just trying to understand what just happened.

The Wall

In the meantime, the President called in Republican House leaders, lit a fire under them and got a last-minute continuing resolution which includes a $5 billion appropriation to fund the wall. It was an embarrassment for Nancy Pelosi, who had claimed the wall funding would never get through the House and who had been dancing and singing at a D.C. bar in glee the night before in anticipation of victory. (She who dances last dances best, to paraphrase my mother.)

The dance floor emptied still further when Schumer chose to defy the President, insisting that he "give up the wall". That torpedoed any further negotiations, and the government went into partial shutdown at midnight on Friday. Since the Senate will not return until next Thursday, this means that the government will remain shut down until then. This being Christmas week, it's unlikely anyone will notice. The Democrats really strategized this one well, didn't they?

In the meantime, a triple war amputee started a Go Fund Me page for the wall which within six days had surpassed $15 million dollars. I regard this as the most effective grassroots show of support ever. Let the Democrats march with pussy hats and encourage the Antifa rampages to no avail. Real people kicked in to show what they want. So, the not-warmongering-warmonger once again trumps the geniuses on the left. If they shut down the government on Christmas, its the Schumer shutdown, not the Trump shutdown.
Defense secretaries come and go. President Obama had four of them in eight years, who had some unkind things to say about his leadership or lack of it. There was no talk of chaos or of the only adult in the room leaving.

Suddenly, the media are in a meltdown after "Mad Dog" Mattis announced his departure from the Cabinet after President Trump announced our departure from Syria:

Foreign Policy Pentagon reporter Lara Seligman wrote the press corp [sic] is contemplating suicide over Mattis' resignation, "I think I speak for all national security reporters tonight when I say I'm about ready to jump off a cliff. But at least I already wrote the "who will replace Mattis" story two months (only two months?????) ago[."]

Democrats who won't defend our southern border and who slept as Obama drew red lines with vanishing ink worry about an ISIS Obama created by a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq regaining strength and reforming in Syria and Iraq. The general Obama fired is suddenly a man of principle whose leadership was indispensable:

House Speaker-designate Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she was "shaken and "concerned". "General Mattis was a comfort to many who were concerned about the path the Trump Admin would choose to take. His resignation letter is defined by statements of principle  principles that drove him to leave the Administration. All of us should be concerned at this time."

There was no such concern when Obama relieved Mattis as commander of CENTCOM without so much as a phone call, a factoid typical of Obama's disdain for the military, its missions, and its heroes.

[Thomas E.] Ricks says Mattis was fired because: Pentagon insiders say that he rubbed civilian officials the wrong way  not because he went all "mad dog," which is his public image, and the view at the White House, but rather because he pushed the civilians so hard on considering the second- and third-order consequences of military action against Iran. Some of those questions apparently were uncomfortable. Like, what do you do with Iran once the nuclear issue is resolved and it remains a foe? What do you do if Iran then develops conventional capabilities that could make it hazardous for U.S. Navy ships to operate in the Persian Gulf? He kept saying, "And then what?" There is also a belief that Mattis and Obama differed on Iran. "A particular point of disagreement was what to do about mischief Iran is exporting to other countries. Mattis is indeed more hawkish on this than the White House was," writes Ricks in yet another post.

Mattis is probably more hawkish than Trump as well. Mattis and Trump disagree on strategy. Obama and Mattis disagreed on goals and consequences. While a liberal uproar greeted the former, utter silence greeted the latter.

No doubt, our Syrian withdrawal was a factor in Mattis's decision. I don't agree with it, but to compare it with Obama's withdrawal from Iraq when he snatched defeat from George W. Bush's victory, as many conservatives are doing, is a tad disingenuous.

President Trump destroyed the ISIS caliphate as originally constituted in Syria and Iraq. Obama watched it grow and facilitated its growth through inaction and indifference. ISIS is a cancer that has spread but is currently in remission. If it comes back in force, we can deal with it. But it is not dangerous isolationism for Trump to consider Iran the main threat and to focus on it.

It is Iran that wants its nukes to be an existential threat to Israel, Europe, and the United States. It is Iran that is trying to build a corridor of terror from Tehran through Syria and Iraq to its Hezb'allah puppets in Lebanon.

Iran is the head of the snake. Syria and ISIS are the tail. Strike at the head, and you kill the snake. President Trump is doing that by nixing Obama's nuclear deal and reimposing sanctions, including prohibitions on Iranian oil exports. That, arguably, is a better way to deal with a very real threat than chasing random jihadis through the Syrian desert.

Critics of our Syrian withdrawal forget that under President Trump, American-backed forces liberated the ISIS capital of Raqqa. They forget the hundreds of Russian mercenaries killed in clashes with U.S. forces. They forget the cruise missile strikes against Syrian targets under the nose of Vladimir Putin. Trump's moves in Syria were hardly under a white flag.

Obama, by contrast, didn't want to win anywhere and waged his own war against the U.S. military, purging it of generals, admirals, and commanders who dare to talk of victory. President Obama began a military purge not dissimilar to those routinely conducted by third-world despots, with the goal of eliminating voices that might oppose his withdrawing from the world stage. As Investor's Business Daily editorialized:

[W]hat has happened to our officer corps since President Obama took office is viewed in many quarters as unprecedented, baffling and even harmful to our national security posture. We have commented on some of the higher profile cases, such as Gen. Carter Ham. He was relieved as head of U.S. Africa Command after only a year and a half because he disagreed with orders not to mount a rescue mission in response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi[.] ... From Breitbart.com's Facebook page comes a list of at least 197 officers that have been relieved of duty by President Obama for a laundry list of reasons and sometimes with no reason given.

Retired four-star general and Fox News analyst Jack Keane, architect of the Iraq surge that produced the victory Obama threw away, recently spoke on Kilmeade and Friends about Obama's ongoing purge of the military of officers who oppose his isolationist and defeatist policies.

It's also a fact that a number of our general officers, not all of them but a number of them, were asked to leave before what would normally be accepted as the routine tenure for that particular position, and General Mattis is a case in point who had very strong views on Iran. Most of us agree with those views but I know the administration did not agree with them. General Flynn, who you know very well and had on your show, was an outspoken proponent for understand[ing] radical Islam, how dangerous this particular threat was and was trying to communicate that, he was not able to serve out his full tenure. So yes, that's another fact that we can substantiate, that there were generals who did leave earlier than what their tenure would be and the characteristic they all shared together is they did disagree with the administration on various points."

General Mattis is an old-school warrior known for his colorful rhetoric and his commitment both to his men and to his mission. He, along with other generals like David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal, did have a problem with Obama's quest for a substitute for victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As the New York Post reported:

Officially, the administration offers a nothing-to-see-here explanation for Mattis' departure, noting that his tenure in the crucial job was about average for the post. Maybe. But politics is at play here as well. The brusque Mattis apparently fell afoul of National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, an Obama apparatchik. Why? Because Mattis says things the Obama team doesn't want to hear, especially about what might well become the next theater of operations  Iran.

Okay, maybe Mattis was saying things Trump didn't want to hear about tactics and strategies, but we have only one commander-in-chief at a time, and the one we have now is trying to rebuild the military, so we can win wars, not letting the military atrophy while generals who want to win are purged.

We have not only ISIS jihadis to worry about. We have the Iranian nuclear threat, an expansionist China with sub-launched nuclear missiles capable of hitting U.S. cities, and a belligerent Russia developing hypersonic missiles we might not be able to stop as it negotiates with a crumbling Venezuela to base its nuclear-capable bombers on an island not far from Caracas.

So chill out, Chicken Littles of the left and right. There is an adult in the room. His name is Donald J. Trump.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investor's Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Asylum-seeking is well known for its distorted incentives and abuses. Now Austria of all places is calling it out, seeking to ban any asylum seekers who bankroll their journeys in through the paying and enriching of human smuggling cartels.

It makes sense. It's also about the most vividly commonsensical idea to come out of that place since Friedrich Hayek's theory of price signals, demonstrating why central planning (read: socialism) always fails.

According to the Daily Mail:

All migrants who arrive in Europe with the help of human traffickers will be automatically denied asylum in Austria, under new plans revealed by its Interior Minister today. Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), said his plans aim to punish migrants using smugglers by handing down an automatic negative asylum decision. Kickl told local media that he hopes Austrian laws will be amended to enable this policy provision and that Austria's immigration stance 'should head in this direction.' The Austrian minister said it was unfair that someone who could afford the services of human traffickers had a greater chance of asylum than others who could not.

In other words, instead of the migrants being targeted, it's the nasty human traffickers being targeted.

That makes sense, because extranational smuggling cartels are the ugly off-camera player in these mass migrations that have flooded Europe (and the U.S.) making immense money off human misery as the news cameras have focused on hard-luck stories of individual migrants seeking to enter the West illegally and turned the cameras against anyone in the Western world who has opposed the practice. What's more, they've profited off the incentives to migrate illegally, as supposedly moral leaders, such as Pope Francis, have openly advocated for the individuals who enriched the smugglers, while ignoring the effects of illegal migration, such as imported violent crime, and cartels that grow richer and richer and richer, based on smuggling 'earnings.'

Fact is, smuggling rackets have grown immensely rich off lax asylum policies in Western countries, making big dollars off the left's judges and bureaucrats' supposed compassion in allowing all comers in.

In the past, asylum-seeking was wild flight from danger by any means necessary - a dramatic bolt across the tarmac to freedom or a bowshot glide across the Berlin Wall, with begging for mercy at the door of the West. Today, asylum-seeking is as regular as the school bus, with organized cartels using the Internet to incentivize large groups of people to migrate through package deals, organizing their transport, food, boarding and care, all for a convenient flat fee, payable either on the spot with cash or via Internet, or else through installment plans based on jobs in the West. It's illegal, and it's a burden, costing law-abiding citizens in liveable countries billions as they arrive.

Just the very act of paying a cartel smuggler has made many a cartel rich and powerful indeed. All you have to do is look at Mexico, which is locked in a death-struggle with cartels who've gotten their billions not just from drug-smuggling into the U.S. but through migrant smuggling fees. Illegals, cartels, funny how both have arisen as powers at the exact same time. Migrant-smuggling fees account for approximately one third of cartel earnings according to some studies, and may well be more, given the extent to which illegal immigration has become common. What's more, those rackets have gone on to challenge the states of the remaining respective countries, as they have grown rich on this business model, either to expand their existing drug-smuggling businesses, or else to branched out into other forms of smuggling based on the infusion of migrant capital. They make the lives of these governments and remaining citizens miserable. Unless, of course, the government has its 'understandings' with the cartels.

The Austrians also have a very realist recognition about the kinds of people who enrich the smuggling cartels: The lower middle class, not the poor. These are people with some kind of means of paying smugglers, which brings in an economic element to what is supposedly a political process. 'It is not the poorest who flee, but those who can afford human traffickers,' said Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose parliament has the majority to potentially get the law enacted.

That recognition has led to additional measures such as confiscating these migrants' money at the border to pay for their care and taking their cellphones in order to track their journeys and learn more about the smuggling rackets they may have enriched.

Bottom line, that has potential to shatter the cartel rackets - and make life livable for the citizens and governments of the poor countries left behind. You can bet the smuggling rackets will find some pawns in the European Union bureaucracy to fight for their interests. But for now, one hopes Austria will be able to get the law through, and it will be adopted in other countries plagued by human smuggling rackets a well.

Let's see if Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer is willing to live up to his claims that foreign law is a reasonable precedent upon which to base Supreme Court rulings. Better still, let's see some kinds of laws and executive orders on this break-the-smugglers rationale over here.

Kudos to Austria for sorting this problem out, and flipping the narrative from migrant sob stories to the shadowy players making money off them.

Image credit: Dragan Tatic, Bundesministerium fur Europa, Integration und Aueres, via Flickr and Wikipedia // CC By-SA 2.0
Every now and then, a Hollywood hypocrite gets the smackdown he deserves.

Author Humberto Fontova, writing at Townhall, did the honors, starting with this:

Hollywoods Benicio Del Toro Eulogizes Che Guevara in Havana but Denounces President Trump as Cruel Monster!

Fontova then laid out the quotes, side by side like this:

Id like to dedicate this award to the man himself, Che Guevara! I wouldn't be here without Che Guevara, and through all the awards the movie gets you'll have to pay your respects to the man!...Ideologically I feel very close to Che." Thus gushed Benicio Del Toro (made a multi-millionaire mostly by American audiences) while accepting the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role glorifying Che Guevara (who denounced Americans as hyenas fit only for extermination!) But on the other hand: I dont understand whats going on with the United States government Its cruel. Whats the morality inside this monster (Donald Trump) for separating children from their parents? I dont know. The bottom line: this has to stop. (Benicio del Toro earlier this year.)

Which exposed the vaunted actor as a jackass. Here he was, yelling about Trump on 'humanitarian' grounds, while expressing no concern about the Cuban 'revolutionary' and his record of mass murder as one of Cuba's most bloodthirsty and soulless rulers. The guy had no heart, no compassion, just model-worthy looks, and that was based on just one glossy photo by Albert Korda, which appeared to romanticize the thug. Fontova, who has written more than one good book on the scope of Guevara and his crimes, makes an appropriate comparison to show the depth of the hypocrisy.

Che killed people and he didn't just kill people, he took pleasure in killing people. He particularly got his rocks off on the idea of killing Americans and actually planned the first 9/11 with a black guerrilla militant group, plotting to blow up the New York subways at stations below Macy's and Bloomingdales on Black Friday shopping day, the better to maximize the casualties. The plot was foiled by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, as Fontova noted in his book. This was not a nice person, let alone a romantic one, this guy had more in common with MS-13 and Hugo Chavez than he ever did with any "better world." The Cuban exiles Fontova interviewed said they knew there was something 'off' about the communist.

But there Del Toro goes, praising the beast of Havana who used to just love shooting children against walls in his time and watching the blood flow. He also liked to steal jewelry, go to the bathroom on farmers' hard-harvested produce, run out on his tab in restaurants, and put the screams of tortured children to the phone receivers for their mothers to hear.

Seriously, all of these revolting details are true. And that's what Del Toro is praising, even as he denounces President Trump as a 'monster' for separating children from parents who've broken the law.

Del Toro, of course, loves Che to the extent that he played Che in some movie. I never saw it because there is no need waste one's time on romance novels. There is an authentic portrayal of Che in the movies however, in 'The Lost City' by the estimable Andy Garcia. There, Che was portrayed as he really was, by actor Jsu Garcia. He actually looks like Che, and he smirks and smarms like Che, brimming with cruelty.

Watch that and you will want to put your fist through the screen.

That was the real Che Guevara. Del Toro can't hold a candle to that. He's just another useful idiot with a heaping helping of hypocrisy on behalf of the detested Cuba socialist regime.
Faeldon son freed; drug case dismissed

posted December 23, 2018 at 11:35 pm by Manila Standard December 23, 2018 at 11:35 pm

The son of Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon, who was arrested last week during a raid in a suspected drug den in Naga City, has been freed, police said on Sunday. The young Faeldon was released last Friday after the court dismissed the visitor of a drug den case police filed against him. Naga Police Chief Senior Supt. Felix Servita Jr. said the court found no sufficient evidence to prove that the raided house was indeed a drug den. Faeldons companions Manuel Nebres and Allan Valdez were also released on Friday.Faeldon Jr. tested negative for drugs. The father of Faeldons girlfriend, Russel Lanuzo, will still face charges for illegal possession of illegal drugs.

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.
A prestigious, all-women's college, Mount Holyoke, is apologizing profusely for offending the LGBTQ community for suggesting a new logo for the school that included the Venus symbol, a traditional icon of feminism and womens' rights.

The familiar symbol apparently offends some at the school, including those who were born men but identify as female, and those generally predisposed to hate anything that is gender binary.

Tony Airaksinen writing at PJ Media:

While the majority of public comments on the proposed logos urged the school to Keep the old one, the school marketing office was also apparently also deluged with concern about the use of the Venus symbol in the new design. Just two business days later, MCH [sic] officials issued a public apology. It is now evident to us that this symbol has a long history of exclusion connected to movements that, while trailblazing for some groups, represents the erasure of others, wrote Charles L. Green, MCHs [sic] VP of Marketing. The College cannot move forward with a word mark that references this symbol While it is always disappointing to realize that our creative work has not achieved its goals, it is deeply upsetting to realize that the work is seen as offensive and damaging. One alumna, Tessa Ann Schwartz, wrote on Twitter that the Venus symbol is marginalizing to LGBTQ individuals. Speaking as one of those trans alums, you all will not be getting my money until this is changed, and I am not alone, tweeted Schwartz. Historically, the Venus symbol has been used as shorthand to reference womens issues, feminism, and female empowerment. While it may seem fine to use at a womens college, MCH [sic] officials remind us that the school is a gender-diverse womens college. The school now accepts students of all genders, as so long as they are not men who were born men. As such, the school has a sizeable transgender and gender non-binary population, and offers a variety of services to support them.

The Venus sign has been the universal symbol denoting the feminine since the Greeks. But it wasn't until the 1960's and the womens' movement that it became an iconic symbol of the struggle for equal rights.

It's ironic that a symbol once representing revolution has become "offensive." I suppose it shouldn't surprise us. We are in the midst of another revolution - a revolt against reason and common sense. To accept the Venus symbol is to remind us that there are two sexes, and only two sexes, and that any other notions of gender are created out of whole cloth, with no basis in science or logic.

And the silliness continues...
Back on November 7, the 85-year-old Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fell in her office at the Supreme Court and fractured three ribs on her left side. Ironically, this mishap may have been a blessing in disguise, as x-ray tests on her rib area revealed growths on her left lung.

Then, on December 21, Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In that procedure, one of the two lobes of the left lung is completely removed and examined. Upon pathological testing, it was determined that the nodules on Ginsburg's left lobe were indeed malignant.

The prognosis cannot be good for Ginsburg. According to Dr. John Heymach of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, when lung cancer is caught, it usually has already spread to the lymph nodes and beyond, and by then, it is curable in only a few cases.

This is the latest in a string of health issues that have afflicted the aged Ginsburg. She has been on the Supreme Court since 1993 when appointed by Bill Clinton. Currently, she is the longest serving justice on the court. During her tenure, Ginsburg has had both colon (2009) and pancreatic cancer (1999) and a heart stent in 2014. This is not a healthy, robust woman.

One need not be a medical expert to predict with a reasonable degree of confidence that 2019 will end without Ginsburg  or RBG, as her fans like to call her  on the bench. This will give President Trump the opportunity to appoint another originalist to the Supreme Court. This is needed now to counteract Chief Justice Roberts, who is drifting ever to the left.

Just the thought of another Supreme Court appointment for President Trump will send the Democrats and the Democrat-media into rug-chewing fits. It will also shift their efforts to remove Trump from office into warp speed.
Come one, come all! Mark the date on your carefully inclusive, diverse and politically correct calendar.

On January 7, The Privilege Institute will hold its 20th annual White Privilege Conference in beautiful and exciting Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

We need another week to be ready for registration. Thanks for your patience. Registration now opens January 07, 2019. WPC20 will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 20-23, 2019. You also won't want to miss our 20th anniversary dinner celebration which will feature new music from Jasiri X and local Iowa blues legend Kevin "B.F." Burt.

In case you've forgotten, here is what we are all about:

WPC is a conference that examines challenging concepts of privilege and oppression and offers solutions and team building strategies to work toward a more equitable world. It is not a conference designed to attack, degrade or beat up on white folks. It is not a conference designed to rally white supremacist groups. WPC is a conference designed to examine issues of privilege beyond skin color. WPC is open to everyone and invites diverse perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at issues of privilege including: race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, etc. - the ways we all experience some form of privilege, and how we're all affected by that privilege. WPC attracts students, professionals, activists, parents, and community leaders/members from diverse perspectives. WPC welcomes folks with varying levels of experience addressing issues of diversity, cultural competency, and multiculturalism. WPC is committed to a philosophy of "understanding, respecting and connecting."

We don't want to "degrade or beat up on white folks." It just sorta, kinda works out that way sometimes. Entirely unintentional, I assure you.

We could sure use your support. If you'd like to pony up to fight (white) privilege, here's what you'll get.

Participate! Attend the conference and encourage others to attend. In-kind donations Consider donating pens, notebooks, folders, tote bags or other items for conference participants and/or presenters. Donate Donations of any amount are tremendously appreciated. A donation of $35.00 will provide lunch for an attendee; a donation of $240.00 will fund a conference registration. Give online today or consider pledging a monthly gift over a specific timeline. Become a Community Advocate Commit to sending at least 30 participants to the WPC from your organization and contribute time, energy, or in-kind donations and pledge to help promote the WPC in the community. All Community Advocates will be recognized and acknowledged on the WPC website. Support a Student For each student, member, or employee that you send from your school organization, consider sponsoring a counterpart from a less affluent school or organization. Place a Full Page Ad in the WPC Program Advertise your school, business, or organization with a full page ad for $500.00 Place a Half Page Ad in the WPC Program Advertise your school, business, or organization with a full page ad for $250.00 Place an item in the WPC folders For $200.00 from your school, business, or organization we will include one item (flyer, brochure, etc.) in the WPC folders that are distributed to all participants.

That's not all. If you're really in a mood to waste your money, you can become a "conference sustainer."

Conference Sustainers $15,000 and Above Conference Registration for ten

Ten tickets for the Ce-Liberation Dinner

Special Invite to the Founders Reception

Special Naming opportunities for conference activities: Youth Action Project, Ce-Liberation Dinner, Keynote Address, or Meet the Speaker & Book Signing Reception

Recognition on the WPC website, conference program & Slide Show before Keynotes

Full exhibit space at conference

Who can resist that? Please make your check payable to "WPC Slush Fund."

For you youngsters out there, we will feature a "Youth Leadership Training" program.

Intentional opportunities for YOUTH to learn from skilled facilitators duringYAP- Youth Action Project. Students will experience a more in-depth and internal reflection of white privilege. Students will work to connect their individual experiences to their enhanced analysis of how systems of institutional racism operate within the United States of America through: Leadership Activities Mastery of key terms Ethnic affinity groups Youth friendly film viewing with adult allies Individual and group reflection Regional action planning Youth led dialogue Arts based breakouts

You're never too young to be brainwashed.

Don't forget! January 7 is the date. (Note: All white people are welcome, but please leave your privilege at the door)

(Note: All white people are welcome but leave your privilege at the door.
NBC News is reporting  based on anonymous sources  that President Trump decided on the pullout of forces from Syria during a telephone call with Turkish leader Recep Erdogan. They are clearly appalled that a deal maker would make a deal, especially when the positions of his support staff were ignored.

President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved in the fight against the Islamic State, according to U.S. and Turkish officials. Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers and much of the world with the move by rejecting the advice of his top aides and agreeing to a withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week, two officials briefed on the matter said. The Dec. 14 call, described by officials who were not authorized to discuss the decision-making process publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, is a view into a Trump decision with profound consequences, including the resignation of widely respected Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

File photo of Trump on the phone on Air Force One

Photo credit: Official White House hoto by John Boghosian

The anti-Trump narrative remains intact with this overview. He is impetuous, stubborn, and ignorant. Evidently, it is appalling that he would ignore the advice of the foreign policy establishment because they know far more than he does, and deserve to be obeyed (because their track record is so outstanding?).

The details of the story as recounted by the unauthorized sources claiming knowledge of the affair, however, can be viewed very differently if one makes different assumptions, staring with the view that Trump campaigned on a promise to withdraw troops from Syria, is suspicious of never-ending commitments of troops to troubled foreign lands, and no longer is willing to sacrifice American blood and treasure defending allies who refuse to assume the burden of their own defense. The foreign policy establishment has invested years  entire careers of most key officials  in managing relationships that are premised on the United States leading (as in paying for and sacrificing our youths for) our allies, who greatly benefit from the US taking the major burden. Those allies are upset with Trumps demands and no doubt frequently tell their longtime correspondents in the US FP establishment how reckless Trump is, and how disruptive he is.

Consider this, from NBC:

Erdogan, though, quickly put Trump on the defensive, reminding him that he had repeatedly said the only reason for U.S. troops to be in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State and that the group had been 99 percent defeated. "Why are you still there?" the second official said Erdogan asked Trump, telling him that the Turks could deal with the remaining IS militants. With Erdogan on the line, Trump asked national security adviser John Bolton, who was listening in, why American troops remained in Syria if what the Turkish president was saying was true, according to the officials. Erdogan's point, Bolton was forced to admit, had been backed up by Mattis, Pompeo, U.S. special envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey and special envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk, who have said that IS retains only 1 percent of its territory, the officials said. Bolton stressed, however, that the entire national security team agreed that victory over IS had to be enduring, which means more than taking away its territory. Trump was not dissuaded, according to the officials, who said the president quickly capitulated by pledging to withdraw, shocking both Bolton and Erdogan.

Ignore the judgmental conclusions of NBC (and presumably its sources)  put Trump on the defensive and quickly capitulated, for instance  and notice that the advisers admitted that ISIS is 99% defeated and has no territorial base. Is it a cancer that will metastasize? Well, ask yourself if Dr. Erdogan and Dr. bin Salman have the capacity to eradicate the remaining 1%.

NBC naturally ignores the rest of the story of the phone call: what Erdogan gave in return. I noted it yesterday, though:

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.

Scott Morefield of The Daily Caller reminds us of Trump adviser Steven Millers defense of the Syria pullout, which addresses the major concern about the residual 1%:

White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller summed up the presidents view during a Thursday night appearance with CNNs Wolf Blitzer. This president got elected to get our foreign policy back on the right track after years of being adrift, Miller said. One foreign policy blunder after another in Iraq and Afghanistan and Libya hasnt worked out for our national interest. And lets talk about Syria, he added. Lets talk about the fact  ISIS is the enemy of Russia. ISIS is the enemy of Assad. ISIS is the enemy of Turkey. Are we supposed to stay in Syria for generation after generation, spilling American blood to fight the enemies of all those countries? Wolf, when did the American people sign up to be in every war in every place in every side of every conflict all over planet earth?

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit calls our attention to a factor that must be kept in mind whenever a foreign policy decision of Trump is criticized for being rash, impulsive, or ignorant, beause he hasnt followed established procedures for vetting his moves:

The process complaints about the Syria withdrawal are hollow. Had Trump followed a normal bureaucratic process, is there any doubt withdrawal would've been stymied, and likely blocked? Virtually everyone in the "natsec" apparatus is against it. The "process" is itself the problem  Michael Tracey (@mtracey) December 22, 2018

The framework that has governed US foreign policy for the last 7 decades is obsolete. The other powers of the industrialized world were in ruins and the US was so preeminent that only we could stand up against the communist bloc. Nobody else could fill the role of guardian of freedom. But today, we have all our old competitors like Germany and Japan back, we have new industrial powers, preeminently China, gaining ground on us as we bleed  literally our troops and figuratively our funds.

Staying locked into that framework is suicide on the installment plan. With the rise of violent Islamic fundamentalism, the pockets of conflict have multiplied, and the prospects of complete victory declined. In other words, we face the very real danger of endless war, as our ability to even staff the armed forces comes into question, with so many of our youth obese, unsure about fighting in hellholes overseas for vague goals, and with minimal unemployment offering attractive alterative careers.
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. Vehicles and buildings are damaged along Carita beach on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. At least 222 were killed and hundreds more injured as the tsunami slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesias Sunda Strait, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. AFP

Residents inspect damaged buidlings in Carita on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. At least 222 people were killed and hundreds more injured as the tsunami slammed without warning into tourist beaches and coastal areas around Indonesias Sunda Strait on the night of December 22, sending panicked holidaymakers and residents fleeing. AFP

Carita, IndonesiaA tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed at least 222 people when it slammed without warning into popular beaches around Indonesias Sunda Strait on Saturday night, cutting a swathe of destruction and triggering mass panic as it swept inland.Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) following the eruption of a volcano known as the child of the legendary Krakatoa, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 222 confirmed dead, 843 people injured and 28 reported missing across three regions, he said. Dramatic video posted on social media showed a wall of water suddenly crashing into an open-air concert by pop group Seventeenhurling band members off the stage and then flooding into the audience. In a tearful Instagram post, frontman Riefian Fajarsyah said the bands bassist and road manager had been killed. Images of the aftermath of the tsunami in coastal areas show a trail of uprooted trees and debris strewn across beaches. A tangled mess of corrugated steel roofing, timber and rubble was dragged inland at Carita beach, a popular day-tripping spot on the west coast of Java. Muhammad Bintang, who was at Carita beach when the wave hit, described a sudden surge of water that plunged the tourist spot into darkness. We arrived at 9 p.m. for our holiday and suddenly the water cameit went dark, the electricity is off, the 15-year-old said. Its messy outside and we still cannot access the road. In Lampung province, on the other side of the strait, Lutfi Al Rasyid said he fled the beach in Kalianda city in fear for his life. I could not start my motorbike so I left it and I ran... I just prayed and ran as far as I could, the 23-year-old said. Authorities say the tsunami may have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The combination caused a sudden tsunami that hit the coast, Nugroho said, but added that Indonesias geological agency was working to ascertain exactly how it happened. He added that the death toll would likely increase. Video footage posted to social media by Nugroho showed panicked residents clutching flashlights and fleeing for higher ground. Indonesian authorities initially claimed the wave was not a tsunami, but instead a tidal surge and urged the public not to panic. Nugroho later apologized for the mistake on Twitter, saying because there was no earthquake it had been difficult to ascertain the cause of the incident early on. If there is an initial error were sorry, he wrote. The wave swamped parts of the coast around the Sunda Strait, but was most damaging in Pandeglang district, on Javas western tip, where at least 33 people died and 491 people were injured.Three people died further north in Serang, while seven were killed in South Lampung, on Sumatra island. Heavy equipment was being transported to badly-hit areas to help search for victims, Nugroho said, adding evacuation posts and public kitchens were being set up for evacuees. Abu Salim, a member of the Tagana disaster volunteer group, said he helped evacuate victims in Banten province. We evacuated the victims who died and were injured, we took them to health clinics ... Most of them suffered from broken bones, he said, adding he feared more were missing. The Philippines offered prayers and condolences to Indonesia. We offer our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the people of Indonesia who were hit by a tsunami around the Sunda Strait, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement on Sunday. We particularly condole with the families of those who perished in this tragedy. Panelo noted that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine embassy in Jakarta, has been monitoring the situation in Indonesia and checking if any Filipinos were affected by the tsunami. Although relatively rare, submarine volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis due to the sudden displacement of water or slope failure, according to the International Tsunami Information Center. Anak Krakatoa is a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean half a century after Krakatoas deadly 1883 eruption which killed more than 36,000 people. According to Indonesias geological agency, Anak Krakatoa had been showing signs of heightened activity for days, spewing plumes of ash thousands of metres into the air. The volcano erupted again just after 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, the agency said. An eruption just before 4:00 p.m. on Saturday lasted around 13 minutes and sent plumes of ash soaring hundreds of metres into the sky. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the worlds volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. Most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island a quake and tsunami in September killed thousands of people. On Dec. 26, 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago.
"Its as good a time as any to reflect on the impact of sound policy on the lives of ordinary people." "Its as good a time as any to reflect on the impact of sound policy on the lives of ordinary people."

Few things signal Christmas season in the Philippines more joyously as twinkling, multi-colored lights. On Christmas Eve, one can expect every house and street across the country to be ablaze with their own versions of Christmas lights. A tradition that dates back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, they symbolize the light that the birth of Jesus brought into the Christian world. Over the decades, advances in technology such as LED made Christmas lights more wondrous and fun, without the fire hazard that candles brought. Even so, Christmas lights are still plugged into electric sockets and therefore consume electricity. If anything, the Christmas season only highlights the need for the country to make its energy supply abundant and affordable. At the recent First Asia Pacific LNG Investment Summit, a step toward this direction was proposed: Make the Philippines the Southeast Asian hub for liquefied natural gas by building an LNG receiving terminal. The country, according to the organizers, is poised to have a thriving LNG industry within a few years with a projected capacity of 7 million metric tons annually by 2020, the earliest estimate when indigenous fuel from the Malampaya gas field would run out. But there seems to be something problematic about a proposal that prioritizes importing LNG from other countries when a more viable option presents itself: developing our very own indigenous reserves by encouraging investments in the exploration and development of more Malampayas. For instance, a pending bill being drafted by the Senate energy committee, considers the construction of an integrated LNG receiving terminal as well as making sure that such imported shipments have buyers. But for starters the Malampaya reserves, which supplies up to half of the power requirements of Luzon, is expected to last beyond 2029, when it is supposed to have been fully consumed. Exploring in the indigenous gas is now the forefront of the Philippine energy industry, said Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. Managing Director Don Paulino, who cited the example of the North Sea oil in Europe that had gone beyond the initial 50-year estimate. This is a reservoir. We believe it will stay beyond 2029. There will still be plenty of resources that Malampaya can give, he said. If reserves will be fully consumed, I believe it will be replaced. What it is something we do not know yet, and we havent found. In fact, in 2015, a new offshore platformthe first to be designed and built in the countryguaranteed that the Malampaya natural gas field would be able to fulfill its commitments and, more importantly, ensure the steady supply of natural gas to power the Luzon electricity grid.This latest phase in Malampaya is a continuation of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Projects positive legacy to the Philippines by providing the country a safe, reliable, and cleaner energy resources, said SPEC Managing Director Sebastian Quiniones. Construction of the platform took about two years and a team of more than 1,400 Filipino workers at the Keppel Shipyard in Subic, Zambales. This means the project generated more than a thousand direct jobs in addition to the additional business for local companies as well as elevated competencies and technical know-how for the workers. Its safety record11.8-million safe man hourswas another impressive aspect of the project. All in all, the endeavor put the Philippines on the global map of oil and gas platform fabrication, an example of the potential of the Filipino workforce to excel in terms of technical skill. More critically, going forward, the cumulative technical know-how that was passed on translates to a competitive edge for the Philippines when it comes to future oil and gas projects in the region and worldwide. This is important considering that the Philippines is currently lagging behind its neighbors when it comes to exploration based on the number of oil and gas rigs. In 2017, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia had 34, 14, and seven oil and gas rigs, respectively, while the Philippines had two. This is despite the presence of reserves and the technical know-how, a trend that the proposed LNG terminal will no doubt exacerbate. Worse, the terminal will discourage further exploration and therefore compromise what could be a productive reliance on indigenous sources of natural gas. By depending on foreign-sourced LNG under the proposal, the country becomes exposed to higher power prices due to exchange rate risks and the overall volatility of global fuel prices, as well as possible problems in supply owing to potential geopolitical risks in sourcing and transporting fuel. All in all, then, exploration represents a better and more sustainable solution for the countrys power situation. By utilizing indigenous sources, the Philippines not only limits its exposure to factors beyond its control, the infrastructure build-up will also lead to job creation, skills training, and a multiplier effect in terms of the businesses in local host communities. This doesnt even include the potential royalties that will be remitted to the countrys coffers. For perspective, the Malampaya operation generated some $3.53 billion, or P161 billion, in royalties from 2001 to 2017. In contrast, only foreign investors will benefit from the proposed LNG terminal and importation. As Filipinos celebrate amid bright Christmas lights, the holiday season is as good a time as any to reflect on the impact of sound policy on the lives of ordinary peoplein this case, the effects of a sensible direction for the power sector and resplendent lights in households big and small.
In a meeting held on December 17th, Minister Lubomir Metnar apprised the Czech Government of upcoming defence acquisition public tender plans for the Czech Armed Forces.



Nexter Titus armored personnel carrier (Picture source: Army Recognition)

This acquisition plan covers several different types of armament and equipment.

Tracked infantry fighting vehicles  It is the largest modernisation project in the Czech armed forces history. The Ministry of Defence will invite four selected manufactures to present their bids to supply 210 pieces of tracked infantry fighting vehicles in seven different versions. The contract with the winning bidder should be signed in August 2019, and the vehicles will subsequently be delivered between the years 2020 and 2025. Their life-span is expected to be 30 years.

Wheeled armored personnel carriers  The contract for delivery of 62 Nexter Titus-type armored personnel carriers will be signed before April 2019 with Eldis Pardubice s.r.o., a Czech manufacturer that has both a production licence and security clearance. Delivery is also expected between 2020 and 2025.

Small arms  Another Czech manufacturer, Ceska zbrojovka, based in Uhersky Brod, will deliver up to 14,000 assault rifles and 20,000 pistols. The contract will be signed in March 2019.

Mobile medium air defense radars  Minister Metnar also informed the Government that the Ministry of Defense would buy eight medium air defense mobile radars (MADR) from Israel. Due to the recent speculations and doubts surrounding the original public tender, Minister Metnar cancelled the invitation to tender and instead will directly approach the Israeli Government. The contract will be signed by mid-2019, and the first radar will be operational in the Czech Republic within 22 months.

RBS-70NG contract  signed. On December 18th, SAAB Dynamics AB, represented by Mr. Kristian Wallin, signed a contract to deliver 16 RBS-70NG air defense missile systems to the 25th Air Defense Missile Regiment in Strakonice. The contract was countersigned by Daniel Kostoval, Deputy Minister of Defence for Armaments and Acquisitions, and Major General Jaromir Zuna, Director of the Support Division of the MoD. The total cost will be over CZK 949 million (excl. of VAT), and the systems will be delivered between 2020 and 2021.

"This governments priority, as well as mine, is to significantly strengthen the long-term security and defense capability of the Czech Republic. This can only be achieved by accomplishing these important armaments projects," said Minister Metnar and continued, "In our endeavour to modernise our military and its equipment, we are, at the same time, maintaining and supporting our domestic defense industry".

Chief of the General Staff General Ales Opata also expressed his wholehearted support for the upcoming acquisitions. "The procurement of this new equipment will be the key to taking our armed forces to a level that will meet the challenges of the 21st century. It will also necessitate decommissioning our obsolete materiel to comply with current NATO standards," said General Opata.
In Thailand, the employee-employer relationship is governed by a series of laws and regulations, the chief one being the Thai Labor Protection Act B.E.2541 (LPA) and the Thai Civil and Commercial Code (TCCC). Other laws include the Labor Relations Act, the Social Security Act, the Act establishing the labor court and labor court procedure, the State Enterprise Labor Relations Act, the Workmens Compensation Act, and the Foreign Employment Act. These laws cover all areas related to employment such as working hours, holidays and leave, notice, overtime, sick pay, and severance, and are applicable to both Thai and foreign employees. The Ministry of Labor (MOL) is the primary authority responsible for setting and enforcing minimum employment standards in the country.

Thailand does not mandate a written agreement between the employer and an employee. However, it does impose strict labor regulations with regards to working terms and conditions. In practice, therefore, it is advisable for employers to set out written terms and conditions of employment to avoid legal disputes or liability with regards to remuneration.

If an employment agreement is made in writing, an employer must provide a copy to the employee immediately after it has been signed.

Probationary period

Further, companies employing 10 or more workers must publish written work rules at the workplace and file them with the district labor office within the prescribed period. These rules must be published in the Thai language as well as in English for foreign workers. The published rules must include the following: working days; regular working hours and rest periods; holidays and rules for taking holidays; rules concerning overtime work and work on holidays; date and place of payment of basic pay, overtime pay, holiday pay and holiday overtime pay; leave and rules for taking leave; discipline and punishment; submission of complaints; and termination of employment, severance pay and special severance pay. Additionally, a workplace having 20 or more employees must also provide a written working conditions agreement as part of the employees contractual employment terms.

Thai law does not explicitly mention probationary period in employment relationships. However, it does specify severance pay for employees who have worked for 120 days or more and are terminated without cause. As a result, to avoid paying severance, many employers in Thailand set probation periods of up to 119 days.

Working hours

Provisions related to working hours are set out in ministerial regulations issued by the MOL and are based on the nature and type of work. In general, working hours must not exceed eight hours per day and 48 hours per week. For employees involved in hazardous work, normal working hours are restricted to seven hours per day and 42 hours per week.

Terminating an employment contract and severance pay

If the employment agreement does not specify the duration of the contract, both the employer and employee have a statutory right to terminate the contract after giving prior notice. The minimum notice period must be at least one week and not more than three months long. In certain circumstances, however, an employer may dismiss an employee without prior notice and due compensation. For example, if an employee intentionally causes the employer to suffer losses; does not perform his duties honestly, or commits a crime against the employer or another employee.

In case of termination, the LPA entitles employees who have worked for at least 120 days to severance pay equivalent to 30 days pay; those who have worked for one to three years, to severance pay equivalent to 90 days pay; whereas those who have worked for six to ten years are entitled to receive a compensation equivalent to 240 days pay. As per amendments to the LPA, which were passed by the Thai National Assembly on December 13, 2018, employees with at least 20 years of service will be entitled to a severance pay equivalent of 400 days of the last drawn salary.

Personal income tax

For the purpose of taxation, individual taxpayers are categorized into resident individuals or non-resident individuals.

Thai laws define resident individuals as those who have lived in the country for an aggregate period of 180 days in any calendar year.

As a result, all foreign employees working in Thailand qualify as resident individuals and are liable to pay tax on their income earned in the country as well as on the income earned from abroad. A non-resident, however, is exempted from paying tax on income earned in Thailand. Current personal income tax rates for resident individuals are given in the table below.

Foreign employees working in Thailand may seek tax benefits available under relevant double taxation treaties between Thailand and their home country.

Social Protection

Employers are generally required to register their employees with the workmen compensation fund and social security fund. Both employers and employees are required to contribute to the Social Security Fund at the rate of 5 percent of the employees income, up to a maximum of THB750 (US$23) per month.

Further, a provident fund is managed wherein both employer and employee make equal monthly contribution ranging between two to 15 percent of the monthly remuneration.

Conclusion

Thailand has a complex and strictly regulated employment system. Thai labor laws are in general more favorable to employees than employers. Professional advice in preparing an employment contract can significantly help employers avoid legal disputes with their employees and ensure complete compliance with Thai labor laws.

Editors Note: This article was first published on December 18, 2017 and has been updated on December 20, 2018 as per latest developments.
Do it yourself if you can We accept  in principle  that private equity can deliver (somewhat) excess returns over most other asset classes. But there are a lot of qualifications attached to that, and most of them are very relevant to whether and how pension funds should invest in private equity.
Congressman Rodel Batocabe was gunned down at a Christmas celebration on Saturday, the latest example that tragically, violence is still the language most often used in the pursuit of political power. Batocabe had just finished handing out presents in the central town of Daraga, Albay, when he and his police bodyguard were shot dead by six gunmen. The motive was not immediately clear, but authorities said they were looking into whether the killing could be politically motivated.

Batocabe, from the Ako-Bicol Party-list, had announced plans to run for mayor in Daraga in midterm elections in May 2019. Elected to the House of Representatives in 2010, Batocabe had recently voiced concerns that rivals in the mayoral race were using armed groups to influence the votes. Now it seems those fears were well founded. As one of the oldest democracies in Asia, the Philippines ought to have reached a level of political maturity where differences are settled by reasoned and civilized debate and free and honest elections. Yet, our elections continue to be plagued by intimidation, violence and poll fraud. Over the years, several members of Congress have been attacked or murdered by suspected rivals. Rep. Wahab Akbar of Basilan was killed along with two aides when a bomb exploded outside the House of Representatives building in November 2007. A year earlier, Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr. was shot dead outside a church in broad daylight in Quezon City.On Nov. 23, 2009, 58 people including 32 journalistswere massacred in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao, in the worst election-related violence in the countrys history. Killed in the carnage were the wife and sister of Esmael Mangudadatu, who had the temerity to challenge the powerful Ampatuan clan in the gubernatorial race. Over the last decade, hundreds of people seeking local elective positions have been killed every year, In October, the Philippine National Police said it was monitoring 77 active private armed groups with 2,060 members with 1,574 firearms. There were also 226 inactive armed groups with 2,028 mebers with more than 1,000 firearms. The prospects for a peaceful election in 2019 are grim indeed. In denouncing Batocabes murder, Senator Grace Poe said this sorry history in our nation of political violence must stop. That is a sentiment most of us share, but we realize, too, that reaching that goal will take more than words. Police efforts to seize loose firearms and to dismantle private armed groups are only part of the solution to a problem rooted in a culture that tolerates political patronage and violence. Only true political reformsconsistently enforced by strong leadershipcan break this cycle.
The Aviation Herald is reporting that a TAM Boeing 777-300 made a successful but dramatic emergency landing in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Wednesday. Flight 8084, with more than 350 people on board, was still on the climb on its way to London when it experienced an almost total electrical failure shortly after takeoff from Sao Paulo, about 300 miles southwest. The lack of electrics made it impossible to jettison fuel so overheated brakes on the fully loaded widebody caused all the tires to deflate on landing. Belo Horizonte is a major regional city and its airport has a 10,000-foot runway so the crew headed there. There were no injuries and the plane had only minor damage.

The lights went out less than an hour into the flight and the crew was left with only VHF radio, emergency lighting and a few cockpit displays powered by the emergency ram air turbine. The crew essentially made a night VFR approach and landing with some vectoring help from ATC. The flight crew met with passengers after they were safely in the terminal and answered questions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week in Brazil to discuss President Trump's decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, Israeli officials told me. They'll both be there for Jair Bolsonaro's inauguration.

Why it matters: Israel is very concerned the U.S. withdrawal will encourage Iran to continue its attempt of building military presence in Syria. Netanyahu spoke twice to Trump last week about his Syria decision, but this will be the first high level meeting between Israeli and U.S. officials since Trump announced the pullout.

Between the lines: Netanyahu said today during the weekly cabinet meeting that Trump's decision will not change the Israeli policy of acting militarily against the Iranian presence in Syria.

Netanyahu rejected the claims that Trump's decision was a signal he was not taking Israel's security concerns into account and said the cooperation with the U.S. continues as it has been before.

The bottom line: The IDF chief of staff major general Gadi Eizenkot said in a speech today that Trump decision is "a major development" but cautioned from "overestimating its consequences" regarding Israel. He added the IDF will continue to operate against Iranian threats in Syria.
By Leman Mammadova

The implementation of the TASIM (Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway) project, which envisages the creation of a major transit route from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, was discussed in Berlin.

The transit line passing through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Germany was discussed at the Berlin Eurasia Club meeting on "Legal and Economic Status of the Caspian: The Perspectives of Europe's Cooperation with the Region", AZERTAC reports referring to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

TASIM's goal is to stimulate the transit potential of information technology and ensure that at least 2-3 percent of world transportation flow through Kazakhstan by 2030. Implementation of the TASIM project will create a transit infrastructure to meet world standards and will enable the transit potential of Kazakhstan to be developed in Europe, Central Asia and Europe  China, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vasilenko said at the meeting.

The club's meeting discussed various aspects of cooperation in diversifying transport and energy routes across the Caspian Sea, re-understanding of Eurasian integration processes within the framework of the new strategy of economic integration of the European Union with the Asian region, joint search for approaches to the provision of concrete projects efficiency.

Michael Harms, executive director of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, positively assesses prospects of regional cooperation on Caspian. He proposed to gradually link alternative projects and underlined that successful implementation of such projects would enable the Caspian region to become an important component of global economic relations. He said that Germany and the European economy are interested in participating in infrastructural and energy projects in the Caspian Sea under the conditions of multilateral agreement between the Caspian littoral states.

He noted that a number of German and European companies have enough experience and know-how to implement transnational projects, and these companies have approved that they are competent in solving complicated issues.

The project on establishment of fiber-optic highway connecting Europe and Asia, Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) was initiated by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies at the meeting within the 14th "Bakutel" exhibition-conference in Baku in November 2008 by adoption of Baku Declaration. The aim of the project is to establish a transnational fiber optic line from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, from Western Europe to East Asia. This project will eliminate "digital distinction" and open new economic opportunities for landlocked Eurasian countries.

In 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a special resolution on TASIM project, accompanied by the resolutions in 2012 and 2013 as well.

In 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with 5 telecom operators participating in the project.

The transit line will reach Germany, passing through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

The realization of TASIM will consist of two stages: installation of the main Internet-transit infrastructure connecting the West and East; affordable access provision to Eurasian countries without open access to the transit infrastructure.

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By Narmina Mammadova

Azerbaijan has been implementing self-employment program since 2016.

Expansion of the scope of self-employment program in Azerbaijan is expected in 2019, Azerbaijans Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population told Trend.

As many as 7,700 people were involved in the program this year, according to the ministry.

Next year, the process of attracting unemployed and job-seekers to the self-employment program will continue as part of the next stage of the program, the ministry said.

"The new financial source, which appeared with the adoption of the law "On unemployment insurance" dated Jan. 1, 2018, will ensure significant expansion and sustainable implementation of the self-employment program," the ministry added.

Those who complete training within the program and whose business plans are considered successful will be provided with the necessary goods and materials, the ministry said.

"So far, business plans of 7,260 people were assessed as successful, and 1,273 of them were already provided with assets," the ministry noted.

The ministry stressed that the introduction of the self-employment program in Azerbaijan will have a positive impact on the quality of labor resources in the country.

The program will contribute to increasing labor productivity and economic activity of the population, increasing family income, creating additional jobs, as well as increasing the number of taxpayers and social insurance payments.

The self-employment program is being implemented on the basis of the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "On additional measures to ensure self-employment of the population" dated 2016.

The first programs to develop and support self-employment appeared in Europe in 1970-1980.

They were focused primarily on the unemployed, people with disabilities and young people who are looking for an opportunity to apply their forces in business. The strategic goal of these programs was to initiate the creation of individual enterprises by the unemployed themselves, by providing them with technical assistance, loans, grants and various benefits, as well as opportunities to capitalize social assistance funds or unemployment benefits.

Self-employment is the inclusion of unemployed people in the social structure of society by giving them the opportunity to work on special conditions - conditions of self-organization.

At the same time, it is a mechanism of social interaction between society and a person.

Self-employment allows unemployed citizens to exercise their right to socially useful occupation.

At the same time, the society acquires the initiative workers, who abandoned the passive-dependent expectation and began active creative work, realized themselves as individuals.

For an unoccupied person through self-employment, an opportunity is provided to become an entrepreneur, a master of his/her own business, and for society - to involve large masses of unoccupied citizens in a socially useful matter.

In general, self-employment can be described as a special type of participation of people in socially useful work, based on their personal initiative, independence and responsibility, aimed, as a rule, at receiving labor income and ensuring self-realization.

At the same time, the state, allocating certain funds, may count on the development of those sectors of the economy that appear to be the most significant for the country.

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Kern County historian George Gilbert Lynch died in 2010. His friend Gilbert Gia eulogized him as having a "sixth sense for finding things that have been covered up for 100 years."
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Posted on: Dec 24, 2018

Mary Magdalene - An Example For The Apostles

By Mr John Behner

Mr John Behner first came into Swami's fold in 1979 and since then has been serving the Sai movement through different roles, as Bal Vikas teacher, Center President, Central Council President and Zone Chairman of Latin America since 1995, to name a few. Apart from being a successful businessman owning the first frozen food company in Central America, he has also worked for 20 years as a country manager in a multinational food company. After his retirement in 2005, he has been working full-time for the Sathya Sai International Organization in several roles such as Disaster Relief Co-Chairman for the Sri Sathya Sai World Foundation since 2013 and Assistant Secretary of the Prasanthi Council. He is the president of the Sai Foundation of El Salvador since 1989. He has had the unique blessing of being the co-ordinator of the Christmas celebrations at Prasanthi Nilayam for 13 years. In this article he describes the life of Mary Magdalene and her teachings (which was the message she received from Jesus Christ) and how it is essentially same as that of Bhagawan.

Is there another person in the narrative of the life of Jesus, who is more controversial than Jesus himself?

Yes, there is, it is Mary Magdalene whose history has been twisted and manipulated without basis of fact.

In those days, people only had one name, so they were identified with the place where they resided or from where they came. Mary Magdalene was no exception. She came from Magdala, a village some distance from Capernaum, the city where she first encountered Jesus.

Magdala was a fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Rumour and speculation have it that her father was a king. He had several palaces. But the Romans led by Herod came and destroyed his kingdom. They tortured and killed all of Marys family except her sister and some lady friends. Mary and her sister escaped to Magdala and were hiding there until they were able to travel by boat across the Sea of Galilee and arrive in Capernaum.

When she met Jesus for the first time, He blessed her seven times, and all the pain and trauma of losing her entire family left her. The Bible stories of Luke and Mark are not true, He did not cast out any devils from her. As to reports she was a prostitute, these were invented by Pope Gregory in his Homily 33 issued in 591 AD. The Pope said that the demons were seven deadly sins which were cast out of Mary, including that of prostitution. The Church corrected this error in 1969, when the confusion with Mary of Bethany as a sinful woman was clarified and Mary Magdalene was exonerated, still, the myth continues.

After her first encounter with Jesus, Mary was so transformed, that she became His disciple, and followed Him everywhere. In the book of Luke it is stated that she travelled with Jesus and helped to support His ministry out of her resources, adding credence to her origin as a member of a royal family.

We know from the Bible that during the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene was at the cross while the other apostles were hiding in a loft. It is also reported in the Bible that Mary was the one who discovered the stone rolled away from the tomb, and that Jesus appeared to her twice outside the tomb and told her that He was not dead, and to go and report the same to the other apostles. When she did this, only John and Peter believed her, and went running to the tomb to find it empty, with only the shroud, which had covered Jesus, while He was lying there.

Why did Mary Magdalene arise to a position of being a favourite of Jesus among the Apostles, to such an extent that others were jealous of her (which according to the Gospel of John)?

It was because Mary understood the teachings of Jesus much better than the others and thus was provided with teachings that the others did not receive.

In the Pistis Sophia, a book discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are forty-six questions put to Jesus by the Apostles and Jesus's answers to them. Thirty-nine of the questions are asked by Mary Magdalene.

In the Gospel of Philip, there are several references to Mary Magdalene being very close to Jesus, and being His favourite.

She is described by Jesus as the, 'fullness of fullness and perfection of all perfection'. Finally, there has been found a gospel written by Mary Magdalene herself, but it is in fragments and no complete volume has been found so far.

It is clear that after the Crucifixion, it was Mary who rallied the apostles and instilled confidence in them to go out and preach the Gospel and teachings of Jesus. She is described as the 'comforter and instructor' of the Apostles in the Book of John.

She is even credited with being the author of the Book of John. She would have kept her identity secret and taken the identity of John, who was a male. This was because in those days women were not given any credibility.

She revealed to the Apostles some of the more profound teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Mary, including what happens to the soul after death. Prior to the Crucifixion, Jesus had named a group of women to travel about and preach His message, and treat the sick, this was a message of compassion that demonstrated equality for women. All people were welcome in the Kingdom of God. This happened when in the synagogues of the time, women were not even allowed in the main gallery and were relegated to the womens wing.

In this first group of Jesuss female disciples were Susanna, daughter of a former chazan of the synagogue at Nazareth; Joanna, wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas; Elizabeth, daughter of a wealthy Jew from Tiberias; Martha, elder sister of Andrew and Peter; Rachel, sister-in-law of Jude, the brother of Jesus; Nasanta, daughter of Elman, a Syrian physician; Milcha, cousin of Apostle Thomas; Ruth, eldest daughter of Mathew Levi; Celta, daughter of a roman centurion; Agamon, a widow of Damascus; Rebeca, daughter of Joseph of Arimathea, and Mary Magdalene.

Jesus instructed Judas to give these ladies funds for pack animals so they could travel to different cities and towns to spread His message and help the sick and suffering. They only once accepted money from Judas, and afterwards provided for their own expenses.

After the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene travelled to southern France where she became an inspired prophetess, proclaiming the freedom of the soul and salvation as a right of all. She preached what later became known as Gnostic or Hidden Doctrines, where love, selflessness and compassion awakened in the individuals like a flash of light, resulting in understanding and awareness from within of a divine current. Her understanding of the dualism of good and evil, transformed many into nurturing a love for god and helping them to live their lives by giving service to the down trodden.

The whole of Southern France was impacted by Mary, as this was where the Knights of Templar were formed. This was where the Cathars defended their beliefs to the death during the inquisition. The church in Rome did everything in their power to extinguish the light which Mary Magdalene brought to Southern France. However, Mary was known as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Lutheran and other Protestant churches honour her as a heroine of the faith.

The message which Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba brought to humanity, that man is divine, and on how to discover one's Divinity, is the same message conveyed to Mary Magdalene by Jesus Christ, and preached by her in Southern France.

Thank you and loving Sai Ram,

Team Radio Sai



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Authorities were searching Saturday for the gunman who killed a person in a shooting in Tamina, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

The victim, whose name was not released, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition but later died, according to the report. Other details about the shooting were not immediately released by authorities.
A 37-year-old man was found dead in his apartment in Orange Saturday afternoon, according to information from the Orange Police Department.

At approximately 3:12 p.m. police responded to a call in reference to an unresponsive person in the 300 block of Second Street
Southeast Texas has great hospitals and health care, but there is one thing this region lacks: A Level II trauma facility, one that has a trauma surgeon and support staff available 24 hours a day. State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, is determined to end that disparity in the new session of the Legislature that begins Jan. 8, and this effort deserves the support of every state representative and senator who covers this region.

This is not a simple matter of keeping up with the Joneses, getting this facility just because bigger cities like Houston and Dallas have one. Only two major populated areas of the state lack this kind of vital health care  Southeast Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Phelan and representatives from that region will be teaming up to change that for the people they represent.

A hospital with a trauma surgeon available 24 hours a day, seven days a week can provide invaluable treatment to patients with severe injuries, usually to the brain or head. In many cases, the first hour of a patients injury is crucial. If the victim gets appropriate care within that golden hour, his or her chances of survival are greatly enhanced.

But if someone in Southeast Texas has to wait for a helicopter or ambulance to take them to Houston before they are treated properly, they could die or suffer permanent brain damage.

It does not matter which local hospital is designated for this status, but Christus Hospital-St. Elizabeth in Beaumont is closest  a Level III trauma facility with three trauma surgeons on staff. Its standard of care is excellent, but the facilitys staffing is not always 24/7. Upgrading to a Level II facility with adding some support resources and positions would address that need.

As usual, cost is a factor. Phelan and the Valley representatives will be seeking state funding to set up Level II facilities for 12 to 18 months. Then, after the facilities have been established and certified, they would be eligible for more money from state and federal health care providers for services rendered. This would allow these facilities to become self-sufficient and even pay back some of the startup costs to the state.

Taxpayers from Southeast Texas and the Valley  and the entire state  are already partially subsidizing Level I trauma facilities in large cities because those sites are teaching institutions as well. If we are helping to pay for facilities in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, other Texas taxpayers can help us, too.

Southeast Texas has an interstate highway running through it, dozens of industrial facilities and more than its share of bad weather. The people who live here and travel through need a Level II trauma facility that can save them in a serious accident.

This coming year must see that facility established here. It must be a priority for the regions representatives and every member of the House and Senate who demand the very best health care for Texas.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested and a number of weapons seized following an incident in Killinchy overnight.

Inspector Mark Stewart said: At around 1.30am we received a report that a male carrying what was described as a firearm had been spotted in the area of New Line Crescent.

"Local officers, supported by armed response colleagues, responded and detained a male matching the description. A number of knives and a handgun, believed to be a blank firing pistol, were subsequently seized.

"The arrested male remains in custody this morning assisting us with our enquiries.
Three men have been arrested after a spate of burglaries in Ballymena.

Homes in the Galgorm Road and Frys Road areas were broken into during the early hours of Sunday morning and items including money were taken.

The male occupant of the Frys Road dwelling was confronted and threatened with a crowbar by the intruders who then fled.

Police later detained three men in the Kincora area and seized two vehicles as potentially being used in crime. The arrested men will be questioned on suspicion of a number of offences including aggravated burglary, theft and assault on police. They remain in custody at present.

Detective Inspector Bob Blemmings is appealing for information: I would ask that people check their properties and report anything out of the ordinary. Detectives can be contacted by calling 101.

"Alternatively information can also be provided to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime."
DUP leader Arlene Foster, has pledged to those concerned about the mounting uncertainty around Brexit, her party will work to get a better deal and "ensure the backstop is defeated".

The party has found itself as a major player as Prime Minister Theresa May attempts to broker a deal on leaving the EU which crucially needs the support of parliament.

Many influential business organisations in Northern Ireland have welcomed the withdrawal agreement. However it has been roundly rejected by a huge number of MPs as damaging to the United Kingdom.

Arlene Foster said she recognised the "incredible uncertainty" 2018 had experienced both globally and at home.

"Where the party has been involved, we have sought to work for sensible solutions," she said.

"On Brexit in particular, I know some are very concerned at the uncertainty. I appreciate those concerns are grounded in a love to see their sectors succeed. For our part, we want a solution which will work for Northern Ireland but not undermine the economic or constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.

"We will work resolutely in the coming weeks to get a better deal and ensure the backstop is defeated."

The DUP has a confidence and supply deal with the Conservatives which sees it support the minority government in passing legislation. The relationship between the two parties has been strained over the Brexit developments between the UK and EU.

As part of the deal with the Tories more money was secured for health workers in Northern Ireland, which saw a pay rise approved this week. There were also protections for Armed forces personnel in the agreement, which Arlene Foster said she was "glad" the DUP has sought to secure.

"In all the excitement and wonder which this time of year can bring into homes, we should also take time to thank those working both at home and abroad, who will not be able to spend time with their families," she said.

"I commend those serving in the Armed Forces especially, who will be far from family but doing so to protect our United Kingdom. I am glad the DUP has stood up for our service personnel and veterans to ensure they are properly rewarded and cared for.

"We should also be grateful to our frontline workers and emergency services who will keep us safe and provide vital services in our hospitals over Christmas. Each year, they sacrifice spending time with their family so others can receive the care and support they need. I am very proud that our Confidence and Supply Agreement has been able to deliver a much-needed funding boost for our frontline services."

In her Christmas message the MLA said she always looked forward to Christmas day to enjoy some quiet time with the family and the celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

"In a world where technology is taking more and more of our time and face-to-face interaction seems to take second place, I look forward to some old fashioned board games with family where the phones are placed out of reach for a while," she added.

Whilst Christmas is a time of celebration and joy, it is also a time of sadness for those who will have an empty chair on Christmas Day. We should also consider our elderly neighbours, who arent able to be out and out about in the way they once could. Loneliness can be a terrible experience for our older people. A quick phone call or a short visit can lift their spirits and give that little bit of encouragement."

Her message concluded: "Against the backdrop of so much uncertainty, the Christmas message remains. This time of year encourages us to study the attributes of Christs life where He taught us by example.

"From my family in Fermanagh, I wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year."
Police appealed for information over the Bangor incident. Pic PSNI.

Police are hunting a man who fled the scene of a car crash in Bangor.

The car, a grey BMW, crashed off the Rathgael Road with police saying they believe the driver may have been wearing a Christmas jumper.

The car was left off the road in a wooded area with its lights still on.

In an appeal on Sunday morning, an officer said he made off in the direction of the Kilcooley estate and may have been injured.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.
Japan's Emperor Akihito turned 85 on Sunday.

Before his birthday, he spoke to reporters. As he is scheduled to abdicate next year, this was his last news conference as the Emperor.

The Emperor talked about the years he has spent serving as the symbol of the State. He also touched on his upcoming abdication.

The Emperor said that, since ascending to the throne, he has spent his days searching for what should be the role of the Emperor who is designated to be the symbol of the State by the Constitution of Japan.

He said he intends to carry out his duties in that capacity and he shall continue to contemplate this question as he performs his day-to-day duties until the day of his abdication.

The Emperor mentioned the Battle of Okinawa, and the many hardships that people in Okinawa have faced, as he reflected on life in the post-war era.

He said, "We are committed to continue to care for the sacrifices that the people of Okinawa have endured over the years, and that commitment will remain unchanged in the future."

Then, sometimes with his voice shaking, the Emperor said, "I have believed it is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in World War II and that the peace and prosperity of post-war 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." The Emperor said it gives him deep comfort that the Heisei Era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan.

The Emperor then spoke about the natural disasters that have occurred during the era, including the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011.

He said the disasters have claimed numerous lives and affected countless people. He also said he has no words to describe the deep sadness he feels when he thinks of this. The Emperor then stated, "At the same time, I have been heartened to see that, in the face of such difficulties, the spirit of volunteering and other forms of cooperation is growing among the people and that the awareness of disaster preparedness and the capacity to respond to disasters are increasing."
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."
The head of the National Trust has defended charging for the visitors' centre and parking at the Giant's Causeway, saying "someone has to pay for them" but insisting there is no charge to see the iconic stones.

Director general Hilary McGrady also admitted mistakes were made over the Trust's support of LGBT issues which led to an MLA cutting ties with the organisation.

In the wide-ranging interview with the BBC the Northern Ireland woman said she was proud of the work the organisation, which she loved, had done in Northern Ireland particularly in purchasing land on Divis Mountain in 2004 from the Ministry of Defence. She described the move to buy the "contested space" as "pivotal".

"I used to live just across from Divis and I always as a child looked at it and couldn't ever climb Divis for obvious reasons," she said

"Then the Trust bought Divis and all of a sudden it was a neutral space and for me it said something about where Northern Ireland was at at the time but it also said something about where the Trust was at.

"It was genuinely trying to open its doors and take a different perspective .. and when the job came up it just had my name on it."

There has been controversy over National Trust facilities at the Giant's Causeway with criticism signs are not clear leading for some to think there is a charge to see the iconic landmark or the organisation's permission to access the site.

Ms McGrady described the Causeway project was "her baby" and the Trust was "trying to be open" about the signs around the area but every penny went into investment at attractions in Northern Ireland.

"I'm not going on some big holiday," she said.

"I'm really clear that anybody that wants to walk to the Causeway stones for free can," she said.

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"But somebody has to pay for the thing to be looked after - it doesn't come free.

"So that's why we charge for the visitor centre and we charge for the car park. That's what you're paying for - you're not paying for the stones.

"When the Trust owns a property it pledged through parliament to do so forever... so I will be uncompromising in making sure we are a responsible landlord. But be assured every penny goes back into making sure more people get to enjoy those beautiful places."

The National Trust found itself at the centre of controversy in August 2017 after it insisted staff at Fellbrigg Hall in Norfolk, England wear rainbow badges to celebrate the last lord of the manor, who was gay. A decision it later reversed.

Ms McGrady said mistakes had been made in that they "absolutely should not be insisting" anyone wear something they were not comfortable in doing so but said the Trust was right to run programmes on the history of those people involved with their properties which were part of the LGBT community.

The controversy - along with the organisation's support of Pride in Belfast - were among the reasons MLA Jim Wells cut his ties with the organisation. He had worked for the charity for 10 years and later been a member. He also pledged to remove a condition in his will which saw a donation made to the organisation.

Ms McGrady was appointed to the role of director general of the National Trust in March. She had previously worked for 12 years with the charity and was regional director for Northern Ireland.

Originally trained in graphic design, Ms McGrady's career path started in the drinks industry in brand and marketing. The National Trust is the UK's biggest landowner with assets worth an estimated 1.3billion and an annual income of 600million.

Ms McGrady said she held the National Trust in heart.

"The Trust is a force for good," she said, "I just want it to succeed, I love it."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has insisted Jean Claude Juncker is the right man to lead the European Commission through the Brexit process.

Mr Varadkar rejected recent criticism directed at the commission president, stating his absolute and immense confidence in his abilities.

Aspects of Mr Junckers behaviour have come under scrutiny amid the Brexit negotiations. He ruffled an EU officials hair upon arriving at a Brussels summit earlier this month and was later involved in a very public dispute with Theresa May, denying her claims that he had referred to her as nebulous.

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Whatsapp Theresa May had accused Mr Juncker of calling her nebulous (ec.europa.eu/PA)

Mr Varadkar defended the politicians record, hailing him as a very good supporter of Ireland.

I have absolute and immense confidence in Jean Claude Juncker who has been a very effective EU Commission president over the last couple of years, was a long-serving prime minister of Luxembourg and has been a very good colleague of mine and a very good supporter of Ireland, he said.

I have never once seen him anything other than sober and he has sciatica and walks in a particular way and some elements of the media make that out to be related to alcohol. Its not. I know its not. And secondly, I was there, he didnt call Prime Minister May nebulous.

I think he was referring to some of the requests or demands from the UK but that wasnt a remark about her personally. Not at all.

Probably ill-advised to fluff other peoples hair though. I wouldnt do that myself.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the decision on broadband will be one of the big calls for the Government in the New Year )PA)

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the boat may have sailed on the State owning Irelands national broadband plan.

Mr Vardakar said two auditors, including KPMG, were evaluating the final consortium bid.

His comments come a month after a report into the procurement process for the countrys broadband plan found it had not been influenced by former communications minister Denis Naughten or businessman David McCourt.

The review by independent assessor Peter Smyth said it was satisfied that neither of the men influenced the tender process after it emerged they had held a number of private meetings and dinners.

Mr Naughten resigned his Cabinet seat in October amid the controversy over dinners he held with the head of the last remaining bidder for the multimillion-euro state contract for the rollout of high-speed broadband.

I want to make sure that we do it at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer and that secondly, that we have confidence that the contractor can deliver and will actually be able to get the job doneLeo Varadkar

Asked whether he was considering revising the terms of the contract so the State would own the broadband infrastructure, Mr Varadkar said: Im not sure we can do that at this stage. Ill have to check that with Richard (Bruton, Communications Minister). The boat may have sailed on that.

The evaluation is under way now on the broadband tender.

Thats being done by KPMG, and also by an external group, so we want to make sure its value for money.

We want to make sure that the contractor can deliver. Well make a decision, I would anticipate, in the first two months of the new year as to whether we sign that broadband contract or not.

Minister @RichardBrutonTD - The government is committed to providing high speed broadband to rural Ireland and is absolutely committed to reaching the 540,000 premises which will not be reached by commercial operators. pic.twitter.com/SVGIBIDyRy  MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) November 27, 2018

But it is something Im committed to delivering. Weve up to 75 per cent coverage across the country when it comes to high-speed broadband.

He said that the remaining 25 per cent of the public feel even more left behind.

So I really want to get this done, he said.

I want to make sure that we do it at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer and that secondly, that we have confidence that the contractor can deliver and will actually be able to get the job done.

Well have to make a decision, of course, on broadband, which will be one of the big calls the Government has to make in the first two months of next year.
Garda at the scene of a shooting in Blanchardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in his 30s in Dublin are appealing for witnesses.

The victim was shot dead outside a house at Blakestown Cottages in Blanchardstown shortly before 7pm on Saturday.

Gardai were called to the scene where they found his body on the driveway of one of the cottages.

The victim had been shot a number of times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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A murder investigation has been launched and an incident room has been set up in Blanchardstown garda station.

Gardai investigating the shooting say they want to speak to any members of the public who were in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St Peregrines Gaelic Club on Saturday between 5pm and 7pm.

They have also appealed to any drivers who travelled on the Blakestown Road between 5pm and 7pm, particularly cars with dash cameras.

Gardai say they are attempting to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta with the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from December 18 until 7pm on Saturday.

The Volkswagen was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent in Clonee shortly after the shooting.

A spokesman for the Gardai said: We are appealing to anyone with information who saw people fleeing from this car or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder.

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact Blanchardstown garda station on 01 6667000 or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.
Aideen Conway from the Jesuit Refugee Service with some of the donations to their Christmas Toy Appeal for children in Direct Provision (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

Local communities around Ireland have been donating their time and Christmas presents to families living in Direct Provision.

Asylum seekers are housed in residential institutions known as Direct Provision centres across the country, with 38 facilities in total.

There are more than 1,600 children currently in the Direct Provision system.

Please support JRS Ireland Christmas Toy Appeal for children of asylum seekers living in Direct Provision. pic.twitter.com/VXDINasrP9  SARI Ireland (@sariireland) November 21, 2013

In recent months there have been media reports raising concerns regarding the level of care and cleanliness as well as availability of food in the centres, which are usually closed off to the general public.

Aideen Conway from the Jesuit Refugee Service says wider media attention means the group is sometimes inundated with gifts, and this year they have had donations of more than 600 toys.

I think theres a much bigger awareness now of Direct Provision, more organisations running toy appeals, a lot more attention in the media, she said.

Weve had so many calls and emails about people wanting to offer support.

Eugene Quinn, chairman of the Tiny Tots creche programme in Knockalisheen Direct Provision centre, said the presents and centre Christmas party offers a sense of normality for the families.

Weve been doing the party and gift drive for the around 10 years, when it came to our attention that the children in the centres werent receiving toys, he said.

Weve always had a generous response, it brings out the best in people, people are aware that this is a vulnerable group, I dont know how deep the knowledge is on that, but they are conscious people arent at home, theyve been separated from their families.

Irish people in general are very generous and understand the notion of moving away from family, its heartwarming.

In a lot of cases the children arent Christian but they are aware of the festivities and its much wider than the Christian part to it, its culturally ubiquitous receiving gifts this time of year.

One mother living in the Knockalisheen centre, who did not want to be named, said being included in Christmas traditions was positive for her children.

The Christmas party is nice because its not really about religion, its just something everyone can attend and enjoy.

The children feel as though they are included in an Irish tradition and that is positive for everyone.

Seven of the centres are state-owned but the majority are run on a for-profit basis by private contractors.

The latest figures from the Department of Justice show five of the 38 Direct Provision centres around Ireland are oversubscribed with residents, and the majority of other centres are close to capacity.

Direct Provision centres in counties Meath, Laois, Cork and Clare were housing more people than agreed under contracted capacity.
A man and a woman were released without charge by Sussex Police, 36 hours after being held on suspicion of disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons (John Stillwell/PA)

Detectives hunting the Gatwick Airport drone operator have found a damaged device on the airfield, police have confirmed.

It comes as the prime suspects in the probe  a man and a woman from nearby Crawley  were released without charge by Sussex Police, 36 hours after being held on suspicion of disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons.

The pair, aged 47 and 54 respectively, made no comment as they darted inside their home.

Expand Close Police outside the home in Crawley, West Sussex, of a 47-year-old man and 54-year-old woman who were released without charge in connection with the drone incidents at Gatwick Airport (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Police will now turn their attentions to the damaged drone found within the airport perimeter.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said: Yesterday morning we discovered a damaged drone close to the perimeter of Gatwick Airport and that is of course a significant line of enquiry.

We are not back to square one. Whilst these two people have been in custody, we have a number of lines of enquiry and persons of interest, he said.

We are still progressing those lines of enquiry, including house-to-house enquiries around the sightings of the drone.

He said the force had received more than 67 calls from members of the public, airport staff and police officers stationed at the airport and detectives were working to determine whether they were confirmed.

Mr Tingley assured members of the public that the specialist measures, including those provided by the military, would remain in place until it was deemed appropriate for efforts to be scaled back.

Im confident we will get more information we will respond to, then we will progress an enquiry in order to identify the perpetrator, he said.

Around 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted after drones were spotted inside the perimeter of the UKs second biggest airport on Wednesday and approximately 140,000 passengers were affected.

It comes as the airport offered a 50,000 reward through Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the chaos. This is in addition to the 10,000 currently offered by Lord Ashcroft, chairman of the charity.

Expand Close Passengers stranded at Gatwick (Isabel Infantes/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Crimestoppers chief executive Mark Hallas said: We are happy to support Gatwick Airport Limited on this reward to catch whoever has been ruining the travel plans of so many people this holiday season.

Giving information through Crimestoppers, whether by phone or online, will always be 100% anonymous  were interested in what you know, not your name.

Police searched the house in Crawley on Saturday as the pair were arrested.

But on Sunday, Mr Tingley said: Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

It is important to remember that when people are arrested in an effort to make further enquiries it does not mean that they are guilty of an offence and Sussex Police would not seek to make their identity public.

Expand Close Counter-drone equipment on a rooftop at Gatwick (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation.

We ask for the publics continued support by reporting anything suspicious, contacting us with any information in relation to the drone incidents at Gatwick.

Meanwhile, Labour has called for an independent inquiry after accusing the Government of failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed there were missed opportunities to prevent the airport from coming under such an attack.

But a Department for Transport spokesman dismissed the claims as a combination of nonsense and gross misrepresentation.
Birmingham Airport said it had to temporarily suspend services due to an air traffic control fault (David Jones/PA)

Birmingham Airport has resumed operations after a technical glitch temporarily grounded flights.

Staff said the disruption began at around 6pm and was cleared around two hours later.

A spokesman said: Following the earlier air traffic control technical fault, Birmingham Airport has now resolved the issue and operations have now resumed.

Following the earlier Air Traffic Control technical fault, Birmingham Airport has now resolved the issue and operations have now resumed. We thank passengers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.  Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) December 23, 2018

We thank passengers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

The incident came the same week as the Gatwick Airport fiasco, where roughly 140,000 passengers were affected when a drone was apparently spotted around the runway, forcing bosses to ground flights across three days.
A man is due in court on Monday following a womans death (Joe Giddens/PA)

A man has been charged by police in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found at a house.

The 33-year-old woman was found dead by officers who were called to Sillerknowe Court in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, just after midnight on Saturday.

Police Scotland later confirmed a 31-year-old man arrested following the incident has been charged over the death.

He is due to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday.

A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
A 7-year-old Japanese boy, on holiday in Australia with his family, died in hospital Sunday after an incident while swimming at a public lagoon in the northern city of Cairns, according to local media reports.

Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that the boy agot into troublea in the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon in far north Queensland on Saturday afternoon.

After lifeguards reportedly pulled the boy from the water, he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and stayed there overnight.

Police confirmed that his life support was turned off at around midday Sunday.

Local media reported that the family had arrived in Australia only hours before heading to the public swimming area on Saturday.

The boy is the second Japanese national to drown in the Cairns region this month.
Meghan has been urged to heal the rift with her father Thomas (Chris Jackson/PA)

Samantha Markle has sent her sister the Duchess of Sussex a Christmas card urging her to end the rift with Dad, it has been reported.

The Sunday Mirror reported Samantha, a paternal half-sister of Meghan, wrote to the royal saying it was time she reunited with father Thomas.

According to Mr Markle, the relationship appears to have broken down and the father and daughter have not spoken for more than six months.

Expand Close Harry and Meghan were wed in May (Danny Lawson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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The 74-year-old was caught up in controversy days before the wedding of Harry and Meghan after he allegedly staged paparazzi photographs of himself.

In a picture of the card published by the Sunday Mirror, Samantha Markle wrote: Holidays are a time for family and are sentimental.

Dad has been trying to contact you and is very hurt because you are avoiding him.

Life is short and you know Dad is wonderful. Please give him joy in his last years by showing you love him. The time is now.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle's father Thomas is 'hopeful' hell meet his grandchild and wants The Queen to help heal the rift between him and his daughter.https://t.co/7HU2ycqlyu  Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 17, 2018

Speaking from San Diego during an interview with Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Mr Markle made a public appeal to his daughter to get in touch.

He said: Im hopeful that soon something will be resolved and well be talking. This cant continue forever.

People are saying I should be quiet about this and not speak, if I dont speak, they will speak to me. That hasnt happened. I dont plan to be silent for the rest of my life.

I love my daughter very much and she has to know that. I would really appreciate if she would just call me, reach out to me somehow, send me a text, just say youre there and youre hearing me.
FILE  In this April 9, 2018, file photo, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington. A U.S. administration official says that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave his post Jan. 1, 2019, as Trump is expected to name Shanahan as acting secretary. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

US defence secretary Jim Mattis will now leave his post on January 1, with deputy Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan taking over as acting secretary to cover the accelerated departure.

The move comes just three days after Mr Mattis resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps decision to pull all US troops out of Syria and delivered a blistering letter to the president that roiled Washington and reportedly angered the White House.

Mr Mattis originally said he would stay through February to ensure an orderly transition but officials said the fallout of his decision to leave  including the shock and dismay expressed on Capitol Hill  annoyed Mr Trump and likely led to Mr Mattis leaving earlier than planned.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Buccino, a spokesman for Mr Shanahan, said the former Boeing executive will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

(The) deputy secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defence will remain focused on the defence of the nation, Mr Buccino said on Sunday.

Expand Close Jim Mattis will leave his post on January 1 (Susan Walsh/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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While Mr Mattiss resignation followed Mr Trumps announcement he would soon pull all of the approximately 2,000 US troops out of Syria, officials said the resignation was the result of an accumulation of disagreements.

In a stunning resignation letter, Mr Mattis made clear he did not see eye-to-eye with a president who has expressed disdain for Nato and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Trumps acting chief of staff said the president had known for quite some time now that he and Mr Mattis did not share some of the same philosophies  have the same world view.

Mick Mulvaney told ABCs This Week the president and his defence chief just could never get on the same page on Syria, adding Mr Trump had said since his presidential campaign that he wanted to get out of Syria.

I've encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but don't see the world in lockstep with himMick Mulvaney's advice to Donald Trump

Mr Mulvaney said the president is entitled to have a secretary of defence who is committed to that same end.

Asked whether Mr Trump wanted a Pentagon leader willing to challenge him or someone in lock step with his views, Mr Mulvaney said a little bit of both.

Ive encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but dont see the world in lockstep with him, Mr Mulvaney said.

Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell joined leading Republicans on foreign affairs in urging Mr Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria.

Mr Mulvaney, asked on ABC whether there was any chance the president might change his mind on Syria decision, said: No. I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesnt want us to stay in Syria forever.

Youre seeing the end result now of two years worth of work. But keep in mind its not unusual for a president to lose members of the Cabinet over these types of disagreements.
Mr McGurk, whose resignation is effective from December 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February (Hadi Mizban/AP)

The US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group has resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Brett McGurk, who described Trumps decision as a shock, joins Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

Only 11 days ago, Mr McGurk said it would be reckless to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home.

The 45-year-old has decided to speed up his original plan to leave the post in mid-February.

In an email to his staff, he said: The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy.

It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences.

Mr Trumps announcement of the withdrawal left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences, the email went on.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Mr Trump, Mr McGurk said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and the premature pullout of US forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS.

Mr Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that I do not know the envoy and its a nothing event.

He noted Mr McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: Grandstander?

Shortly after news of the resignation broke, Mr Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 US 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, Mr 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. Were coming home!

Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the US did not begin launching airstrikes against IS until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015.

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 felt he could continue no longer after Mr Trumps decision to withdraw from Syria and Mr Mattis resignation.

Mr McGurk also said in the email: 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.

Mr Trumps 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.

Mr 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 he was departing because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours.

Expand Close Mr Mattis, right, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February (Tatyana Zenkovich/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mr Mattis, right, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February (Tatyana Zenkovich/AP)

The withdrawal decision will fulfil Mr Trumps goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syrias long-running civil war.

US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated.

Among officials key concerns is that a US pullout will leave US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces vulnerable to attacks by Turkey, the Syrian government and remaining IS fighters.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, is Americas only military partner in Syria.

Mr 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'.

He 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.

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. Bushs 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 Mr Bushs 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 Lieutenant general 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 US-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 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.
An aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Carita, in Banten province on the western tip of Java, on Dec. 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami the night before.

Updated at 10:09 p.m. ET on 2018-12-23

Nearly 300 people died and dozens were missing in a tsunami apparently triggered by a volcano that hit coastal areas of Indonesias Sunda Strait, officials said Monday (local time).

All the dead accounted for thus far are Indonesian, including members of a band that was in the midst of performing at a beach resort when waves suddenly slammed the stage at 9:27 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Current data on the impact of the tsunami in the Sunda Strait ... 281 people killed, 1,016 injured, 57 people missing and 11,687 displaced, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency, giving figures reported by emergency personnel at 7:00 a.m. Monday local time.

The numbers were likely to rise as not all affected areas had reported information, he said. The disaster struck three months after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Central Sulawesi province on Sept. 28, killing more than 2,000.

This time the tsunami, which was generated in waters between the islands of Sumatra and Java, is thought to have been caused by a volcanic eruption triggering an underwater landslide, which displaced water and produced the massive waves, officials said.

This tsunami was not caused by an earthquake. No tectonic activity was detected. It is possible this tsunami occurred due to an underwater landslide resulting from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, Sutopo said Saturday.

Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait and a geological offshoot of Krakatau, whose catastrophic eruption over two days in August 1883 is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people in one of the worst eruptions in recorded history.

Anak Krakatau erupted 24 minutes prior to the tsunami on Saturday, authorities said. In August, authorities expanded the volcanos exclusion zone from one kilometer to two after it showed increased activity.

Most sincere condolences for the victims of the tsunami disaster in Pandeglang, Serang and South Lampung, last night. I have ordered all relevant government officials to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims, and care for the injured, President Joko Widodo said in a tweet earlier Sunday

Members of the international community offered assistance in the wake of the latest disaster to strike Indonesia.

I wish strength and courage to the emergency service currently at work after the devastating tsunami around the Sunda Strait in Indonesia. The EU Commission stands ready to assist ongoing rescue efforts, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.

The United States was also ready to assist as needed, Robert Palladino, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, said in a statement.

The United States conveys our deepest condolences for the loss of life and destruction from the tsunami that struck West Java and southern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 22. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in close communication with Indonesian authorities, he said.

Volunteers evacuate a tsunami victim from Tanjung Lesung beach in Banten Province, on the western tip of Java, Dec. 23, 2018. [Keisyah Aprilia/BenarNews] Keisyah Aprilia/BenarNews

After that, silence

The band Seventeen was just starting its second song at Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort in Pandeglang when a wall of water burst through a curtain covering the back of the stage.

A party-goer attending the event was recording the concert and caught the horrific moment on a video that has since gone viral.

The bass player, road manager and guitarist were found dead by midday Sunday while their drummer was still missing, Yulia Dian, a spokeswoman for the band management, said in a statement.

Late Sunday, rescue personnel were working on identifying dozens of corpses in the lobby of the resort. Waves swamped almost every building of the facility, located only about 15 meters (50 feet) from the waters edge.

After the water receded, two- and four-wheel vehicles lay smashed against the outer walls of guest cottages.

The waves were three meters high [ten feet]. Several hit the resort, said a man who gave his name as Asep. He said he was able to escape the tsunami by running to higher ground.

I watched from a distance. The minute the waves hit, I ran. Everything was chaotic and the electricity immediately went out, he said.

The loud music covered any noise the tsunami made as it rushed ashore, said Supriyana, another eyewitness.

Suddenly it was there and no one knew there was a tsunami happening. It hit, people were screaming and running, calling for help. After that, silence, she said.

Many coastal areas appeared deserted Sunday, as heavy rain lashed the area.

Because of the tsunami, many people have fled. Most hotels and restaurants are closed, said Rizky, a hotel clerk.

Indonesia is located in the tectonically active Ring of Fire  an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean  and frequently suffers earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

On Dec. 26, 2004, about 130,000 people died in the nations westernmost province of Aceh when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the west coast of Sumatra, spawning a series of devastating tsunamis.

Experts said another tsunami could strike the Sunda Strait due to ongoing volcanic activity.

"The likelihood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its current active phase because that might trigger further submarine landslides," Richard Teeuw, a professor at University of Portsmouth in England, told AFP.
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The Brandon Police Service has launched an internal investigation after an officers weapon discharged in a police vehicle last month, the CBC has reported.

Deputy police chief Randy Lewis told the CBC no one was injured in the Nov. 25 incident, and the police service is still gathering information about how the gun was discharged.

Lewis told the CBC there were two officers in the vehicle when the gun fired. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates serious incidents involving police, was immediately notified. The IIU confirmed to the CBC it is monitoring the review by Brandon police, but noted because there was no injury it is not mandatory that it investigate.

The Brandon Sun was unable to independently confirm the CBC article on Saturday.

 The Brandon Sun

The Brandon Police Service has launched an internal investigation after an officers weapon discharged in a police vehicle last month, the CBC has reported.

Deputy police chief Randy Lewis told the CBC no one was injured in the Nov. 25 incident, and the police service is still gathering information about how the gun was discharged.

Lewis said there were two officers in the vehicle when the gun fired. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates serious incidents involving police, was immediately notified.

The IIU confirmed it is monitoring the review by Brandon police, but noted because there was no injury it is not mandatory that it investigate.

The Brandon Sun could not reach someone from the Brandon Police Service for comment on Saturday.

 The Brandon Sun
VANCOUVER - As an overdose crisis began taking shape in Denver, Colo., one of the places the city's leaders looked for answers was north of the border.

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VANCOUVER - As an overdose crisis began taking shape in Denver, Colo., one of the places the city's leaders looked for answers was north of the border.

Coun. Albus Brooks says he hopped on a plane to Vancouver last year before putting together a recent proposal to open what could become the first legal supervised consumption site in the United States.

"I went out there personally to meet with council members, the chief of police, community members, business folks  I interviewed them all," he said.

Last month, Denver council approved a proposal for a two-year pilot project allowing a safe consumption site, which lets people use drugs under the supervision of staff who are trained in overdose response.

The program must win approval from the state legislature, which is now under Democratic control after the November election. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled state Senate killed similar legislation.

Other U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Philadelphia, have also expressed interest in opening supervised injection sites. California lawmakers passed a measure that would have protected workers and participants in a San Francisco pilot program from state prosecution, but Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it in September.

Brooks said Denver council reviewed models in hundreds of other jurisdictions and also visited Barcelona. But it took several lessons from Vancouver, including the effectiveness of free drug testing and the importance of working across sectors and with many stakeholders.

He said he was struck by the high number of overdose deaths in Vancouver, which has been the epicentre of the crisis in Canada, but also the general consensus on the importance of harm reduction as part of a continuum of care that has been harder to achieve in the United States.

The BC Coroners Service recorded 369 overdose deaths in Vancouver last year, while Denver recorded 163 drug-related deaths, according to Colorado's vital statistics program.

"Everyone seemed to say that harm reduction models were effective and an important part of an overall strategy," Brooks said. "That's not understood in the United States."

Support hasn't been universal in Canada either. When Insite opened in Vancouver in 2003, making it the first safe consumption site in North America, some argued it would just enable addicts. And as recently as August, the Progressive Conservative government in Ontario under Premier Doug Ford announced it was halting the opening of new overdose prevention sites pending a review.

But data suggests they have been effective. According to the BC Centre on Substance Use, a systematic review of 75 peer-reviewed journal articles on safe consumption sites found that no overdose-related death was ever reported within a site involved in the studies.

A 2011 study in Vancouver also found a 35 per cent decline in overdose deaths in the area around Insite, the centre said.

While the BC Coroners Service does not collect data on "life-saving" measures, spokesman Andy Watson said he believes significantly more people would have died in the crisis if not for harm reduction services.

"We understand the death toll probably would have tripled, based on information we've received from other agencies," he said.

Insite has been a popular destination for both Canadian and American politicians considering the model, with visitors also coming from nearby Seattle, said Carrie Stefanson, spokeswoman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which co-manages the site with non-profit PHS Community Services Society.

"They come on kind of a fact-finding mission or a tour. We have people coming all the time," she said.

Sarah Blyth, who runs the Overdose Prevention Society on the city's Downtown Eastside, said it can be overwhelming to host so many visitors. There are visits almost every other day from politicians, grassroots organizers, nurses, students and others curious about the model  from as far away as Belgium and France and as close as other B.C. cities.

"It's a bit too much, to be honest, but at the same time it's so important because they get to bring back education and what we're doing to other places," Blyth said.

"And we get to discuss how it's helpful and answer questions about how you can do it  how it's easy and affordable and not hard to do."
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. - Convoys of trucks rolled slowly through Alberta and Saskatchewan on Saturday as demonstrations in support of Canada's ailing oil and gas sector continue.

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MEDICINE HAT, Alta. - Convoys of trucks rolled slowly through Alberta and Saskatchewan on Saturday as demonstrations in support of Canada's ailing oil and gas sector continue.

Police in Medicine Hat, Alta., estimate that 650 vehicles took part in a convoy that began on the Trans-Canada Highway east of the city and continued west to weigh scales before turning around and dispersing.

A similar event in Estevan, Sask., brought around 450 trucks, according to a police estimate.

Truck convoys began last weekend in Alberta. One event on Wednesday brought more than a thousand vehicles to Nisku, south of Edmonton.

Jerry Sabine, an organizer of the convoy in Medicine Hat, says trucks were driving slowly to show people "the frustration of how slow the oilfields are."

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe tweeted his support for the event in Estevan, saying people across Western Canada are fed up with what he called the Trudeau government's indifference toward the energy sector.

"What a strong message sent today from the truck rally in Estevan," Moe said. "Your SK government stands with you in support of this critical industry."

Other recent rallies, including a large one in Calgary on Monday, have targeted federal actions that critics say will make building pipelines more difficult. They include Bill C-69 to revamp the National Energy Board and Bill C-48 which would ban oil tanker traffic on British Columbia's northern coast.

Supporters of Saturday's convoys lined the streets in both cities. Most of the signs they held had messages calling for pipeline construction, an end to carbon taxes and the defeat of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A few of the signs also expressed opposition to the United Nations.

Jay Riedel, an organizer of the Estevan convoy, said concern over Canada signing the United Nations migration pact is part of the protest, noting he believed the pact surrenders Canada's immigration policy to outside powers.

"We definitely need immigrants coming into Canada but we also need to get jobs going for us and them," Riedel said.

"If we don't have jobs for these people to have, then our whole social system is going to fail."

Police in Medicine Hat and Estevan commended the conduct of the convoy drivers.

"Appreciate the public's patience during the truck convoy protest. Also appreciate the professionalism of those involved," said a tweet from the Estevan police that was attributed to Chief Paul Ladouceur.

More convoys are planned, including one that will travel to Ottawa in February. Sabine said some of the trucks involved in the Medicine Hat convoy travelled from across the province to support the event.

"We just put the word out a couple, three days ago, and it really snowballed on us," Sabine said.

By Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton
WINNIPEG - "I've never seen this before."

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier Brian Pallister

WINNIPEG - "I've never seen this before."

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, sitting in his legislature office for a year-end interview, is looking at a 15-ml container of cannabis spray. It's one of the ways through which recreational cannabis can be consumed since legalization in October.

It is discreet, quick, smokeless and  perhaps surprisingly under Manitoba law  legal to consume in most public places.

"My lunch could be really good," Pallister jokes before handing it back to the reporter who brought it to him.

The premier has said on more than one occasion he's more of a beer man.

Pallister's Progressive Conservative government is not alone in having to adjust to the complex realities of legalized recreational cannabis.

Across the country, governments have had to set down rules on where pot can be smoked, vaped, dripped, sprayed, eaten and sold. Police forces scrambled to get equipment to test motorists for the drug.

Pallister considers the Manitoba model for retail outlets a success. The province charges a wholesale markup and regulates distribution and sales, while the private sector operates the stores. And while every province has experienced supply shortages, retailers in Manitoba have not faced the same scarcity as those in Quebec, Ontario and other jurisdictions.

More than a dozen stores opened in Manitoba in the weeks following legalization. They are run by four companies that had been selected earlier.

Pallister expects more retailers to be approved in the new year with the aim of eating into the long-established black market.

"We've got to get the black market out of this stuff, or (else) why are we doing it?"

One area where Manitoba has been caught off guard is in public consumption. Many other provinces have banned using cannabis in any form in most public areas, but Manitoba's law was written specific to smoking or vaping (except in vehicles, boats and schools, where all consumption is prohibited).

As a result, it's open season for cannabis oil, sprays, gels and capsules.

"I thought oils were with edibles and not available until next year (under federal law)," Pallister said.

The federal government delayed legalizing sales of edibles until sometime in 2019, although people are already allowed to make their own with legally purchased cannabis.

Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen has said the province is considering expanding the ban on public consumption to cover all forms of cannabis. Pallister said a decision has not yet been made.

"We'll have to inquire and find out."
Update: Paula Staunton has been found safe and well, gardai have confirmed.

Earlier: Gardai appeal for help finding missing Cork woman

Gardai are appealing for help in finding a missing 42-year-old woman in County Cork.

Paula Staunton from Mallow was last seen at 4pm yesterday afternoon.

She is 5'4" tall and of slim build and was wearing all black clothing.

Paula has access to an 08C registered black Kia Rio hatchback car.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station 022-31450 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
Gardai in Dublin have seized heroin and cocaine worth an estimated street value of over 500,000.

The Terenure District Drugs Unit carried out the operation in which a house was searched in the Tallaght area yesterday evening.
The charity ALONE says Christmas can be one of the loneliest times of the year for some older people.

ALONE supports older people to age at home, and is asking members of the public to reach out to their older neighbours and friends over the Christmas holidays.
French authorities have handed preliminary terrorism charges to a fugitive extremist suspected of helping organise the deadly 2015 attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

The Paris prosecutor's office said Peter Cherif was expelled to France after his recent arrest in Djibouti.

He was immediately taken into custody and charged upon his arrival today at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, accused of criminal association with a terrorist enterprise.

France's defence minister says he played an "important role in organising" the March 2015 attack.

Cherif, also known as Abu Hamza, was a close friend of the two brothers who killed 11 people at Charlie Hebdo's offices and a policeman nearby in Paris.

He had travelled to Iraq and Syria in the early 2000s, and had been on the run from French authorities since 2011.
Billionaire rag trader Solly Lew has picked a fight with the wrong landlord.

Im annoyed. I hate bullies, says Peter Sheppard, the eponymous upmarket shoe retailer who also happens to own a shop in Melbournes Chapel Street leased to Just Jeans.

Im sticking up for the landlords in Chapel Street.

A 48-year veteran of the industry, Peter Sheppard is no retail slouch. Credit:Justin McManus

Mr Lew told investors in November he would close the Just Jeans store, along with a Dotti and Smiggle on the South Yarra strip, because the rents were too high.
Moroccos intelligence agency has helped its German and French counterparts to thwart serious terrorist plots that were targeting the airports of Charles de Gaulle and Stuttgart, according to German ZDF TV Channel.

In a TV report, ZDF terrorism expert Elmar Theveen said the German and French intelligence services have foiled major terrorist acts that targeted the Stuttgart and Charles de Gaulle airports thanks to the accurate tip received from the Moroccan intelligence agency.

If carried out, this twin terror threat could have killed large numbers of innocent people. German Spiegel Online and some Moroccan online news websites also shed light on these terror plots disrupted thanks to the information provided by Moroccan intelligence services.

For its part, British Telegraph daily reported the event, focusing on the security measures tightened last Friday in all German airports after two men were seen at the Stuttgart airport taking photographs of a security gate on two separate occasions.

The two men, believed to be extremist Islamists known to German police, were also filmed on CCTV behaving suspiciously at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport last week.

German authorities said they are investigating four people on suspicion of planning a serious act of violence after receiving their online messages intercepted by Moroccan intelligence which earned international recognition for its professionalism, credibility and efficiency.

In another development, the Spanish Interior Ministry announced the arrest Friday, in Mataro, in the province of Barcelona, of an alleged Moroccan terrorist, in an operation carried out in collaboration with Moroccan authorities.

The Spanish Ministry said in a statement Saturday that this arrest was made possible thanks to an international arrest and extradition warrant issued by the Moroccan authorities against this individual described as a dangerous terrorist who fought in a foreign territory.

The Spanish Interior Ministry noted that this operation shows that the fight against terrorism requires a strong international police cooperation, like the one between Spain and Morocco.

Moroccos powerful intelligence agency, national police force, paramilitary police and Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) work closely with their European and American counterparts, receive extensive training and are highly proficient.

Moroccan intelligence services helped avert several terror attacks in Europe

with the information they collect and share with their regional and international partners.
Loading He says, if we can reach a $1million in turnover in the first 12 months that we have proven the model to have potential. Cocktail Porters target market is across Australia. We have designed these kits so that all you have to do is grab some ice, chill the glass, gather some garnish and pop the cork. We wanted to create a cocktail concept that saved people from having to run from store to store finding the right bottle of alcohol, the right mixer and appropriate garnish. We send the recipe, the instructions and the ingredients. Does he think premiumisation is a trend influencing Australias alcoholic drinks market?

Absolutely  its arguably one of the biggest trends in the global drinks industry, not just Australia. We see this in the international arms of the Sweet&Chilli business. There is a general trend towards more health-conscious options and this is reflected in higher total value than volume growth in the drinks industry. Made to measure Sydney-based bespoke fashion business Citizen Wolf is another SME tapping the on-demand quality space. Its first product is the made-to-measure T-shirt, for which the company takes orders online as well as in store.

Citizen Wolf uses technology to automate the process of tailoring and in doing so we bring made-to-measure clothing to the casual wardrobe, says co-founder Zoltan Csaki. Citizen Wolf founders Zoltan Csaki and Eric Phu. A customer has to choose their style and fabric. We've built an algorithm that we call magic fit with three simple biometric inputs  height, weight, age, and for women we enter bra size as well. Citizen Wolf was started three years ago when co-founder Eric Phu found it difficult to get clothes tailored for himself - other than a suit - while looking for clothes that fit. At the moment, Citizen Wolf addresses the Australian market. We don't really sell online overseas and that's purely for the logistical reason.

Csaki says the company continues to refine the process at the backend. Everything is laser cut, which is kind of our secret sauce in a way because it's the cutting that's the difficult part about tailoring. Prices start at $59 based on fabric choice. Citizen Wolfs turnover for 2017-18 was under $500,000, he says. Since starting, we have experienced consistent month-on-month growth. And this October was triple our January numbers. He says the company is on track to double its targets this year, and next year the targets are even more aggressive. Our ambition as a brand is basically made-to-measure wardrobe staples. We have a hard line in the sand where we will never go into suiting. Eventually we're going to get into buttoned-down shirts. They won't necessarily be business shirts, they'd be more casual. I think the market for casual clothes is pretty under served.

Csaki says Citizen Wolfs customer is an eco-conscious person. They care about the amount of finite resources that are being chewed up every year. I do think we're past the point of quantity. They're questioning whether or not they need that thing that they know is going to last them three washes. He thinks people are fundamentally starting to question the validity of the fast fashion model. Our market, our customer tends to be a bit older as well. They're probably 30-plus. And I think that works too, because the older we get the more sure we are of our identity and the less validation we are seeking from wearing big logos.
Victoria Christmas Special: Comfort and Joy

ABC, 7.30pm

The second season of the British period drama about the early years of the 19th century monarch is topped by a Christmas special which works very hard to spread both Christmas cheer and a most dandy image of the ruler atop the world's largest empire. Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), forever sideswiped by his second banana status, is freaking out about throwing the best Christmas for Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman), while dalliances among the household staff have a private reckoning. It's 90 minutes long and feels it, especially with some heavy-handed use of the slave trade from Africa to show Victoria's enlightenment.

Prince Albert is freaking out about throwing the best Christmas for Queen Victoria. Credit:ABC

Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History
Good relationships thrive and survive through holidays. It's no doubt a happy Christmas for many.

But research shows that it's also a time when break-ups spike. Money worries pile on the pressure. So does enforced proximity to close relatives you might rather not be so close to. Fractured families mean that new partners might have to meet children from previous relationships.

Juleen Schiefelbein of Relationships Australia in Canberra. Credit:Steve Evans

And all with an expectation of happy families and Christmas joy.

So what do the professionals advise as ways to prevent the pressure cracking relationships which might basically be sound?
Every year, Scott McAlister says it will be the final time he puts up Christmas lights at his Reid home.

But egged on by his three daughters, Mr McAlister has brought Christmas cheer to the inner north suburb every year since 2005.

Lindsay McAlister, left, with her father Scott McAlister at their house in Reid, lit up for Christmas. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Mr McAlister said from his vantage point on Currong Street, the Christmas spirit was alive and well.

But the Christmas light display had a corny start, he said.
A few days ago, I found myself sitting in a pristine waiting room of St Andrew's House in Sydney. I was waiting for the Archbishop of the Greater Sydney Diocese, Glenn Davies, to summon me into his office. Despite my anxiety, contradictory feelings of confidence, stimulated by strong coffee, kept me from running back into bustling George Street.

Why was I so nervous? Well, I was a 23-year-old psychology student being asked to meet one of the most powerful religious leaders in Australia. Or perhaps it was a crippling fear that everything Id done in the past month had been wrong. How did I get to this moment?

A meeting with the Archbishop ... Sydney psychology student Max Loomes.

It all started early in November when I saw a Facebook post from an alumnus of my former school, St Lukes Grammar at Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches. The post consisted of screenshots of a letter, signed by 34 Anglican school principals, which argued for the maintenance of special rights and protections for independent schools under the Sex Discrimination Act.

This letter spoke volumes. Weeks earlier there had been public furore over the realisation that this law allowed independent schools to expel or sack LGBTQIA+ students and staff on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Subsequent to the public reaction, the government promised to review these laws and adjust them to protect students.
Fuel prices around south-east Queensland have dropped more than 20 cents a litre for Christmas, with some petrol stations charging $1.10 per litre on Sunday.

Unleaded fuel was seen at $1.13 per litre at a 7-Eleven Yeerongpilly on Sunday morning and reported at $1.10 per litre near North Lakes.

Fuel prices sink before Christmas to as low as $1.13 per litre Credit:Tony Moore

However, by Sunday lunchtime prices were hovering around $1.21 per litre at North Lakes, but far cheaper around Brisbane.

Petrolspy is one of several south-east Queensland fuel price websites that give a quick indication of petrol prices.
Supporters of a jailed Ballarat bus driver have rallied at the Montague Street Bridge in South Melbourne, calling for his sentence to be reduced.

About 50 supporters of Jack Aston travelled from Ballarat to Melbourne on Sunday afternoon for the gathering, chanting Justice 4 Jack and holding up signs saying Bring Jack Home.

Jack Aston's wife Wendy, daughter Meg and father-in-law Max (front row) and a group of protesters gather at Montague Street bridge in South Melbourne calling for his sentence to be reduced. Credit:Mereidth O'Shea

Mr Aston was jailed for five years last Monday over the February 2016 collision, in which a Ballarat-based Gold Bus he was driving slammed into the three-metre-high structure, seriously injuring Mr Aston and six passengers onboard.

His wife Wendy told the rally that an appeal against the sentence was being organised, and that the support she had received following the judges verdict had been overwhelming.
WA Police have put out a call to the community to track a missing 70-year old Lathlain woman.

The woman, identified as Ms Janice Pearl Gillespie, has been deemed to be at risk from serious medical issues.

Police have indicated Ms Gillespie was last seen at Burswood, getting on a bus heading to Perth CBD. Credit:WA Police

She was last seen at 4pm yesterday when it was believed she caught a bus from Burswood heading to the Perth CBD.

The police have described her having dark skin with greyish-black hair and a slim build.
The Auditor-General has released legal advice that says he can't discuss redacted sections of his own report even if the committee he answers to already has the information.

In September the Australian National Audit Office released a report into Defence's $2.2 billion procurement of the Hawkei light protected vehicles, but with sections of the conclusion redacted after Attorney-General Christian Porter issued a certificate suppressing the information on the request of contractor Thales.

Then defence industry minister Christopher Pyne in a Hawkei earlier this year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Thales requested that the Attorney-General enact the never-before-used clause of the Auditor-General's Act to ensure information that would damage the company's commercial interests wouldn't be made public. The certificate issued cited both commercial and national security reasons for suppressing the information.

In the ensuing parliamentary inquiry over the use of the certificate has resulted in the redacted information being tabled at Senate estimates, showing that it included a cost comparison between Thales' Hawkei vehicle and a similar US Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Moroccan law enforcement agents in Tangier have dismantled a human trafficking network Friday and arrested four suspects aged between 24 and 44.

A statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said that the police arrested three Moroccans involved in human trafficking. The nationality of the fourth suspect is unspecified. Police also arrested 22 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

The networks possible links with other criminal gangs in Morocco and abroad are under investigation.

Morocco has dismantled a dozen irregular migration networks throughout the year.

The European Union is fully aware of the tremendous efforts made by Morocco to burst human trafficking networks and curb migrants crossings to Southern Europe, particularly to Spain.

To help the North African country in these efforts, the EU adopted, under the EU emergency Trust Fund for Africa, additional funding bringing the overall migration-related assistance to Morocco to 148 million in 2018.

The EU said the new funding is part of its continuous support for Moroccos National Strategy on Migration and Asylum. It helps protect vulnerable migrants, step up the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking of human beings, while improving Moroccan authorities capacity to manage their borders.
Australian troops will remain in the Middle East despite US President Donald Trump announcing the withdrawal of thousands of soldiers from Syria and Afghanistan in a move that has shocked his Western allies and forced the sudden resignation of his Defence Secretary, Jim Mattis.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's presence "will remain" in the region, where more than 600 troops continue to conduct operations and train local troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have to be conscious of the potential for a resilient and a resurgent [Islamic State]," he said. "We're in regular dialogue, we're engaging with the US about what their plans are and to ensure there can be some alignment with both their thinking and planning."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a visit to Task Group Taji at Taji Military Complex in Iraq. Credit:David Mariuz

The Coalition is set to frame the looming election around the economy and national security  areas which voters give the Morrison government credit for over Labor  amid an otherwise perilous route back to government.
Workers who screen cargo and mail entering Australia are being taken off the job to staff airports over the busy Christmas period, Australian Border Force insiders say, raising fears that drugs, firearms and other illicit goods will be freely imported.

One container examination facility is believed to have gone from round-the-clock screening to just one shift per day. Workers also report that cuts to casual staff at airports have already led to long passenger queues.

As the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported this month, leaked emails from two regional commanders show the Border Force is taking dramatic action in the face of "significant budget pressures", including slashing casual staff by up to two-thirds in some airports.

Australian Border Force staff say air passengers will face long queues as the agency scrambles to fill workforce gaps. Credit:Penny Stephens

Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied the reports, saying thats just more storytelling in the media, thats not what is happening.
Not long after I entered the Senate my mother (now deceased) gingerly asked, "Just what do you do when parliament isn't sitting?" She wanted to tell her tennis friends. I was stunned. One of her good friends husband had been an MP and minister yet she had no concrete understanding of what a senator might do when parliament wasn't in session.

Over the years it became clear that she was by no means alone.

Question time does provide one avenue for the government to be called to account although much less so now than in the past. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The brouhaha about parliament not sitting for as long as usual in the first half of next year showed just how current this misunderstanding is. Social media was alive with complaints that MPs were doing less work but still getting paid. Somehow they were slacking off in a way normal workers couldn't. It is just rubbish to think that a parliamentarian's job is about being in the building called Parliament House. The quality of our parliament should not be judged by the number of sitting days. Far from it.

Parliament is where legislation is debated and passed or otherwise. But while that's happening members aren't in their electorates looking after constituent work. Calling the time between sittings the parliamentary break gives the impression they are all on some sort of holiday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Kirribilli House on Sunday. Credit:Steven Siewert

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Bill Shorten will use their Christmas messages to thank Australian defence forces overseas and emergency service personnel working over the holiday break.

Straying away from an overtly religious message, both leaders urged Australians to take optimism with them on their holidays, after a year of politics characterised by scandal, infighting and instability.

Mr Morrison, who is a devout Christian and member of Cronulla's Horizon church, quoted war historian Charles Bean on the merits of recognising service, sacrifice, family and courage during Christmas.
The chair of the government's peak advisory body into multicultural affairs has admitted she doesn't have control of key operational functions of the commission, which have been "swallowed" by the public service.

The Victorian Multicultural Commission, chaired by Helen Kapalos, has been beset with threats of resignations by commissioners and allegations of political interference by government.

Victorian Multicultural Commission chair Helen Kapalos. Credit:Vince Caligiuri

A review will be undertaken into the operation of the commission, which some believe may lead to wholesale change of personnel.
Cape Town: A musician from South Africa had a tumour in his brain, so doctors opened a hole in his skull to remove it. But they had a crucial request: He must play his acoustic guitar during the surgery.

The musician, Musa Manzini, a jazz bassist, was awake when the doctors performed the surgery last week, and video footage from the local media site News24 shows him strumming an acoustic guitar slowly as they operated.

The technique, known as "awake craniotomy", allows doctors to operate on delicate areas of the brain  like the right frontal lobe, the site of Manzini's tumour  without causing damage. Presumably, had he hit a wrong note, it would have been an immediate signal for the surgeons to probe elsewhere.

"It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the tumour and normal brain tissue," said Dr Basil Enicker, a specialist neurosurgeon who led the operation at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. "Once you're near a critical area, you can pick it up early, because he will tell you."
London: The Tower of Londons colourful beefeater guides are to go on strike next month over pension changes.

They will be joined by colleagues at Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIIIs opulent residence further up the River Thames, after a ballot for strike action was 91 per cent in favour.

Pickets will be out at both buildings, run by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), on the day of the 24-hour strike, January 8.

The Tower of London's Beefeaters will join other workers in a strike over pay in January. Credit:AP

HRP are jumping on a bandwagon which is seeing employers engaging in a race to the bottom, ending good final salary schemes and replacing them with risky cheaper defined contribution schemes, said GMB regional organiser Michael Ainsley in a statement.
Brussels: America's allies in Europe and Asia thought they had learned to digest and compensate for the instinctive unpredictability of President Donald Trump. But the bitter resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and the abrupt announcement of plans to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan are being viewed as watershed moments for Washington's relations with the world.

Many countries were already trying to recalibrate their relations with Trump, who views traditional allies as competitors. From South Korea to Japan, France to Germany and other countries in the NATO alliance, senior officials have been talking aloud about how to do more on their own and ways to be less reliant on a Washington focused on "America First".

But they also had faith in Mattis, who presented himself as a man of continuity and of traditional alliances, and who worked to strengthen them considerably regardless of the views held in the White House. He was also regarded by traditional allies as their most sympathetic and effective conduit to Trump, and as the "adult" of last resort able to restrain, balance or ignore the whims of an unpredictable president.

This is "a morning of alarm in Europe," Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden, said on Twitter on Friday. He added that Mattis was seen as the last "strong bond across the Atlantic in the Trump Administration," since "all the others are fragile at best or broken at worst."
Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition against Islamic State. Credit:AP "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. "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 US forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis was regarded by traditional allies as their most sympathetic and effective conduit to President Donald Trump. Credit:Bloomberg

The letter was submitted on Friday and described to the AP on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. Trump played down the development, tweeting on Saturday night that he didn't even know who McGurk was and implying that McGurk was a "Grandstander?" Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, appeared on ABC's This Week on Sunday and also denied knowing anything about McGurk or his role. "I have no idea who that person is. Never heard of him ... until yesterday," he said. Shortly after news of McGurk's resignation broke, Trump used an error-ridden tweet to defend his decision to pull all of the roughly 2000 US forces from Syria in the coming weeks.

Loading "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!" In fact the US has been involved in Syria for fours years, not seven. Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the US did not begin launching airstrikes against IS until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015. 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 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. US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. Among officials' key concerns is that a US pullout will leave US-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 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.'"

Loading McGurk, 45, is one of the administration's most experienced diplomats specialising in the Middle East. He 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 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.
Mattiss last day has been moved up to January 1. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

When James Mattis published his resignation letter this week, he anticipated staying on until February 28 to allow for a smooth transition and a thorough vetting process for the next secretary of Defense. But smooth and thorough arent the driving standards of the Trump administration: On Sunday, Trump decreed by tweet that Mattis would be out as of January 1, and that his deputy Patrick Shanahan will assume the title of acting Defense secretary. Aides report that Trump had not realized how scathing Mattiss resignation letter was until TV news explained its contents.

In one of the White Houses most tumultuous weeks this year, Mattis submitted his resignation on Thursday, in protest of the presidents surprise decision to withdraw from Syria  a decision informed by a phone call Trump had with Turkish president Recep Erdogan, who reportedly told him that Turkey would handle the endgame in the battle against ISIS if the U.S. left Syria.

On Saturday night, Trump said that he gave Mattis a second chance after president Obama fired him as head of Central Command in 2013, claiming that he gave Mattis all of the resources that he never really had. Allies are very important  but not when they take advantage of the U.S. That line appears to be a rebuke of Mattiss resignation letter, in which he stated the president had failed to check authoritarian leaders, and that the U.S. must 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 allies. Trump was reportedly furious that Mattis had condemned his decision, and that the letter created days of negative news coverage.

Prior to his confirmation to the Department of Defense, Patrick Shanahan was an executive at Boeing, known as Mr. Fix-it for solving problems in the companys missile defense and commercial aviation departments. He was appointed to the deputy position  considered to be the bureaucratic head of the military-industrial complex  to help realize Trumps dream of expanding the military.
BECOMING Michelle Obama Crown Publishing Group 426 pages $32.50 Back in the ancestral homeland of Michelle Obama, the architects of Jim Crow took great pains to set down the boundaries and define the roles of anyone living in the pre-modern South. Signs directed people to where they could sit, stand, get a sip of water. They reinforced the social order of an American hierarchy  how people were seen, what they were called, what they had been before the Republic was founded and what was presumed they could never be. It was with the weight of this history in ...
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The country's largest carmaker (MSI) is seeking a land parcel of around 700 acres in Haryana for shifting its Gurgaon plant, a top company official said.

The company considers Haryana as its "mother state" and will scout for another location in the state only, considering the presence of its supplier base.

"Already, Manesar plant is spread across 700 acres so we are looking at a similar kind of land (for shifting Gurgaon plant)," MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa told PTI.

The company has not set any timeline for shifting the plant and the focus right now is to locate a good land parcel, he added.

When asked if the company is looking to establish the new plant in Haryana itself, Ayukawa said: "First we have to discuss with the Haryana (government) people ...because Haryana is our mother state...first we have to focus in that area ... besides, we also have a lot of suppliers here (Haryana) ... we have to manage that also."



He added that so far the company has received a positive response from the Haryana government over the issue.

When asked to comment on the planned investment in the new plant, Ayukawa said it would depend on the production capacity which is yet to be decided.

MSI has been looking to shift its plant from Gurgaon due to congestion and traffic hassles. With the rapid development in Gurgaon, the company now finds its plant in the middle of a bustling city which has made it difficult for trucks carrying raw materials and finished products move in and out of the plant.

It is at Gurgaon plant where the company began its India journey in 1983 by rolling out its first model -- the iconic Maruti 800.

At present, the plant rolls out many of the company's popular models, including Alto and WagonR, with an estimated annual capacity of around 700,000 units.

Besides Gurgaon, MSI has another manufacturing unit in Haryana at Manesar. Both Gurgaon and Manesar plants have a production capacity of 1.5 million units per annum.

Its parent Suzuki Motor Corp has also set up a facility in Gujarat. The first line with a capacity of 250,000 units is in full production and the second one will be commissioned early next year.

Work has also started on the third line and the expected commissioning is early 2020. MSI is targeting annual production of 3 million units by 2025.
A day after 22 accused in gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case were acquitted by a Special CBI court, president Rahul Saturday said "no one killed him" and he "just died".

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."



He also highlighted the deaths of others like Haren Pandya, Kauser Bi and Justice Loya, saying "they just died".

"NO ONE KILLED... Haren Pandya. Tulsiram Prajapati. Prakash Thombre. Shrikant Khandalkar. Kauser Bi. Sohrabuddin Shiekh. THEY JUST DIED, said on Twitter.

As the chief sought to question the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case judgement, he was trolled by many on the Twitter.

While Gandhi's tweet received over 20,000 likes, he was also trolled by a few thousand, who took a dig at him highlighting the killings of Sikhs in Delhi in the 1984 anti-sikh riots and Kashmiri pundits, saying "no one killed them" and "they just died".

The trolls also made a mention of the death of some leaders in the past, besides farmers and Tamils, among others.
Car buyers will have to pay higher one-time parking charges in 2019 as the Delhi Transport Department has approved a recommendation for a hike by three municipal corporations of the city.

According to the order, the charges will now range between Rs 6,000 to 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 the 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 sometime and was cleared by the transport commissioner on her last day in office, an official said.

The order angered bus and taxi operators as the annual parking fee for different categories of commercial vehicles will 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 -- 18 times the existing rate of Rs 4,000.

The process of charging the money during vehicle registration is prescribed through a notification of Union Urban Affairs Ministry not by the transport department, Joshi, who has taken charge as North Delhi Municipal Corporation's commissioner, told PTI.

The transport department only acts like the post office in the process, she said.

The parking charges mechanism will be replaced by spot parking fees after new parking regulations are notified by the Delhi government, she said.

"Till then this mechanism will be applicable. So we followed an urban affairs ministry notification and issued these orders," she added.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, however, denied having any information about the hike.

"I am not aware of any such decision," he told PTI.

Displeased by the government order, transporters in the city threatened to stage a protest against the hike.

"We will meet the chief minister and the transport minister on Monday against the hike because it will impact us negatively. If need be, we will resort to a strike also," said Shyam Lal Gola, spokesperson of State Transport Authority Operators Ekta Manch.

It's a very bad move that will pose hardships for all, including the commuters, president of Delhi Tourist Taxi Transport Association Sanjay Samrat said.

"We will protest against the Delhi government," he said.

He added that they will meet the Lt Governor to appeal for a rollback of the hike.

The hike, which will boost finances of the civic bodies, may hit the transport department as it is likely that the sale of vehicles may shift to the neighbouring states because there will be a huge variation of rates in Delhi and other parts of the country, an official claimed.
For all the concern over Chinas targeting of foreign intellectual property, how much forced transfer of leading-edge technology has really happened? By the looks of the Chinese auto industry, hardly any. If there has been, then Beijing has precious little to show for it in a market of 25 million cars a year.

Take the case of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. The Hong Kong-listed company has lost 53 per cent of its value since news broke earlier this year that BMW AG was taking a majority stake in their joint venture. The German luxury carmaker was the first ...
French authorities have handed preliminary terrorism charges to a long-fugitive extremist suspected of helping organize the deadly 2015 attack on satirical weekly

The prosecutor's office said Peter Cherif was expelled to after his recent arrest in Djibouti, and was immediately taken into custody and charged upon his arrival Sunday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.

He is accused of criminal association with a terrorist enterprise. France's defense minister says he played an "important role in organizing" the attack.

Cherif, also known as Abu Hamza, was a close friend of the two brothers who killed 11 people at Charlie Hebdo's offices and a policeman nearby in Cherif had traveled to and in the early 2000s, and had been on the run from French authorities since 2011.
A Japanese court on Sunday extended for 10 days the detention of ousted Nissan Motor Co chairman Carlos Ghosn, who is facing new allegations of making the carmaker shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses. The extension announced by the Tokyo District Court means Ghosn will remain in Tokyo's main detention centre, where he has been confined since his arrest last month on initial allegations of financial misconduct. Ghosn was re-arrested on Friday based on suspicions that around October 2008 he shifted personal trades to Nissan to make it responsible for 1.85 ...
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
James Mattis, as defence secretary, was one of three retired generals in the Trump administration whose hope was to contain an ill-informed, temperamental, and unpredictable president. Now theyre all gone: national security adviser HR McMaster, pushed out early this year; White House chief of staff John Kelly, giving up at the end of December; and now Mattis, who resigned after losing hope that Trump can be restrained from impulsive actions, defying his advisers, ...

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At least, three persons were killed and eight others sustained injuries after an under-construction building near Azad Maidan in Mumbai's Goregaon collapsed on Sunday.

The incident took place in the morning when three-storey Mhada Chawl located in Motilal Nagar suddenly came crashing down. One of the deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Ramu. He was rushed to a local hospital where the doctor declared him brought dead.

A team of Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached the spot, and the rescue operation has been launched. The injured have been admitted Siddharth Hospital for treatment. The condition of those injured is said to be stable.

The reason for the collapse of the building is yet to be ascertained.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at the Congress party over the Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, accusing them of harbouring infiltrators, and not caring for the citizens who died in suicide explosions by them.

Addressing the party workers at 'Booth Sammelan' here, Shah said: "In Assam alone, 40 lakh infiltrators were identified. Soon Rahul Gandhi and his company started making a ruckus in the Parliament. Why are you so worried about them? You worry about infiltrators but not about our citizens who die in bomb blasts triggered by the infiltrators."

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the BJP president alleged that the party secretly supported the perpetrators of the massacre.

"The Congress has always harboured the perpetrators of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. And today it has been proved that the massacre was committed by the leaders of the party. The Congress should give a reply that why the perpetrators have not been punished now," said Shah.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Shah asserted that the 'scam-ridden' party is raising questions over the style of governance by the BJP.

Urging voters to shun Congress in the high-stake Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Shah said the "polls were the final choice for the people to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi win again and retain power, which will also mark the final farewell to the of dynasty, racism and appeasement."

He reiterated that the BJP would return to power with a massive majority in the next year's elections and would continue to serve the masses.

Criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its free Wi-Fi project, Shah said the people of Delhi were feeling cheated.

"Even today, the youths of Delhi are roaming around with their mobile phones in search of free Wi-Fi, but connectivity is not available anywhere. They had promised to give free Wi-Fi. The youths are now feeling cheated. AAP's true colour has been exposed," he said.

Commenting on the poor security situation in the capital, Shah took a dig at the AAP government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the party leaders who call themselves as 'common people' are roaming around with advanced security apparatus.

"Today, the people of Delhi are feeling scared to go out anywhere. But, the people, who call themselves as common people, are roaming around the streets freely with Z+ security," said Shah.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a big development, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harrassment case.

"The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 AM today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," sources told ANI here.

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," they said.

As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence.

Adv Anand Kumar, representing the Maj Gen in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the "(GCM) court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and decision has been passed in a haste."

The Maj Gen was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under Army's Western Command for the disciplinary proceedings.

Sources said the officer has denied the charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer.

In a plea filed before the before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of Army Chief in that year.

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned.

The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him the documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter.

The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years.

In 2007, a Maj Gen had to quit Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bollywood actor Ashutosh Rana and film director Madhur Bhandarkar backed Naseeruddin Shah's recent comment on Bulandshahr violence.

Speaking on the ongoing controversy surrounding Shah's comment, Rana stated that everyone has a right to share their thoughts.

"Everyone should have a right to share their thoughts with their friends or other people without any fear. We should be wary of reacting, acting or doing a trial on any such comment. If any of our brother or friend is saying something, we should not only listen to them but must also ponder over it," Rana said while interacting with media.

"Independence stands for simplicity and gentleness and that is what our culture is," the actor further added.

Meanwhile, Madhur Bhandarkar also expressed his support for Shah saying that everyone has their own point of view. "Everyone has the right to speak. We live in a democratic country. I don't think there is any fear. Everyone is equal in India and this is his point of view, this is the special thing about our country that everyone can express their opinions. I don' think there is any problem or intolerance," he added.

Naseeruddin Shah has been facing flak for his recent comment over the Bulandshahr violence incident in which two people including a police official were killed over rumour of cow slaughter.

"At many places, the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman. 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 said in a video surfaced on the social media earlier this week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday announced that his party would contest on 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while an equal number of seats will go to the Janata Dal-United. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan led Lok Jantantrik Party (LJP) will contest on six seats.

Talking to media persons, Shah said that the alliance would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that there was no difference of any kind within the NDA in Bihar.

The BJP president further said seat allocation would be decided in the coming days.

Growing discontentment among the NDA allies in Bihar came out in the open when LJP's Chirag Paswan told the media that the BJP had digressed to 'non-issues' like the Ram temple and had demanded urgent steps to return to the 'real issue' of development.

Chirag had also expressed unhappiness over the sharing of seats in the state.

Meanwhile, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, after pulling out of the NDA on December 10 over the issue of seat allocation for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, joined the UPA on December 20 to be a part of the grand alliance.

JD-U had contested the last Assembly elections in alliance with the RJD against the BJP and even formed the government, but later defected to the NDA and formed the government with the BJP's support in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ottawa has called for the immediate release of the Canadian nationals who have been detained by China.

Issuing a statement, Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland asked China to free the detained Canadians, noting that such a move by Beijing would comply with the rule of law, which as she stated is "not a choice".

"We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release", Freeland stated.

Terming China's move as "arbitrary detention" of the Canadians, Freeland appreciated everyone who spoke openly in support of the rule of law as fundamental to free societies.

Freeland further said, "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. Canada is a country governed by the rule of law. Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's Chief Financial Officer."

The US had also called for the immediate release of the Canadians detained in Beijing.

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.

Meng Wanzhou is currently out on bail after five people pledged to secure a bail amount of USD 2.2 million on December 11. Furthermore, Meng's husband, Liu Xiaozong has pledged a further USD 7 million in cash, according to the South China Morning Post. She is awaiting extradition proceedings in Canada as she is wanted for fraud by the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Tokyo court on Sunday extended the detention of former chairman of Nissan Motors Carlos Ghosn for another 10 days till January 1, 2019, on charges of financial misconduct in the Japanese automobile manufacturing company.

The Tokyo District Court approved a request from the prosecutors to detain Ghosn for another 10 days, effectively dashing his hopes of being out of jail for Christmas. Prosecutors could move the court again to extend his detention for another 10 days, NHK reported.

Ghosn, who has been jailed since November 19, was re-arrested on Friday after new allegations surfaced on aggravated breach of trust, where the 64-year-old Brazilian-French businessman made Nissan shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses.

On Thursday, Ghosn secured a minor legal victory when a Tokyo court had turned down a request from the prosecutors to extend his detention on allegations of under-reporting his income, raising hope of securing a bail before Christmas. However, he was again re-arrested by the police on the very next day, CNN reported.

Ghosn is chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the automotive collaboration of France's Groupe Renault, Japan's Nissan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Renault. Ghosn was fired as the chairman of both Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors following his arrest in November.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Zealand and Adelaide Strikers' all-rounder Sophie Devine on Sunday became the leading wicket-taker in the T20 format.

After scoring a brilliant 95 off 60 balls, which featured eight fours and five sixes, Devine claimed a five-wicket haul for Strikers in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), thus piping Australia and Sydney Sixers' Ellyse Perry's tally of 180 T20 wickets as the all-time leading female wicket-taker with a record of 181 wickets in the shortest format.

The 29-year-old's half-century coupled with her five-for was also the first such instance in the league. Her effort powered Strikers to a 19-run victory over Melbourne Stars.

With the win, Strikers are now placed at the sixth spot on the points table.

Adelaide Strikers will next meet Sydney Sixers on December 26, while Melbourne Stars will clash against Melbourne Renegades on December 29.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the latter's residence on Sunday and asserted that there is a dire need for the unification of regional parties to replace Congress and BJP.

"Country needs a change for which dialogue has begun, we're doing our part but nothing concrete has emerged. We've just begun the dialogue; we will meet again to discuss how to take things forward. We need to talk to more people across the nation. There's a dire need for the unification of regional parties as there's a strong need for an alternative to Congress and BJP," Rao told the media here.

Meanwhile, Patnaik after the meeting stated the both the leaders discussed several issues including friendship of like-minded parties. When asked about the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said, "We have not thought that far. He came to Odisha to offer prayers to Lord Jagannath for his tremendous victory."

On December 24, the Telangana Chief Minister will proceed to Kolkata and meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The next day he will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

Rao is also scheduled to meet BSP president Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The voting will take place 'as planned' in the Ebola-hit northeastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo on December 30, election officials have said.

"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," Jean-Pierre Kalamba, spokesman of the 'Commission Electorale Nationale Independante' or CENI told Al Jazeera.

DR Congo is facing its worst-ever Ebola crisis that started in May 2018 and has killed over 320 people ever since. More than 500 people have been confirmed as suffering from Ebola in the northern provinces of Kivu and Ituri.

Officials tried to alleviate fears regarding the spread of the virus through voting by saying that the people have been 'sensitised'.

"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," Kambale Kaputo, a civil servant in Beni said.

Voters like Christian Batenahe, a teacher in Beni, have voiced their support for the voting and said, "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."

This is the world's second deadliest Ebola outbreak since the virus killed 11,000 people in West Africa in 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he "deeply" regretted the United States decision to withdraw forces from Syria.

"As for the question concerning our US allies, I deeply regret the [US] decision on Syria," Macron said at the joint press conference with his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby.

The president stressed that being allies meant to "fight shoulder to shoulder."

"An ally must be reliable and act in coordination with other allies," he added.

On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that the United States began the pullout of its forces from Syria. She noted that the troops' withdrawal did not mean the end of the US-led international coalition's fight against the Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) terrorist group. The statement followed President Donald Trump's remark about the IS defeat in Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Haryana court has pronounced death sentence to a 22-year-old man in connection with rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Haryana's Rewari district.

Superintendent of Police, Rewari, Rahul Sharma told ANI, "Sessions court on Friday awarded capital punishment to the man convicted for rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl. The incident had occurred earlier this year when the girl was alone at her house in Rewari."

Additional Sessions Judge Naresh Kumar, terming the incident as rarest of the rare, awarded death penalty to Sunny.

The incident occurred in June this year when the victim was alone at her home as her parents had gone to the hospital for the treatment of her younger brother. The convict, who lived nearby first watched porn and then raped the minor.

When the victim resisted, Sunny choked her to death and hid her body in a cupboard. He later posed as a well-wisher of the family and tried to divert the police investigation.

However, when the police interrogated him, he committed his crime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday gave a piece of strong-worded advise to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan over former's recent comments on minority rights in India.

Owaisi asked Khan to borrow some leaves of wisdom from India, specifically about "inclusive politics and minority rights".

Taking to Twitter, Owaisi stated, "According to the Pakistani Constitution, only a Muslim is qualified to be President. India has seen multiple Presidents from oppressed communities. It's high time Khan Sahab learns something from us about inclusive politics and minority rights."

Khan on Saturday has said that giving equal rights to the religious minorities is cornerstone of the vision of Pakistan's founding father and that the country will show the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi how to treat these groups, the Express Tribune reported.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that he gave Defence Secretary James Mattis a "second chance" after the retired Marine general was "ingloriously fired" from military leadership by former president Barack Obama.

Mattis served as the head of the US Central Command between 2010 and 2013. However, he was fired by Obama in 2013 due to his increasingly hawkish stance toward Iran.

"When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn't, I thought I should," Trump wrote on his Twitter handle.

Furthermore, the US President asserted that Mattis was better equipped with all the resources following his appointment as the Defence Secretary in January last year.

"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 US," Trump tweeted.

Earlier this week, Mattis announced his resignation as the Defence Secretary and said he would step down from the post on February 28, 2019, after failing to persuade Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw the remaining American troops from Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India is the most tolerant country in the world. "You will not find the kind of tolerance anywhere in the world which we have in our country. India is the most tolerant country," he added.

Talking to media persons, Singh said, "It is in India where the people of all religions stay together peacefully. There is no question of intolerance in India. People irrespective of their religion contribute to the development of India and will continue to do so."

Singh's remark comes in the wake of actor Naseeruddin Shah's recent statement on Bulandshahr violence, where he had spoken about the sense of insecurity. However, Shah had later clarified that his remarks were that of a worried Indian and he has done no wrong in doing so.

He had told the media, "I have made the statement as a worried Indian and I have previously also done so. I don't know for what reason I am being branded as a traitor."

Recently, a video surfaced on the social media where Shah could be heard saying, "At many places, the death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman."

"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," he was heard saying so in the video.

On December 3, a police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a civilian identified as Sumit were killed after violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr over the rumour of cow slaughter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 20 people were killed after Tsunami hit the beaches around Sunda Strait in Indonesia on Saturday night.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency as stating that as many as 165 people have been injured in the calamity.

It is speculated that the tsunami was caused by an activity around a volcanic island in the strait, Krakatoa, which is 156km west of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in the which claimed more than 36,000 lives.

In September, the Indonesian island of Sulawesi was struck by two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 6.1 on the Richter scale, and a tsunami causing multitudinous loss of human lives and widespread displacement.

As many as 1,944 people were reported dead following the disaster.

The archipelago nation of Indonesia is situated in the Ring of Fire, an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel has reaffirmed its plan to keep Iran at bay in Syria, mentioning that if need be, the nation will "expand" its operations there.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US troops from Syria will not change our consistent policy. We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish military bases in Syria, and if necessary we will even expand our operations there," Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted on Sunday in Hebrew.

"I wish to reassure the concerned-our cooperation with the United States continues in full force and is carried out in many areas: operational, intelligence and many other security fields," he further mentioned.

The Israeli Prime Minister's tweets come in the wake of the United States' decision to pull troops out of Syria, as US President Donald Trump tweeted that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has been defeated by the US and its allies in Syria.

Speculations are strife that the US exit from the region will increase the influence of Iran and Russia in Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As Japan's Emperor Akihito celebrated his 85th birthday on Sunday, he gave a final, yet emotional and heart-touching, statement before stepping down from the throne in April next year.

Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30, 2019, becoming the first Japanese monarch to do so in around 200 years. After Emperor Akihito steps down, his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will take over from May 1, 2019, CNN reported.

Delivering a statement at the Imperial Palace here, which divulged from the timeline of his reign when Emperor Akihito succeeded the throne in 1989 following the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito to natural disasters, the monarch said: "I have believed it is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in War II and that the peace and prosperity of post-war 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. It gives me deep comfort that the Heisei Era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan."

Emperor Akihito noted that Japan looked forward to changes in its homogenous population as it becomes ready to welcome foreigners to the Asian country. "I hope that the Japanese people will be able to warmly welcome as members of our society those who come to Japan to work here," he said.

Commenting on the natural disasters he faced during his reign, the Emperor said that "the catastrophic destruction caused by the force of nature was beyond his imagination," adding that the calamities during his nearly 30-year-old reign have left an "indelible impression on his mind."

"I have been heartened to see that, in the face of such difficulties, the spirit of volunteering and other forms of cooperation is growing among the people and that the awareness of disaster preparedness and the capacity to respond to disasters are increasing. I am always touched by the sight of people coping in an orderly manner when disasters strike," Emperor Akihito underlined.

Thanking his wife, Empress Michiko, who was once a commoner, for taking up the public role, and with whom he married in 1959, Emperor Akihito said that he was happy to serve the people of Japan during his reign.

"As I come to the end of my journey as Emperor, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the many people who accepted and continued to support me as the symbol of the state. I am also truly grateful to the Empress, who herself was once one of the people, but who chose to walk this path with me, and over sixty long years continued to serve with great devotion both the imperial family and the people of Japan, "Emperor Akihito further said.

In August 2016, Emperor Akihito delivered a rare televised address, where he had stated that his age and health could make it "difficult" for him to continue his reign.

Following this, the Japanese government announced that the Emperor would abdicate the throne and would be succeeded by Prince Naruhito. The country's Parliament had also signed a historic bill into law allowing the monarch to constitutionally step down from his post.

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American reality star Khloe Kardashian has always been defending herself from haters on social media, and Khloe had to it again!

On Friday, the 35-year-old star posted a black and white picture with her mother Kris Jenner when an Instagram user commented, "Would you keep IG if all photo editing apps were gone forever??" To this, she fired back, "Would you? Sometimes I wonder why people comment if it adds no value to one's life?"

She continues, "Maybe I'm just different...but I don't care to be negative or passive aggressive. Our world is toxic enough as it is. It is sad people care to criticize something like an editing app," said the reality star.

Later, another user Implying Khloe that she heavily edited the photo, commented, "'Let it go, babe. Say something nice or just let it go. Don't add to the hatred in the world. How does this serve you, love?"

Constantly defending herself she said, "But babe, how are you saying I Photo shopped my face if you really don't [know],' asked the denim mogul," adding that 'Did you alter this photo? I just don't understand how people are positive about certain things. But also I don't see how that affects anybody else's day.'

This is not the first time that Khloe has reacted on receiving negative comments. Earlier, Khloe defended her sister Kim Kardashian when an Instagram user argued on Kim's daughter Chicago, who looked more like her surrogate mother.

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North Korean media on Sunday launched a scathing attack on South Korea over its participation in a United Nations' resolution condemning the reclusive country's human right abuses.

On December 17, the UN passed a resolution at the General Assembly, criticising the "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" by the North Korean government, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Terming South Korea's participation a "double-faced attitude", Uriminzokkiri, an external propaganda outlet of the North said: "The South Korean authorities expressed support for the US' anti-Pyongyang ploy to condemn the human rights situation."

"In front (of us), they (South Korea) talks of trust and harmony, while it follows the foreign forces' ploy behind our back," it added.

Maeari, another propaganda website, lashed out at the countries that participated in the resolution, giving a stern warning that the "followers of the US will pay dearly for their provocative and malign acts."

In response, South Korea's foreign ministry stated that it backed the resolution for making joint efforts with the international community for "substantive improvement" in the human rights of North Korean citizens.

The ministry added that these concerted efforts would further accelerate the ongoing thaw in ties with North Korea and would lead to the establishment of long-lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

The adoption of the resolution comes even as South Korea continues to reach out to North Korea in an effort to reset their frayed ties and improve cooperation in various projects and programmes.

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Warning that the government shutdown could last longer, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that all news reports concerning the US Government shutdown and Syria are fake.

He further stated that he is working hard and negotiating with Democrats on the need for Border Security, saying that it could be a long stay.

In a tweet, Trump said, "I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay."

A partial government shutdown is imminent as the United States House of Representatives and the 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).

Talking about Syria, Trump asserted that ISIS has been largely defeated and neighbouring countries including Turkey can take care of "whatever remains."

"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. We're coming home!" Trump tweeted.

Trump had earlier announced that US will be withdrawing army troops from Syria after declaring defeat of ISIS in the region.

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Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday asserted that his party would surely sweep the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

"People of Bihar very well know of our works. The propaganda of opposition parties is not going to cut any ice with the people. I don't speak uselessly and concentrate on my work. My main focus is to develop the state," he said.

Kumar's statement comes close on the heels of BJP president Amit Shah announcing that his party would contest on 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while an equal number of seats will go to the Janata Dal (United). Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan led-Lok Jantantrik Party (LJP) will contest on six seats.

Speaking to ANI, Paswan said that he was satisfied with the seat share. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will surely retain power at the Centre in 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well," he said.

Janata Dal (United) had contested the last Assembly elections in alliance with the RJD against the BJP and even formed the government, but later it joined the NDA and formed the government with the BJP's support in the state.

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The Pakistani troops on Sunday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Karmara area of Poonch district.

The intermittent firing has been going on since 01:30 am, with Pakistani forces targeting the forward positions and residential areas.

However, no casualty or injury has been reported so far.

On December 21, two Army personnel lost their lives during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keran sector of Kupwara.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the institution of a new award named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which would be given every year for "outstanding efforts" in the field of furthering integration.

The award was announced by Prime Minister Modi on Saturday while addressing the conference of DGPs/IGPs in Gujarat's Kevadia.

Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter to make public the announcement and wrote, "Yesterday, at the DGPs/IGPs Conference in Kevadia, announced an annual Sardar Patel Award for Integration. This award would be given for outstanding efforts to further integration."

Outlining the significance of this award, the Prime Minister added, "Sardar Patel devoted his life towards unifying India. The Sardar Patel Award for National Integration will be a fitting tribute to him and will inspire more people to work towards furthering India's unity and national integration."

Prime Minister Modi attended the two-day annual conference of Director Generals of Police (DGPs) and Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) in Kevadia organised on December 21-22, 2018.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega public rally on January 5 in Odisha's Baripada followed by another visit to Western Odisha on January 16.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha twice in January 2019, He will address a mega public rally on January 5 in Baripada followed by another visit to Western Odisha on January 16," Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Modi will also visit Odisha on Monday (tomorrow) and launch various scheme and projects worth over Rs. 15,000 crore.

Sharing details of the same, Pradhan said, "Schemes and projects worth over Rs. 15,000 crore will be launched by Prime Minister Modi on his visit to Odisha on Monday. He will be dedicating various projects to the nation. Prime Minister Modi will also release the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of Paika Rebellion and would address a large public rally. The people of the state are anxiously waiting for his arrival."

Speaking further on the 120+ seat target set by BJP president Amit Shah for the upcoming state Assembly elections, Pradhan said, "The goal that has been set by BJP president for the elections, and the party workers working in this direction will further get a boost, with the visit of Prime Minister Modi."

He also attacked the ruling Odisha government on the farmer issue asserting, "The state government has ignored the needs of the farmers. The irrigation facility in the state is close to negligible for the last 19 years. The cold storage facility has been the same since the last two decade. Odisha chief minister (Naveen Patnaik) is duping the farmers with false promises.

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Lokayukta Police on Sunday conducted raids at five places here in connection with a case of disproportionate assets.

Speaking to ANI, Superintendent of Police (SP), Lokayukta, Dilip Soni said, "A case regarding disproportionate assets was filed against RN Saxena, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO), Forest, Mhow. Some cash, property papers and bank accounts have been seized."

Soni said the further investigation in the matter is underway. He said along with his house, the investigation is going on at various hotels and places belonging to Saxena.

"During the raids at five places relating to Saxena and his family members, a huge amount of cash, jewellery, four wheelers, and various other luxury items have been recovered from his house," said Soni.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in 2019, claimed former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday.

Clearing the air over Rahul considering contesting from Bidar in Karnataka in 2019 General Elections, Siddaramaiah said: "Rahul Gandhi will again contest the Lok Sabha poll from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh."

Notably, Amethi is a constituency from where Rahul Gandhi's ancestors have been winning elections for the past over several decades.

Speaking to media, Siddaramaiah said: "There is no such proposal that Rahul will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Karnataka. He will contest only from Amethi seat."

The former Karnataka Chief Minister also said that the Congress was leaving nothing unturned to win the coming Lok Sabha polls. "Our party is ready, well prepared for the coming poll," he said.

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Union minister on Saturday lashed out at the party, saying no agency can snoop on citizens and that misinformation is being spread to hamper the country's image and security.

This comes amid reports of BJP-led Central government giving a free hand to 10 agencies to intercept information on computers.

The MoS, also sought an apology from the party in the connection and asserted that the latest Home ministry notification was an initiative to enable Internet service providers to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents.

Taking to his twitter handle Rijiju underlined that his government has implemented the rules framed by the in 2009.

"No agency can snoop on citizens. Rules framed by UPA Government in 2009 have been put by MHA in public domain to prevent misuse by unauthorised persons, agencies or service providers. And to enable ISPs to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents," he tweeted.

"Congress should apologise to the nation for terming Orwellian State. Not a single word is added or deleted but MHA has simply notified the rules which were made when P. Chidambaram was the Home Minister," he added.

ALSO READ: Govt's 'snooping' order sets off political storm, rocks Parliament

The issue came to fore after Leader of in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on the floor of the house alleged that "undeclared Emergency has taken final shape" and "all federal agencies have been let loose".
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Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) president Mukesh Sahni on Sunday joined Bihar's grand alliance in the presence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha.

Welcoming Sahni in the grand alliance fold, RJD leader Yadav said, "I would like to welcome Mukesh Sahni, son of Mallah, to our grand alliance, and I believe that he joining the grand alliance will strengthen it. The way the atmosphere of emergency has been created in the country and the public mandate has been insulted in Bihar, I am confident that in upcoming elections grand alliance will register a big win."

"We are all united for saving the constitution, for the betterment of Bihar and for the welfare of farmers and youth," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, RLSP chief Kushwaha, who recently joined the grand alliance took a dig at a seat-sharing arrangement between BJP, JD (U) and LJP and said, "With today's move LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan ji has confirmed his Rajya Sabha candidature because he realises that his party won't be winning any seats in the general elections. There has been equal seat sharing between BJP and JDU. People were expressing surprise over (Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief) Nitish Kumar getting so many seats but the person who can snatch anyone's plate can surely snatch seats."

"The 56-inch chest has bent down before Nitish ji. He, however, would have realised that Bihar people are not going to forgive him. Let's wait for the elections," he said in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in the day, BJP president Amit Shah had announced that his party would contest on 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while an equal number of seats will go to the JD(U). Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP will contest on six seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Speaking to ANI, Dr Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, Special Officer, Pamba, said, Protestors gathered at the base camp in Pamba to stop these 11 women trying to trek to the Sabarimala shrine. Because of security issues, they decided to return Tamil Nadu.

Furthermore, Pamba Special Officer (Law and Order) Shaji Sugunan said if more force was used against agitators, a law and order situation may have occurred.

However, one of the devotees had claimed that the state police were not providing them protection to trek to the hill shrine.

We are here since 3.30 am. Police have said that they will provide us with protection but now they are not providing us with protection to trek to the temple, said Selvi, one of the 11 women.

These women had a quest to become the first women falling in the age group of 10-50 years to offer their prayers to Lord Ayyappa after the Supreme Court lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women of the said age group.

The Sabarimala temple and surrounding areas witnessed a string of protests after the Supreme Court lifted the ban on entry of women inside the temple in September this year.

Till now, no woman of the previously-forbidden age group has been able to enter the temple due to widespread protests.

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The Hyderabad Police's new initiative-Women on Wheels-has caught a criminal in Gopalpuram police station area.

Two female cops-Anusha and Maheshwari-were on duty on Saturday when they received an alert about the movement of SK Kaleem, accused of being involved in criminal activity.

Srinivas Rao, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Gopalpuram division, told ANI: "Women Constables Anusha and Maheshwari, who were performing duty at Gopalpuram police station, received facial recognition alert."

"They were directed to apprehend the accused. They successfully apprehended him from Secunderabad railway station area. He has been identified as SK Kaleem," added Rao.

The unique 'Women on Wheels' initiative of Hyderabad Police has been introduced to mainstream the women police officers and provide them with the freedom to perform their duties shoulder to shoulder with their male co-workers.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second women-centric programme, which was introduced by the Hyderabad Police. A few months ago, the organisation introduced 'We Can' campaign under which the city police set up a number of mobile toilets for the woman cops on duty.

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The head of a United Nations mission tasked with monitoring a ceasefire in the Yemeni port city of Al Hodeidah arrived in Sanaa on Sunday to hold talks with the leaders of Houthi militia.

Anadolu reported that the UN representative, Patrick Cammaert, arrived in the Yemeni capital after attending a meeting with the representatives of Yemen's Saudi-backed government on Saturday.

On November 21, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by the British government, aiming to appoint a UN team to observe a ceasefire over the Houthi dominated port city of Al Hodeidah.

The Houthis had agreed to remove troops and cease fighting in the port city of Hodeidah on December 13, after consultations in Sweden between the rebels and the Yemeni government took place.

However, the Houthis have reportedly violated the ceasefire in Yemen 14 times since Friday (December 21).

UN-backed peace talks between the two warring sides (government and Houthi rebels) in Yemen took off in Sweden, earlier in December, to put an end to four years of civil war in the Arab country.

The armed conflict has brought more than 22 million people that accounts to over three-quarters of the entire Yemeni population, in dire need of humanitarian assistance or protection, of whom over eight million are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation, according to UN estimates.

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As many as 28,375 sarpanch candidates will try their luck in panchayat elections on December 30 for 13,276 panchayats in Punjab, a state Election Commission spokesman said on Sunday.

The spokesman said that 1,863 sarpanches (village headmen) have been elected unopposed after the end of the withdrawal process of nomination papers on Sunday.

As many as 22,203 panches have been elected unopposed while 104,027 candidates will contest for the remaining posts of panches (village council member).

Authorities in Punjab had received 210,494 nominations for panchayat elections in the state. Out of these 48,111 nominations papers were filed for the post of sarpanches and 162,383 nominations papers filed for the post of panches.

Voting for 13,276 panchayats will be held on December 30.

The spokesman said that 83,831 panches would be elected for 13,276 panchayats.

Out of these, 17,811 seats are for Scheduled Castes, 12,634 for Scheduled Caste Women, 22,690 for general category women, 4,381 for Backward Classes and 26,315 seats are for the general category.

There are total of over 1.27 crore registered voters in the state for these elections.The commission has established 17,268 polling booths and 86,340 personnel will be deputed on election duty.

The Congress has been in power in Punjab since March 2017.

The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal has accused the Congress government of getting nomination papers of its candidates rejected at a number of places.

--IANS

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A group of 11 Tamil women devotees who wanted to have Sabarimala darshan on Sunday were forced to leave after protests turned violent and police took two dozen protesters into custody.

The state unit of the BJP said what happened on Sunday was a CPI-M sponsored event and that the Kerala government should order a probe to find out who was behind the "conspiracy."

Led by Selvie, an activist belonging to the Maniti Women's group in Tamil Nadu, the women from the hitherto "banned" age group were forced to leave Pamba for Madurai after Ayyappa devotees chased them away from ascending the hill.

The women aged between 10-50 years had reached Pamba town at 5.30 a.m. and were seen squatting for hours till 11 a.m. demanding police protection to ascend the hill.

But traditional Ayyappa devotees also held fort and did not allow them to move forward.

Reaching the base town at dawn, the group was parked on one side of the pathway leading to the temple while the protesters chanted slogans on the other side, determined not to allow passage to the women to go up.

They kept sloganeering and menacingly approached the group threatening them to go away. It was then around 11.30 a.m. that Kerala Police was forced to take over 20 protesters into custody.

Immediately hundreds of the others protesters came rushing down the pathway forcing the police and the Tamil women to flee to safety.

The group was sheltered inside a police vehicle near Pamba as Superintendent of Police Karthikeyan explained the situation to Selvie's group.

"They have decided to return to Madurai and we will give them security for their return," Karthikeyan told the media.

Earlier, around 10 a.m., Selvie told the media that since the protests have increased, "if the police tell us that we are unable to go, then we will return."

"But we will come back later and also seek legal help. We came after the Kerala government had assured us entry to pray at the temple," Selvie said as the protests around her mounted.

Later, after Karthikeyan told the media about the Tamil women's decision to return to Madurai, Selvie said: "The police have asked us to return. So we are going back."

At daybreak, the group was adamant to pray and Selvie said: "We will not go back without praying at the temple. The police should ensure protection to us to pray."

They had faced the first hurdle when priests here refused to take part in the ritual that every Sabarimala pilgrim undergoes when they prepare the holy kit that is carried on the pilgrims' head.

The women then had to prepare their own holy kits.

Sabarimala has been witnessing protests ever since September.

Before Selvie's group, around two dozen other women have already tried and failed to go up the pathway leading to the temple even after the top court's verdict on September 28 allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.

"We will give our lives to protect the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple. Under no circumstances will these women be allowed to go up the hill," an angry devotee said on Sunday, as hundreds of others echoed the same.

The present two-month-long pilgrim season began on November 16. Compared to the previous ones, the number of pilgrims has dwindled drastically and temple revenues have also dipped.

State Minister for Devasoms (Temples) Kadakampally Surendran told the media that the final decision on Sabarimala rests with the Kerala High Court-appointed three-member committee.

A spokesman for the Pandalam Royal family, the custodians of the Sabarimala temple jewellery, P.S. Varma said: "Things have been quiet in the temple town. The entry of Tamil group has led to tempers going up."

"One can suspect that there has been some sort of a conspiracy with the arrival of this group of women. One wonders if these women are real devotees. What is even more baffling is this has happened when important rituals attached to the temple ahead of the Mandalam puja have started today," the spokesman said.

Activists belonging to the Sabarimala Karma Samithi were on a sit-in protest outside the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

State BJP president P.S.Sreedharan Pillai accused the office of Vijayan to have stage-managed today's unfortunate incidents.

"The office of Vijayan played a key role in bringing the Tamil group and it was done to destroy the Sabarimala temple, for which the police also played their role. We demand that the Kerala government ask the Centre to order a probe," said Pillai.

But dismissing these allegations, state CPI-M secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the media in the state capital that CPI-M has no interest in a woman entering the Sabarimala temple.

"The Kerala government is only abiding by the apex court verdict. I don't think anyone would doubt me if I say that we and our feeder organizations have thousands of women members. So if we were keen that a woman should pray at the temple, it can be easily accomplished, but we do not have any such intention," said Balakrishnan.

--IANS

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A day after eight Taliban militants were killed in a clash with security forces in Herat province, a commander of the Afghan National Civil Order Police was killed in an ambush by the militants in Kunduz province on Sunday, police said.

Commander Shah Tawoos was on his way from Takhar to Kunduz when he faced the ambush in Chartoot area, Takhar police chief Abdul Bashir Rashid said.

Two guards were also killed and four others were wounded in the attack, Khaama Press reported.

Taliban has not yet commented on the attack.

--IANS

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Guwahati, Dec 23 (IANS/Mongabay) The Himalayan region supports about 20 percent of the worlds population. But the ecologically fragile region, the storehouse of the third-highest amount of frozen water on earth, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Among the 12 states in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), Assam is found to be the most vulnerable to the changing climate, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DST) vulnerability assessment.

The study, "Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the Indian Himalayan Region Using a Common Framework", was done by the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology-Mandi in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, to help understand climate change vulnerabilities which could inform development of adaptation strategies and ecosystem management for the Himalayan region. The study was part of the Swiss-funded Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP).

The assessment is significant for India as a majority of its population is dependent on agriculture which requires water. The Himalayas are a source of many rivers which supply this water.

Bordering eight countries, the Himalayan mountain range is the tallest in the world. It covers an area of about 4.3 million square kilometres and nearly 1.5 billion people depend on it for water, food and energy. In India, the IHR spans across 12 states -- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and (hill districts of) West Bengal.

The vulnerability assessment was done on the basis of four major factors: Socio-economic, demographic status and health, the sensitivity of agricultural production, forest-dependent livelihoods and access to information services and infrastructure.

As per the assessment, the "vulnerability index is found to be the highest for Assam and Mizoram, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya and West Bengal, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand".

"Sikkim is the least vulnerable state," the assessment found.

The report, however, emphasised that "vulnerability is a relative measure, which means that this assessment does not portray Sikkim, Uttarakhand or Arunachal Pradesh as having a low vulnerability in an absolute sense".

"These states are least vulnerable relative to the other IHR states, and also have several inherent drivers of vulnerability that need to be addressed," the report said.

Measuring climate change vulnerability

The study explained that states with low per capita income, low area under irrigation, low area under forests per 1,000 households and high area under open forests will receive a high vulnerability score.

"For example, Assam has the least area under irrigation, least forest area available per 1,000 rural households and the second lowest per capita income among the other IHR states, and thus scores the highest vulnerability score," the report observed.

For Mizoram, the report said that "the state has a very high sensitivity of agriculture sector along with poor connectivity, access to information and infrastructure".

"The state has seven major drivers of vulnerability - highest yield variability, no area under crop insurance, largest area under open forests, and largest area under slope (more than 30 percent as compared to other states. It also has the second lowest percentage area under irrigation and the third lowest road density among the 12 states," the study said.

It identified factors such as "least road density, no area under crop insurance, low area under forests per 1,000 rural households, high percentage of marginal farmers, low percentage area under horticulture crops, low livestock to human ratio and low percentage of women in the overall workforce" as drivers of vulnerability for Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, stating that Himachal Pradesh is an interesting case, the report said that "this is one of the rare states that is neither the best nor the worst" in terms of factors considered for calculating the vulnerability.

"Relatively high vulnerability arising out of lack of irrigation has been compensated by the fact that the yield variability of food grains is much lower in the state, leading to not so high sensitivity of agricultural production. Similarly, while per household availability of forest land is relatively lower in the state, there is no predominance of open forest. While the first lowers the adaptive capacity, the second leads to lower sensitivity, cancelling each other in a way," the report noted.

The study was supported by the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP), which is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). IHCAP is a bilateral programme between the government of Switzerland and the Indian government to support the implementation of India's National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE).

The NMSHE is part of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and aims to better understand the linkages between climate change and the Himalayan ecosystem for improved management of the fragile ecosystem.

Himalayas vital to ecological security of India

In a message accompanying the report, India's minister Harsh Vardhan emphasised that "any impact in the Himalayas would mean an effect on the life of millions of people not only of India but also of entire subcontinent."

"The Himalayan ecosystem is vulnerable to the impacts and consequences of various climatic and non-climatic factors. These include changes on account of natural causes, climate change resulting from anthropogenic emissions and developmental pathways," Harsh Vardhan said.

The study highlighted that the Himalayan ecosystem is vital to the ecological security of the Indian landmass as it plays a crucial role in providing forest cover, feeding perennial rivers that are the source of drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower, conserving biodiversity, providing a rich base for high-value agriculture and spectacular landscapes for sustainable tourism.

But, as per the study, mountainous regions are one of the most fragile environments across the world and other preliminary studies reveal that the IHR will experience higher levels of climate change and its associated impacts.

(In arrangement with Mongabay.com, a source for environmental news reporting and analysis. The views expressed in the article are those of Mongabay.com. Feedback: gopi@mongabay.com)

--IANS

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Actress Hayley Atwell, who shot to stardom as Agent Peggy Carter in the "Captain America" franchise, is apparently shown in a nude "selfie" shot on an X-rated website that features leaked celebrity images.

The person who posted it has threatened to release more compromising photographs in the near future, reports thesun.co.uk.

They wrote: "Busty British actress Hayley Atwell appears to have just had the nude photo above leaked to the web as part of a preview for the upcoming leaking of her full set."

--IANS

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A serving Major General of the has been ordered to be dismissed by general court martial (GCM) on Sunday following allegations of of a young woman officer.

The GCM verdict came early on Sunday. The court was held in the jurisdiction of the Western Command.

The verdict of the GCM is subject to confirmation by the Chief of the Staff, sources said.

The senior officer, who has denied the charges levelled against him and has claimed that he has been made a victim of the Army's factional feud at the top level, has the right to appeal against the order.

The Major General was charged under Section 69 of the Army Act read with Section 354 (outraging modesty of a woman by criminal force or assault) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for conduct unbecoming of an officer.

The officer was posted in the North-East sector (Assam Rifles in Nagaland) with the Eastern Command when he was accused of sexual harassment, through a written complaint, by the Captain-rank woman officer of the Judge Advocate General branch of the Army.

The court proceedings against him started in June this year. He was attached to an Army formation in Ambala for disciplinary proceedings.

Sources said that lawyers of the Major General will appeal against the GCM verdict.
Manchester United has defeated hosts Cardiff City 5-1 in caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game in the English Premier League.

A Marcus Rashford free-kick got United off to the perfect start during the match on Saturday, before Ander Herrera's 30-yard deflected thunderbolt doubled the Reds lead, Xinhua news agency reported.

Victor Camarasa pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after Rashford handled the ball in the box, before Martial made it 3-1 before the interval.

Jesse Lingard added a fourth from the spot early in the second half, before scoring the fifth in the stoppage time.

Solskjaer, who succeeded Jose Mourinho on Wednesday, was sacked as Cardiff City manager in 2014 after a disappointing spell, which included a relegation from the Premier League.

--IANS

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Expressing alarm over air pollution in the national capital, experts and stakeholders on Sunday stressed stricter enforcement of environmental laws, stronger legal and institutional frameworks and technological capacity of pollution control boards to tackle grave challenges to public health.

Interacting at an event organised by the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy here, experts and senior government officials suggested a fuel substitution policy, quicker transition to BS VI norms, electric charging points across the country for vehicles, regulatory performance index and holding authorities accountable, spreading awareness, community kilns, green fund among other measures to counter air pollution.

Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev emphasized the need for joint efforts by the government and citizens as well as greater coordination among various agencies.

He suggested a two-pronged strategy that includes fixing accountability of field-level staff responsible for combating pollution along with convergence of efforts made by various stakeholders from policy-making to implementation level.

Bhure Lal, Chairman, Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, pointed to the socio-economic dimensions of pollution, saying"our pollution levels need to be reduced drastically, almost by 70 per cent to enable us to lead a clean and healthy life."

Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal, said the ill-effects of air pollution can reduce life span by ten years and recommended citizens' active participation along with government measures.

Delivering the key note address, Former National Green Tribunal Chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, said unauthorised colonies were a major challenge to sanitation and waste treatment.

"This adds to the overall crisis of environmental degradation. The government cannot act in isolation and needs people's support. Academia is the best source of bringing ideas and innovations for the betterment of society."Vice-Chancellor of the O.P. Jindal Global University, C. Raj Kumar said: "We need to highlight the major sources of environmental degradation and come up with effective solutions. We will be partnering with the government, providing intellectual support and come up with effective solutions that can reach the implementation stage".

--IANS

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The BCCI announced on Sunday that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has regained fitness and is now available for selection for the third Test against Australia which begins on December 26.

"Jadeja's left shoulder has continued to improve and he is now available for the 3rd Test match of the series in Melbourne," the BCCI said in a statement.

Jadeja had complained of left shoulder discomfort after prolonged bowling spells during the 2018, West Indies ODI series. He underwent a guided injection in Mumbai for this on November 2.

That enabled the left-arm spinner to represent Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy match from November 12-15. He was declared fit by the BCCI and selected for the Test series against Australia.

After Jadeja flew to Australia, he complained of a recurrence of his symptoms on November 30 during the match against the CA XI in Sydney.

He was given another injection into a slightly different site on that day. This injection along with his rehabilitation programme improved his condition.

"In the lead up to the Perth Test match on 14th December, the management and the all-rounder were of the opinion that the intensity of his bowling in the nets could have been higher, to match the standards required for such an intensely fought series. For this reason, he was not considered for selection for the 2nd Test match," the BCCI statement added.

--IANS

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The shooter, who killed five persons and injured 13 others in a Christmas market in France's Strasbourg city, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in a video, reports said.

The video was found on an USB key belonging to the 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, the BBC reported on Sunday.

Chekatt was shot dead, after a manhunt lasting two days, in the Neudorf-Meinau district of the city, two kilometres from where he shot passers-by and stabbed people on December 11.

After the attack, IS had claimed Chekatt was one of their "soldiers" but French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had cast doubt on that claim.

IS' self-styled news agency Amaq said Chekatt had "carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of coalition countries" fighting its militants in Syria and Iraq, the BBC reported.

Chekatt had a criminal record and was on the police watch list for radicalisation and potential security threat.

--IANS

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Calling the 'grand alliance' a club of "rich dynasties", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the efforts of the opposition parties were for personal survival and ambitions and the country would never accept such an incoherent coalition.

"Various political leaders today are talking about a grand alliance or the 'Mahagathbandhan'. Let me tell you that this alliance is for personal survival, not ideological support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance is for personal ambitions and not for people's aspirations," he said during his interaction with BJP workers from Chennai Central, Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruvallur through video conference.

Responding to a query, Modi spoke at length describing several instances where the Congress had insulted and deceived several key leaders from different political parties who are now talking about a 'grand alliance'.

"Several of these parties and their leaders claim to be inspired by Ram Manohar Lohia, who was deeply opposed to the Congress and its ideology and the way Congress did What sort of tribute they are paying to Lohia by forming an unholy and opportunist alliance with Congress.

"Lohia always said the Congress is a compromise party which had made compromises on many ideological issues and issues of national interest. He said the Congress was responsible for caste inequality in India. Lohia was pained that the Congress after 1947 was not the Congress of Mahatma Gandhi," Modi said, attacking the Congress by invoking the socialist leader.

The Prime Minister said the top leaders of several parties who are now aiming for a seat in the 'Mahagathbandhan' were arrested and tortured during the Emergency.

"Sadly, today these parties and the Congress have become oxygen for each other. But people know very well the real nature of these parties. Whenever they get power, be it in Uttar Pradesh or in Bihar, there is a complete breakdown of law and order. Corrupt and criminal elements are supreme when these parties govern," he said.

Recalling how the Congress had harassed Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav in disproportionate assets cases, he asked: "Have these parties done justice to the ideals of Lohia? The answer is a resounding no."

Hitting out at the opposition, Modi said the Congress and its ecosystem spared no one, including MGR (M.G. Ramachandran) and NTR (N.T. Ramarao).

"Even the great MGR, the stalwart who worked for the poor and the downtrodden, was targeted. In 1980, his elected government was dismissed. He had the support of the Assembly and the House of the People but the Congress had Raj Bhavan and the House of Governors. Fresh elections were held and MGR won. Indira Gandhi never forgave MGR for that," he said.

Recalling the Congress' stand on the Jain Commission, he said the Congress at that time had said that "either it is DMK or it is us", but today they want to be together.

"If not opportunism, what explains their alliance?" he said.

Modi said that even NTR faced the anger of the Congress and formed a party for the pride and respect of the Telugus after being humiliated by the Congress.

"Yet today the party of NTR wants to ally with Congress. How can the people of Andhra Pradesh accept this," he said in a direct reference to the Telugu Desam Party, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The Prime Minister also hit out at former Union Minister Sharad Pawar, saying that his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was formed in severe opposition to the Congress leadership but later it ruled Maharashtra for several years with the Congress.

"The truth is that these so called grand alliances are a club of rich dynasties, they are only to promote family rule. People can see through their opportunism and will never accept such an incoherent coalition," he said.

Responding to a question by a party worker, Modi asserted that elections are not won by leaders, they are won by the continuous efforts of the party workers who form the backbone of the BJP's political organisation.

"The more our karyakartas (party workers) are filled with respect and pride for our motherland, the more they are connected with the people, the more sensitive our karyakartas are towards the problems of the poor, the easier will be for us to emerge victorious," he said.

During the interaction, the Prime Minister also talked about several other issues such as the future growth of urban cities in India and the challenges and opportunities posed by them.

He listed how his government has taken rapid strides in fulfilling its vision of a new India through transformative schemes like Aayushman Bharat, Saubhagya Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

--IANS

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Leader of Manipur's insurgent group, the Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group), Oinam Ibochouba, was brought by air from Delhi to Imphal on Sunday, police sources said.

Security was tight at the Imphal International Airport and other areas from where the rebel leader would be taken to an Imphal police station.

Police sources said Ibochouba was arrested from Delhi by a combined team of the state and Delhi Police on August 28.

Ibochouba had allegedly posted some messages in the social media threatening to assassinate Manipur Chief minister N. Biren.

Officials said Ibochouba hails from Thanga islet in Bishnupur district. However, he was staying in a house at Ningthoukhong, also in Bishnupur. Police said soon after posting the death threat, he had fled fearing arrest.

Police said the accused will be interrogated in connection with some cases pending in Manipur.

--IANS

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An Iraqi government security body held a meeting on Sunday chaired by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, to discuss security issues including the withdrawal of US forces from the neighbouring Syria.

The National Security Council "confirmed that the government is carrying out its duties to protect the country and take precautions to prevent any possible consequences for the (US) decision," according to Abdul Mahdi's office statement, Xinhua reported.

Abdul Mahdi, who is also commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, asserted on "intensifying efforts by our heroic forces to prevent any terrorist attempt by Daesh (Islamic State group) gang," it added.

The Iraqi National Security Council, established in 2004, is a body in charge of coordinating Iraq's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy.

The meeting came a day after Abdul Mahdi held a phone call with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who explained the details of the scheduled pullout from Syria.

Pompeo also confirmed that the US is still committed to fighting the Islamic State (IS) and terrorism in Iraq and other areas, according to a statement issued Saturday by Abdul Mahdi's office.

The meeting also came days after US President Donald Trump declared a plan to withdraw all US troops from Syria, citing the full defeat of IS militants in the country.

These troops were part of a US-led coalition which has been fighting and conducting airstrikes against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria.

--IANS

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Actor has been officially dropped from the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" film series.

A producer said Depp will stop playing Captain Jack Sparrow after 14 years at the helm so the movies can have a reboot.

"We want to bring in a new and vitality," Disney's production chief Sean Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter.

"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."

has met with writing duo Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to pen the script for a reboot following their success with the "Deadpool" superhero franchise, reports thesun.co.uk.

Depp's last "Pirates of the Caribbean" was "Dead Men Tell No Tales" in 2017, which was the lowest performing of the five films.

In October, scriptwriter Stuart Beattie appeared to confirm the news of Johnny's exit on DailyMail TV and revealed they will be reworking the entire franchise.

Speaking about his exit, Beattie said: "I think he's had a great run. Obviously, he's made that character his own and it's become the character he's most famous for now.

"And kids all over the world love him as that character so I think it's been great for him, it's been great for us, so I'm just very, very happy about it."

He added: "I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It's the only character he's played five times, it's the character he dresses up in to visit children in hospitals, it's what he'll be remembered for.

"Before Jack Sparrow came along, (Depp) was considered this kind of quirky, independent actor that made these really cool little Tim Burton films but he was by no means a movie star and a lot of people thought we were crazy for casting him at the time.

"Because he wasn't a proven commodity; you know, a big movie star. And we were making a big movie and we were putting this quirky, independent actor in the middle of it and people thought we were crazy."
Sameer Verma continued with his impressive form as he upset Delhi Dashers star player HS Prannoy to lead Mumbai Rockets to a convincing win in their opening match of the Premier Badminton League at the NSCI Dome here on Sunday.

Shreyanshi Pardeshi then turned Delhi Dashers trump on its head by upsetting Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia 12-15, 15-8, 15-10 to give the hosts a 5-0 win.

It was a scintillating performance from the diminutive youngster against an opponent who is ranked 169 places above her in the world ranking.

In the opening game, Shreyanshi struggled to tackle the height advantage of her Russian opponent and was mostly chasing the shuttle in rallies. But after losing the opening game, the world number 201 changed tactics by hitting her tosses slightly higher and then going for quick crosscourt drops.

The stronger defence also helped Shreyanshi's cause as she virtually raced through the next two games to not just give her team a valuable point but also bring Delhi Dashers tally down to zero.

Earlier, with Mumbai already taking a 3-0 lead with Lee Yong Dae and Kim Gi Sung winning their trump match and Anders Antonsen excelling on debut, Verma knew that he could wrap up the tie with two rubbers still to play.

However, it was Prannoy who got off the block first as he opened up a 4-0 lead. Verma then concentrated on prolonging the rallies, something he thrives on, and managed to take the opening game 15-14. The second game then turned out to be a one-sided affair as he clinched the second game rather easily to win 15-14, 15-9 and give his team a 4-0 lead.

But such a strong start looked difficult when the hosts had a fright in their opening trump match when Yong Dae and Kim lost the opening game. As losing a trump can cost an additional point to the team, it was important for the Korean pair to turn things around and they did that in style to win the next two games and the match 14-15, 15-12, 15-9.

Antonsen was equally dominant against Indonesia's Sugiarto as he clinched a point for his team with a 15-13, 15-7 win.

--IANS

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North Korean media on Sunday slammed South Korea for its participation in the passing of an UN resolution condemning the Norths human rights abuses, Yonhap news agency reported.

The resolution was passed on December 17 at the UN General Assembly and condemned North Korea's "systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights".

Uriminzokkiri, the North's external propaganda website, said the "South Korean authorities expressed support for the US' anti-Pyongyang ploy to condemn the human rights situation," adding that Seoul showed a "double-faced attitude".

"In front (of us), (South Korea) talks of trust and harmony, while it follows the foreign forces' ploy behind our back," it said, according to Yonhap.

Another outlet, Maeari, warned that "followers of the US will pay dearly for their provocative, malign acts."

The North's rhetoric came from external media, rather than official channels.

The resolution came amid efforts by Seoul to build mutual trust and reduce military tensions.

--IANS

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In view of the widespread abuse of draconian provisions in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in certain "disturbed" areas, there is an acute need for "transitional justice" in India, argues a professor at the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Sonipat, Haryana.

"Whether transitional justice should happen alongside AFSPA or only once AFSPA is repealed/withdrawn is an ongoing debate, but definitely the need for transitional justice is acute in the country," Y.S.R. Murthy, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Studies, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), told IANS in an email interview.

In a transitional justice framework -- which complements criminal prosecutions through a series of non-judicial processes -- the focus, while being on victims, is also on healing and reconciliation.

Earlier in December, The Centre for Human Rights Studies and the Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems of JGLS organised a consultation on "Potential Transitional Justice Framework for Manipur".

At the centre of the discussion was an investigation into as many as 1,528 alleged cases of extra-judicial killings in the troubled northeastern state.

The Supreme Court in 2017 set up a Special Investigation Team comprising CBI officers and ordered registration of FIRs and investigation into the alleged extra-judicial killings in the state.

The court had ordered the registration of FIRs in 81 cases, including 32 probed by a Commission of Inquiry, 32 investigated by judicial authorities, 11 in which compensation was awarded and six probed by a Commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde.

The investigation followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed jointly by Imphal-based Extra Judicial Execution Victims' Families Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert.

"Several states of India have experienced prolonged conflicts. These areas end up fostering a culture of impunity due to, among other reasons, the application of laws such as AFSPA and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," said Murthy, who earlier served in the National Human Rights Commission of India in various capacities for over 12 years.

"The result is a deep mistrust between the State and its citizens, who fall between the cracks of the conflict and who often end up in a cross-fire between security forces and militants," he added.

Underlining the importance of transitional justice in India, the professor said that gross human rights violations, both by security forces and armed groups, create a situation where effective transition to lasting peace becomes difficult.

"Further, India has signed important international conventions against torture and enforced disappearances, but it has still not ratified them. This has huge ramifications for enjoyment of human rights in 'disturbed areas' such as Manipur and Kashmir," Murthy said.

Widespread dialogue done in good faith with active participation of the government is a critical prerequisite for bringing in any transitional justice framework into action.

"I believe that National Human Rights Commission India and other human rights institutions can be key to bringing such a framework into reality," he said, adding that few components of transitional justice were adopted by civil society organisations in the past, but the government has not yet adopted this mechanism.

To improve its record on human rights protection, India should also implement the constitutional guarantees and other laws and strengthen institutional machinery to protect human rights, Murthy added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital is all set to start surgeries using robotic technology in the Urology Department from January 2019 onwards, with the aim to increase the number of treatments in OTs.

"Currently we conduct two-three surgeries in a day. But with the introduction of robotic surgery, we will be able to finish four-five surgeries. This will help us reduce the burden of long pending cases," Anup Kumar, Doctor and Professor in the Urology Department, Safdarjung Hospital told IANS.

Currently, the hospital is using the '3D laparoscopy' technology for conducting urology surgeries.

While in a conventional procedure, surgeons have to make a cut to access internal organs, robotic surgery is performed making three small holes -- through one hole a camera is inserted for 3D vision and the other two holes help the surgeon operate using instruments held by robotic arms.

According to Anup Kumar, the robotic surgical procedure reduces the duration of the operation and the chances of risk of error as a surgeon only has to manoeuvre the robotic arms using a command centre with a 3D screen that looks like a computer.

He also claimed that Safdarjung Hospital is the only government-run hospital to conduct OTs with robotic surgery.

"The cost of establishment of robotic surgery procedures is very tough. There are private hospitals which conduct robotic surgeries and the cost is approximately Rs 4-5 lakh, while here at Safdarjung a patient below poverty line gets it done without any payment while those admitted in private wards will have to pay a subsidised amount," Anup Kumar said.

--IANS

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Walter Patricio "Guacho" Arizala Vernaza, one of the most notorious FARC leaders, has been eliminated in a joint military and police raid, Colombian President Ivan Duque has the

The President thanked the police and members of the military for their "heroic" efforts, the CNN reported.

"Colombia deserves to breathe more freedom every day. Today many communities in Colombia are going to sleep calm because one of the most horrendous criminals that has known our country has fallen," Duque said in Medellin on Friday.

Arizala Vernaza was a leader of a rogue offshoot of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

In June his group was blamed for the killings of two journalists from Ecuador's El Comercio newspaper -- Javier Ortega and Paul Rivas, and their driver, Efrain Segarra. The three were abducted in March.

--IANS

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BJP chief Amit Shah said on Sunday that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2019 will not be ordinary elections and called for dislodging what he said anti-national forces engaged in of appeasement on the lines of what the country witnessed in 1977 polls post-Emergency.

Addressing a booth-level workers' meeting here, he trained his guns on Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying no one can surpass them in lying.

"The forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections are not ordinary elections. Some elections have temporary impact and some elections change the times. Although many elections have been held in this country but the 1977 Lok Sabha elections are worth mentioning in which the people had dislodged the Congress Government.

"Similarly, we have to throw out the anti-national forces engaged in the of appeasement and make Narendra Modi again the Prime Minister," Shah said.

He accused the Congress of protecting those guilty in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and hit out at AAP, saying what happened in the Delhi Assembly over the adoption of a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was like "rubbing salt" in the victims' wounds.

"There are only three main political parties in Delhi. Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi have told so many lies that no other person can surpass them," he said.

Shah said a former Congress leader has been awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for 1984 Sikh massacre. This could happen because of the Special Investigation Team formed to ensure justice to the Sikhs.

"But I want to ask: why did the Congress protect the guilty person and why it did not take action at the right time?"

"On the other hand, you must have seen a drama in Delhi Assembly which is like rubbing salt in the wounds of Sikhs by Aam Aadmi Party. Today the AAP and Congress have been exposed," he said.

He also slammed Rahul Gandhi for accusing Modi government of corruption in the Rafale deal.

"Despite the Supreme Court's judgement on the Rafale deal, he is still lying and levelling allegations," he said.

He hit out at Congress accusing it of favouring anti-national forces and making hue and cry over Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"They stood with anti-national forces when surgical strike took place against Pakistan. They did so when the NRC was implemented in Assam. Are not they concerned about the lives of the people who may be killed by the bomb blasts of the infiltrators?" he said.

Shah said that Kejriwal and his Government has completely failed in fulfilling the promises made to the people.

"Every promise of Kejriwal has proved to be false. Be it for 500 schools, three hospitals in every Lok Sabha Constituency, deputing marshals for women in DTC buses, installing CCTV cameras or providing drinking water," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after the BJP-led NDA announced seat-sharing in Bihar on Sunday in Delhi, an emerging backward caste leader Mukesh Sahni, popularly known as 'son of mallah (fishermen and boatmen)' joined the 'grand alliance' of opposition parties to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mukesh Sahni, who is also president of newly formed Vikassheel Insaan Party, told media that the party has decided to join the 'grand alliance' under the leadership of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Bihar Opposition leader.

"We hope that Grand Alliance will win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in 2019 by defeating the NDA," Sahni said.

Tejashwi has welcomed Sahni in the grand alliance. In the last one week Sahni is second to join the grand alliance after RLSP chief and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha did so on December 20 after quitting the NDA.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, Sahni supported the NDA.

Mukesh Sahni, a 38-year-old former Bollywood set designer, tried his best to join NDA with a condition that he be given at least one Lok Sabha seat to contest, sources said.

--IANS

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In a shocking incident of honour killing in Telangana, parents allegedly murdered their 20-year-old daughter for marrying a youth from a different caste, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in Kalamadugu village of Mancherial district, about 250 km from here.

Police said P. Anuradha's parents with the help of some other relatives brutally killed her, burnt the body and threw the ashes in a stream.

The incident occurred on Saturday night but came to light on Sunday after police took up the investigation on a complaint by Anuradha's husband A. Laxman.

Laxman and Anuradha, both residents of Kalamadugu village, were in love. As Anuradha's family opposed the alliance, the couple fled to Hyderabad, where they married at Arya Samaj temple on December 3, police said.

After 20 days, the couple reached the village on Saturday. On learning about this, Anuradha's parents and other relatives attacked Laxman's house and forcibly took away Anuradha.

Police investigations revealed that the parents took her to a place near Mallapur village in Nirmal district and killed her. They allegedly burnt the body and dumped the ashes in a stream to remove the evidence.

Police have arrested Anuradha's father Sattenna and mother Laxmi, who were angry with their daughter for marrying a man from a lower caste.

In September, Pranay Kumar, a Dalit youth, was hacked to death in full public view in Nalgonda town. The killer was hired by Pranay's father-in-law Maruti Rao as her daughter Amrutha had married the youth against the family's wish.

--IANS

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Members of Europe's far right have called for a mass boycott of Toblerone, the legendary triangular Swiss chocolate with honey and almond nougat, after discovering the popular treat is halal-certified.

The federal spokesman of Germany's nationalist AfD party claimed it showed the "Islamisation" of Europe, the CNN reported.

"Islamisation does not take place -- neither in Germany nor in Europe," the AfD's Jorg Meuthen wrote sarcastically on social media. "It is therefore certainly pure coincidence that the depicted, known chocolate variety is now certified as 'HALAL'."

Halal is an Arabic word that denotes that a food or service is permissible according to Islamic law. It excludes foods containing pork or alcohol, and requires that animals are slaughtered by a Muslim by a cut to the throat, without being stunned.

Toblerone has not changed its recipe, but some online commentators have taken badly to the news that its factory in Bern, Switzerland, achieved a halal certification in April.

Meuthen's post prompted some of his followers to react with similar outrage, with several people throughout Europe tweeting that they would not be purchasing the product in the future.

"I will never, ever buy another toblerone!!! #Boycotttoblerone," one Twitter user wrote. "Too bad, I like to eat. But I don't like Muslim food," another said on Facebook

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump has forced Defence Secretary James Mattis to leave his post early, appointing an acting successor to take over in the new year.

Mattis, 68, strongly hinted at policy differences with Trump when he resigned last Friday. He offered to stay in the job until February but will now leave on January 1 after Trump reportedly balked at media coverage of his exit.

Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan, 56, will take over the role, the US President announced on Sunday. Trump has lauded his achievements and described him as "very talented", the BBC reported.

Shanahan, a former executive at the aerospace giant Boeing, joined the Pentagon in July 2017 after Trump nominated him.

He was reportedly a vocal supporter of the president's plan to establish a sixth branch of the armed forces, known as the "space force".

Originally from Washington state, Shanahan studied mechanical engineering and business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined Boeing as an engineer in 1986.

Trump had initially framed Mattis' departure as a "retirement" but his resignation letter -- full of implied criticism of the president's foreign policy - showed that was not the case.

On Sunday morning, the hammer came down in the from of a presidential tweet.

Mattis' replacement, Deputy Secretary Patrick Shanahan, spent most of his career working for Boeing. Having a former executive of a major defence contractor running the Pentagon, even on a temporary basis, is unusual, to say the least. It's a job usually held by politicians with military oversight experience.

Meanwhile, the President appears to be trying to douse the fire that started this personnel crisis. He also tweeted on Sunday that the US withdrawal from Syria -- abruptly announced last week -- would be "slow and highly coordinated".

Mattis resigned shortly after Trump announced his decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria.

While not mentioning it in his resignation letter directly, the general previously warned that it would be a "strategic blunder".

In his letter, he also said the president had the right to appoint someone "whose views are better aligned with yours". But shortly after announcing Mr Shanahan's appointment on Sunday, Trump moved to calm widespread concerns over the pullout which he initially said would be "rapid".

Trump said on Twitter that he had spoken with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey about "our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow and highly coordinated withdrawal of US troops from the area".

Erdogan's office said the two leaders had agreed to "ensure coordination between their countries' military, diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria".

--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.)
The UN top envoy in Somalia has condemned the twin bombings in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

According to officials, 15 people were killed on Saturday when suicide car bombs exploded near Somali National Theatre in the vicinity of the presidential palace.

Nicholas Haysom, UN secretary-general's special representative for Somalia, called on Somali authorities to spare no efforts in fighting the agents of violent extremism who bear responsibility for this heinous crime, Xinhua reported.

"The attacks in Mogadishu today signify another cowardly assault against the people of Somalia and their inherent right to live in peace and dignity," Haysom said on Saturday in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the explosions. Among the fatalities was a prominent Somali journalist with the London-based Universal Television.

"We extend our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, and we wish the wounded a full recovery from their injuries," said the UN envoy.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brett McGurk, the US envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State (IS), has resigned, according to media reports.

McGurk's resignation has been confirmed and would be effective from December 31, media reports cited a US State Department official as saying, Xinhua reported on Saturday.

Similar to US Defence Secretary James Mattis' resignation on Thursday, McGurk's departure was another sign of senior official's objection over the White House's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it has started returning US troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State, declining to provide more details on the exit timetable.

Earlier this month, McGurk said that it would be unwise to withdraw US troops from fighting against IS, "even as the end of the physical caliphate is clearly now coming into sight, the end of IS will be a much more long-term initiative".

The US has deployed troops to Syria fighting against the IS since 2015, and there are more than 2,000 US soldiers in Syria currently.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 20 people have been killed and 165 injured after a tsunami hit the coast around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, government officials say.

The country's disaster management agency says two people are missing, and dozens of buildings were damaged, BBC reported on Sunday.

It says the possible cause of the tsunami were undersea landslides after the Krakatoa volcano erupted.

The Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

The deaths were reported in the Pandeglang, South Lampung and Serang regions.

Officials warn that the death toll is likely to rise further. The disaster management agency said high seas as a result of the full moon may also have contributed to the strength of the wave.

Eyewitness Oystein Lund Andersen, who was on the beach at the time, told the BBC two waves had hit, with the second much bigger than the first.

Andersen, a Norwegian professional volcano photographer, said he had rushed to the hotel where his family were staying, and they later went to a higher ground in a forest.

He added that there had been heavy eruption sound prior to the tsunami.

Footage posted by the head of disaster agency showed the aftermath of the tsunami, with flooded streets and an overturned car.

He had earlier posted footage of water rushing in and local residents trying to flee in panic.

Emergency officials are now investigating whether the tsunami was caused by Anak Krakatoa, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait.

In September, more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu.

On December 26, 2004, a series of huge waves triggered by a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean killed about 228,000 people in 14 countries, including Indonesia.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the Ring of Fire -- the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.

The Anak Krakatoa (Child of Krakatoa) volcano has seen increased activity in recent months.

Indonesia's geologic agency said that the volcano erupted for two minutes and 12 seconds on Friday, creating an ash cloud that rose 400 metres (1,300 ft) above the mountain.

It recommended that no-one be allowed within two km of the crater.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a year of unabated vitriol against liberal writers, historians and public intellectuals, books emerged as the avenue of expressing dissent and chronicling the trials and tribulations of the time -- threats to free speech, religious polarisation and rewriting of history.

As subjugation of fundamental rights became increasingly evident, key personalities and intellectuals debunked the failure of the ruling regime's much-touted agendas in several "book bombshells" that were released during the year.

The attacks on the creative community amidst a climate of intolerance, that had led to the "awardwapsi" campaign in 2015, continued this year even as those behind the gruesome murder of firebrand journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in September 2017 were yet to be brought to justice.

Her former husband Chidanand Rajghatta penned a book in her memory: "Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason", highlighting the life of the veteran journalist. The running theme throughout its pages, however, remained about the void that had been created since she was slain.

Malayalam novelist S. Hareesh and Goa's award-winning writer, Damodar Mauzo were among those who faced the brunt of hindutva elements. Both of them were hounded and received multiple death threats in August, leading to a massive hue and cry by the writing fraternity.

Such threats were coupled with social media trolling, and discrediting of noted writers such as Romila Thapar, Keki Daruwalla, Ramachandra Guha, and Arundhati Roy, among several others. Criticising the ruling dispensation came with a cost -- branding of career writers and historians as anti-nationals and urban Naxals.

However, even in the face of severe vitriol that came their way, leading writers lived up to their ideals and practised what they preached by penning down valuable books that will be recorded in the pages of history as the chronicles of these times. They talked about the shrinking space for public debate, the undermining of vital institutions, the fall of moderates and the rise of radicals.

Also came books on socio-political scenario in contemporary India and the agrarian crisis that grips the hinterlands.

Young Gurmehar Kaur made a stunning debut with the appropriately titled "Small Acts of Freedom" in January. The 20-year-old daughter of a Kargil war martyr was never brought up to be silenced and her courageous, yet subtle, book marked the onset of a literary movement to speak out in the face of coercion.

At a time when demonisation of Mughal emperors has become fashionable with the renaming of roads, cities and railway stations, came several books that showed how much of the venom being spewed today relied on little historical evidence. Similarly, while the ruling dispensation relishes in criticising Jawaharlal Nehru, the writing community presented evidence and historical records to suggest otherwise.

While these soft titles aimed at enlightening readers, there was equal music from books that targeted the ruling dispensation, and in particular Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose silence on rampant attacks on the creative community has irked its practitioners.

"Devil's Advocate" by veteran journalist Karan Thapar, "The Sarkari Mussalman" by Lt. Gen Zameeruddin Shah (retd) and "Memory in the age of Amnesia" by filmmaker Saeed Mirza travelled down memory lane to underline episodes that tarnish Modi's reputation. Some other such books reflected on his psyche, his functioning and authoritative nature.

Gyan Prakash's "Emergency Chronicles" highlighted that in Modi's India, citizens were witness to an unprecedented combination of state power and populist mobilisation in the name of development and the nation.

At the same time, the Opposition too built up a literary edifice of sorts as several of its prominent leaders such as Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, and penned books highly critical of the Modi government, while former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was criticised for his silence during his two tenures, attended a record number of book launches, attacking Modi -- saying he may have been accused of keeping quiet, but he never shied away from talking to reporters, as Modi did since coming to power in 2014.

The Opposition leaders scrutinised Modi's actions and governance during the past four-and-a-half years, pointing out that the "Paradoxical Prime Minister" says something and but acts contrary to it. Numerous references were drawn from Modi's speeches to contend that there was a huge gap between the promise and the performance as well as the rhetoric and the reality.

And then came "Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy" in which former called the demonetisation a "massive draconian, monetary shock", removing all doubts of the failure on the much touted decision that had brought the nation to its knees two years ago.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha's soon-to-be-released "India Unmade: How Broke The Economy", is a devastating essay on Modi and his government and is dedicated to "all those who are not afraid to pursue the truth".

Apart from political coercion by the regime, a new, insidious method of legal recourse was found, to go against authors and publishers. A slew of books were taken to courts this year for the silliest of reasons but the sent a ray of hope to the writing fraternity in August.

While hearing a plea seeking to omit certain parts of Malayalam novel "Meesha" by S. Hareesh, the top-court said that the culture of banning books impacts the free flow of ideas and should not be taken recourse to unless they are hit by Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code that prohibits obscenity.

In another positive sign, the Sahitya Akademi seemed on the cusp of revival under the able leadership of its President Chandrashekhar Kambar, who, unlike his predecessor, was not only forthcoming in his support to writers but was also vociferous in his condemnation of coercion.
One thing that is clear about the Indian voter is that she has learnt to reject, and has very little to choose from. Most often, her vote is against someone than a positive vote for someone.

Even in the just-concluded assembly elections, the electorate was dissatisfied with the BJP rather than enamoured with the Congress. Even as we criticise the BJP, let us face that the problems are structural and every government across the board is facing them: A deep agrarian crisis, and pervasive joblessness in urban areas. No political party has a solution, or is even attempting to raise and ...
Rebuffing allegations that intolerance was rising in the country, Union Home Minister said Sunday no nation in the world was as tolerant as India.

Singh made the remarks two days after actor Naseeruddin Shah had expressed concern over "intolerance" in the country while referring to the killing of a policeman in a mob violence, triggered by alleged cow slaughter, in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

Singh, who was here to attend the 114th foundation day of King George's Medical University (KGMU), told reporters, "The tolerance that exists in India, I don't think can be found in any corner of the world."



"India is the only country in the world where people from various prominent religions co-exist peacefully... They have contributed in making India empowered, self-reliant and prosperous and will continue to do so," he added.

The veteran actor had Friday said that the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in the violence.



Asked about the cyber surveillance order, the home minister, who is also the Member of Parliamentfrom Lucknow said, "The ministry has already given its clarification in this regard. Since, Parliament is in session,I cannot speak anything outside... Whatever I have to say, I will say in Parliament."



Ten central agencies were on December 20 authorised by the Centre to intercept, monitor and decrypt all the data contained in any computer system.

The move set off a political storm with the opposition accusing the government of trying to create a"surveillance state".

The Centre, however, said the rules for intercepting and monitoring computer data were framed in 2009 whenthe Congress-led was in power and its new order only notified the designated authority which can carry out such action.

While addressing the foundation day programme at the university, said, as far as public health spending is concerned, the government has not been able to spend enough on the sector.

He said, "The spending of the government on the health sector is 1.16 per cent of the GDP, and itis our effort to take it to 2.5 per cent".

On the demand for AIIMS-like status for KGMU, Singh said, he held discussion in this regard with the healthminister, but some policy changes have to be brought in first.
Amid speculation that he may be denied a BJP ticket for Lok Sabha polls and join the RJD, actor-turned-politician has kept all sides guessing by saying that people should instead speculate whether he would contest on a BJP ticket or not.

Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP for two consecutive terms, said his remarks on various issues which have not been liked by some party leaders, were meant to "show the mirror" to the BJP and cannot be termed as "anti-party."

"Instead of guessing whether they (BJP leaders) will give me ticket or not speculation should be whether I will take the ticket or not," Sinha told PTI.

The actor-turned BJP leader met jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Saturday.

Though he said the meeting with Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences was personal, the timing of the meeting assumes significance.

Speculation is rife that Sinha, whose attack on his party has sharpened in recent times, may enter into fray from Patna Sahib from Prasad's party if he is denied a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls.

Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", has on several occasions made it clear that the "place (constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes."

He said loss of power in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is enough to show that the situation is not good in the NDA.

"Many people have left, some others are preparing to leave and others driving tough negotiations...all said and done the party's popularity and that of one leader and two-men Army have taken a beating," he said.

He was alluding to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha leaving NDA and LJP of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan bargaining hard with a "weakened" BJP.

ALSO READ: Lalu Yadav hails poll results; Shatrughan blames BJP's 'arrogance' for loss

The actor-politician, who served as a Cabinet minister in the NDA ministry of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and was a star campaigner for BJP for a long time before falling out with the current leadership after being ignored in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, has been critical of the party functioning, alleging all power is vested in one leader (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and two-men Army (Modi and BJP president Amit Shah).

Maintaining that the "writing is on the wall", the BJP leader said, "There is still some time and some hope left if party veterans like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie are brought at the front."

On his remarks on GST, demonetisation and the party functioning often putting the BJP in an embarrassing situation, Sinha said he had been manifesting peoples' voice and not asking for any personal favour for himself.

Besides meeting Prasad and praising his younger son Tejashwi Yadav as "Bihar's face" and "its future", the BJP leader has been frequently seen sharing dias with former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and at functions of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) much to the discomfort of partymen.
With just four days left for the culmination of the first phase of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage, a group of 11 women of menstruating age Sunday made an unsuccessful bid to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine as they were forced to return by protesting devotees.

Accompanied by police personnel, the members of Chennai-based women empowerment outfit 'Manithi' could barely move 100 metres through the traditional forest path towards the temple when hundreds of devotees rushed down to the valley to chase them away.

The women and the police had to virtually run from the scene to the safety of a nearby guardroom, abandoning the trekking plan.

Defying prohibitory orders, hundreds of devotees thronged the forest path here blocking the way of the women, who reached in the early hours from Chennai.

Police tried to remove the protesters by force as they were not ready to budge despite their repeated announcements to disperse leading to the arrest of some of the protesting devotees.

Before returning, Selvi, the co-coordinator of the outfit, told reporters here that the police had forced them to abandon their plan to visit the hill shrine and return.

However, rejecting the charge, the police said that the activists had came back on their own due to security issues, adding that two cases were registered against the protesters based on the complaint lodged by Manithi members.

Earlier, braving several protests on their way, the 11-member team, all belonging to the traditionally-barred age group, reached here by 3.30 am through the Idukki-Kambamedu route on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Of the 11, six carried the traditional irumudikettu which is mandatory to climb the 'pathinettam padi' (holy steps leading to sanctum sanctorum).

But, the women could not move forward and had to wait at the entry of the forest path for over six hours following 'namajapa' (chanting sacred hymns) protests staged by hundreds of devotees including children.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other right-wing activists too staged namajapa protests across the state including before the Cliff House, the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananrhapuram.

Kerala-based Dalit activist, Ammini, who announced to trek to Sabarimala Sunday, also returned after reaching Erumely, over 50 kilometers away from here.

The police's attempt to take Manithi members to the shrine also triggered a political row with the opposition Congress and the BJP lashing out at the ruling CPI-M led Left Democratic Front.

BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the left government was trying to turn the hill top shrine into a "war zone" and alleged that there were no devotees among the Manithi members who attempted to trek to the shrine.

He also sought a probe into the matter by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and announced that his party will observe a daylong protest in the state on Monday.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government was attempting to destroy the Ayyappa temple.

Joining the attack, the Pandalam royal family, attached to the Ayyappa temple, accused the left government of taking "activist women" to the hill shrine with police escort.

However, refuting the charges, senior minister, E P Jayarajan told reporters that "the government is committed to protect the belief of devotees. We want peace at Sabaraimala."



Meanwhile, heavy rush of devotees continued to pour in at the Sabarimala temple with the auspicious Mandalapuja being just four days away.

The first phase of the 41-day long annual pilgrim season at the Lord Ayyappa temple would culminate on December 27 with the puja.

Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the apex court verdict on September 28 permitting women of all age groups into the shrine.

Over a dozen women including a journalist and an activist of menstruating age had earlier tried to trek to the shrine, nestled in the Western Ghats forests, but could not make it due to protests by devotees and right-wing activists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An 18-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital here after allegedly being set on fire by her stalker for rejecting his romantic advances, succumbed to injuries on Sunday, officials said.

"The woman had suffered around 77 per cent burns and was brought to the hospital in a very critical condition. Most of the injuries were on her face and lungs. She died at around 10 am," doctors said.

According to sources, the deceased's mother suffered a heart attack after her daughter died and was admitted in the same hospital. The 31-year-accused in the case is a taxi driver. He attacked the woman, when she was returning from college on December 16 in Rishikesh, officials said.

The woman was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh on Monday with 70 to 80 per cent burns. She was flown to Delhi in an air ambulance on Wednesday and admitted to the burn ward at Safdarjung Hospital, officials said.

The man had been stalking her after she had rebuffed his advances, police said. "The accused poured petrol on the woman and set her ablaze. After hearing her cries for help, locals rushed to the spot and took her to the hospital," police said.

Angry students of the woman's university have demanded capital punishment for the accused who was arrested on the same day the crimewas committed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP Sunday decided to form a chain of whatsApp groups, linking party workers with its national leadership in a bid to strengthen communication channels between them ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In the first conclave of BJP's booth in-charges in Delhi, senior party leaders including party president Amit Shah gave 'mantra' of victory for 2019 and slammed Congress and ruling AAP in Delhi.

Addressing the booth level office bearers, BJP's national general secretary(organisation) Ram Lal said "a chain of whatsApp groups linking Panna Pramukh up to national level leaders will be set up by January next year."



'Panna Pramukh' are booth level BJP workers who are responsible for keeping in touch with voters named in one page (panna) of an electoral roll in a constituency.

Lal also advised booth workers to meet at least 10 families every week who do not support BJP and persuade them to vote for the party in 2019 polls.

"If you meet 10 such families, till the next Lok Sabha elections party will reach up to around 25 lakh such new families in Delhi," he said.

He also advised them to prepare list of "influential" people residing in the area of their booths and also hold hold gatherings to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

The booth incharges were also told to study causes of BJP's defeat in previous years and ensure contact will all the voters in their booth.

The party leaders also mounted attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Ram Lal asked them not to get influenced by "lies" of the AAP and the Congress and give a slogan "Congress Desh Lootati Hai, Rahul Jhooth Bolte Hain (Congress loots the country, Rahul lies)".

Union minister Vijay Goel said "slackness" cannot be afforded because the BJP is pitted against the AAP and Congress which are involved in "lies and treachery".

He attacked Kejriwal on air pollution problem in the city by quipping "earlier he used to cough, now the whole city coughs because AAP rules in Delhi."



Union minister Harsh Vardhan representing Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat said "Delhi people now know the reality of the AAP and Congress and will give them a befitting reply even if they form an alliance for 2019."He also accused Kejriwal government of denying benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme to Delhi people.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the party workers will retain all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the second term.

The party leaders also asked the workers to "expose" failures of Kejriwal government by holding discussions on its "vision document" and posting pictures like overcrowded buses, filth at Mohalla clinics, road potholes on social media platforms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of officials from FBI of the US and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police flew down to India in July and called on the chief of the police in Noida, adjoining the national capital, in a meeting coordinated by the Interpol.

The details of the closed-door meeting held at the police headquarters in Gautam Buddh Nagar never emerged in public domain until a spate of raids were reported in the months that followed, as a massive crackdown began on fake call centres, duping foreigners.

On December 21, the police arrested 126 people in its biggest action so far against a fake call centre operating from a quaint office in the city's Sector 63, a commercial hub, which has also seen similar illegal, fake call centres thriving.

The call centre solicited money up to USD 3,500 from US citizens by intimidating them with arrest by the FBI over "stolen" social security numbers, a unique nine-digit pin number given to American residents, the officials said.

Over a dozen actions were witnessed in October and November too, when fake call centres targeting foreigners, mostly American and Canadian citizens, solicited money to fix computers attacked by virus sent by them or by offering "tax benefits".

"Between July 20 and December 21 this year, 25 fake call centres have been busted after they were found running dubious operations," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Gautam Buddh Bagar, Ajay Pal Sharma told PTI.

"Close to 300 people have been arrested in the raids, over 400 computer systems seized while frauds worth crores, including those targeting foreigners, were unearthed during the process," Sharma said.

The actions drew praise from the US, with its embassy in India recently hailing them as a "great example" of US-India law enforcement collaboration, noting that the FBI's assistance to local police with investigation on numerous fraudulent call centres "affecting thousands of victims worldwide".

Noida, adjoining Delhi, in western Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district, was one of the biggest beneficiaries in the early 2000s, when it found a place on global map as a new "call centre hub", while India replaced China with lower manpower costs for the booming industry.

There have been fake call centres, which offered "cheap holiday packages" to exotic locations like Goa and Himachal Pradesh, and in the process duped several Indians of lakhs of rupees, officials privy to the probes in cyber fraud cases told PTI.

But a newer trend revealed how foreigners were becoming more vulnerable to such fake call centres.

"It is easier to target someone sitting in the US or Canada because chances are less of them approaching the police for an amount of money they would consider 'less'," the official said.

The easy availability of data and details of individuals has also added to the vulnerability of people being targeted for cyber frauds. With more personal information, picked up from employment websites, mobile apps, the callers have in cases even claimed to be representatives of tech giants.

For instance, on the intervening night of November 22 and 23, eight fake call centres were busted in simultaneous raids in Noida and Greater Noida and 23 people arrested for duping foreign nationals.

"These fake call centres were not linked to each other but had a similar modus operandi of sending malware to computers in the US, Canada, and other foreign countries and then approach them as being representatives of companies such as Microsoft, Apple and solicit money to solve their problems," SSP Sharma had.

Several of the accused arrested in cases where foreigners are duped hail from the Northeastern states, such as Nagaland, with officials saying their recruiters preferred them "for their English accent, which made them very authentic sounding on tele-calls".

Now, the police have gathered clues and are trying to nab the masterminds behind several of these call centres with global links including those in the US, China, and Dubai.

"We are now following the trail on how the money from abroad was being moved to India. We have got details and are acting on the inputs while coordinating with our counterparts abroad," Sharma said.

On the future course of action, he said, "We will ensure that the offenders are booked under the stringent Gangsters Act or the National Security Act because what they have done is not only criminal but has also brought disrepute to the country at world level.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A devastating fire Sunday destroyed at least a dozen godowns in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi near here in Maharashtra, but there was no casualty, fire brigade officials said.

Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation Chief Fire Officer Datta Salvi said there was no loss of life or casualty in the blaze.

The fire broke out at about 2 pm in Krishna Complex at Gundavali that housed several godowns and it was brought under control at around 6 pm, he said.

The blaze destroyed at least a dozen godowns, where broom and other materials were kept, located in the complex, the official said.

The cause of the fire was under probe, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aadhaar, India's extraordinary attempt to give every citizen a biometric identity, is set for a massive revamp with new offline verification tools and non-intrusive ways for people seeking to voluntarily use the 12-digit unique number for new bank accounts and mobile connections.

After twists and turns in 2018, led by the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the constitutional validity of Aadhaar, the UIDAI's efforts around offline modes like eAadhaar and QR code that can leverage the unique ID without any access to biometrics or even revealing the 12-digit number would gather pace in 2019.

From school admissions to getting marriage certificates to paying taxes to taking new mobile connections, Aadhaar touched multiple facets of people's lives as it became the default identifier. This was true for around 1.22 billion Aadhaar holders till doubts emerged that collection of biometric details, even for general service, could infringe on a citizen's privacy rights.

Then, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the world's largest biometric identification database but spelt out its new limitations.

After last year's assertion that Indians have a right to privacy, the apex court in September 2018 redefined the boundaries of the biometric authentication -- Aadhaar can be used for payment of government benefits and taxation records but private companies were barred from accessing it.

In a 4-1 judgement delivered by the Constitution Bench, the Supreme Court held that Aadhaar would remain compulsory for the filing of Income Tax (IT) returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN)



However, Section 57 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 that permitted private entities like telecom companies or other corporates to use the biometric data was struck down, dealing a body blow to the government's ambitions to make the world's largest biometric project mandatory for a slew of services.

The landmark ruling sent banks, telecom operators and fintech companies -- who relied heavily on Aadhaar eKYC -- scrambling in search of other viable means of customer verification.

As the verdict meant that fulfilling regulatory Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements would have again involved a lot of paperwork for verification purposes, Aadhaar-issuing authority, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), quickly came up with alternate modes like QR (Quick Response) codes, e-Aadhaar and offline methods.

Just as 2018 started to wind down, came another twist in the plot. Earlier this month, the government decided to propose changes to existing laws - Telegraph Act and PMLA - in order to allow the use of Aadhaar as an ID verification tool for opening bank accounts and obtaining mobile connections, albeit on a voluntary basis. Additionally, fresh penal provisions have been proposed - through an amendment in Aadhaar Act - to deter companies from insisting on Aadhaar or misusing the biometric data.

The proposed amendments, which will be placed before the Parliament during the ongoing Winter session, propose to arm UIDAI with regulator-like powers to take enforcement actions on the misuse of the national biometric ID and impose stiff penalties on violations.

The compelling reason behind this seems to be the government's belief in the transformative potential of Aadhaar -- the system is so cheap and efficient that it is estimated to have accounted for over 90 per cent of new subscriptions in the telecom sector, according to experts.

More stringent deterrents are likely to be put in place in the coming months. These might include a penalty for failure to obtain consent for authentication or offline verification -- up to three-year imprisonment or fine of up to Rs 10,000 --, penalty for unauthorised use of core biometric information. The latter could attract imprisonment between 3-10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10,000.

Even as it dons regulatory role, the UIDAI would continue to accelerate efforts to transform and scale up Aadhaar enrolment and update services, currently available through 30,000 centres operating in designated bank branches, post offices and government premises across the country.

'Aadhaar Seva Kendras', similar to the concept of Passport Seva Kendras, will come up in 53 cities across India at an estimated project cost of Rs 300-400 crore. These swanky new centres will be operational by August next year, dishing out appointment-based enrolment, update and other miscellaneous services around Aadhaar, under the watchful eyes of authority's own employees.

Earlier this year, former UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey, recalling his early years as a small-town boy who didn't hold a photo identity for a long time, had reportedly said that Aadhaar offered an answer to an ancient question that was asked by sages -- who am I?



The year that was, ensured that the answer continues to be the 12-digit identifier, at least for those who choose to use it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The members of AAP Trade Wing Sunday staged angry demonstrations outside BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi's residence here, protesting the sealing drive undertaken by the municipal corporations in the city.

The sealing drive against violations of Delhi Master Plan is going on since last year following the directions of the Supreme Court mandated monitoring committee.

The protesters, accompanied by affected traders facing fines, sealing and demolition of their establishments, raised slogans against the BJP outside the New Delhi MP's residence on Mahadev Road.

As part of their campaign, the AAP Trade Wing members will protest outside the residences of all the seven BJP MP's in Delhi.

Convener of AAP Trade Wing Brijesh Goyal said the protest was held to give the BJP MP an idea of how the traders felt when facing action under the sealing drive.

The sealing drive was started on December 22, 2017.

"None of the seven BJP MPs did anything to save the traders from the onslaught of the sealing drive," he alleged.

The protesters demanded the saffron party to bring an ordinance or Bill in the Parliament to stop the sealing drive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A famous Brazilian "spiritual healer" jailed after accusations he sexually abused hundreds of female followers is facing a growing pile of other accusations related to arms possession and mass-produced "remedies."



Joao Teixeira de Faria, 76, better known as "Joao de Deus" or "John of God," was arrested December 16 after women came forward in Brazilian media and to police to allege he sexually forced himself on them on pretext of "curing" them of ailments.

The faith healer -- made world famous by US TV celebrity Oprah Winfrey in a show broadcast in 2013 -- denies the accusations.

Nearly 600 complaints were sent to police this month. But many have had to be excluded from the criminal investigation because the acts they alleged happened so many years ago the statute of limitations had lapsed.

Prosecutors in Goias state handling the case told reporters that 255 women had been identified as potential victims whose allegations were being taken into account. Their ages ranged between 9 and 67 at the time they said they were abused.

Police conducted raids on properties linked to Faria and found handguns, gemstones and -- hidden behind a false panel in a wardrobe -- a suitcase containing the equivalent of USD 300,000 in cash.

Just before his arrest, transactions amounting to USD 9 million were detected in Faria's accounts.

The discovery of the weapons prompted a judge on Friday to order additional charges against Faria, saying the investigation suggested the faith healer could be "heading a criminal organization," according to the G1 website.

Faria's lawyer protested that the judge "made a serious affirmation without any empirical basis." He also contested the legality of the searches.

Health authorities in Goias state, where Faria's "spiritual hospital" is located in the small town of Abadiania, near the capital Brasilia, on the weekend shut down the pharmacy in the healer's center.

It said the laboratory was mass-producing "remedies" without the necessary permit.

According to Abadiania's mayor, up to 10,000 visitors came to the town each month to see Faria, with around 40 per cent of them foreigners.

Many of them took "prescriptions" scribbled by Faria to buy remedies that included "spiritually charged" mineral water and pills made from a local flower.

Shop owners and locals in the town, population 15,000, fear the arrest of Faria and the accusations could scare away visitors, putting an end to their livelihood.

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday replaced two of the country's top security chiefs with staunch anti-Taliban officials, in a major shake-up days after US President Donald Trump's decision to slash troop numbers in the country.

Amrullah Saleh and Assadullah Khaled, both former heads of the Afghan intelligence agency, have been appointed to the critical posts of interior minister and defence minister, respectively, a presidential decree said. There was no official explanation for the sudden reshuffle.

But it comes four months after Ghani rejected the resignations of former interior minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and defence minister Tariq Shah Bahrami following criticism over an increasingly deadly insurgency.

The move caps a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan after an American official told AFP late last week that Trump had decided to pull out "roughly half" of the 14,000 US forces in the country.

The unexpected move stunned and dismayed foreign diplomats and Afghan officials in Kabul who are intensifying a push to end the 17-year conflict with the Taliban.

While the Taliban has not issued a formal statement on Trump's plan, a senior commander told AFP the group was "more than happy".

Trump's decision apparently came Tuesday as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militants to the negotiating table with Kabul.

Observers fear the hasty move could undermine Khalilzad's negotiating position, embolden the Taliban, and further erode morale among Afghan forces, which are being slaughtered at a record rate.

Ghani, who is planning to seek re-election in April, could be trying to strengthen his security credentials ahead of the vote.

Saleh, a fierce government critic who fought against the Taliban in the 1990s, served as head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) from 2004 to 2010. Khaled was briefly NDS chief in 2012 before being wounded by a Taliban suicide bomber.

Both men will serve as acting ministers until the parliament approves their appointments.

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appointed hard-line opponents of neighbouring Pakistan to two top security posts on Sunday, potentially complicating US efforts to revive peace talks with the Taliban ahead of next summer's withdrawal of 7,000 American troops.

Ghani announced that Amrullah Saleh will be the next interior minister and Asadullah Khaleed will be defence minister. Both are former intelligence chiefs who have blamed Pakistan for the Taliban's resurgence in recent years and have even called for it to be declared a state sponsor of terror.

Afghanistan's parliament will have to approve the appointments.

Pakistan, which has influence over the Taliban, is taking part in the latest US effort to revive the peace process. It was Pakistan that helped orchestrate last week's talks in the United Arab Emirates.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan and the United States attended those talks with the Taliban. In a significant development, Afghanistan's national Security Adviser was also in the UAE and while he did not attend talks with the Taliban he met with Washington's Peace Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who reportedly kept him informed of the discussions.

However, two high ranking officials in Kabul, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said Ghani was displeased that the Taliban refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government in the UAE. The Taliban have repeatedly refused to talk to Kabul calling them American puppets.

The Taliban, who heralded the announced withdrawal of half of the 14,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan as a good step toward peace, have refused to comment on the appointments of Saleh and Khaleed.

In 2012, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted Khaleed, who suffered serious injuries.

Meanwhile Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told the Associated Press that he will be in Kabul on Monday for talks with the government to reinforce Pakistan's commitment to finding a peaceful end to Afghanistan's 17-year war.

Qureshi will be in Kabul on the first leg of a regional tour that will also include Iran, China and Russia.

"Good relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as peace in Afghanistan, is critical for regional stability," said Qureshi. "Pakistan wants a sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

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Famous writer Ruskin Bond Sunday said technology associated with "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) is a bit "frightening", as some people will be able to control a large population of world through the innovation.

Bond, while participating in the Indore Literature Festival, told PTI, "AI technology is a bit frightening now. There is danger that some people will be able to control a large population of world through this technology. We need to be careful so that this technology cannot take over our complete command".

The Indian writer of British descent, famously known as "Indian William Wordsworth", however, said AI technology is in its early stage now, so, it is to be seen that how this technique is developed in future".

Asked about the effects of AI techniques on human creativity, Bond said, "If any mechanical technology starts to create something for you, then hardly any possibility is left for human creativity.

The 84-year-old writer said, "When I was studying in school, some of my friends used to get me write their love letters. In future, there is a possibility that such people would take help of robots with AI technology to get their love letters written".

He also expressed his concern about the increasing pressure on children as far as career is concerned in this age of competition.

"Competition for career has increased a lot for children nowadays. I feel that children are more under pressure than adults in this case", Bond said.

He said there should not be too much pressure on children. "They should be given liberty to choose their career", he added.

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Two educational institutes of China have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the city's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) for promoting educational and research programmes.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on India visit, signed the LoI here Saturday evening along with BAMU Vice-Chancellor B A Chopade, university officials said Sunday.

The agreement between the BAMU, the Dunhuang Academy and the Shenzen university of China envisages student, teacher exchange programmes and collaboration in research and education, among other areas, they said.

Besides Chopade and Wang, Vice-President of Dunhaung Academy Zhao Shengliang and Shenzen University chairman Liu Jong Yi were present on the occasion.

The draft for the LoI was prepared by BAMU officers after discussion with a Chinese delegation that visited the university on December 1, the officials said.

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JUMLA, Dec 23: A woman was reportedly expelled from home in Jumla for not bearing a son. Jhanmaya Rokaya of Ludki of Kanakasundari rural municipality-6 who is just in her mid-20s is the mother of three daughters and has so far been pregnant for the sixth time with one stillbirth.





The 26-year-old was eight-months pregnant when she was expelled from home in November along with her two small daughters by her husband and in-laws to a sheer violation of her rights to get pregnancy care and moral, physical and economic support in such sensitive period. Her personal judgment is that the man and his relatives drove her away as they calculated that she was not meeting their 'expectation' this time also.





Since then Jhanmaya has been staying at her maternal home. She gave birth to a baby girl on December 23 through C-section surgery at the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences. The baby was said to be infected with Hepatitis B since the birth. The lonely mother is struggling to manage the treatment expense for her ailing child.





Faced an early marriage, she gave birth to a dead baby who was a daughter as her first child and as she said, she aborted two pregnancies thereafter. It was her husband Ganga Ram Rokaya who forced to undergo her sex determination and abort them for being female. Her two daughters are under the protection of her parents. It is said that her parents are not in a position to afford the treatment of their grandchildren due to poverty.





The hospital has already referred the child to another health facility, but the mother has only two options ahead- either stop the treatment process or find some generous hearts to help her in these tough days of her life.





With the support of her aged parents, she arrived in the hospital for the latest delivery after being aware by local medicos that the baby was positioned head-down (cephalic presentation).




Bangladesh's Election Commission on Sunday allowed Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Opposition BNP, to contest the December 30 general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration.

The Jamaat will contest from 25 seats in the parliamentary polls with 'sheaf of paddy', the electoral symbol of the BNP.

"The Commission does not have a legal option to cancel their (Jamaat leaders) candidacies. Their candidatures will, therefore, stay in place," EC secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters here.

The EC's decision came after the High Court earlier this week directed it to swiftly decide on a plea of 25 leaders of the unregistered party to contest the election as independent candidates on behalf of their alliance partners.

On October 29, the EC formally scrapped Jamaat's registration as a political party in compliance with an order of the Supreme Court.

A high court bench in 2013 declared Jamaat's registration with the EC illegal on a writ petition filed by several Islamic groups, saying the party's ideology was contrary to Bangladesh's Constitution.

The Supreme Court upheld the high court judgment when Jamaat challenged the verdict in the apex court.

The hardline Islamist party, however, is now in a dilapidated state with most of its senior leaders executed in the past five years after being convicted by special tribunals on 1971 war crimes charges.

Jamaat was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from West Pakistan and its leaders and workers sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out atrocities and genocide in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Bangladesh's post-independence government banned Jamaat but the subsequent regimes withdrew the ban allowing the party to re-emerge in

The party became a crucial partner of Zia's BNP-led four-party alliance government in 2001 and its chief Moti-ur-Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed became ministers.

The incumbent Awami League government assuming power after its victory in the 2008 elections and initiated a process to bring to justice the Bengali perpetrators of the 1971 war crimes.

Both Nizami and Mujaheed were sentenced to death along with several other party stalwarts by special courts.

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Bangladesh on Sunday described as "disheartening" a US statement that criticised Dhaka's "inability" to grant visas to an American poll observer group to monitor the December 30 general election.

"As one of the largest democracies in the world and mutually respectful to others, Bangladesh would expect and welcome constructive statements towards its democratic process from its friends and partners," the foreign office here said.

The US State Department two days ago expressed its disappointment over the Bangladesh government's "inability to grant credentials and issue visas" to a group of election observers called Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) funded by the National Democratic Institute.

The State Department said Bangladesh's forced ANFREL to cancel its planned mission.

The foreign office however said "accreditation of international election observers from a number of organisations including ANFREL is currently under process", adding that Bangladesh would continue to grant credentials to "eligible" international and local election observers to monitor the upcoming polls.

"But it (Bangladesh) certainly has the responsibility to ensure that the applicants meet all required criterion as per applicable laws and guidelines of the Election Commission," the foreign office said in a statement.

The statement said as of now, 175 election observers from different countries and organisations were accredited to undertake election monitoring missions in Bangladesh and in addition the Election Commission has registered 118 local organisations and also approved 25,920 local observers to monitor the polls.

"In this context, the decision of ANFREL to cancel its observation mission is entirely their own despite the fact that nearly half of its applicants have already been approved and the rest are under process," the foreign office said.

It said the polls were being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) "which is a constitutional body and independent in the exercise of its functions".

The statement simultaneously noted that a controversial Bangladeshi NGO 'Odhikar' was providing funds for the ANFREL mission while 'Odhikar' "is widely known for its disproportionate bias and prejudice against Bangladesh, in particular the government of Awami League".

Besides, one of the top-ranking Bangladeshi members of 'Odhikar' was earlier appointed by the past BNP-led government as the deputy attorney general, "which provides ground for disqualification of his organisation and related entities as independent and neutral observer of the national elections," it said.

The foreign office said Bangladesh's election law enables the Election Commission to "permit a person as election observer who is in no way associated with or affiliated to any political party or contesting candidate and who is not known for his sympathy, direct or indirect, for any particular political ideology".

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Screenwriter Kanika Dhillon believes it is a great time to be a storyteller today as film industry has become welcoming towards good and unique content.

The "Manmarziyaan" writer believes filmmakers and audiences have become open-minded which makes the job of a creative person more interesting.

"It's a beautiful time to tell stories and I am loving it for now. You can be imaginative, you have the technology to convert your vision, you have the freedom to write the kind of stories you want to tell beyond the set formulas. Also, you have varied platforms to tell different kinds of stories," Kanika told PTI.

Kanika, whose latest release is "Kedarnath", believes writers should "demand a fair price" for the content they provide.

"If by now the writers in the industry have not realised that they can ask and claim a good amount to write or create content then you are living in a cave. Everyone is hungry for content and you are content creators and if you are not negotiating a good price no Robinhood is coming to save you."



As a screenwriter, Kanika's method of penning a story is more emotional, instinctive and volatile and she does not adhere to a specific process.

"I don't think in genres. Once I get a germ of an idea I wait for it to die! And if it refuses to die and keeps coming back, I start thinking more about it. Then comes the world and the characters. I wait to get bored and if I don't get bored- then I start building on them."



This year the writer's both the releases were caught in controversy- Anurag Kashyap's "Manmarziyaan" for hurting Sikh sentiments and Sara Ali Khan's debut film "Kedarnath" for promoting love jihad.

Kanika says if her stories are making people uncomfortable her purpose as writer is solved.

"If my stories make people uncomfortable, because it questions your set ideas and value systems that are convenient for a group of people or ideas that promote patriarchy and religious fanaticism, then my job as an artiste and a writer is done. The more you will cry foul, the louder my characters will speak."



Kanika is now looking forward to her next release Kangana Ranaut-Rajkummar Rao-starrer "Mental Hai Kya". The film is scheduled to hit the theatres early next year.

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The BJP on Sunday said Pakistan is 'terroristan' and it need not teach India anything, a day after its Prime Minister Imran Khan said he would show the Narendra Modi government how to treat minorities".

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra also said that Khan can "surely teach Congress a lot. After all, the party considers the nation angelic".

"Pakistan is 'terroristan'. It gave shelter to (Osama Bin) Laden. It need not teach us anything," he said.

Addressing an event in Lahore on Saturday, Khan referred to actor Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence in India and said, "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."



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

"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 had said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday thanked people of Jasdan seat in Gujarat for the victory of BJP candidate in the assembly bypoll.

Congress turncoat Kunvarji Bavaliya won the election in Gujarat. His exit from the Congress had necessitated the bypoll.

"I thank the people of Jasdan for blessing the BJP and supporting the party's development agenda. Congratulations to Kunvarjibhai Bavaliya for the victory," Modi tweeted.

He also appreciated BJP members of the state and chief minister Vijay Rupani.

BJP candidate and minister Bavaliya comfortably defeated his nearest rival Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya not only retained the assembly seat in Rajkot district, which he had won for the Congress in 2017, but also increased his victory margin.

With this, the BJP now has 100 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76 in the 182-member House.

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The ruling BJP comfortably won the bypoll from Jasdan Assembly seat in Gujarat Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100.

BJP candidate and minister Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya not only retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot district, which he had won for the Congress in 2017, but also increased his victory margin.

With this, the BJP now has 100 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76 in the 182-member House.

The saffron outfit, which is ruling Gujarat for over two decades now, had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress bagged 77 seats.

Bavaliya secured 90,262 votes as against 70,283 polled for Nakiya, officials said.

Besides them, six other candidates were also in the fray.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said.

The bypoll was held on December 20 and the counting took place Sunday.

The Jasdan by-poll had become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just-held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Bavaliya, who quit as assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

In 2017, Bavaliya had defeated BJP candidate Bharat Boghara by a margin of 9,277 votes.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Speaking after the result was announced, Bavaliya thanked the Jasdan voters, his friends from the Congress who supported him after he joined the BJP, the saffron outfit's leadership and its workers for the bypoll victory.

Bavaliya, who won the Jasdan seat for the sixth time, said he will take up people-centric issues.

"This is the victory of the people of this area and also efforts of Chief Minister (Vijay) Rupani, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani and others friends, and my former Congress colleagues who supported me after I joined BJP, and all small, big party workers who worked for me," he said.

"We will take up issues affecting the people of this area and ensure its overall development," he said.

As per election rules, Bavaliya was required to get elected to the assembly within six months of resigning to continue as a minister.

As soon as the result was announced, BJP leaders, including Rupani, gathered at the party's state headquarters in Gandhinagar to celebrate.

Rupani said, "After results of three states, Congress was spreading many lies in Jasdan out of over-enthusiasm. Kunvarjibhai had won by over 9,000 votes last time. This time is a bigger margin, showing that both BJP and Congress voters voted for the lotus (BJP's poll symbol)."



Rupani said the BJP's win in Jasdan, which constitutes mainly rural areas, shows farmers are with the ruling party.

"Kunvarji's victory by such a huge margin shows that all sections of Jasdan, including farmers, have trusted BJP. People have endorsed the works of the BJP's central and state governments. Congress gave false promise in the name of farmers," the chief minister said.

Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member who once worked closely with Bavaliya in the Congress, expressed his gratitude to those who voted for him.

"I express my gratitude to people from different communities who voted for me," he said, while not rejecting the possibility of EVMs being tampered.

However, state Congress president Amit Chavda accepted his party's defeat in the bypoll.

"I thank people of Jasdan for their love and support. We accept our defeat with humility. We will continue to raise the voice of farmers and people in the assembly as well as on the streets. Thanks to all @INCGujarat workers and leaders who worked tirelessly during election campaign," Chavda tweeted.

While Nakiya contested an assembly poll for the first time, Bavaliya had won from the seat, which has 2.32 lakh registered voters, five times in the past as the Congress candidate -- in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.

Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won Jasdan only once - in the by-election of 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajkot.

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Bogibeel, Asia's second longest rail-cum-road bridge that will be opened to traffic by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, has a serviceable period of around 120 years, senior officials said here.

The 4.9 km-long Bogibeel Bridge on the Bramhaputra river is India's only fully welded bridge for which european codes and welding standards were adhered to for the first time in the country, said Chief Engineer Mohinder Singh.

Singh said a fully welded bridge has a low maintenance cost.

The bridge, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,900 crore, has a "serviceable period of around 120 years", he said.

The bridge reduces travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours and will cut out the detour of over 170 km via Tinsukia.

It will also reduce Delhi to Dibrugarh train-travel time by about three hours to 34 hours as against 37 hours presently.

Modi will open the bridge to traffic, 16 years after it was announced by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vjpayee.

The bridge has a two-line railway track on the lower deck and a three-lane road on the top deck. For the first time in Indian Railways, the girder has steel floor system for railway tracks and concrete for road.

"Early flood in the river Brahmaputra restricted the working season to a very short period of approximately five months (from November to March) and demanded huge mobilization of construction equipment," said Singh.

Transportation of concrete across river channels of 600 metre to 900 metre width from both the north and south banks was the biggest challenge, he said.

To overcome this, concrete was pumped through pipeline laid over buoys.

"Eighty-thousand tonnes of steel plates was delivered for the project via a combination of rail and road transport, while a 1,000 tonne hydraulic jack and strand jacks linked with the substructures were used for moving steel truss over the pillars," he said.

Most 2D' automatic nesting software was used to generate efficient two-dimensional cutting plans for fabricating the steel superstructure for the bridge.

After December 25, people, especially patients from Assam Medical College located here, can travel straight from Dibrugarh from the other side of the river instead of using the ferries.

The bridge is part of infrastructure projects planned by India to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. This includes the construction of a trans-Arunachal highway on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, and new road and rail links over the mighty river and its major tributaries such as the Dibang, Lohit, Subansiri and Kameng.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday left here for Visakhapatnam en route to Bhubaneswar where he is scheduled to meet his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in the evening.

Rao is on a four-day tour to meet various leaders to garner support for his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His party, the TRS, has hired a special aircraft for a period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

"The Chief Minister along with his family members left for Vizag. He will visit Sharada Peetham and perform special prayers at Rajasyamala temple there. He will be leaving for Bhubaneswar this evening," a senior TRS leader said.

At Visakhapatnam, he will seek the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra Swamiji, an official release had said earlier.

Rao, who is also TRS president, will call on Patnaik this evening and stay for the night at his official residence. On December 24, the Telangana chief minister will visit Konark Temple and Jagannath Temple by road, it had said.

From Bhubaneswar, the Telangana CM will proceed to Kolkata, where he will call on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Monday, the release had said.

After visiting Kalimata Temple in Kolkata, he will leave for New Delhi in the night. From December 25, for two to three days, Rao will be in the national capital, the release had said.

Rao will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, it had said, adding he will also meet former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his Delhi trip, Rao is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Union ministers, with whom he will discuss issues related to the state, the release had said.

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The US dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the company's biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.

Some European governments and telecom companies are following the US's lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government.

Bans in Europe could significantly increase the financial pressures on Huawei.

They would also cost Europe tens of billions of dollars as the region looks to build up "5G" networks, which are meant to support a vast expansion in internet-connected things, from self-driving cars to factory robots and remote surgery.

"Europe is still divided over Huawei, but the trendline is moving in a fairly clear direction" as the US exerts pressure on allies to block it, said Thorsten Benner, director of the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute think tank.

Geopolitical tensions over Huawei intensified after its chief financial officer, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested December 1 in Canada in connection with US accusations that the company violated restrictions on sales of American technology to Iran.

Huawei has been blocked in the US since 2012, when a House Intelligence Committee report found it was a security risk and recommended that the government and private companies stop buying its network equipment.

Germany's Deutsche Telekom said last week it "takes the global discussion about the security of network elements from Chinese manufacturers very seriously." The company said it uses multiple companies to build its network, including Ericsson, Nokia and Cisco.

"Nevertheless, we are currently reevaluating our procurement strategy," the company said.

The statement is significant because until recently it had been one of Huawei's "biggest cheerleaders" based on its cheap and reliable equipment, said Benner.

It came shortly after Alex Younger, the director of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, said in a speech that Britain needs "to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies," according to local media reports.

At about the same time, mobile provider British Telecom said it was removing Huawei equipment from key parts of its current 3G and 4G networks as part of an internal policy not to use it for core infrastructure, which will also apply to 5G networks.

The British government-run center that tests the company's equipment and software this summer identified "shortcomings in Huawei's engineering processes that have exposed new risks" in UK networks. Huawei said it's working on fixing those issues.

Norway's telecom ministry said it was considering clarifying requirements from network operators, without being more specific.

Belgium's cybersecurity agency is reportedly considering a ban on Huawei. And the Czech Republic's prime minister ordered his government office on Tuesday to stop using Huawei mobile phones, after the national cybersecurity agency warned that products by Huawei and another Chinese telecom company, ZTE, pose "a security threat."



The European Union's head of technology policies, Andrus Ansip, said "we have to be worried" about possible security risks from Huawei when asked about the company's role in European 5G and driverless car projects.

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, denies accusations it's controlled by China's ruling Communist Party or designs equipment to facilitate eavesdropping.

It said it recognises and shares security concerns around the rollout of new 5G networks and is happy to take part in Deutsche Telekom's review.

The company noted German officials have said publicly there's no reason to exclude Huawei and it has never been involved in any confirmed cybersecurity breaches.

"Cybersecurity is incredibly important to Huawei. It is central to every decision and product we make," said Vincent Pang, the company's president for Western Europe.

"We think the answer lies in global cooperation and collaboration to ensure that networks are as secure as possible."



The Europe, Middle East and Africa market is Huawei's second biggest after China, accounting for 27 percent of its nearly $90 billion revenue last year. Executives said the company has now signed contracts with 25 telecom carriers for commercial or test use of 5G and shipped more than 10,000 5G base stations.

The rollout of 5G networks is expected to take a decade. As technologies advance, the amount of data flowing between machines is set to surge, prompting governments to increasingly view telecom networks as strategic national assets.

Not everyone is endorsing quick action to ban Huawei.

The CEO of the French telecom company Orange, Stephane Richard, said last week his company wouldn't use Huawei gear for sensitive parts of its network because of "messages of prudence" from French authorities. But he said that was not for any technical reason, and that the debate on Huawei had become politicized.

"We're in the realm of fantasy: 'They're Chinese. They have links to the Chinese army, thus there are spies, thus we can't let them touch our telecom equipment'," he said.

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Chief Minister warned erring sugar mill owners Sunday that they will be jailed if they do not clear dues of the cane growers.

On the 'Kisan Diwas' orNational FarmersDay, the chief minister reprimanded the mill owners, saying exploitation of farmers will not be "tolerated at any cost".

He was in Patla village here to unveil the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh on the birth anniversary of the former prime minister.

The chief minister laid the foundation stones for 25 developmental projects worth Rs 3.25 billion at various places in the district.

The foundation stone of was also laid down near the Hindan river in Raj Nagar extension area. The institute will be the first-of-its-kind in the country where beahviour related training will be imparted to newly elected public representatives.

The institute, which is expected to be fully constructed in two years, is to be designed in such a way so that around 1,000 elected representatives can get training in a single session. The state government will spend Rs 1.68 billion on it.

Adityanath warned the "goons" to shun criminal activities otherwise they will be sent to "that place where they ought to be".

He also admonished the bureaucracy not to indulge in corruption otherwise they will be put to task.

In the evening hours, the chief minister attended Maha Kauthig fair in Indirapuramorganised by Uttarakhand natives.

He laid the foundation stones for Uttarakhand Bhawan and Purwanchal Bhawan (to be constructed in Noor nagar and Sihani village area, respectively), a 60-bedded hospital in Loni town, and 30 health care centers in the district among others.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Areas of dense fog developing. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Areas of dense fog developing. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
Lashing out at the Congress and the AAP, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday said what happened in the Delhi Assembly over the adoption of a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was like "rubbing salt" on the victims' wounds.

He also accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of supporting illegal migrants.

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 ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia clarified that the lines about the former PM were not part of the original resolution placed before the House. He said it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member, which and it cannot be passed in such a manner.

"What has happened in the Assembly and later was like rubbing salt on the wounds of the anti-Sikh riot victims," Shah said without elaborating.

"It has exposed the double-faced character of the Aam Aadmi Party," he said at a conclave of the BJP's booth level workers here.

The Sikh victims had been denied justice for so many years because "the perpetrators of the riots were also the protectors (of the accused)", the BJP chief said in a veiled reference to the Congress.

Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre in four years of its rule had not only "assured justice" to the victims by formation of a special investigation team but also provided compensation to the affected families.

He also trained his guns at Gandhi over the Rafale deal.

"Despite the Supreme Court's judgement on the Rafale deal, he (Gandhi) is still lying and levelling allegations," Shah said.

Speaking about illegal immigrants, he reiterated that the BJP government will identify and expel the "infiltrators" from the country.

He questioned the Congress' stand over the issue.

"The NRC exercise was started in Assam and as soon as it happened Rahul baba and company started crying hoarse. I want to ask Rahul if he has any concern for the countrymen dying in terrorist blasts," he said.

"Why do you (Rahul Gandhi) worry about them? Are they your cousins (mausere bhai)?" he asked.

Exuding confidence about the BJP returning to power after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah said the party's win will mean the victory of nationalism over casteism and nepotism.

He claimed that the BJP will return to power in 2019 with a bigger mandate than 2014.

Targeting the AAP, he said the party's chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who claims to be a common man, is now moving around with security personnel.

"Where are the hospitals, schools, marshals in buses for women's security and CCTV cameras? The condition of Mohalla Clinics is such that filth and dogs have been found in many of them," he said.

The Kejriwal government has "failed" to keep its promises in Delhi, he alleged.

Shah claimed that the Modi government had fulfilled all its promises for Delhi and the BJP will give an account of its work to the voters in 2019 elections.

He added that it was "unfortunate" that the Kejriwal government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi fearing Modi will gain popularity.

Shah accused the Congress of "bungling" crores of rupees by using the National Herald building as "private property". He alleged that the party hid Rs 600 crore to save income tax.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sunday asked the people of Delhi to compare the work done by the Kejriwal dispensation with the contribution of Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre to the city's development, accusing it of creating hurdles.

AAP spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged the central government has stalled all public welfare schemes in the city through the Lieutenant Governor and almost stopped the Delhi government from functioning by "sponsoring illegal strike of IAS officers".

The AAP leader's comments came while reacting to the statements of BJP chief Amit Shah that the Arvind Kejriwal government has "failed" to keep its promises in Delhi and that the Modi government had fulfilled all its promises for the national capital and the BJP will give an account of its work to the voters in 2019 elections.

Bhardwaj said let people of Delhi ask what work their seven MPs, who belong to BJP, did for the city.

"Amit Shah has rightly started comparing AAP's Delhi Government with the Modi Government with respect to Delhi. Let people of Delhi ask what work their seven MPs did for Delhi. Let people of Delhi know they contributed to increasing the fare of Metro, they did nothing to stop sealing in city.

"They could have brought an ordinance to immediately stop sealing but they did nothing. Their central government's contribution for Delhi was to stall all public welfare schemes in Delhi through their LG," he alleged.

He also claimed that the central government stalled Mohalla Clinics, created problems in CCTV project, stopped home delivery of ration, and created hurdles in door step delivery of services.

"They almost stopped the Delhi government from functioning by sponsoring illegal strike of IAS officers. Let Delhi compare this with work of Delhi government in health, education, water, power and other schemes for the people of Delhi," he said.

Earlier in the day, Shah targetted the AAP and said at a conclave of the BJP's booth level workers here that Kejriwal, who claims to be a common man, is now moving around with security personnel.

"Where are the hospitals, schools, marshals in buses for women's security and CCTV cameras? The condition of Mohalla Clinics is such that filth and dogs have been found in many of them," he said.

The Kejriwal government has "failed" to keep its promises in Delhi, he alleged.

Shah claimed that the Modi government had fulfilled all its promises for Delhi and the BJP will give an account of its work to the voters in 2019 elections.

He added that it was "unfortunate" that the Kejriwal government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi fearing Modi will gain popularity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi recorded its second highest pollution level this year on Sunday, with authorities advising people to minimise outdoor activities for the next couple of days.

Authorities said unfavourable meteorological conditions are likely to keep the air quality in the severe category for the next couple of days.

While the (CPCB) data showed the overall (AQI) at 'severe' level of 450, the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) showed a higher level at 471.

This is the second highest pollution level this year. The highest was recorded on November 8, a day after Diwali, when the AQI touched 571.

A CPCB-led task force has advised people to minimise outdoor exposure for the next three to five days and avoid using private vehicles.

The task force held a meeting on Saturday in response to the current high PM2.5 levels which climbed to severe plus emergency category.

Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 pollutants can lead to diseases like cancer and increases chances of stroke.

At the meeting, a number of recommendations were made to the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), including agencies to intensify ground actions to enforce measures already in place, particularly to control emissions from vehicles and burning of biomass.

The other recommendations made were: agencies concerned to increase surveillance to find industrial waste dumping or burning especially in hotspots that are vulnerable to high pollution level, water sprinkling and mechanized sweeping to be intensified and traffic police to ensure smooth flow of traffic, including during long holidays.

The task force also urged people to avoid use of private vehicles particularly diesel vehicles and minimise outdoor exposure for the next three to five days specially for those with respiratory illness.

According to experts, under the 'severe' category, even healthy people find it hard to breathe and doctors advise minimum physical activity.

Thirty areas of the national capital recorded on Sunday 'severe' air quality while it was 'very poor' in six, the CPCB said.

Several areas like Ashok Vihar, Anand Vihar and Wazirpur, among others, inched towards the 'severe plus emergency' category, the data showed.

In NCR, Ghaziabad recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 475. Faridabad and Noida also recorded 'severe' air quality, the CPCB said.

In Delhi, the overall PM2.5 level -- fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometer -- was recorded at 404 and the PM10 -- fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometer--level at 577, the CPCB said.

Both PM2.5 and PM10 fell in the 'severe plus emergency' category, it said.

The IMD said prolonged period of light winds and low temperature are likely to continue for the next three to five days, resulting in poor dispersion of pollutants and the current severe air quality may continue for the next two to three days.

According to the SAFAR, Delhi's overall air quality is expected to remain in severe range until Monday morning and thereafter start to improve slowly and may touch very poor range.

There is a significant fall in temperature which has brought huge amount of moisture beneath and slowed dispersion of pollutants, it said.




Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh Sunday demanded apology from BJP leaders for "dragging" Lord Hanuman into the politics of "caste and creed".

Singh also said Hindu bodies like the VHP and Akhada Parishad should condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders over the Hindu deity who is worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

"(Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi) Adityanath ji said Lord Hanuman was dalit. BJP's MLC Nawab Bukkal dubbed the deity a Muslim on the ground that his name rhymed with Islamic names like Rahman, Farhan, Ramzan etc. Another BJP minister said Hanuman was a Jat," he told reporters here.

Singh said Hindus considered Lord Hanuman as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

"You are dragging Hanuman ji into politics of caste and creed, which religion you are following? I have a strong objection to this. Who are you to talk like this, you (BJP leaders) should apologise", he said.

The Congress veteran demanded that organisations like Akhada Parishad, an apex body of 13 major "akhadas" or ascetic denominations, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders and snap ties with them.

Addressing a public meeting during the campaigning for recent-held assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said Lord Hanuman, one of the central figures in epic Ramayana, was a dalit.

Last week, Bukkal Nawab, a BJP MLC from Uttar Pradesh, claimed that the monkey god was a Muslim while UP's Religious Affairs Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary stated that the Hindu deity belonged to the Jat community.

Singh also took a jibe at former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan's "Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai" remark, which he made against the backdrop of the BJP's loss in recent assembly polls in the state.

"The tiger is now devoid of nails and teeth. The responsibility of protection of the endangered tiger lies with us (newly formed Congress government)", he said.

Responding to a query on suicide allegedly committed by a 45-year-old tribal farmer in Khandwa district, apparently after he failed to avail recently-announced crop loan waiver due to cut-off date criterion, Singh said the Congress, when it was in opposition, had announced in June this year that loan of farmers would be waived if the party got elected.

"I do not have details of this (the suicide). We had announced to waive loans of farmers in June 2018. Loans of farmers who had loan outstanding during this period (till June 2018), will be waived", he said.

Singh also alleged that the CBI is suppressing the Vyapam scam--a multi-crore recruitment and admission racket which came to light in 2013 when the BJP was in power.

"We are studying about the steps to be taken in this regard", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US counterpart Donald Trump agreed in a phone conversation Sunday to prevent a power vacuum in Syria after American ground forces withdraw, the Turkish presidency said.

"The two leaders agreed to ensure coordination between their countries' military, diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria," the presidency said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The opposition Congress will observe December 27-- the first anniversary of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh-- as 'Nikamma Diwas', a party leader said Sunday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has organised an elaborate function in the capital Dharamshala on the occasion that will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thakur took oath as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister On December 27, 2017 along with 11 other ministers. The ceremony was held on the Ridge here in the presence of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Congress MLAs and office-bearers led by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu will also submit a charge sheet against Thakur to Governor Acharya Devvrat, an HPCC press release said.

The first anniversary of BJP government's formation will be observed as 'Nikamma Diwas of Nikammi Sarkar' as instead of doing anything concrete on the ground, it kept on making mere announcements, Sukhu said.

The Congress would demand appropriate action against the BJP government by handing over documents of "scams" and "failures" of the Jai Ram Thakur government along with the charge sheet to the Governor, he added.

Sukhu said the charge sheet would have specific accusations against the BJP government as he alleged that the hill-state was plagued by poor governance, RSS interference in administrative affairs and political vendetta being unleashed against political opponents.

While deteriorating law and order situation in the state was one of the biggest concerns of the Congress, the entire efforts of the BJP regime are aimed at closing cases against its leaders, Sukhu alleged.

Though submitting charge-sheets against the ruling government has been a ritual practised both by the BJP and the Congress when in opposition, the Congress charge-sheet assumes significance as Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held within a few months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A committee overseeing the cleaning of Yamuna has stressed the need to raise awareness about the importance of the river and its floodplain so that a sense of "ownership" is created among the people and



it is preserved.

The monitoring committee, that was set up by the National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice A K Goel in July, has suggested forming a nodal agency for the task.

"Presently, there is no ownership of the river Yamuna. That is because it means nothing to the citizens as it is providing no opportunity for cultural activities, leisure or recreation," it said.

There needs to be awareness about why the flood plains are "sacrosanct they need conservation", it has observed.

The committee comprises retired expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra and it has been directed to submit an action plan and detailed report on cleaning of the river by December 31. The committee has submitted the details to the Delhi government.

In the action plan, the committee has also noted that involvement of citizens requires that there is knowledge of why the river is important and why it is worth preserving and restoring.

"There is a need to plan for awareness building and permissible activities beyond the flood plains but for that there needs to be a nodal department to build awareness by spearheading permissible events and activities," the committee has said.

It has noted that except at the time of idol immersion during Ganesh and Durga Puja festivals, the river has no human activity which could enhance its habitat.

It said that Yamuna is a unique birding destination and there is a need for the Delhi Development Authority to preserve the birding hot spots with inputs from an established birder group.

"There is a need for assigning nodal responsibility for creating public awareness to a consortium of agencies with an interest which can include international an national level NGOs engaged in building awareness about the environment," it said.

The monitoring committee has also urged the Delhi chief secretary to encourage programmes that prevent dung from dairies going into the river. Installing a biogas plant for making gas out of dung instead of letting it flow into drains at Ghazipur would make a visible impact, it argued.

"Technology for this is available too and can become an interesting school field trip too," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French company EDF has submitted a techno-commercial proposal to the government for the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP), in a significant step towards the progress of the project, sources said.

A techno-commercial offer is an important step in the negotiations process as it helps the two parties determine the cost of the project and tariff of the generated from it.

The offer comes less than a week after External Affairs Minister and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed to expedite work on the project.

"Both countries are working to start the Jaitapur nuclear project as soon as possible. We are glad that NPCIL and EDF have made progress based on the Industrial Way Forward Agreement. Today, we have adopted the Status of Progress for Implementation of Industrial Way Forward Agreement," Swaraj announced after holding talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on December 15.

Sources said the proposal has been submitted to the of (NPCIL), an atomic power plants operating public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic

The government will now study the techno-commercial offer, sources added. This includes the cost of the project, loan to be given by and overall tariff of the

The Indo-French deal was signed in September 2008. Negotiations first began with French company Areva, but last year, French utility company EDF took over its nuclear reactor business after the former faced financial issues.

There have been several factors that were hindering the power plant, which includes the "reference plant".

Since Areva, and now EDF, was bringing in a new technology, the Atomic Regulatory Board (AERB), the country nuclear watchdog, asked for a reference plant.

A reference plant is a functional power reactor and the Areva had then cited a power reactor at Flamanville.

The JNPP, proposed to be the largest nuclear park in the country to be built in coastal Maharashtra, will have six reactors with a capacity of 1650 MW each.
The Bihar government's decision to redevelop Patna's prestigious PMCH by demolishing its historic buildings has upset the alumni of the state's first medical college, who have appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to save the heritage of the 93-year-old institution for the posterity.

Born in 1925 as the Prince of Wales Medical College, set up to commemorate the visit of the then Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, its iconic, old heritage building are now proposed to be dismantled in multiple phases as part of a redevlopment plan.

The Prince of Wales had visited Patna on December 22-23 in 1921 as part of his royal tour of India and the college was established four years later to perpetuate the memory of his visit to what was then a young provincial capital of Bihar.

The college, renamed a few decades after Independence, as the Patna Medical College and Hospital, popularly known as PMCH, is dotted with historical buildings, including the Bankipore General Hospital and Women Hospital, which were equipped with special lifts in that era, the main administrative building, and physiology and anatomy departments, among other structures.

The new project of the Bihar government has not gone down well with the PMCH alumni, living in Bihar or abroad, who have suggested restoring and preserving the historic institution in its original form and developing "extension centres" in peripheral areas of Patna, like Bihta or Fatuha, on the lines of AIIMS extension centres.

"All historic institutions endeavour to preserve their heritage for the next generation. And, the coming generation will be robbed off seeing the heritage of Bihar's first medical college. The government should preserve it," PMCH Alumni Association president Dr Satyajeet Kumar Singh said.

Patna-based Singh, who had worked for several years in the UK after completing his graduation, rued that the campus buildings had suffered some neglect over the last few decades, but it would be "grossly unwise" to demolish them, such a massive hospital in a congested area, means it would lead to "traffic nightmares" in streets.

The state cabinet had in November gave its nod for the redevelopment of the PMCH into the world's-largest 5462-bed hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 5540 crore.

Dr Prateek Nishant, another PMCH alumnus, whose great grandfather, Tarini Prasad Sinha, was among the first-graduating batch in 1927, says the prospect of losing these "signatures of the past" disheartened him.

"PMCH runs in my family, my grandfather, grandmother, father did post-graduation from PMCH, and then, I graduated from it in 2017. We have still carefully preserved the degree handed out to my great grandfather, who was transferred from Calcutta Medical College when the Prince of Wales college opened," he told PTI.

Nishant suggested that non-harmonious buildings added after Independence can be knocked out, like, the Rajendra Surgical Block, Platinum Jubilee Auditorium and the maternity department, which are very ordinary-looking structures, and new buildings in harmony with old architectural fabric can be constructed in their place.

PMCH Principal Dr Ajit Kumar Verma, when asked about the redevelopment project, said it would be a state-of-the-art facility, with "modular-operation theatres" and other high-tech amenities.

The hospital will be redeveloped by the Bihar Medical Services & Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (BMSICL) on a turn-key basis. In future, there is a plan to link it with the Ganga Drive, he said.

"The project will be executed in three phases. In first phase, nurses quarters and other buildings would be demolished. As of now, only administrative building has been planned to be preserved, as it also has the old plaque of the inauguration of the college," he said.

The huge marble plaque, bearing the old name of the college and the Prince of Wales royal crest, installed right outside the principal's office, reads that the college was established in 1925 and formally inaugurated by the then Lt governor of Bihar and Orissa, Sir Henry Wheeler, on February 25, 1927.

PMCH alumni are spread across the world and those living in the UK and Pakistan also appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to rework the plan to spare those historic buildings.

Patna-born doctor Navin Kumar, in his late 60s, who moved to London in 1982 to further his medical career, said, "I left Patna, but my heart always hankered for these old landmarks and buildings. I am shocked that the government has even considered demolishing old PMCH. It has to be saved for the future generation."



Karachi-based Shamim Hasnain, an alumna of PMCH, who hails from Bihar, graduated in 1976 and moved to Pakistan post her marriage soon after, says, "The of proposed demolition has left me dejected."



"I entered PMCH, that time still called Prince of Wales Medical College, in 1969. Next year is the golden jubilee of our batch. Hope, I can make it to alumni meet in February 2019 and see PMCH again after ages. I appeal to the government to not demolish the old buildings," she said.

The college, traces its origin to the Temple Medical School set up in 1874 in Patna, which was upgraded to a college as the Prince of Wales Medical College and established in Muradpur area of Bankipore on the banks of Ganga.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
No-frills airline GoAir is offering 50 per cent discount on tickets for its flights to Phuket for individuals going to attend the Thailand Yacht Show next month.

The show is to be held from January 10 to 13.

In a release, the airline said it has partnered with Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous 2019 to offer 50 per cent discount on tickets for flights to Phuket.

GoAir is the first airline to start direct flights to Phuket from India.

"By making Phuket their Thailand hub, GoAir will start direct daily flights to Phuket from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. By the end of 2019 the airline will further expand its network by connecting seven more Indian cities to Phuket," the release said.

The airline's Managing Director Jeh Wadia said Thailand is an integral part of its international expansion plans. "Our plans for Phuket and the region are big," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hamas on Sunday denounced Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's plan to dissolve the largely defunct Palestinian parliament that it controls, calling it a move to "serve his partisan interests".

Abbas said Saturday he intended to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council after a court decision that ordered the move and elections to be held within six months.

The ruling was made by the Palestinian Constitutional Court in Ramallah, and Hamas said in a statement it rejected the decision by a court created by Abbas "to legitimise his arbitrary decisions".

"Abbas should have extended his hands to (Hamas leader Ismail) Haniya's invitation to hold a joint meeting, thereby ending the Palestinian division," the statement said.

"Rather, Abbas opted to ruin the Palestinian political system, maintain his unilateralism, and dissolve the legal institutions of the Palestinian people. All of this is just to serve his partisan interests." It called on Egypt, which has been seeking to reconcile Hamas and Abbas's Fatah, to block the measure.

Dissolving the parliament would allow Abbas to further pressure Hamas. Though the parliament has not met since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian law allows for its speaker to act as interim president should 83-year-old Abbas die in office.

Hamas won the last parliamentary elections in 2006 in a landslide, resulting in an electoral dispute with Fatah.

The split between them persists and has defied several reconciliation attempts. A range of issues have kept the two sides apart, including Hamas's refusal to disarm its military wing.

Abbas, whose Fatah is based in the occupied West Bank, has sought to pressure Hamas in recent months by reducing salaries in the Gaza Strip, which is under an Israeli blockade, among other moves.

Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court has asked the AAP government and other local authorities to sit together and come out with a plan to relocate illegal dairies and rescue the cattle housed there, from various parts of the city to an appropriate area in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao issued the direction to the Delhi government and asked its Chief Secretary to hold a meeting with the DDA, Urban Development Department, the three municipal corporations and the Animal Husbandry Department to work out a proposal.

After the deliberations, the Chief Secretary has been asked to submit a report to the court on what the government intends to do to resolve the issue.

The direction from the bench came after the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said there were many dairies in the national capital which were "open" without any walls or roof with the cattle roaming around in there.

It had also told the court that the number of 'Gaushalas' in the city were not sufficient to house the cattle rescued from illegal dairies.

The court was hearing a PIL by Delhi resident Sham Sharma who had in 2016 moved the high court seeking shutting down or relocation of the illegal dairy farms in the national capital.

The court is scheduled to hear the matter next on March 25, 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bombay High Court has overturned a 1997 trial court order acquitting a 41-year-old man in a rape case of a minor girl in 1996.

A division bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and V K Jadhav Saturday convicted Macchindra Sonawane (who was 19 years old at the time of the incident) and sentenced him to seven years in jail for raping the 11-year-old girl.

The bench, in its judgment, said the trial court had erred and acted in a "casual or cavalier" manner, in determining the victim's age as that of being a major.

The prosecution case is that on December 1, 1996, Sonwane allegedly raped the victim who had gone to his shop to buy medicines.

A sessions court in Nashik had in July 1997 acquitted Sonwane after determining the victim's age as 16 and not 11.

The court had taken into consideration the victim's X-ray ossification test that estimated her age as 14.

The trial court applied the plus two minus two margin of error and determined that victim was 16, which was the age of consent at that time.

The trial court had also disbelieved the victim's statement that she had resisted the rape after observing that there were no injuries on her body to show resistance.

Thereafter, the Maharashtra government approached the HC in appeal against the acquittal and said the trial court had erred in determining the victim's age and claimed that she had not even hit puberty at the time of the crime.

The HC, in its judgment, noted that the trial court had mechanically determined the age of the victim.

The bench also took note of the victim's statement to the police and her deposition before the trial court in which she had categorically denied having consented to the act.

"Lack of any resistance or absence of injury on the body of the victim are of no consequence vis a vis the issue of consent," the High Court said.

The bench, while convicting Sonwane, directed him to pay a fine of Rs one lakh as compensation to the victim.

It asked the Nashik District Legal Services Authority to locate the victim and get an application from her for consideration of payment of compensation under the government's scheme of financial assistance for women victims/ survivors for sexual assault and other crimes.

"We hope and trust that such application will be dealt with necessary sympathy that the case deserves," the HC said.

The bench refused to show leniency for the accused and said, "Even though the incident took place in 1996, we remain with fervent hope and confidence that protecting the confidence of the common man in the institution entrusted with the administration of justice is reaffirmed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Residents and fighters in territory held by pro-Turkish rebels in northern Syria cautiously welcomed Washington's decision to pull out troops, viewing it as a chance to push further into Kurdish territory.

"The withdrawal is positive", said Mustafa Hamush, a resident of Azaz, a city at the heart of a Turkish zone of influence in Syria's bewilderingly complex civil war.

"When the US withdraws its forces, the Kurdish authorities will automatically be weakened," said the 20-year-old fashion designer, adding that Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies could seize Kurdish-held regions east of the Euphrates River.

Even before US President Donald Trump shocked allies by announcing the pullout on Wednesday, Turkey had already upped its threats of a new offensive against Syria's Kurds.

Early this year, Ankara dislodged the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from Afrin, seizing a key stronghold in a US-backed federation that accounts for around 30 percent of Syria's territory.

Washington and other powers in an anti-jihadist coalition have supported the Kurds as a bulwark against the Islamic State group -- another protagonist in Syria's multi-fronted conflict.

For pharmacist Omar Kazila, also 20, territory under Ankara's control will increase significantly "if Turkey seizes these regions and replaces the American forces".

Not everyone in the Turkish-backed rebel zone sees the US withdrawal as an unadulterated positive.

Some residents believe the void left by the planned US departure could see Syria's military reclaim yet more ground, rather than the Turks extending their own sphere of influence.

Kurdish authorities could mend fences with Damascus, joining forces to better protect themselves against a possible offensive by Ankara, with the Kurds maintaining a degree of autonomy.

The Syrian regime has regained significant ground since Russia intervened on its side in 2015. Opposition groups -- including Turkish-backed forces and a former branch of Al-Qaeda -- now control less than 10 percent of the country's territory.

For Ahmad Faruh, a resident of Azaz, the American withdrawal risks being exploited by IS, allowing it to stage a comeback in Syria.

The extremist group has seen its territory shrink to a few pockets, its once vast self-declared "caliphate" squeezed by separate offensives by the Washington-backed Kurds and Syria's Moscow-aligned regime.

"The US withdrawal and the absence of coalition planes could reinforce IS and (enable it) to control new regions," the 20-year-old student cautioned.

On the frontline, these fears of a jihadist resurgence are shared by some Turkish-backed fighters.

But the forces on the ground are up to the challenge, asserted Mahmud Abu Abdullah, a fighter with rebel group Al-Jabha al-Shamiya.

He said the Ankara-backed rebel factions in Syria are ready to take the fight to IS again, as they did in a major Turkish-sponsored operation in 2016 in Jarablus and Al-Bab.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed this week to eliminate both IS and Kurdish militias in northern Syria, on Friday saying an offensive would start in the coming months.

Sporadic clashes have erupted on frontlines separating the Turkish-backed rebels and the SDF north of Aleppo.

On Saturday, an AFP correspondent saw a cloud of smoke rising near the village of Kaljabrin after an exchange of fire between the two camps.

For Raad Najjar, another Al-Jabha al-Shamiya fighter, "the US withdrawal will be in our favour because we wanted to lead an operation against the Kurds, but we couldn't do it" while American troops were present.

His brother in arms, 24-year-old Ibrahim Nehme, agreed.

Hopefully "the factions will wage a war against Minbej, Raqa and all the regions" currently under the control of Kurdish forces.

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An Indian man who was convicted of 23 counts of sexual abuse of a male child within his family has been stripped of his British citizenship and faces deportation to India.

The man, who can only be identified as RSD for legal reasons, came to the UK from India in 1997 and was granted British citizenship in 2004. In 2011, he was found guilty of grooming and raping a 7-year-old child.

According to a 'Sunday Telegraph' report, a UK court sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment and placed him on the sexual offenders' register for life after finding him to have groomed and raped the boy between 2003 and 2010.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, the UK Home Secretary removed his citizenship on the grounds that when he applied to be a UK citizen he lied about the fact he was sexually abusing a child.

The man won an appeal against that decision but a senior judge has ruled in favour of the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, upholding the decision to strip RSD of his passport this month, which means he now faces being deported to India.

An Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber judge said in a judgement published recently: "It is my conclusion that the appellant obtained naturalisation in 2004 by deliberately concealing material facts."



A Home Office spokesperson said: Any British Citizen may be deprived of his or her citizenship if the Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good. It is a power used for extreme and exceptional cases.

Deprivation on conducive grounds can be used where individuals pose a threat to national security, or have been involved in war crimes, serious and organised crime, and unacceptable behaviours such as extremism or glorification of terrorism, unless to deprive would render them stateless.

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An Indian woman was Sunday rescued by authorities in Bahrain after a Bahraini "enslaver" allegedly threatened to keep her for at least 25 days.

The Indian Embassy in Bahrain announced her rescue on Twitter hours after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a tweet, directed the Indian Ambassador in the Gulf nation to intervene in the case.

The Indian mission said the woman has been rescued by Bahraini authorities.

On Saturday, humanitarian organisation 'Justice Upheld' had tweeted that an Indian woman has been enslaved by her employer in Bahrain and she feared for her life.

The organisation, quoting the "enslaver", Sunday said he was going to keep her for at least 25 days as he had paid 'lots of money for her'.

"He is extremely annoyed that the matter has been reported to the Indian authorities. We are concerned about her safety," the organisation said.

Soon after the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, headed by Ambassador Alok Kumar, tweeted that the Mission has initiated action to rescue her.

However, Swaraj asked Kumar for immediate intervention, saying the situation appeared to be serious.

"Alok - I know you are working for her rescue. The situation appears to be serious. This requires immediate intervention on your part. Pls keep me informed," Swaraj tweeted.

Details of the case as well as about the woman are not immediately available.

In a separate case, Swaraj asked the Indian Embassy in Washington to assist an Indian family which sought her help saying their passports and other belongings were stolen from their hotel room in Chicago.

"Dear @SushmaSwaraj Ji, an unusual incident of theft has left us devastated here in Chicago while returning back to India. All our belongings, including passports were stolen from our hotel room booked at Edward Hotel and there's no one willing to help. Please intervene," Jyoti, a member of the family, tweeted.

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The BJP Sunday claimed that interception of calls and emails were done illegally during the Congress-led UPA government while Modi dispensation has adopted legal means with its order designating 10 agencies to do so.

In an order on Thursday, the Union Home Ministry authorised 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt "any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer". The centre's order had come under attack from the opposition who said that the move was "unconstitutional and an assault on fundamental rights" and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra showed that in two RTI replies the UPA government in August 2013 had said that on an average its agencies intercepted 9000 telephone calls and 500 emails a month.

It had also listed 10 agencies which did the monitoring - Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, CBDT Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, CBI, NIA, RA&W, Directorate of Signal Intelligence, DG Police of concerned state and Commissioner of Delhi.

"Tell me how is this different from the December 20 order? The only difference is that the December 20 (order) was legally notified by the central government while the UPA had not notified it and upon an RTI they had released the list. These 10 agencies were working even at that time. They were snooping on 9000 telephone calls and 500 emails every month and Congress is accusing others of snooping?



"The political party which enforced emergency, the party which brought the post office amendment bill how can that political party level such charges against another party? The Congress party for its opportunism has gone to the extent of playing with national security" he alleged.

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, the government has said.

The earlier mechanism was not defined and it has now been made robust and accountable, it claimed.

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The conviction of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case has raised hopes of an "interesting turn" in the case against Jagdish Tytler who has been given a clean chit by the CBI, lawyers representing the victims said.

They said the wheels of justice have started moving in the case against Tytler and they are awaiting the report of a lie detector test on controversial businessman Abhishek Verma, who volunteered to support the case against Tytler by deposing as witness.

Senior advocate H S Phoolka and lawyer Kamna Vohra, who are representing the riots victims in case against Tytler, said they are quite hopeful that they will get the same result which the Delhi High Court gave in the case of Kumar, who has been sentenced to life term.

Phoolka said after the high court verdict convicting Kumar in the other riots case, their hope has risen. "It is a great achievement for us. That verdict has made our case stronger against other persons also," he said.

On her part, Vohra told PTI that "now quite an interesting turn will take place in the (Tytler's) case." Her view was shared by Phoolka.

The Congress leader has always denied his role and involvement in the riots and has been given clean chit by the CBI thrice. But the court has refused to accept the closure report and directed the agency to probe the case further and file status report.

However, Verma, who has claimed that Tytler had narrated him the sequence of events relating to the Pulbangash case, has already undergone a lie detector test which was declined by the Congress leader.

Vohra also shared the views of the senior advocate and said in the Tytler case, Verma has "spilled the beans" relating to the Congress leader's alleged role in the riots incident that took place at Gurudwara Pulbangash in north Delhi where three Sikhs were killed by a mob after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

She said the lie detector test was conducted sometime in the beginning of December and the report will be made available within a month.

"We will wait for the report of the forensic science laboratory on the lie detector test. We have been told (by the court) that the report will be made available after 30 days.

"Once the report is made available, we will be able to know how we have to move further," she told PTI.

However, Vohra said they would not be totally relying on Verma's version as there are sterling witnesses in the case and the evidence likely to come from the businessman's lie detector test will be "one piece of evidence".

Phoolka said witnesses were influenced and they have evidence that one of the key witnesses was sent to Canada, allegedly at the behest of Tytler and they would try to bring him back.

He had earlier also told the court that Tytler had sent Narinder Singh, son of witness Surinder Singh, to Canada and through him the Congress leader was putting pressure on his father to change the statement and depose in his favour.

Phoolka said the CBI has called for some information from Canada.

However, advocate Arunabh chowdhury, representing Tytler, said right now there is no case against the Congress leader and the CBI has filed three closure reports after thoroughly investigating the case.

"The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) had directed further investigation in the case. We don't know what is going to happen. There is no case against him. The CBI has said there was no reliable evidence against Tytler. The CBI has done a thorough probe into the matter, " he said.

In June 2015, Verma had deposed before the CBI that Tytler had told him in 2008 he had met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which he got a clean chit over his alleged role in the case.

In his statement as a witness recorded by the CBI during a probe, Verma, an accused in the naval war room leak and other cases including cheating and forgery, had said Tytler had also told him that a deal was struck and a hefty amount was paid to a riots case witness, who had deposed against him.

The matter is being heard by ACMM Amit Arora who has asked the CBI to file a status report on further investigation in the case and listed it for hearing on January 15.

The CBI's move seeking permission to conduct polygraph test on Tytler and Verma had come in pursuance to the court's December 4, 2015 order in which it was mentioned that the lie-detection test may be conducted, if required.

The case pertained to the riots at Gurudwara Pulbangash in North Delhi where three people were killed on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

The victims had filed a protest petition challenging the CBI's closure reports in the case.

The court had in December 2015 directed the CBI to further investigate the matter and said it would monitor the probe every two months to ensure that no aspect is left uninvestigated.

The agency had reinvestigated the case of killing of Badal Singh, Thakur Singh and Gurcharan Singh near the gurudwara after a court in December 2007 refused to accept its closure report. The CBI has filed three closure reports in the case.

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Jammu and Kashmir saw political turmoil in 2018 after the PDP-BJP coalition collapsed, necessitating imposition of Governor's rule in the state and subsequently President's rule, and was also rocked by a horrific incident of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.

Though militant-related activities in the state resulted in the loss of lives of many, officials claimed there was a marked improvement in the security scenario in the Kashmir Valley ever since the imposition of Governor's rule.

The political scene in the state remained hot since the beginning of the year with the then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti sacking her finance minister Haseeb Drabu in March for going against the PDP line and asserting that Jammu and Kashmir shouldn't be seen as a conflict state or a political problem, but as a society with social issues.

On April 30, Mehbooba carried out a reshuffle in her council of ministers to fill some of the vacancies as both the PDP and BJP got in some new faces. The new ministers included Kavinder Gupta, who swapped the post of Assembly speaker with Nirmal Singh for becoming the deputy chief minister.

As the new ministers must have been still settling in their new jobs, the BJP, in a sudden but not unexpected move, decided to pull out of the coalition government with the PDP and also withdraw support from the government.

The then Governor N N Vohra, who was six days away from completing his second term at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar, decided to impose Governor's rule in the state. He, however, kept the assembly in suspended animation as outgoing chief minister Mehbooba had not made any recommendation for dissolution of the the lower house of the legislature.

The elected government fell on June 19.

After completion of six months of Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir on December 19, the state came under President's rule from midnight of December 20.

President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamation for imposition of central rule in the state after receiving a report from Governor Malik and after considering it and other information.

In January, the eight-year-old girl belonging to a Muslim nomadic family was found murdered in Kathua district of the state.

The girl was reported missing by her family on January 10 but was found dead eight days later. Post-mortem report said she had been repeatedly raped under the influence of sedatives and later killed by her tormentors.

While not much headway was made in the early stages of police investigation, the government ordered a crime branch probe into the murder. Investigations revealed gory details of the crime against the minor girl, shaking the nation and leading to widespread protests demanding stern punishment to those involved in the crime.

BJP's Chaudhary Lal Singh and C P Ganga, who were ministers then, participated in a rally organised in support of the accused persons in Kathua and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. This led to quite a controversy.

However, Mehbooba, as chief minister, put her foot down and resisted all pressures from her alliance partner for recommending a CBI probe.

As the alliance partners were heading for a showdown, the BJP high command defused the situation, forcing Singh and Ganga to resign from the council of ministers.

However, Singh -- a former Congress Lok Sabha member who defected to BJP after he was denied ticket in 2014 Lok Sabha polls -- organised several rallies, criticising the PDP-led government.

With the security situation in the Valley deteriorating, the BJP chose to withdraw from the government.

The fall of the government led to a rebellion within the PDP as a section of leaders revolted against Mehbooba's leadership accusing her of nepotism and favouritism.

Several of these leaders gravitated towards Peoples Conference, which had only two MLAs in the 87-member house but enjoyed support of the BJP, in an attempt to form a fresh government by getting 19 MLAs from the PDP to switch sides in order to avoid attracting anti-defection law.

Prominent among those who openly rebelled against Mehbooba were influential Shia leader Imran Ansari, his uncle Abid Ansari, MLA Tangmarg Mohammad Abbas Wani, MLA Baramulla Javaid Beigh, MLCs Yasir Reshi and Saifuddin Bhat.

Even senior PDP leader Muzaffar Beigh put the party on notice saying he was not consulted on key issues including the PDP decision to boycott the urban local bodies polls. He was, however, mollified by Mehbooba by appointing him party patron.

Several other leaders have since left the party with Drabu, former law minister Basharat Bukhari and Peer Mohammad Hussain being the notable ones.

Bukhari and Hussain have since joined PDP's arch rival National Conference.

As Vohra completed two highly successful terms as governor, he was given a two-month extension by the Centre to avoid any disruptions in the Amarnath Yatra.

On August 21, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik was named to take full charge of Jammu and Kashmir -- the first political person to head Raj Bhawan since the days of Jagmohan in 1990.

Malik decided to hold ULB and panchayat polls in the state despite most of the political parties advising against it in view of the prevailing security situation and threats issued by militants.

As the governor's administration refused to postpone the elections, the National Conference and the PDP decided to stay away from the elections. The boycott only helped the BJP candidates.

So poor was the participation in the municipal polls, that one third of seats in the valley failed to find a candidate while many more wards were won uncontested. The poll percentage in the valley was an abysmal 4.2 per cent compared to nearly 40 per cent 13 years ago when the last such exercise was conducted.

The panchayat elections, however, saw better participation of the electorate as there was a 41.3 per cent turnout. In Jammu division, it was business as usual as high turnout marked another election in the region.

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Johnny Depp will not return as his iconic character Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, Disney's film production chief Sean Bailey has confirmed.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bailey was asked if the "Pirates..." reboot, to be written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, could survive without Depp.

He replied, "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."



Reports that Depp would not be in the reboot surfaced in October during a red carpet interview in which the original film's screenwriter, Stuart Beattie, called the star's time on the franchise "a great run".

Depp, 55, has played the role of Sparrow in five films across 14 years, which have minted over USD 4.5 billion, making it the twelfth biggest franchise of all time.

The most recent outing, "Dead Men Tell No Tales", released in 2015.

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Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar Sunday underlined the need to protect democracy in the country and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues.

Addressing a gathering organised by Bahujan Vichar Manch, Kumar said the real fight lies between Modi and the people who believe in democracy.

"A dream was sold to us in and we fell for it (in 2014). However, the worst sufferers are the ones who voted for the first time and for Modi in 2014", the former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) said.

"There is a narrative in TV studios on who if not Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi? The Constitution says ' We the people of India' and they are saying who if not Rahul Gandhi...We have become a mute spectator in this already set political game", he said.

"The BJP secured only 31 per cent votes despite spending huge money on campaigning in 2014. If you are able to gather 70 per cent votes against this 31 per cent, then we will surely win this fight and save our democracy and the country", he said.

"Pressure will have to be built on all the political parties", he said, adding that the question of who will be prime minister would be secondary compared to saving democracy.

He alleged that a "nexus" is trying to "destroy" democracy.

"People like Nirav Modi (a wanted accused in the PNB fraud case) helped in making Modi an 'Avtaar'. PM Modi had facilitated Nirav out of the country with the money of the people", he alleged.

He also slammed the 'Made in India' and 'Skill India' initiatives of the Central government.

Referring to Nagpur Metro Rail, Kumar questionned handing over of the contract to a "Chinese company". "Is there lack of skill in our country? This is not 'Skill India' but 'Kill India'", he said.

"The government has asked all public sector companies to construct toilets under 'Swacch Bharat Abhiyan', but the contracts for constructing toilets were given to 600 organisations affiliated with RSS", he alleged.

Kumar criticised the prime minister on a range of issues like lack of jobs, religious intolerance and agrarian distress.

Leaders of the NCP and the Congress were also present on the occasion.

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Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir Sunday said the valley was incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and the community's return was an "unfinished agenda".

"The migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley is a blot on the secular tradition and religious brotherhood for which Kashmir and Kashmiryat are known for," Mir said.

"Their (pandits) return is unfinished agenda and a challenge for all the political dispensations in the country and state, as well as those who believe in the secular values of the country," he added.

Addressing a day long apex body meeting of the party's migrant cell here, Mir said the secular credentials of the state were at stake without the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Hindus.

He said the Congress wants Kashmiri Pandits to come back to their roots and live in an atmosphere where they feel safe and secure while freely practising their religious rights.

"Kashmiri Pandit brethren are an important part of state's composite culture of harmony, age old tradition of brotherhood and togetherness, their return to the valley with dignity is of paramount importance," he said.

Mir recalled the role of the pandits in strengthening the Congress party in the state as well as the country and also highlighted the steps taken by the previous UPA government at the Centre to resolve issues faced by them.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao arrived in Visakhapatnam Sunday and took blessings from a seer before leaving for Bhubaneswar where he is scheduled to meet his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik.

Rao is on a four-day tour to meet various leaders to garner support for his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His party, the TRS, has hired a special aircraft for a period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

After arriving in Visakhapatnam, Rao visited the Sarada Peetham at Chinamushidiwada on the city outskirts, offered prayers and took blessings from Sri Swarupanandendra Saraswathi swamy in the peetham.

He along with family members offered special prayers in the temple of Goddess Rajashyamala Devi. The CM's political secretary Subhash Reddy and MLA Prashanth Reddy accompanied him.

Security was stepped up from the airport to Chinamushidiwada in view of Rao's visit.

After lunch in the peetham, he left for the Visakhapatnam airport en route toBhubaneswar.

Rao, who is also TRS president, will call on Patnaik this evening and stay for the night at his official residence. On December 24, the Telangana chief minister will visit Konark Temple and Jagannath Temple by road, it had said.

From Bhubaneswar, the Telangana CM will proceed to Kolkata, where he will call on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Monday, the release had said.

After visiting Kalimata Temple in Kolkata, he will leave for New Delhi in the night. From December 25, for two to three days, Rao will be in the national capital, the release had said.

Rao will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, it had said, adding he will also meet former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his Delhi trip, Rao is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Union ministers, with whom he will discuss issues related to the state, the release had said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying "an ally must be reliable".

Speaking in the Chad capital N'Djamena, Macron said "I deeply regret the decision" by Trump to pullout US troops.

Trump last week ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria, asserting that the Islamic State group had been defeated, and a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"To be an ally is to fight shoulder to shoulder," Macron said, adding that France was doing just that in Chad in the fight against jihadist groups.

"An ally must be reliable, to coordinate with its other allies," he said.

Macron also paid tribute to Defence Secretary James Mattis, who said he was resigning on Thursday after Trump's Syria announcement.

"I want here to pay tribute to General Mattis... for a year we have seen how he was a reliable partner," Macron said at a conference with his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby.

Mattis, 68, was one of Trump's first cabinet picks and has spent nearly two years at the Pentagon.

In his resignation letter, Mattis spelled out to the world what seemed obvious to many observers: Trump's world view was irreconcilable with his own.

"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' immersion in these issues," Mattis wrote to Trump, who has sought closer ties with Russia and heaped contempt on NATO and other 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."



Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-Islamic State group coalition, also announced he would bring his departure forward from February due to the Syria policy change.

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar Sunday reiterated that 'Mahagathbandhan' or grand alliance is in the offing for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, with strong regional parties likely to have a bigger share in seat sharing.

Pawar held a meeting with and NCP workers in Gondia in east Maharashtra, where he made the statement from his official tweeter account in Marathi.

" and NCP will jointly contest the Lok Sabha elections along with some other friendly political outfits as well. There is no confusion over seat-sharing, if found, chiefs of both parties will solve it," he said.

The former Union agriculture minister also made a promise of giving out Rs 2,500 per quintal rate to grain cultivators in Maharashtra--on the lines of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.



"It is practice of consulting the rates of neighbouring states before finalising agricultural produce support price. But Maharashtra government did not follow it and now the neighbouring states are offering Rs 700 per quintal more," he said in his series of tweets.

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The man, who was arrested in connection with the mine mishap in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district a fortnight ago, has admitted that he was the owner of the 370-foot-deep illegal quarry, police said Sunday.

Fifteen miners were trapped in the "rat-hole" mine on December 13 after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into it. All efforts to trace the labourers have turned futile as the water level in the mine showed no signs of receding in the past 11 days.

Krip Chullet, who was arrested on December 14, admitted during interrogation that the mine in Lumthari village of Khliehriat area -- around 80 km from Shillong -- belonged to him, Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger told PTI.

Two mine managers, Mohesh and James Sukhlain, are still on the run, he said.

Sukhlain facilitates mine operations, while Mohesh is the person responsible for bringing labourers from West Garo Hills district and Assam, the SP said.

Earlier, the police had said Chullet was involved in hiring labourers and sending them down the shaft.

Around 20 miners had entered the 370-foot mine on December 13. After reaching the bottom of the pit, they entered the horizontal tunnels, often termed "rat-holes", as each just about fits one person.

According to local people, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave, following which the river water gushed into it.

Five people were able to climb out of the flooded mine, leaving the others behind.

Seven of the 15 trapped labourers hail from West Garo Hills district, five from Assam and three from the remote Lumthari village, where the accident took place, the SP said.

The state government had on Saturday announced an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the 15 miners and sought high-power submersible pumps from Coal India Ltd to flush out the water and rescue them.

Over 100 personnel of the national and state disaster response forces, along with the police, have been waiting for the water level to subside to begin the rescue work.

Mining expert Jaswant Singh Gill, who arrived at the site two days ago, has made recommendations to the state to hasten the operation, NDRF Assistant commandant S K Singh said.

The family members have now given up hope that the miners would be rescued alive.

Shohor Ali, who hails from Magurmari village in West Garo Hills district, has his son, brother and son-in-law trapped in the mine. "We have all lost hope to see them alive. I just wanted the authorities to help us retrieve the dead bodies for their last rites," he told PTI.

Ali also said that all three of his family were lured to Lumthari with a promise of Rs 2,000 as wage per day.

"I was the first person to get in touch with MLA (Rajabala constituency) Azad Aman to find out about the accident," he added.

The MLA, on his part, said he had contacted the police as soon as he received the information. "It took the police several hours to locate the mine," the Congress MLA told PTI.

The Rajabala MLA, however, said the relief offered to the labourers were insufficient.

"I have met the chief minister (Conrad Sangma). I have also written to the chief secretary and sought help from Meghalaya Human Rights Commission demanding relief payment to the affected families," he added.

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Infamous "tandoor case" convict Sushil Sharma had tears in his eyes as he prayed at the Lodhi Road Sai Temple here Sunday.

"I believe in Sai Baba and goddess Durga. I would pray everyday to God and that gave me the hope during my time in jail. Now I have plans to visit Shirdi," said Sharma, a former youth Congress leader told PTI after paying obeisance at the temple.

Sharma walked out a free man from Tihar Jail Friday night after serving close to 23 years for killing his wife Naina Sahni and then trying to dispose of her body in a tandoor in 1995 at the roof of erstwhile 4-star hotel Ashok Yatri Niwas, now Royal Plaza, at Ashok Road in the heart of the capital.

"I also wanted to go to Vaishno Devi with my parents but they are now quite aged and won't be able to travel," he said.

He said his life is a clean slate at this moment and the feeling that he is out of the jail has not yet sunk in.

"My life is a clean slate now and I have to write my A, B, C, Ds afresh," he averred.

Sharma, who will be celebrating his 60th birthday on January 24 as a free bird, said his focus now is to serve his aged parents, who have suffered "for no fault" of theirs.

"Every day, before going to bed, my father, who is now 85, would think, 'Will I be able to see my son walk out of the jail while I am still alive?'



"My younger brother, who was a first-year student of the Hindu College, died in a road accident in 1978. It was a double tragedy for my family when I was also sentenced. I want to spend maximum time with them as they have gone through a lot despite not being at fault," he said.

Sharma said after he settles his parents, he wants to counsel young couples who are about to get married.

He added that as he looks back, he realises that it was his possessive nature that spelt doom for his marital relationship.

"I admit it was my mistake and I had to suffer for it. In the process, one person lost (her) life and the other's life was similar to death. I have thought about what happened that moment (when he killed Sahni) and what actually led to it and I have learnt my lessons," Sharma said, while standing outside the temple, with a lump in his throat.

Recalling the time he spent in jail, he said he had decided he would commit suicide when he first entered Tihar.

"I was used to a lavish life style before the incident. I had never thought I would go to jail. On the first day in Tihar, I met a DDA official, who was in prison for a dowry harassment case. He asked me, 'How are you?' I told him I was not feeling well and don't feel like living anymore.

"He advised me to chant Gayatri Mantra one-and-a-half crore times and and keep a count of it. I started chanting it everyday and after five years, when I counted, I realised I had chanted it almost five crore times," he said.

Sharma said apart from the Gayatri Mantra, his 'vipassana' sessions too helped him fight the depression. He said vipassana is now a part of his daily routine and he does it every morning and evening and recalls all the mistakes he has committed.

"I interacted with others who were in jail and realised that most of them had committed crimes at the "spur of moment". There are two types of persons - criminals and non-criminals. Non-criminals comprise 90 per cent of Tihar's population.

"Jails are reformation centres and I have seen people who have spent 14 years never coming back because they have again committed a crime. Jails bring out the goodness in you," he added.

Sharma said he was instrumental in ensuring that Tihar Jail started the facility of counselling its inmates and it was during his jail time, he did an analysis of the psyche of those who are there and will use their experiences in counselling people and preventing road rage.

"Couples should at least get three months' counselling when they start conjugal life. I have interacted with a lot of inmates during my time in Tihar Jail and I have written essays on different aspects of relationships and now I will use them in helping young couples deal with the stress of relationships," he said.

Sharma was looking at a bright political career when the tragedy struck. He was the college president in Satyawati College in 1977-78 and had contested as an independent candidate opposite Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and National Students' Union of India candidates and defeated them.

He was later roped in by the NSUI and fought the DUSU elections twice but lost. Later, he became the NSUI president.

"I had contested the DUSU elections opposite ABVP's Pinky Anand, who is now the additional solicitor general. I was being groomed by my professors to become a leader.

But this was my destiny. But I do not think about how my political career would have shaped up," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The bullet-riddled body of a Myanmar policeman was found in northern Rakhine state, government media said Sunday, as tensions rise in the hotspot where the Rohingya crisis erupted last year.

The western territory is a tinderbox of ethnic and religious divisions and security forces have clashed with both Rohingya insurgents and much better armed Rakhine fighters from the mostly Buddhist Arakan Army.

Private Aung Kyaw Thet went missing in action after an ambush last week by unknown assailants in Maungdaw township near the border with Bangladesh.

His body was found two days ago with "gunshot wounds in his face, arm and leg near a hill inside the other country," according to government-backed Global New Light of Myanmar.

The ambush happened the same day that two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men disappeared while fishing in the same township and were later found with their throats slit, prompting the army to launch local "clearance operations" and raising fears of renewed large-scale violence.

Sunday's report in Global New Light did not identify the alleged perpetrators of the shooting but said authorities found foxholes near the scene, bullet casings and biscuits manufactured in Bangladesh.

More than 720,000 Rohingya fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017.

UN investigators want senior Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for genocide but the army says it was responding to attacks on border guard posts by Rohingya insurgents that killed around a dozen security forces.

The army this week called a rare ceasefire against ethnic armed groups in the northeast of the country but Rakhine state was not included.

Analysts say the military left Rakhine out because it does not want the Arakan Army to gain a foothold in the state as well as lingering concern over the less powerful Rohingya militants, who call themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

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The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has set aside insolvency proceedings against Paramount Propbuild, noting that no notice was served to the NCR-based real estate firm before initiating the debt recovery process.

The appellate tribunal dismissed the application filed by Ultimate Infracity, an operational creditor of the company and directed the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to close the proceedings.

The tribunal also set aside the order of NCLT appointing a resolution professional to run the company, declaring moratorium, freezing of accounts and other orders.

"In effect, order passed by Adjudicating Authority (NCLT) appointing Interim Resolution Professional', declaring moratorium, freezing of account and all other orders passed by Adjudicating Authority pursuant to impugned order and action taken by the Resolution Professional', including the advertisement published in the newspaper calling for applications and other orders and actions as taken are declared illegal and are set aside," the NCLAT order said.

The appellate tribunal also observed that parties have also reached the settlement on December 1, 2018.

"The Adjudicating Authority will now close the proceeding," said the NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.

The appellate tribunal has also asked Paramount Propbuild to pay Rs 2 lakh to the resolution professional, taking into consideration the nature of the work he had performed.

The Delhi bench of NCLT on November 16 passed an order admitting the insolvency plea filed by Ultimate Infracity and on November 27 appointed an Interim Resolution Professional.

The order was challenged by a shareholder of Paramount Propbuild before the NCLAT contending that notice under Section 9 was never served and ex-parte order of admission of insolvency plea was passed without giving any opportunity to it.

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India needs to open up its dredging market to boost trade by its major ports which at present cannot handle very large vessels in absence of proper draft depth, government think tank Niti Aayog has said.

More competition mainly from global players in dredging activities would help increase and maintain draft depth at ports and attract large vessels, enabling them to become hub ports, the Aayog mentioned.

At present, the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) and a limited set of private vendors serve the Indian dredging market, limiting competition.

"The government needs to open up the dredging market to attract more players, particularly international players, in dredging activities to increase and maintain draft depth at ports to attract large vessels and enable them to become hub ports," Niti Aayog has said.

Foreign players will be attracted to the market if the government takes measures such as consolidating dredging contracts across cohorts of ports and withdrawing, at least temporarily, the right to first refusal given to Indian vendors, it said.

To enable major ports to handle large vessels, the government has already made an action plan to increase the draft depth of ports.

Most major ports have already achieved a draft depth of 14 metres or more except Kolkata Port, where deeper draft has not been feasible because of the riverine nature of the port.

Some major ports are striving to achieve deeper drafts up to 18 metres. The outer harbour in Visakhapatnam has very deep draft of more than 18 metres. Work is in progress to create a draft of more than 18 metres in Mormugao and Kamarajar Port.

The Union Cabinet last month approved strategic sale of government stake in Dredging Corporation of India to consortium of four ports namely Vishakhapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust.

The government currently holds 73.44 per cent in Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCIL).

The approval is aimed at facilitating the linkage of dredging activities with the ports, keeping in view the role of the DCIL in expansion of dredging activity in the country as well as potential diversification of ports into third party dredging.

India has 12 major ports -- Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) which handle approximately 61 per cent of the country's total cargo traffic.

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Nepal Army chief General Purna Chandra Thapa will visit India next month where he will be conferred the title of honorary general of the Indian Army, a senior Nepal Army official said on Sunday.

It is a customary practice between the two neighbouring nations to award the honorary title to each other's army chief.

Chief of Army Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa will be leaving for India, his first international tour since taking charge of the Nepal Army, on Junary 11, Nepal Army spokesperson Brig Gen Gokul Bhandaree said.

During his six-day tour, General Thapa will be handed over the insignia of the honorary chief of the Indian Army by President Ram Nath Kovind at a function to be held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, he said.

General Thapa will also meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and visit some of the defence training institutes. He will return on January 16, Bhandaree said.

The Nepal Army chief, who took charge of the Himalayan nation's defence force on August 9, is visiting India on the invitation of his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat.

Earlier in July, General Rawat was in Nepal to receive the similar honour from Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

The practice of exchanging the title of honorary chief has been going on since 1950.

Similar to the practice followed by Nepali prime ministers, there is a tradition in the Nepal Army that sees its chiefs make New Delhi their first international destination after taking command of the defence force.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought on Sunday to calm domestic concerns over US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria, saying his country will still act against Iran there.

Netanyahu will also reportedly meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he travels to Brazil for the January 1 inauguration of new president Jair Bolsonaro.

The prime minister's office has not confirmed the meeting reported by Israeli media.

Trump last week said the Islamic State group had been defeated and he was withdrawing the United States' 2,000 troops from Syria.

Israel has seen the US presence in neighbouring Syria as a bulwark against its main enemy Iran and a counterweight to Russia.

Both Russia and Iran support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the country's civil war.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US soldiers from Syria won't change our consistent policy," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

"We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish a military presence in Syria, and if the need arises, we will even expand our activities there." He added that he wanted to "calm those concerned".

"Our cooperation with the United States continues full-force, and takes place in many fields -- the operational field, the intelligence field, and many other security fields."



Separately, Israel's military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot told a conference on Sunday that the US decision was "a significant event but it should not be overstated". "For decades we've been handling this front alone," Eisenkot said.

Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria -- as well as reduce forces in Afghanistan -- led US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to quit in disagreement.

The US special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, has also resigned.

The withdrawal abruptly ends American influence in the war-ravaged country and gives Turkey an opening to attack US-backed Kurds in Syria.

But Israel is particularly concerned about the presence of Iran there as well as Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group backed by Tehran. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced weapons deliveries to Hezbollah.

A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike has however complicated Israeli operations there.

Russia subsequently upgraded Syrian air defences with the delivery of the advanced S-300 system, which Damascus had said would make Israel "think carefully" before carrying out further air raids.

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Close to 1 million employees of various banks, including private lenders, have called for a one-day strike on December 26 to protest against the proposed amalgamation of and with

The strike call comes on the heels of an officers union of state-run observing a day-long strike last Friday on similar grounds along with demand for immediate settlement of their wage negotiations.

In September, government had announced merger of state -owned and Dena Bank, both under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework of the RBI, with larger peer Bank of Baroda, creating the third largest lender.

"This amalgamation is not in the interest of or bank customers. It is rather detrimental to both," the United Forum of (UFBU) said.

The UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine unions, including the All-India Bank Officers Confederation, the All- India Bank Employees Association and the National Organisation of Bank Workers, among others.

The unions claim that government wants to grow in size by this amalgamation but even if all public sector banks are bundled into one, the merged entity cannot find a place among the top 10 globally.

The unions say post-merger, a large number of branches will be closed and customers will be have to face hardships as already banks are burdened with various government schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra, social security insurance, and PM's housing scheme, among others.

On December 26, the unions will take out a rally and hold a demonstration at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

Around 3.20 lakh officers from various state-run banks were on a one-day strike on December 21, seeking immediate wage revision and opposing the proposed merger.

The nation-wide strike had partially impacted banking operations affecting services like deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearances and issuance of demand drafts, among others.

Bank managements have mandated the industry lobby Indian Bank Association (IBA) to negotiate for scale 1-3 but unions want this to be raised up to scale 7.

The wage talks are on for the past 13 months between the unions and IBA, the latter has offered a wage revision of 8 just per cent.

In the past wage settlement, which was for the period November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike.
Government think-tank has pitched for enactment of the Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, observing that regulatory bodies the Medical Council of India and the Nursing Council of India have "failed" to ensure adequate availability and quality of health professionals.

In its 'Strategy for New India @75' document released on Wednesday, the Aayog has recommended revamp of the regulatory system of nursing education to ensure quality training in nursing schools and also stressed on developing centres of excellence in nursing and enhancing the stature of government nurses.

The Aayog said the quality of health professional training and adherence to standards is sub-optimal, including in the private sector.

To address the shortage of doctors in the country, the Aayog has suggested creating conditions to facilitate import of doctors, especially those of Indian origin working abroad, and also deploying teachers from universities abroad as visiting professors at AIIMS or NIEs while linking at least 40 per cent of district hospitals with medical colleges.

It also suggested developing framework for deployment of doctors and specialists from the private sector to government hospitals on a visiting or honorary basis and expanding the system of Diplomate of Board (DNB) and Diplomas from College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS).

"Workforce shortages and uneven distribution of doctors, nurses, specialists and allied health professionals plague the sector," the Aayog said while observing that urban areas have four times as many doctors and three times as many nurses as compared to rural areas.

Medical and nursing colleges are concentrated in a few states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Pointing to the severe shortages in the category of allied health professionals (AHPs) including medical lab technicians, optometrists and radiologists, the Aayog has sought establishment of a Council to ensure standardization of education and putting in place quality control mechanisms for educational institutions, teaching methods and workforce management.

It suggested putting in place an updated curriculum for medical and allied professions that keeps pace with the changing dynamics of public health, policy and demographics.

As far as specialists are concerned, the Aayog observed that a large number of posts are vacant all over the country.

According to estimates, India needs close to five lakh additional specialists, the report highlighted.

There is also an acute shortage of medical faculty. Of the 1,830 faculty posts across six All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), approximately 583 (31 per cent) had been filled up until July 2017, the Aayog pointed out.

According to the report, as of March 2017, there were 10.23 lakh allopathic doctors registered with the MCI or state medical councils.

Assuming 80 per cent availability, the Aayog estimated that around 8.18 lakh doctors may actually be available for active service. This gives a doctor population ratio of 1:1613 against the WHO norm of 1:1000, it said.

The current nurse-population ratio is 1:588.

"Due to the suboptimal quality of training offered by several institutions that have mushroomed over the years, limited career prospects and poor working conditions, especially in the private sector, there is a significant shortage of skilled nurses in the country," the Aayog stated.

"Private practice by medial faculty in teaching institutions is rampant in several states, compromising on the commitment to teaching and institutional clinical work," it highlighted.

Among the constraints the Aayog mentioned were poor infrastructure in many state and private medical/nursing/dental colleges.

It further said that health professionals in the public sector are inadequately compensated and motivation levels are extremely poor.Fair compensation in the private sector, for nurses, is also a challenge.

The Aayog has suggested creating a cadre of primary healthcare practitioners by introducing a three-year competency-based dynamic course for primary, community and family medicine and partner with private hospitals or private medical practitioners to skill technicians, nursing and para-nursing as well as para-medical staff to deal with paucity of health professionals.
Nysaa Retail, which operates '1-India Family Mart' retail chain, plans to invest Rs 100 crore to add 80 stores and aiming a turnover of Rs 1,100 crore by 2020-21, a top company official said.

The company, which operates 80 stores in tier-II and -III cities in eastern and northern India, is expected to close the current fiscal with a turnover of Rs 420 crore.

"We plan to invest about Rs 100 crore to add 80 new stores by financial year 2020-21. In the next phase of expansion we will focus on North East. We are also looking at clocking turnover of Rs 1,100 crore in two years time," J P Shukla, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of 1-India Family Mart, told PTI.

Shukla said the company will fund expansion through a combination of internal accruals and debt.

The company, led by J P Shukla and Ravinder Singh, began operations in 2013, raised Rs 42.5 crore from private equity firm Carpediem Advisors in December 2017 and March 2018.

Shukla said the 1-India Family Mart is looking at adopting omni-channel retail (combination of offline and online) distribution and plans to pilot a project for this.

Nysaa Retail Pvt Ltd established its first store in Uttar Pradesh and operates stores in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bengal and the North East.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The ONGC board has opined that it is not the right time to list the firm's overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh on the bourses, sources said.

The board of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) on December 21 considered the government demand for listing its profitable overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL).

The board deliberated on the demand from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the listing of OVL but felt that the market conditions are not right for an oil and gas exploration and production company to list, they said, adding that there were several complexities involved in getting the firm listed.

OVL, sources said, has assets in countries like Venezuela, Iran, and Sudan, which are exposed to some or other Western sanctions.

These assets will have to be first separated from the company. While this may not be a difficult task, it would involve issues of capital gains and tax thereon, they said.

Also, OVL is heavily under debt and such a move would require taking approval of all the lenders -- yet another tedious job.

A third of its USD 28.45 billion (Rs 1.51 lakh crore) investment in 41 projects in 20 countries has been financed by loans.

More importantly, OVL has been only in acquisition mode till now and has not yet reached an economic model where it can stand on its own feet. The company is dependent on its parent for even guarantees for taking loans.

OVL has great assets and it would reach that economic model once couple of its assets like the giant gas field in Mozambique starts production, they said.

OVL projects are in the development stage and an IPO will get the best value when these projects are monetised, they said.

OVL's giant gas field in Mozambique will start production sometime in 2022 when two LNG trains of 12 million tonnes per annum capacity are set up and gas exported in cryogenic ships.

Its Farzad-B gas field in Iran is on hold in view of US sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Also, its Venezuelan oilfields are producing much less than their potential.

According to a letter DIPAM wrote to ONGC management in August, the listing of OVL would help unlock value by improving its corporate governance and efficiency.

ONGC had helped the government meet its disinvestment target last fiscal when it bought a 51.11 per cent stake in state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) for Rs 36,915 crore.

After failing to find a buyer for Air India, DIPAM is again looking at ONGC to meet the Rs 80,000 crore revenue mobilisation target set out for it in the Budget for 2018-19 from the sale of government stake in PSUs.

In the letter, DIPAM said PSUs with a positive net worth and no accumulated losses should be listed to unlock value.

It, however, did not state how much stake in OVL should be sold for its listing.

Market regulator Sebi calls for a minimum 25 per cent public float for a listed company.

Sources said proceeds of a potential listing of OVL would accrue to its parent ONGC but the government would seek a special dividend to reap that.

The government owns 67.45 per cent in ONGC. If ONGC were to declare entire proceeds of OVL listing as a special dividend, the government would get 67.45 per cent of the amount.

The government had in 2015 as well asked ONGC to list OVL. But the state-owned firm had at that time told the government that it was not the right time to list as oil prices were subdued and the company would not get the right value.

Oil prices have since rebounded and the government is looking to cash in on that.

Under its portfolio, OVL has reserves of 711 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent natural gas.

In 2017-18, it produced 9.35 million tonnes of crude oil, up from 8.43 million tonnes in the previous year. Together with natural gas, the output was 14.16 million tonnes of oil equivalent, up from 12.80 million tonnes in the previous year.

It reported a net profit of Rs 981 crore on a turnover of Rs 10,418 crore in 2017-18 fiscal. This compared with a net profit of Rs 701 crore on a turnover of Rs 10,080 crore in the previous fiscal.

It had reported a net loss of Rs 3,633 crore in 2015-16 due to a sharp drop in oil prices.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Warsi, who is set to be repatriated to his native country after spending 10 years in a Bhopal jail, on Sunday said he will only be taking home the "good memories" of his time in India.

On December 26, the 40-year-old will be taken to the Wagah border, from where he will finally head home after a long wait.

Warsi was convicted in 2008 by a local court under the Official Secrets Act and the Passport Act. Among other charges, the court had found him guilty of conspiracy, cheating and forging documents.

He completed his sentence in March this year and has been staying at Bhopal's Shahjahanabad police station ever since as he awaited completion of the legal formalities for his repatriation.

Recalling his time in prison, he said he is grateful to his fellow inmates who collected money to help him pay a fine imposed by the court.

"The inmates in Bhopal Central Jail were very friendly. They collected Rs 8,000 so I could deposit the fine imposed by the court. Otherwise I would have had to spend two more years in jail. They helped me a lot," Warsi told PTI.

He also praised the officials at the Shahjahanabad police station for treating him well.

"The police personnel have been very friendly and fulfilled my daily needs. They arranged clothes and food for me. I slept inside the police station. I am taking back good memories with me," he said.

For the Karachi resident, the Shahjahanabad police station became his second home.

Though he is not under detention, Warsi cannot leave the police station. It is the nodal station where foreigners who are to be repatriated wait for completion of legal formalities.

Having spent a long time behind bars, he empathises with Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.

Warsi said he would appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to continue the process of releasing the prisoners in their jails.

"This will increase amicability between the two countries. I will also say the same in my country," he said.

Narrating his story, Warsi said he arrived in Kolkata in 2004 to meet Shazia, the woman he had fallen in love with on Facebook.

"I reached Kolkata in 2004 for my love and got married to Shazia. I lived there for four years and we had two sons. One of them is 13 years old and another is 11 years old now," he said.

He said he came to Bhopal after learning that getting a passport was easy in the city.

He was arrested in 2008 following a complaint by his wife's relatives, who, he claimed, were angry after the couple demanded its share in property.

Warsi said though he was absolved of spying charge, he was convicted for forging documents like ration card and PAN card.

Asked about his wife and children, Warsi said he will try to bring them to Pakistan after he reaches home.

His repatriation comes close on the heels of that of Mumbai resident Hamid Nihal Ansari, who returned home on Thursday after spending six years in a Pakistani jail on espionage charges.

Interestingly, the stories of Ansari and Warsi are somewhat similar. They both crossed the border to meet the women they had befriended on social media.

While Warsi was fortunate enough to marry his love interest, Ansari could not even meet the woman he came looking for.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP Sunday lashed out at Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan over his barb at India on treatment of minorities, terming his country "a land of atrocities against minorities" who have been "persecuted" there since its birth in 1947.

Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi used a Hidni proverb and described Khan's comments as a case of a cat going on a pilgrimage after eating 100 mice (Sau chuhe khake bill Haj ko chali).

In hard-hitting remarks against Pakistan, Naqvi said that number of minorities like Hindus, Sikhs and Christians have fallen by almost 90 per cent in that country since its birth in 1947 as they were hounded by Islamic fundamentalists in collusion with its government..

Unlike Pakistan, where minorities were killed, forced to convert or persecuted out of the country, in India they have grown and are an equal partner in development, Naqvi asserted. In the neighbouring country, minorities are barely two to three per cent of its population, he said.

Targeting Khan, Naqvi named a number of popular Indian artistes, including Yusuf Khan better known as Dilip Kumar, and Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, and noted that generations of Indians have admired them.

"Can Imran Khan name a single Pakistani artiste who has come from a minority community and been liked as much as these actors are in India," Naqvi said.

The Union minister also had a word of advice for veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah, whose comments expressing concern over mob violence in the country were seized upon by Imran Khan to claim on Saturday that he will show the Indian government how to treat minorities.

"NaseeruddinShah should also consider that such a sweeping statement that is also factually incorrect causes a lot of harm and is used by anti-India forces to target our country," Naqvi said.

Shah had cited the murder of a police inspector in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr by a mob protesting alleged slaughter of cow to express his concern.

Slamming Pakistan, Naqvi said, "It is a land of atrocities against minorities. It is a land where the blood of minorities have been spilled over the decades. For it to lecture us on minority rights is a case of a cat going on a pilgrimage after eating 100 mice."



Minorities' constitutional, social and democratic rights in India have always been secure, he said, adding that Pakistan's ill-treatment of its minorities have been recorded by various global bodies, including the United Nations.

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Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has backed Prime Minister Imran Khan's peace initiatives, saying the new government has extended a hand of peace and friendship towards India with utmost sincerity but it should not be taken as Islamabad's weakness.

Addressing the passing out parade of Midshipmen and Short Service Course at the Naval Academy in Karachi on Saturday, Bajwa said that Pakistan was "a peace loving country and believes in peace".

Lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Khan's government to achieve peace between Pakistan and India, the army chief said peace benefits everyone and it is time to fight disease, poverty and illiteracy instead of fighting against each other.

"Our new government has extended a hand of peace and friendship towards India with utmost sincerity but it should not be taken as our weakness," Bajwa said.

The powerful army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 71 years, has always wielded considerable power in the matters of foreign policy.

The Indo-Pak ties strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists in 2016 and India's surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The ties further nose-dived in 2017 with no bilateral talks talking place between them.

Amidst deadly skirmishes along the Line of Control and diplomatic bickering for better part of 2018, the consensus on both sides to open the Kartarpur corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims has created a ray of hope for improvement in Indo-Pak ties.

"Wars bring death, destruction and misery for the people. Ultimately all issues are resolved on the table through negotiations that is why we are trying very hard to help bring a lasting peace in Afghanistan by supporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace plan," Bajwa said.

He also warned that Pakistan is yet to get out from terrorism or sabotage phase of an unannounced war against it.

"Like the terrorists before; the protagonists of the new threats are at times, our own people. Mostly misguided by ambitions, blinded by hate, ethnicity or religion or simply overawed by social media onslaught, some of our own boys and girls readily fall victim to such dangerous or hostile narratives," Bajwa said.

Referring to hybrid warfare, the army chief said information and modern technology has changed the nature of warfare now being waged and has tilted the balance in favour of those nations that have embraced the change readily.

"But frankly speaking, even that will not be sufficient as the ever-increasing threat of hybrid war, to which we are subjected to, will need a totally new approach and change of traditional mindset," he said.

Advising future military leaders to prepare themselves for the threats they will face, Bajwa said that they should be able to "gauge the enemies latest moves and be ready to respond, even when a surgical strike exists only in cognitive domain or media or even when the attack comes, not in the battlefield but in cyber space, or against country's ideological frontiers."



"The response to such onslaughts or threats cannot always be kinetic in nature," he said, adding that a superior narrative needs to be propagated to deal with attacks in the cognitive domain.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At the event, Momoe Takeuchi from WHO said by Whos statistics, thousands of people globally die of antibiotic resistance and spends dozens of thousand of dollar on treatment.



Because of people suffering antibiotic resitance, they have had longer stay in hospitals and the mortality hs surged, according to WHOs figures of the number of antibiotic resistance people in 2014 in 114 nations.

Though the Southeast Asian country has built a system to control antibiotic from 2013, Vietnam there has been no figure of how many people suffering antibiotic resistance in Vietnam.

Rampant sales and purchases of biotic have been taking place especially buying without doctors prescription. Most of drug store assisstants in Vietnam dont ask prescription and 87 percent of residents can buy the medicine from drug store. Vietnam authority needs to tighten control over the medicine responsibly not only in health sector but also in agriculture sector, Ms.Momoe Takeuchi said.

Deputy Health Minister Professor Nguyen Truong Son said antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human and Vietnams economy because there has been an increase in uncontrolable use of biotic in treating people and animals.

Realizing the threat, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other partners signed an agreement on prevention of antibiotic resistance in 2013.

Ministries have set up nine inspection teams and supervision network in medical institutions as well as built national action plan on infection for the period 2016-2020 and guidance on using biotic in health facilities.

Moreover, ministries implemented precription project and controlled precription to minimize sales of biotic without precription in response to the World Health Organizations appeal  No action today, no drug tomorrow.

In spite of the fact that hospitals have established management system over using biotic and reduced wrong use of biotic much, drug stores and private clinics are two places where health watchdog cant control over precription of rampant biotic, Professor Son said.

By THANH SON - Translated by BAO LONG
An anti-corruption court in Pakistan will deliver its judgment on Monday in two remaining corruption cases against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik of Islamabad-based accountability court last week reserved the judgment after completion of hearing in the Flagship Investment and Al-Azizia cases against 68-year-old Sharif.

The verdict will be announced on December 24, which is the revised deadline set by the Supreme Court to wrap up the remaining two corruption cases against the three-time former prime minister.

If found guilty, Sharif can be sentenced up to 14 years in jail.

The accountability court had indicted Sharif for holding assets beyond his known sources of income in August 2017.

Last week, the judge rejected application by Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Harris to provide one week time to submit more documents but allowed him to provide any document by Friday last.

The judge also observed that the court was bound to follow December 24 final deadline set by the Supreme Court.

Three cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship Investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched by the National Accountability Bureau on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the apex court that disqualified Sharif.

The apex court initially set six month deadline to conclude the cases but it was subsequently increase around eight times on the request of the accountability court.

Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July, 2017.

In July, 2018 Sharif, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar were sentenced to 11 years, eight years and one year respectively in prison in the Avenfield properties case related to their purchase of four luxury flats in London through corrupt practices. However, the three were bailed out by the Islamabad High Court in September.

His two sons - Hassan and Hussain - were also co-accused in all three cases but they were declared absconders for failing to appear before the court even for a single time.

The court decided to hear their cases separately once they returned back.

The three-time former prime minister and his family have denied any wrongdoing.

Sharif, who religiously followed the proceeding by appearing before the court for at least 78 times, told the media after the court reserved the judgment last week that he not committed any corruption.

"Not a penny of corruption has been proven against meI am very happy that I have done my duty, and I think that since I have stepped in politics I have never indulged in corruption nor have misused my power," he said.

Veteran politician Javed Hashmi on Saturday predicted that Sharif will be convicted in the Flagship and Al-Azizia case as "the institutions won't let these (cases) prove false".

Talking to the media in Multan, he said that the purpose of the NAB was to make politicians change their political loyalties.

"I will not accept this decision as Nawaz Sharif will be convicted at any cost," he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Lone Sunday said his party, People's Conference, favours constructive engagement for resolution of the Kashmir problem for a lasting peace in the region.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has a role to control the situation but the solution is not available with our assembly At the political level, it is the central government which has a bigger role and then it spans across the Line of Control (LoC) as well.

We are in favour of it and it should be done through constructive engagement, Lone told reporters while welcoming several prominent persons to his party fold here.

The people who joined Lone's party included former MLA Zanskar Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi, Peoples Democratic Party's additional spokesperson Abhijeet Jasrotia, laywers Abrar Ahmad and Irfan Inquilabi from Poonch and Ashish Pandita.

He said the state assembly does not have the power to resolve Kashmir issue.

If I promise you a solution of the conflict on the basis of a vote which is inadequate to resolve it, it will tantamount to lying (to the people). This is beyond the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as the provincial government has a limited role to control the symptoms, which is violence, said the People's Conference leader, flanked by former minister Imran Ansari.

He said the People's conference is not against the constructive engagement or dialogue to resolve the issue.

The constructive engagement of any sort on the conflict is not a substitute to reach out to the people of the state. Two measures are there to address any conflict the operational which the Army and the police are taking care of and the second one is structural which is not based on dialogue alone," he said.

He said the central government should have a long time strategy on reaching out to the J&K people across the state.

When I say reach out, it does not mean economic doles, it means engaging and removing the mistrust and when you speak about the conflict resolution, you never talk in days and years but it takes decades. The state assembly has a six-year tenure while the conflict resolution takes decades, he said.

Replying to a question about the lack of measures by the BJP-led government at the Centre to address the Kashmir problem, Lone shot back, Why only five years, let us talk about 15, 20 and 25 years.

I am saying there should be a long time strategy. The Manmohan Singh-led government have done no wonders. What type of dialogue or engagement he held? The working group were formed and I prepared a roadmap under the name of 'Achievable Nationhood' on their direction but they refused to acknowledge it. Instead, it was shelved."



Referring to the roundtable conferences and working groups, he said, Roundtable was meant to be with separatist but the PDP went under the table and pleaded that they will be left irrelevant if the mainstream parties were involved, they were aware that they (separatists) will then not share the table with them.

What happened to the recommendations of the working groups, interlocutor's reports? Nothing was implemented. It is a fine art of lying. How long we will lie? First, whom they met, their own people who have no grudge, he said, adding they (the National Conference and the PDP) are propagating dialogue with separatists but who sabotaged the dialogue with militants in 2002 when the PDP was in power.

He asked, "Who called the media to the guest house where dialogue was scheduled between militants and the government. All the three (Hizbul Mujahideen militant commanders involved in the dialogue) were killed. Who is sabotaging?



The former minister in the PDP-BJP government said one is trying to go sincerely to reach out and resolve, other is pretending to resolve.

"What we have seen are the pretensions of different sorts, he asserted.

Criticising the National Conference leadership, he said it was the rigging in 1987 state elections which led to the eruption of militancy in the state.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the recent court order handing over life imprisonment to Congress leader Sujjan Kumar in 1984 Sikh riots case. The verdict plays a deterrent for others although the sentence was given after 34 years but who is responsible for the death and destruction in the valley and why they are being allowed to walk away with it, he said.

I am not saying that it (1987 rigging of elections) was the cause but it definitely was the greatest facilitator to change a historically peaceful population and trigger violence. Nobody is talking about it. Why are we obsessed with only the symptom, killing is the symptom, there is a disease and 1987 is the part of the disease and unless you bring the perpetrators of 1987 to book, this thing will not stop, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was resorting to manipulation of statistics to paint a rosy picture of his government's achievements.

Yechuri claimed Modi's announcement that 99 per cent goods will now attract 18 per cent or lower GST as a "post truth", since 97 per cent of merchandise or services already attract 18 per cent or less GST.

"The method adopted by Modi surpasses Goebells," he said, drawing a parallel with Hitler's Propaganda Minister during the Nazi rule in Germany.

"Statistics are manipulated to distort facts," Yechuri said, speaking at a seminar on Karl Marx's 200th birth anniversary celebrations, organised by the Communist Party of India(Marxist) here.

He also claimed that the prime minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were resorting to such manipulation to suit their interest and paint a rosy picture of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's achievements, when the ground reality was otherwise.

Modi had on Tuesday said in Mumbai, "Today, the GST system has been established to a large extent and we are working towards a position where 99 per cent items will attract the sub-18 per cent GST slab."



The GST Council on Saturday reduced tax rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screens and power banks, and exempted frozen and preserved vegetables from the levy.

With this cut, only 28 goods are now left in the highest 28-per cent tax bracket.

Yechury said in order to divert and dilute protests growing against the government over "miseries of people, the ruling BJP and similar other organisations are resorting to sharpening of communal polarisation."



Likening PM Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah with characters from the Mahabharata, the former Rajya Sabha member said, "Of the 100 Kauravas, we know the names of Duryodhan and Dushashan, just as in the BJP, we know of Modi and Shah.""The Kauravas said how can five Pandavas defeat 100 of them, but eventually that happened; likewise the BJP claims to be invincible, but the state polls have shown they can be defeated," Yechury said.

He said the government's move to authorise 10 Central agencies to intercept any information on computers was an indication that the country was moving "towards a police state."



Alleging that the Centre wants to gag dissenting voice, he said people talking against the government are termed 'urban Naxalites'.

Yechury also criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for taking different stands in West Bengal and at the national level on upholding democratic rights.

He said that West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was "murdering democracy in Bengal and speaking of upholding it in the rest of the country."



The CPI(M) politburo member said in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, one has to be clear who are the real allies in the fight against the saffron party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assam is all set to get India's longest rail-cum-road bridge on December 25, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays open the 4.94-km-long strategically important project over the mighty Brahmaputra at Bogibeel.

The Bogibeel Bridge, which was a part of the Assam Accord and sanctioned in 1997-98, is likely to play a crucial role in defence movement along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.

The foundation stone of the project was laid by former prime minister H D Deve Gouda on January 22, 1997, while work commenced on April 21, 2002 under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. December 25 happens to be Vajpayee's birth anniversary.

Because of the inordinate delay in implementation, the cost of the project escalated by 85 per cent to Rs 5,960 crore from the sanctioned estimated cost of Rs 3,230.02 crore. The total length of the bridge was also revised to 4.94 km from the earlier 4.31 km.

Realising its strategic importance, the central government had declared the construction of the bridge as a National Project in 2007, thereby assuring availability of fund for speedy construction.

Although it will ease out inconvenience caused to people living on the northern side of Brahmaputra to a great extent, officials said the defence requirement played an important role while sanctioning the structure and its design.

"The bridge will enhance the national security of the eastern region by facilitating swift movement of defence forces and their equipment. It was constructed in such a way that even a fighter jet can land on it in case of emergency," a defence source said.

Moreover, because of the technology used, the Air Force will have three landing strips, he said.

"The biggest advantage of the bridge will be easy movement of troops from southern to northern bank. This means travelling to the farthest most point of India's border with China will be shortened by several hundred kilometres.

"First, the Dhola-Sadiya bridge and now Bogibeel -- these two are going to enhance India's defence prowess," a senior Army official said.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said almost 75 per cent of the 4,000-km long border that India shares with China is in Arunachal Pradesh, and the bridge will help in logistical support for the Indian Army manning the border.

The Bogibeel Bridge over river Brahmaputra is situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh city in Assam, and it has been constructed for double-line broad gauge track along with three-lane roads, he said.

"This bridge will be the lifeline of the north eastern part of the country and will facilitate connectivity between north and south banks of river Brahmaputra in the eastern region of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

"The remote districts of Anjaw, Changlang, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley and Tirap of Arunachal Pradesh will be greatly benefited," Sharma said.

The road distance from Dibrugarh to Itanagar will be reduced by 150 km and the railway travel distance between these two points will shorten by 705 km, while this bridge will provide an alternate and shorter route from Dibrugarh through north bank of Brahmaputra to Delhi and Kolkata via Rangiya, he added.

"The distance from Dibrugarh to Rangiya will be reduced by 170 km... Upper Assam and Eastern Arunachal Pradesh will see massive socio economic development," the CPRO said.

Lakhimpur and Dhemaji in Assam will also benefit from the bridge, as the two districts do not have any reputed educational institute or good medical service.

Students and patients have to cross the river on boat to come to Dibrugarh, which houses the famed Dibrugarh University and Assam Medical College, besides a dozen other such centres.

Sharma informed that 30 lakh bags of cement, 19,250 mt reinforcement steel and 2,800 mt structural steel were used for construction of the mammoth structure.

For the super structure of the main bridge, 77,000 mt of steel fabrication was required, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hit out at the for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying it was an "unholy alliance" of various political parties for "personal survival".

People will see through the "incoherent alliance of rich dynasties," Modi said during his interaction with booth workers from Chennai Central, Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchirappally and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu through video conference.

The prime minister recalled that the key constituent of the mega alliance - the Telugu Desam Party-- was formed against the very "high-handedness" of the Congress by the veteran, late chief minister N T Rama Rao but said the party was now keen to join hands with the Congress.

Some parties in the claimed to be inspired by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran himself opposed the Congress and its ideologies, Modi said.

"Today several leaders are talking about a grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan. This alliance is for personal survival, and is not ideology-based support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance for personal ambitions, not people's aspirations," he said.

While several parties and leaders in the coalition claimed to be deeply inspired by Lohia, he said "was deeply opposed to the Congress," Modi said.

Many leaders in the coalition were "arrested and tortured" during the Emergency, he said without referring to anyone.

The Congress "ecosytem" spared none, he said and pointed out at the dismissal of the AIADMK government of late chief minister MG Ramachandran in 1980 though he had people's support.

Mahagathbandhan is a grand alliance of opposition parties against the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is to unveil projects worth around Rs 15,000 crore in Odisha on Monday, is slated to visit the state again twice next month, a senior party leader said Sunday.

Modi will visit Odisha to address two meetings on January 5 and January 16, BJP state in-charge Arun Singh said.

During his brief Odisha visit on Monday, he will dedicate the new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar at Aragul built at a cost of Rs 1660 crore and launch a slew of projects related to higher education, health, road and highways and culture via video conferencing from there.

The prime minister will address a public meeting near Khurda on Monday.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who took stock of preparations for Modi's one-day Odisha visit, said the prime minister will unveil several developmental projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in line with his vision of "PURBODAYA" - a prosperous East for building a new India.

Thereafter, the PM will also address a gathering from the foothills of Barunei hills near Khurda - the land of 'Paika Rebellion', he said.

Asserting that a wave of change is now sweeping across Odisha ahead of 2019 elections, the BJP state in-charge said the prime minister is all set to visit the state twice in January next year.

Modi will visit Odisha on January 5 to address a public meeting at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, while he is slated to attend another meeting in the state on January 16, Singh said.

Stating that the popularity of the prime minister has been growing in Odisha, the senior BJP leader claimed, "Modiji occupies an important position in the hearts of the people of the state."



Another senior BJP leader said top leaders including party president Amit Shah are set to make frequent visits to Odisha where assembly election is scheduled to be held along with Lok Sabha polls next year.

Pradhan said these projects will bring unprecedented development to the state.

Modi will lay foundation stone for a permanent campus of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Berhampur, Paradip-Hyderabad product pipeline, six-laning of the Chandikhole-Bhadrak section of NH-16, construction of Bokaro-Angul section of Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra gas pipeline project and four-laning of Cuttack-Angul section of NH-42.

The prime minister will also inaugurate new facility of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital in Bhubaneshwar which came up at a cost of Rs 73.5 crore, official sources said.

He will also inaugurate the archaeological museum at Lalitgiri, one of the earliest Buddhist settlements in Odisha situated 120 km north of Bhubaneshwar.

A thick security blanket has been laid for the PM's visit, said Inspector General of Police (Central Range), Soumendra Priyadarshi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India is preparing an agenda for the World Trade Organization (WTO) by taking on board the views of developed as well as developing countries, which is expected to be discussed in Davos, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said.

Key trade ministers from countries including from India would meet next month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Summit at Davos to discuss the road ahead for the WTO.

"We are in the process of preparing an agenda for WTO, which will be acceptable to most of the countries, and which will take on board the views of developing and developed countries," Prabhu told PTI.

"We (key trade ministers) are meeting on the sidelines of Davos for mini-ministerial on WTO, where we would like to present this proposal," he added.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of growing protectionism in the global trade. Several countries are raising customs duties to protect their industry.

Duty hike by the US on certain steel and aluminium products has triggered a trade war kind of situation.

The rich nations are forming groupings to prepare ground for pushing new issues such as investment facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on fisheries.

India has been keenly pushing agricultural issues at the WTO. It has also been raising its voice against bringing new issues, especially those which are not directly linked to trade, to the negotiating table.

The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial conference collapsed after the US went back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding issue, a key matter for India.

The four-day conference in Argentina, which ended without a ministerial declaration or any substantive outcome, did manage to make feeble progress on fisheries and e-commerce by agreeing to work programmes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and emphasised a "dire need" for unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The meeting between the two leaders assumed significance amid talks about efforts on formation of a new political front of like-minded, non-BJP and non-Congress parties to take on the national ones in the upcoming polls.

"I can say certainly that there is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP," Rao told reporters after meeting BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Both the chief ministers had a detailed discussion on national issues, including the need for "better friendship among regional parties", Patnaik said.

"This is just the beginning of a dialogue... We will meet again and discuss how to take things forward," Rao said.

After an impressive victory of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state assembly poll, Rao has embarked on a journey to bring together anti-Congress and anti-BJP parties for next year's Lok Sabha polls.

The TRS chief is scheduled to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes to Hyderabad and says the TRS is the "B team" of the Congress, its president Rahul Gandhi claim that the TRS president is the "B team" of the BJP, Rao said, adding, "Let me tell you, we are our own team."



Senior Congress leader and the party in-charge for Telangana, Ramachandra Khuntia, alleged that Rao's meeting with Patnaik is part of a game plan to weaken the proposed "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) among non-BJP parties.

The Telangana CM has been acting at the behest of the saffron party and the NDA to dilute efforts of like-minded, non-BJP parties for formation of a grand alliance before the general elections, Khuntia claimed.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Rao's visit will have no impact on the BJP's electoral prospects as "zero added to zero will have no value".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Terror group al-Qaeda is on a resurgent mode and may be plotting major terrorist attacks on airports and airliners, Britain's security minister warned on Sunday.

The terrorist group behind the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001 poses a growing threat that is keeping ministers awake at night, Ben Wallace told The Sunday Times.

"The aviation threat is real," he warned, adding that British intelligence had revealed that al-Qaeda was developing technology to bring down passenger jets.

"Aviation is still a blue riband event for these terrorists. al-Qaeda are resurgent. They have reorganised. They are pushing more and more plots towards Europe and have become familiar with new methods and still aspire to aviation attacks, he said.

The minister said the government had pumped in 25 million pounds into a joint UK Home Office and Department for Transport research programme on how to protect planes even more from new chemicals, different methods of explosion and insider threats.

He noted that the decline of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group meant al-Qaeda would seek to reassert itself as the world's leading terror group and an aviation attack could be its calling card.

al-Qaeda sat quietly in the corner and tried to work out what the 21st century looked like, while ISIS became the latest terrorist boy band, but they have not gone away they have reorganised. You're seeing al-Qaeda appear in areas we thought were dormant, Wallace told the newspaper.

al-Qaeda and its affiliates are now believed to be active in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and other countries in the Middle East.

The UK minister said improvements in airport security meant terrorists were less likely to smuggle explosives through terminal security systems.

They have explored other ways of getting bombs on planes. We've talked publicly about an insider threat issue. If you can't get in the front door, you're going to try to get in the back door, he said.

"In 2019 we should be alert to al-Qaeda. They are re-energising some previous links and support and their ambition towards aviation is real, he added.

The minister also confirmed that 13 Islamist terror plots have been thwarted in Britain since March 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The scheme of amalgamation spelling out the contours of the merger of (BoB), and is expected to be finalised by the end of this month, sources said.

As per the requirement, the scheme of amalgamation will be placed before Parliament, which is in session till January 8.

The scheme is being worked out and will subsequently get vetted by respective boards of the three It will have details of share swap ratio and requirement of capital from the promoter, sources said.

The government has already committed funds for facilitating the first three-way merger in the public sector banking space.

The government expects that the new entity will be operational from the beginning of the next financial year, the sources added.

The move follows top lender last year merging five of its subsidiary with itself and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank, catapulting it to among the top 50 global lenders.

Earlier in September, the 'Alternative Mechanism' (AM) headed by Minister decided to merge the three with a view to creating a global-sized lender which will be stronger and sustainable.

The minister assured capital support to the merged entity. Other members of the AM included Railways Minister and

The merged entity will have a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore, making it the third largest bank after SBI and

It will have better financial strength. The net NPA ratio will be at 5.71 per cent, significantly better than the (PSB) average of 12.13 per cent.

Besides, Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) would be better at 67.5 per cent against the average of 63.7 per cent and cost to income ratio would come down to 48.94 per cent as compared to average 53.92 per cent.

Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) at 12.25 per cent will be significantly above the regulatory norm of 10.87 per cent, and the stronger amalgamated bank will be better positioned to tap the capital markets.
Scientists have developed a self-powered bandage that generates an electric field over an injury, dramatically reducing the healing time for skin wounds.

Skin has a remarkable ability to heal itself, but in some cases, wounds heal very slowly or not at all, putting a person at risk for chronic pain, infection and scarring.

Chronic skin wounds include diabetic foot ulcers, venous ulcers and non-healing surgical wounds.

Doctors have tried various approaches to help chronic wounds heal, including bandaging, dressing, exposure to oxygen and growth-factor therapy, but they often show limited effectiveness.

Researchers from University of Wisconsin in the US and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China wanted to develop a flexible, self-powered bandage that could convert skin movements into a therapeutic electric field. They tested the bandage on rats.

To power their e-bandage, the team 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.

Wounds covered by e-bandages closed within three days, compared with 12 days for 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A SpaceX rocket on Sunday blasted off a powerful GPS satellite for the US Air Force, marking its 21st and final launch for the year 2018.

"Three, two, one, zero. Ignition and liftoff," said a SpaceX mission control operator as the white Falcon 9 rocket took off under sunny, blue skies at 8:51 am (1351 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The launch sent the Global Positioning System III space vehicle (SV) satellite into space to join the Air Force's constellation of 31 operational GPS satellites.

It promises "three times better accuracy," and an extended, 15-year operational life, said a SpaceX statement.

Billions of people worldwide depend on GPS to support financial, transportation, and agricultural infrastructure.

SpaceX said the rocket was a "rare, expendable" version of the Falcon 9 since it would not attempt to re-land the booster after launch, needing to reserve all the rocket fuel to propel the satellite to its distant orbit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DMK Chief M K Stalin Sunday stood by his remarks about making Congress president Rahul Gandhi the Opposition's prime ministerial candidate and said that some state leaders would take a call on the recommendation at a later date.

"Some people questioned whether I can propose Rahul Gandhi's name as the prime ministerial candidate. What is wrong in that?" he said at an event here.

"If we do not propose (Rahul Gandhi's name), then who will? Did anyone deny it? Some state leaders are planning to decide on it after sorting out differences in their respective states," he said.

Stalin had on December 16 vowed to make Congress chief Rahul Gandhi the country's next prime minister, lauding him for having the ability to defeat the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

"In 2018, on the occasion of unveiling Thalaivar Kalaignar statue, I propose, we will install a new prime minister in Delhi. We will build a new India, as the son of Thalaivar Kalaignar, I propose the candidature of Rahul Gandhi from Tamil Nadu," he had said.

The DMK chief reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a 'sadist' as he did not visit Tamil Nadu after cyclone Gaja that left a trail of destruction and claimed more than 50 lives in the state.

"Today, the topic is being widely debated. What's wrong in my comment? I did not say it at a personal level. Not as a leader of the BJP, he's the prime minister now. I am saying he did not even offer condolences to those who lost their lives due to cyclone Gaja," Stalin said.

Reacting to his remarks, BJP Tamil Nadu unit President Tamilisai Soundarrajan said in Chennai that Stalin has become the "saddest Stalin".

"Stalin called Modi sadist in the presence of Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, but it is he who is the saddest," she told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seers in Uttar Pradesh have disapproved of recent remarks by politicians, sticking caste and creed labels on

The seers expressed disapproval after state's Religious Affair Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary dubbed as a Jat, saying that like Jats, the deity never tolerated injustice to anybody, anywhere.

The minister made the remark Friday after another BJP leader dubbed as a Muslim on the ground that his name rhymed with Islamic names like Rahman, Arman, Qurban etc.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had earlier dubbed Bajrang Bali as a Dalit.

"There should be stringent action against those making such unsavoury remarks about God. The politicians must not drag God's name to reap political dividends," Mahant Ramdas of Nirmohi Akhara of Ayodhya told PTI.

"This is absolutely wrong and simply despicable. Lord Hanuman is worshipped by a large section of the society cutting across religious lines," he said.

Mahant Ramdas' views were echoed by Mahant Raju Das of Ayodhya's Hanumangarhi temple too.

"Those making such frivolous remarks must be punished. They are unnecessarily dragging Lord Hanuman's name to realise their vested interests. This is simply unfortunate," Mahant Raju Das said.

Another seer from Lucknow too depricated the politicians' trend of sticking caste and creed label to Lord Hanuman.

"The politicians' act of associating Sankat Mochan with a particular religion or caste has pained me immensely," chief priest at Lucknow's Hanuman Setu temple Bhagwan Singh Bisht told PTI.

"How can we categorise God as belonging to one or the other religion, when the five elements of nature - fire, water, earth, space and air have none?" asked Bisht.

"Just like air is inhaled by the people of all caste and creed, Lord Hanuman too is worshipped by his followers from various religions," he pointed out.

ALSO READ: Lord Hanuman was a Muslim, claims BJP MLC

Terming the trend as "unfortunate", he urged politicos to refrain from doing so.

Uttar Pradesh minister Chaudhary had said Friday that the Hindu deity belonged to the Jat community.

"Jats are descendants of Lord Hanuman. Hanumanji was a Jat," the minister had told PTI.

"Lord Ram's wife, goddess Sita, was abducted by Ravan, but Lanka was burnt by Hanumanji. It's injustice being done to someone by someone and the third person does not know either of them. This is the nature of Jats... they intervene whenever any injustice is done to anybody," the minister explained the rationale behind his statement.

The minister's remarks had followed those of his party colleague and MLC Bukkal Nawab, who had on Thursday said that Lord Hanuman was "actually a Muslim".

Nawab, who left the Samajwadi Party to join the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, argued that the deity's name rhymed with those of Muslims, who are named after the deity.

He cited names like Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zishan, Qurban etc., to buttress his point.

ALSO READ: Lord Hanuman was 'a Dalit and slave of manuvadi' people, says BJP MP

Campaigning for the recent assembly elections, Chief Minister Adityanath had said last month, "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."

BJP MP Savitribai Phule, who quit the party recently, had agreed that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit, but an opponent of the "manuwadis."

"Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a slave of 'manuwadi' people. He was a Dalit and a human. He did everything for Lord Ram, yet he was given a tail and his face blackened," she had said.

Incidentally, a Jain priest in Bhopal had claimed that Lord Hanuman was neither a Dalit nor a tribal, but a Jain.

Acharya Nirbhay Sagar Maharaj, who heads a Jain temple in Samasgad, nearly 25 km from Bhopal, claimed that according to Jain scriptures, Lord Hanuman was a Jain. He was one of the 169 great persons identified in Jainism.
Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors has reportedly assured Prime Minister Theresa May of the company's commitment to Britain's automotive industry despite the ongoing turmoil of

According to 'The Sunday Times', Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran is understood to have written to the British premier to stress that the Tata Group plans to keep investing in JLR and has no intention of selling the firm.

The UK newspaper quoted sources as saying that the letter was designed to reassure ministers in Britain about its long-term commitment to the UK as it seeks government support for electric and driverless technology, and for building a battery factory in the Midlands region of England.

The report comes amid reports of JLR being forced to make job cuts, shedding more than 1,000 agency staff and putting 2,000 workers at its Castle Bromwich plant in the West Midlands on a three-day week.

JLR CEO Ralf Speth has made regular interventions to warn against a "hard Brexit", or crashing out of the European Union (EU) without a good deal in place, which would adversely hit the car maker's supply chains and sales.

The Tata Group had acquired the iconic British luxury car brand from Ford in 2008 for USD 2.3 billion, reviving its sagging fortunes to a profitable company employing 40,000 staff. However, falling diesel sales, waning consumer confidence, a collapse in the Chinese market and contingency planning have wreaked havoc in recent months.

The Midlands-based company racked up half-year losses of 354 million pounds between March and September, reversing profits of 953 million pounds for the same period a year earlier.

The Tata Group declined to comment on the letter quoted in UK media.
In a suspected case of honour killing, a 22-year-old woman, who married a man from a different caste, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Telangana's Mancherial district, police said Sunday.

A. Laxman, the husband of the woman, has complained to police that his wife Anuradha was forcibly taken away by her parents on Saturday night, a senior police officer said.

"Our teams were searching for her and in the due course we found some human bones at a nearby village. We have sent them for forensic examination. We we will not be able to comment anything as of now", Mancherial DCP Venugopal Rao told PTI.

A police official, who was part of the investigation, said they have taken Anuradha's parents and a few of her relatives into custody for questioning.

They confessed that Anuradha was dead, the official said, adding that it is not yet clear whether they killed her or she died due to some other problem.

However, the kin confessed that they burnt her body at Mallapur village in nearby Nirmal district. The cause of her death is yet to be ascertained, the official said.

Laxman used to work as a computer operator while Anuradha was a diploma holder in education. Both got married in Arya Samaj in Hyderabad during the first week of this month as the parents of Anuradha refused to let her marry.

Meanwhile, a video which purportedly shows Anuradha saying that she wanted to live with Laxman, and that her parents will be responsible if anything happens to him or her, has gone viral.

She also purportedly says that police should take cognisance of the video.

The DCP said they are leaving no stone unturned to nab the culprits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The passage of a long-pending bill on transgender rights in the Lok Sabha towards the fag end of the year was the main highlight of 2018 for the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, which otherwise strove for implementation of its schemes.

However, several representatives of the transgender community and activists dubbed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill as "regressive" and said it disregarded most recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

They said the bill was in stark "violation" of the fundamental rights of transgender persons enshrined in the Constitution as equal citizens.

On the flip side, the ministry grappled with the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act with only a third of the states having enacted the rules under the legislation, which was notified for enforcement in April 2016.

The crucial issue of sub-categorisation of the OBCs which had generated a lot of hope within the community with the government forming a panel for the purpose last year has not made much headway.

The National Drug Demand Reduction Policy to address the problem of drug and substance abuse in the country, and the review of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to toughen provisions dealing with the abuse of old people and lay emphasis on good and affordable healthcare for them also didn't make much progress.

Some of the initiatives which stood out for the ministry in 2018 include launch of the country's first-of-its-kind dictionary aimed at bringing uniformity in sign languages used by hearing and speech impaired people across the nation. The dictionary comprise 3,000 Hindi and English words and their corresponding graphic representation of the signs which are used in daily life.

The ministry in 2018 also decided to continue its post-matric scholarship scheme for SC students for three years and an amount of Rs 3,000 crore was earmarked for the 2018-19 fiscal, approved the proposal for revision and continuation of National Fellowship Scheme for SC students and revised the central sector scholarship scheme of top class education for SC students to cover more institutions with increased number of slots (scholarships).

The Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, which was launched during 2009-10 (pilot phase) and expanded during 2014-15 (Phase-I), has been further expanded and will cover 4484 SC majority villages (Phase-II).

Among the activities that kept the ministry busy in 2018, 1456 camps across the country under the Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) were organised and more than 2.40 lakh people with disabilities were provided aids and assistive devices in 2018.

Also, 3430 motorised tricycles were distributed and 287 cochlear implant surgeries were conducted in the year.

Under the Accessible India Campaign (AIC), the disability division of the ministry made major strides in creating universal accessibility for disabled in built environment, transport, and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem.

So far, access audit of 1,662 buildings in 50 cities has been completed by the auditors.

All 34 international airports and 48 domestic airports in the country have been provided with accessible features such as ramps, accessible toilets, lifts with Braille symbols and auditory signals. Out of 709 'A-1', 'A' and 'B' category railway stations, 670 railway stations have been provided with all short-term facilities and 639 railway stations have been provided with all long-term facilities.

Also, 8.4 per cent public transport buses of 58 SRTUs (State/UT wise total bus fleet and buses in public sector) have been provided overall accessibility.

Out of 100 central government ministries/departments, websites of 94 ministries/departments have been made accessible so far.

The department has already initiated Unique Disability Identification project with a view to create national database for PwDs, to issue unique disability ID (UDID) card along with disability certificate to everyone.

In this regard, a web-based software was developed and was being shared with all the state government and UTs, through training of their personnel. Once the project covers all persons with disabilities, UDID Card will be made mandatory for availing various governments benefits.

So far, 463 districts of 27 states/UTs have generated 11.20 lakh e-UDID Cards. An MoU was signed between Australia and India for cooperation in disability sector on November 22 during the visit of President to Australia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that he would replace Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with his deputy Patrick Shanahan as acting Pentagon chief on January 1.

Mattis resigned last week over his differences with Trump on key policy issues, especially on his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump tweeted.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!" he added.

Shanahan spent over three decades working for aircraft giant Boeing before moving to the Pentagon as deputy in 2017.

Mattis' resignation came just after Trump declared that US troops would leave Syria, a decision termed by many experts and lawmakers as "rash" and "dangerous".

In his resignation letter, Mattis wrote, "Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position...My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held."



Trump also said he had a long and productive call with his Turkish counterpart.

"We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area," he tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Algerian coastguards on Sunday said they had recovered the bodies of a mother and her daughter who were among 20 migrants to go missing in the Mediterranean after their boat caught fire.

The blaze hit the vessel as it carried 27 migrants, all from Algeria, the country's state agency APS reported Friday.

Nine people, including infants, were rescued by a Liberian-flagged vessel.

Police identified the two corpses found on Saturday off the coastal city of Oran as a mother and daughter, APS said Sunday.

The father of the family was among the 18 migrants still missing at sea, while the son was recovering in hospital, the agency said, adding that search operations were ongoing.

A survivor told the Echourouk online outlet that passengers jumped into the sea as fire spread through the boat shortly after it left Oran on Wednesday.

Around 2,200 migrants have drowned while trying to make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean this year, the International Organization for Migration says.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three people were killed and six others injured when a two-storey under-construction structure in a chawl collapsed Sunday morning, police said.

The incident took place at around 9.15 am at Motilal Nagar in Goregaon (West) when the slab of the two-floor building gave way during construction, an official said.

The structure was part of a chawl (tenement) of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), he said.

Fire brigade and police personnel rushed to the spot after getting information about the collapse and started a rescue operation, he said.

At least three fire engines, one rescue van and an ambulance were deployed for the operation, the official said.

At least nine people trapped inside the debris were rescued and rushed to SiddharthHospital in Goregaon, he said.

A 27-year-old man, Shravan Kumar Goremandal, was declared dead on arrival, he said.

One Subhash Chavan (38) and an unidentified person also succumbed to injuries, the official said.

Three of the injured, Mangal Bansa (35), Munna Shaikh (30) and Shekhar(35), were admitted in the hospital, while the others discharged after treatment, he said.

An accidental death report was registered at the Goregaon Police station and a probe is underway, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 236 cases of atrocities by police personnel were registered in between 2014 and 2016, the highest in the country's total of 411 such cases during the same period, according to an official data.

was followed by where 63 cases of atrocities by police personnel were registered in the same period. However, there has been no conviction so far in the cases registered during this period.

In September, a 38-year-old store manager, who was in an SUV, was shot dead by a constable after he allegedly refused to stop his car in

A Special Investigation Team of the police last week suggested in its report that constable Prashant Chowdhary had opened fire "without any provocation" at executive Vivek Tiwari, leading to his death.

According to the Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Uttar Pradesh registered 236 cases against police personnel for between 2014 and 2016. During this period, a total of 411 such cases were lodged against police personnel in the country, with 57.4 per cent of them registered in Uttar Pradesh alone.

The conviction rate of such cases against police personnel is dismal as only three of them have been convicted from 2014 to 2016.

In 2014, 46 cases of by the police personnel came to light in Uttar Pradesh out of which 39 were found to be false during the course of investigation. Seven police personnel were chargesheeted while three were convicted.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for 42.5 per cent of the 108 cases of atrocities by police personnel registered in the country in 2014.

In 2015, as many as 34 cases of atrocities were lodged against Uttar Pradesh police personnel out of which one case was found to be false while 19 personnel were chargesheeted. None of them have been convicted so far. In the same year, 94 such cases were lodged in the country, with the state accounting for 36.2 per cent of them.

Showing a steep rise, 156 cases of by police personnel were registered in Uttar Pradesh. During investigation, 69 cases were fund to be false while 39 personnel chargesheeted. However, none of them have been convicted yet. The highest number of such cases in 2016 were registered in Uttar Pradesh, with the state accounting for 74.6 per cent of the total 209 human rights violations cases registered against police personnel in the country in the year.

The cases of human rights violations by police personnel include disappearance of persons, illegal detention or arrests, fake encounter killings, extortion, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, atrocities on scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, torture among others.
When came to know that she was on the cover of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list in 2013, it hardly impressed her as she told her father, "I do not believe in such categorisation of human beings".

Her father Ziauddin Yousafzai talks about this interesting fact in his new book "Let Her Fly: A Father's Journey and the Fight for Equality".

Malala was on the cover and inside she was ranked number 15. President Barack Obama was 51st.

A driver named Shahid Hussain in Britain showed a copy of the magazine on his phone to Ziauddin who in turn showed it to his daughter.

While Malala was in the hospital, first full-time, then visiting for ongoing treatment, (wife Toor) Pekai and I needed somebody to drive us to and from the facility. One day, our driver, Shahid Hussain, who had become our friend, arrived with news of TIME magazine's 2013 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, Ziauddin writes.



Please I request you show this report to her. She will be so happy, Hussain told Ziauddin. He gave his mobile phone to show her.

Ziauddin took the phone and showed it to Malala.

I was so proud of what was on the screen. She took the phone from me and studied it. And then she put it down. Well,' she said, I do not believe in such categorisation of human beings', he writes in the book published by WH Allen.

For over 20 years, Ziauddin has been fighting for equality, first for Malala and then for all girls throughout the world living in patriarchal societies.

Taught as a young boy in to believe that he was inherently better than his sisters, Ziauddin rebelled against inequality at a young age. And when he had a daughter himself he vowed that Malala would have an education, something usually only given to boys and he founded a school that she could attend.

Then in 2012, Malala was shot for standing up to the Taliban by continuing to go to her father's school and Ziauddin almost lost the very person for whom his fight for equality began.

Let Her Fly is Ziauddin's journey from a stammering boy growing up in a tiny village high in the mountains of Pakistan, through to being an activist for equality and the father of the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and now one of the most influential and inspiring young women on the planet.

Told through intimate portraits of each of Ziauddin's closest relationships - as a son to a traditional father; as a father to Malala and her brothers, educated and growing up in the West; as a husband to a wife finally learning to read and write; as a brother to five sisters still living in the patriarchy the book looks at what it means to love, to have courage and fight for what is inherently right.

(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.)
On the occasion of 'Kisan Diwas', Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised the farmers that he will make all efforts to secure their future.

The 'Kisan Diwas' orNational FarmersDay is observed across the country on this day to celebrate the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifthPrime MinisterofIndia.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said he willmake every effort to secure the future of the farmers.

"It is not just a promise, but it is also my duty," he said.

"I salute the farmers of the country on the occasion of Farmer's Day. We are there because of you," he tweeted in Hindi, with the hashtag 'Thank you farmers'.

Gandhi has been raising farmers' issues alleging that there is continued agrarian distress under the current government, a charge the Centre has denied.

Last week, he said the party has delivered on its pre-election promise to waive farmers' loans in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh within 10 days of assuming charge.

"We asked for 10 days, we did it in two," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A UN team led by a Dutch officer arrived Sunday at Hodeida to monitor a cease-fire that went into force in the Red Sea port city where Yemen's civil war rivals been fighting for months, according to security officials and witnesses.

The team, led by Major General Patrick Cammaert, had earlier flown into Sanaa, Yemen's capital, from Aden, the home-in-exile of Yemen's internationally recognised government.

The witnesses and officials said the convoy of the UN team arrived in Hodeida amid heavy security provided by the anti-government Shiite rebels.

Both Hodeida and Sanaa are under rebel control.

A UN security team is already in Hodeida to secure housing for the cease-fire monitors and set up an operations center, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Cammaert's first task in Hodeida will be to assess the military and security situation on the ground and estimate the number of monitors that will be required in the near future, said the officials.

A major security concern, they said, was the protection of the monitors from Islamic militants known to reside in the city.

The arrival of the team in Hodeida follows charges by both sides over the past week that the other was breaching the truce, reached in peace talks held in Sweden earlier this month.

In addition to the cease-fire, the agreement provides for the transfer of control of Hodeida's ports from the rebels, who are known as Houthis, to local administrators and security personnel.

Some 70 per cent of Yemen's imports come through Hodeida, and the Sweden deal is designed in part to facilitate the arrival of relief supplies to push Yemen back from the brink of famine.

Yemen's four-year conflict pits the internationally recognised government, backed by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, against the Houthi rebels who are aligned with Iran.

The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, and has driven millions to hunger. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait and Iraq have chosen a consultant to assess areas with oil reserves on the border between the two countries and production policy will be decided based on the study, Thamir Ghadhban, Iraq's oil minister said on Sunday at a meeting of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait. (Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Jan WolfeWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's budget director and chief of staff on Sunday said the partial U.S. government shutdown could continue to January 3, when the new Congress convenes and Democrats take over the House of Representatives."It's very possible this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mick Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday. "I don't think things are going to move very quickly here for the next few days" because of the Christmas holiday, added Mulvaney, who serves as director of the Office of Management and Budget and was named ...
By Ahmed HagagyKUWAIT (Reuters) - If an agreed cut in oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day is not enough to balance the market, OPEC and allied producers will hold an extraordinary meeting and do what is necessary, the United Arab Emirates energy minister said on Sunday.Extending the output agreement signed in early December will not be a problem and producers will do as the market demands, Suhail al-Mazrouei told a news conference at a gathering of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait."What if the 1.2 million barrels of cuts are not enough? I am telling you ...
Close to 1 million employees of various banks, including private lenders, have called for a one-day strike on December 26 to protest against the proposed amalgamation of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda.

The strike call comes on the heels of an officers union of state-run banks observing a day-long strike last Friday on similar grounds along with demand for immediate settlement of their wage negotiations.

Also Read: Opposition-ruled states bid to block GST rate cuts citing revenue consideration

In September, the government had announced the merger of state-owned Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, with larger peer Bank of Baroda, creating the third-largest lender.

"This amalgamation is not in the interest of banks or bank customers. It is rather detrimental to both," the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) said.

The UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine unions, including the All-India Bank Officers Confederation, the All- India Bank Employees Association and the National Organisation of Bank Workers, among others.

The unions claim that government wants banks to grow in size by this amalgamation but even if all public sector banks are bundled into one, the merged entity cannot find a place among the top 10 globally.

The unions say post-merger, a large number of branches will be closed and customers will have to face hardships as already banks are burdened with various government schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra, social security insurance, and PM's housing scheme, among others.

On December 26, the unions will take out a rally and hold a demonstration at the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai.

Around 3.20 lakh officers from various state-run banks were on a one-day strike on December 21, seeking immediate wage revision and opposing the proposed merger.

The nation-wide strike had partially impacted banking operations affecting services like deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearances and issuance of demand drafts, among others.

Also Read: Opposition-ruled states bid to block GST rate cuts citing revenue consideration

Also Read: Attempts are being made to make banking crisis 'worse': Nitin Gadkari

Bank management have mandated the industry lobby Indian Bank Association (IBA) to negotiate for scale 1-3 but unions want this to be raised up to scale 7.

The wage talks are on for the past 13 months between the unions and IBA, the latter has offered a wage revision of 8 just per cent.

In the past wage settlement, which was for the period November 1, 2012, to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike.
Political differences came into open at the GST Council meeting on Saturday with finance ministers of opposition-ruled states objecting to rate cut, citing revenue consideration but finally agreeing after a BJP minister proposed that the minutes be recorded and compared with their speeches delivered outside.

Chattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the Congress came to power earlier this month, sent only officers to attend the GST Council meeting, Madhya Pradesh did not send any representative, sources said.

Also Read: GST Council to discuss rate rationalisation for residential properties, exemption threshold for MSMEs in January

The GST Council after much haggling agreed to cut rates on 23 items of common consumption, which will have an annual revenue implication of Rs 5,500 crore.

Sources said ministers of the opposition-ruled states argued that if a rate cut is to be done at this juncture, then the Centre should agree to compensate states for revenue loss on account of GST implementation for a period beyond the stipulated five years.

Kerala, sources said, said that with revenues not increasing, the time is not right to cut rates.

West Bengal, which had said that it wanted an 18 per cent rate for goods other than luxury and sin goods, in Saturday's meeting said that this was not the time for a rate cut.

However, BJP-ruled Assam pointed out that all opposition ministers in their speeches say that Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates should be lowered to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, but participating in the GST Council deliberation they oppose rate cuts.

The BJP minister demanded that the position taken by all the state ministers in the Council meetings be put in the minutes of the meeting so that it can be compared with their public speeches in future.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is understood to have intervened to say that only the views expressed by ministers during the Council meeting should be taken into consideration.

Sources said state ministers finally agreed to discuss and go by the suggestions made by the fitment committee or officers committee on rate cut.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister and comprising his state counterparts, Saturday decided to cut rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screens and power banks, and exempted frozen and preserved vegetables from the levy. The reduced rates would be applicable from January 1, 2019.

In the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal, the government has mopped up over Rs 7.76 lakh crore from GST. The 2018-19 budget had estimated annual GST collection at Rs 13.48 lakh crore, which means a monthly target of Rs 1.12 lakh crore.

Briefing reporters after the Council's meet, Jaitley said the average monthly revenue under GST has risen from Rs 89,000 crore in the last fiscal, to around Rs 95,000-96,000 crore in the current fiscal.

Also compensation to be paid to the states has come down in the current fiscal.

He said a Group of Ministers would be set up to study the data of those states which are not showing improvement of revenues post GST implementation. The GoM would take expert assistance from NIPFP.

States which have shown improvement in tax collection included Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu while laggard states included Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Also while consuming states like North East have shown improvement in revenue, manufacturing and consuming states like Maharashtra and West Bengal have shown significant improvement.

Also Read: GST rates reduced for 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV

Also Read: Attempts are being made to make banking crisis 'worse': Nitin Gadkari

Also Read: Government to meet fiscal deficit target of 3.3%: Arun Jaitley
The government's decision to reduce the GST rate on cinema tickets would make movie viewing more affordable, increase footfall and aid the growth of the industry, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) said Saturday.

The government Saturday brought down the GST rates on cinema tickets costing up to Rs 100 to 12 per cent from the existing 18 per cent, while tickets above 100 would attract 18 per cent GST against 28 per cent earlier.

Also Read: Opposition-ruled states bid to block GST rate cuts citing revenue consideration

"This move would help in reduction in prices and make the cinema viewing much more affordable," Multiplex Association of India President Deepak Asher told PTI.

"Lower ticket prices would attract more people to cinemas, which means more footfalls and our occupancy level would go up."

Asher, who is also Director of Inox Leisure, said that it would also improve the viability of the cinema exhibition industry and attract "more investments in the sector".

Moreover, the collection would also increase and which means more payback to distributors and content creators, he added.

"Overall the industry will see significant growth - both quantitatively and qualitatively, going forward because of this reduction.

He demanded that the GST slab for tickets above Rs 100 should also be brought down.

"We are glad that the government has brought it down to 18 per cent," Asher added.

MAI represents around 75 per cent of the multiplex industry in India. Its 15 members operate more than 2,000 screens across the country.

Also Read: GST Council to discuss rate rationalisation for residential properties, exemption threshold for MSMEs in January

Also Read: Attempts are being made to make banking crisis 'worse': Nitin Gadkari
December 21, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

Canada is a country governed by the rule of law. Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis Chief Financial Officer.

Canada respects its international legal commitments, including by honouring its extradition treaty with the United States. The rule of law is fundamental to all free societies; we will defend and uphold this principle.

We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release.

I wish to express Canadas appreciation to those who have spoken recently in support of the rule of law as fundamental to free societies. 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.
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The ACT's fire and ambulance emergency call centre is set to expand to meet Canberra's growing population. ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Dominic Lane said the Fairbairn-based communications centre will increase its capability in the first half of 2019 as part of a larger overhaul of the facility. The changes come following a growing number of triple zero calls in recent years, with more than 64,000 made in the most recent financial year, compared to 63,000 the year before. While the number of firefighting call outs has decreased, down from almost 12,000 in 2009-10 to 10,500 last financial year, ambulance call outs have surged, rising from 35,000 in 2009-10 to 54,000 in 2017-18. Mr Lane said the number of additional staff is yet to be finalised. "We're still in consultation, and it all depends on demand," Mr Lane said. "We can't say how many, because over the year we expect to grow." Currently, there are four officers on hand at all times for fire and rescue calls, three being communications operators and the fourth being in a station officer or manager role. Existing levels of staff for ambulance call takers is staggered throughout the day, with four staff on between 7am and 1.30pm, five between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, four between 3.30pm and 7pm, three between 7 and 10pm and two rostered on for 10pm to 7am. 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. "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. "All up, the training is about 18 weeks from start to finish, and once they finish, they receive a national qualification for emergency call taking," Mr Foot said. "Under the process, anyone under those duties would hold that qualification."

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news, latest-news

The federal health department is being urged to review its treatment of patients who present with symptoms potentially linked to mould. A recent inquiry called for clinical guidelines to be developed for GPs and medical practitioners to better diagnose mould-related conditions. Medical experts said many GPs are unaware of the symptoms or conditions linked to toxic mould, with many clinical diagnosis tests only available overseas. The committee's chair, Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman, said the recommendations were aimed at helping sufferers of chronic inflammatory response syndrome, the name for the range of conditions brought on by toxic mould. "There is consensus that there are people who suffer from a range of complex symptoms that are debilitating, difficult to diagnose and treat effectively," Mr Zimmerman said. "For these people, being unable to obtain a definitive diagnosis and consequently recover from conditions often ascribed to chronic inflammatory response syndrome that can have a significant and ongoing impact on their quality of life." Other recommendations put forward by the committee included developing standards and conducting further research into mould testing, providing tenants with information about mould history for their rental properties, and researching building codes in relation to mould. The inquiry was brought forward by NSW Liberal MP Lucy Wicks, who suffers from chronic inflammatory response syndrome after a tree crashed through her Central Coast home in 2015 leaving the property with water damage and exposed to mould. "I got very, very tired and got asthma, which I had never had before," Ms Wicks said. "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. "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. 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." 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. "Our job is to investigate the health hazards people have in their home and how exposure can be reduced," she said. "When moisture made from building occupants go through walls and cause hidden mould issues in homes, that's a real issue, and we urgently need changes to the national construction code to address these issues." This is part of a series on the effects of mould on health and homes. Part one: Mould in Melissa's home was so bad she slept in her car Part two: 'The new asbestos': Hidden mould affecting Canberrans on the rise

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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. 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. "Often when you first move into a new-built home, there is a heightened activity of comings and goings, and the people do not yet know their neighbours," Mr Miller said. "Residents may assume intruders are simply new residents or removalists. "My belief is that there is a criminal element that is aware of this and is exploiting it." Braddon resident Paul St Ledger said within a week of moving into the new Halston Residences, a $7000 mountain bike was stolen from a family member's storage cage. A fortnight later, about $3500 worth of tools were taken from his storage cage. "It was about 200 kilos worth of stuff," Mr St Ledger said. "There's been a pattern of behaviour and I know I'm not the only person that's been affected by this type of theft. "About half-a-dozen neighbours' cages were broken into and a friend who lives around the corner also had $11,000 worth of ski gear stolen." He said he made a police report and lodged an insurance claim, but many of the stolen tools, which he used to work on cars, were rare and some may be irreplaceable. Cases like Mr St Ledger's have prompted Mr Miller to call on ACT Policing to "clamp down" on thieves targeting apartment buildings. Mr Miller said the issue was particularly important given more apartments were being built in the ACT than ever before and that the ACT Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research had identified Christmas and New Year's Eve as peak times for break-ins. He also urged apartment residents to be wary of leaving their properties unlocked, even if they hadn't moved in yet. "Many of Canberra's biggest apartment complexes will begin to empty as we approach the holiday period and we're encouraging [strata] communities to issue some reminders to owners about safety protocols," Mr Miller said. He suggested residents make sure removalists weren't leaving secure doors open and make a point of meeting fellow building residents as a way to lower the risk of theft from new apartment complexes. "We must be one step ahead of brazen thieves," Mr Miller said. "It's common to only see apartment buildings update their security after they've been victims of a break-in or have heard of one nearby, but we must ensure that the correct measures are in place to deter theft." ACT Policing's crime statistics do not break down burglaries by the type of building they were committed in, meaning there are no readily available figures on offences committed at apartment buildings. An ACT Policing spokesman said burglary was one of the most common crimes in the ACT and often a crime of opportunity. Asked whether police planned to actively target people stealing from new apartment buildings, the spokesman said any crime concerned ACT Policing and officers proactively patrolled Canberra's suburbs daily. "We would encourage people to be aware of others when coming and going from an apartment building when moving in and to be vigilant around your belongings," he said. "Residents should also take proactive steps to secure their belongings including always locking apartments, storage cages and units."

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Since its upgrade several years ago, the number of Canberrans heading to the coast along Main Road 92 via Nerriga for their annual dose of salt water therapy has been steadily increasing. If last weekend is any indication, on any day this school holidays, hundreds of Y-plated vehicles with surf boards hanging out the windows, will journey along the unimaginatively named road, the most direct route between Canberra and Jervis Bay. Its a little known fact that rather than providing an escape route to the coast for sun-seeking Canberrans, the roads original intention was much more commerce focussed. In fact, the genesis for Main Road 92 dates back to the 1830s, not long after the first European settlers spread south from Sydney in search of pastures in the New Country, with many riding their luck on the sheeps back. It was a tortuous journey by bullock wagon along rutted tracks and washed-out crossings from the southern tablelands to Sydney Cove. As a result, in 1831 with the assistance of two unidentified Aboriginal guides, a group of surveyors explored an alternative route to bring agricultural produce, especially wool, from Braidwood and beyond via Nerriga to Jervis Bay, for shipping to Sydney. Although it took more than a decade for the ambitious plans to gain the tick of approval, in less than a year after commencing construction, the calloused hands of 70 convicts completed the road from Nerriga to Jervis Bay. At the coastal end of the road, at South Huskisson, a wharf and a wool store were erected to enable wool shipments to Sydney and London. Sadly, after just a handful of years of regular shipments from the wharf to Sydney, due to the trade monopoly of influential Sydney merchants wanting to export wool direct from Sydney, the volume of traffic on the Wool Road fell dramatically. According to some reports, by 1848 much of the freshly hacked route had been overgrown by bush. However one Jervis Bay local keen to rekindle stories of the long-forgotten road is Jenny Robertson of Worrowing, a sprawling property located right alongside the historic route, near Old Erowal Bay. Robertson is the brainchild behind The Wool Road Project, an artistic trail of site-specific artworks and innovative interpretative signage at a string of significant sites along the Wool Road, which she hopes will highlight both the colonial and the indigenous history of the road. The old road primarily follows an ancient indigenous songline from Nerriga to the coast, explains Robertson, who hopes the development of such a trail will shine the spotlight on the largely unknown story of how the Yuin people guided European settlers regarding the best place to establish the road from the mountain to the sea. She also hopes it will encourage more cultural tourism into Jervis Bay, particularly from Canberra. Although Robertsons tourist trail is in its embryonic stage due to planning and funding challenges, Peter Solness, a light artist, recently provided a snapshot of what the trail may entail when he crafted an eye-catching photo in one on Worrowings paddocks. The yellow wheels represent the mechanical process of carting wool down the escarpment, whilst the wave-like trail unifies the elements and is suggestive of the unbroken dreaming tracks created by the Indigenous people of this area, explains Solness. Although todays Main Road 92 deviates in several places, there are several locations where you can follow the very surface of the old Wool Road, at least on foot. One is a dirt track (beware: wear gum boots as it's boggy after rain) hidden on the fringes of suburbia linking Island Point Road to The Wool Lane in Sanctuary Point, but arguably the most spectacular stretch is at Bulee Gap, between Nerriga and Tianjara Falls. Here, in sections barely wide enough to spread your arms, you get a real sense of the 1840s engineering effort and evidence that explosives were used to blast the way through this sandstone escarpment. It would have been a tight squeeze for the bullock wagons to negotiate through these narrow cuttings. Not far past Bulee Gap, the original Wool Road followed an even more direct route down the escarpment which adventurous (and only experienced) 4WDers can follow by turning off at Jerrawangala Lookout and then following Wandean Road to Wandandian. For everyone else, from Jerrawangala turn-off its an easy 27-kilometre stretch (keep to the speed limit, for the local constabulary are making a fortune out of Canberrans a little too desperate to dip their big toe in the briny) down to the Princes Highway at Tomerong and the beautiful Shoalhaven coast. Once youve checked in to your holiday digs, if you are feeling peckish grab some fish n chips (try the Salty Crab Seafood Shack on Moona Creek Rd) and beat a path to the beach at Vincentias Holden Street boat ramp. From here, not only is it a great spot to watch dolphins frolicking in the bay, but if you look hard enough at low tide, you might notice some partly submerged sandstone blocks. This is all that remains of the historic wharf built in 1840s, the official end of the historic Wool Road. Main Road 92: A fully sealed alternative route from Canberra to Nowra. As the road traverses a number of local government areas, the route isnt signposted as best as it could be and changes name several times from Nerriga Road to Braidwood Road to Turpentine Road . It appears on most GPS systems, but take a map just in case. From Canberra to Jervis Bay the 190km journey via Bungendore, Tarago and Nerriga takes about 2.5 hours (stops extra)  thats about 30 minutes quicker than driving via the Hume and Illawarra highways and an hour quicker than via Batemans Bay. Several landmarks along the historic Wool Road can still be visited. Here are my top 4: Nerriga Hotel: Perched on the edge of the wilds of Morton National Park, this bush pub is open from 10am daily, with hearty lunches served noon3pm daily, and traditional pub grub dished up Friday to Sunday from 6pm8pm. Inside, the 165-year-old baltic pine that was once the floorboards is now the main feature of a polished wooden bar, and historic photos and maps hang from the corrugated iron walls. Bulee Gap: There are no official parking spots, but if travelling towards the coast there is just enough room to safely pull off (take care) on the western (left) side of the road about 5.5 kilometres from the Nerriga Hotel. The original section of the Wool Road can be found by walking a couple of hundred metres to the west of here. Tianjara Falls: Just metres from the side of Main Road 92, this 60-metre drop (28 km from the Nerriga Pub) can turn from barely a dribble to a cascading fury after a rain event. Jerrawangala Lookout: From this lofty vantage spot (37km from the Nerriga Hotel), accessible down a short dirt (2WD accessible except after heavy rain) you can gasp at the view from Gerringong in the north to Ulladulla in the south. According to local lore, Aboriginal people used this lookout to send messages to others trekking in the labyrinth of deeply channelled gorges and swamps spread out below. Did You Know? Despite being short-lived as an agricultural transport route, the accompanying settlement created by the historic Wool Road spawned the workforce for a future ship building industry which ensured Jervis Bays relative prosperity for many years to come. Light photography: Using long exposures and hand-illuminating his chosen subjects using small torches, Peter Solness is a master at creating other-worldly effects, not usually associated with traditional photography. For more of his stunning photography, check out: www.illuminated-landscape.com Stay: If you want to bunk down on the old Wool Road, there are several options including the Nerriga Hotel (they now have two one-bedroom cabins for rent) and Worrowing Estate where there is a selection of self-contained accommodation ranging from large farm houses to wilderness huts and boat shed studios. 81 The Wool Rd, Worrowing Heights (between Sanctuary Point and Vincentia). More: www.worrowing.com.au Over the last few summers, readers of this column have been issued with various summer holiday challenges, including searching for the longest blue bottle tentacle (three metres was the winner) and the biggest cuttlebone (38cm long) on south coast beaches. This years challenge is to photograph the highest number of pelicans perched on buoys, logs, jetties or any coastal (or inland) feature. To kick things off, here is a pair of pelicans recently snapped by Phill Sledge pole-sitting below Wray Street, Batemans Bay. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. Contact Tim: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. Clue: Dont let the sign fool you, this is actually a popular coffee stop on the way to the coast. Degree of difficulty: Medium Last week Congratulations to Roger Shelton of Spence who was the first reader to correctly identify last weeks photo as the church in Gipps Street, Bega, now home to a Holden dealer. How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday 22 December, 2018 will win a double pass to Dendy - The Home of Quality Cinema.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Boats are battered by waves at the end of the White Rock Pier that was severely damaged during a windstorm Thursday.

Tens of thousands of people remain without power two days after a powerful windstorm swept across southwestern British Columbia.

BC Hydro says 800 field personnel are working around the clock to repair extensive damage to its infrastructure after one of the most severe windstorm the region has seen in 20 years.

Power has been restored to more than 530,000 customers but about 66,000 across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands still didn't have electricity on Saturday morning.

The utility says restoring power to the remaining customers continues to be challenging and many require individual repairs, including restringing hundreds of spans of power lines and replacing power poles and transformers.

Thursday's storm left a path of destruction, killing one woman when a tree fell on her tent in Duncan, and causing Nanaimo's water treatment plant to break down and part of White Rock's beloved pier to collapse.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning for much of the B.C. coast and Vancouver Island Saturday, forecasting winds up to 90 kilometres per hour.
The cast of Fazenda 2021 is on the verge of losing another participant and the competition for 1.5 million Brazilian...
DAGONBHUIYA(Feni): Jatiya Party candidate Lt Gen (Retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury from Feni -3 addressing an election rally at Daghonbhuiya Upazila yesterday.
In the big scheme of things, you need to know I am going back deep into my childhood right now, this to the day as mere more than a child my Dad introduced me to William Sydney Porter. My father was a great scholar  six years of Latin, five years of Greek, all on the post-grad level. He did graduate work at Princeton, then at Stanford, and lacked only his dissertation for his PhD in literature.

Growing up I was his complete opposite, my interests and instincts far from his, but his gift to me was something I didnt realize until long after his death in 1994. I never knew my paternal grandfather, who died 10 years before my birth, yet he was a great man, best evidenced by the fact he was seated at the main table of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.

My dad grew up on his huge Mississippi plantation and, from the beginning, was urged to follow the path of a statesman, thus his adoration for learning, all facets of law and medicine and government, but his greatest love was literature. And whether I liked it or not, my reading list was different than yours. Today I mourn that more than ever before.

You see, when Dad introduced me to Mr. William Sydney Porter, I was barely in my teens and had no idea what embezzlement meant. Mr. Porter, born in North Carolina and raised to become a pharmacist, had a bad breathing condition early on and went to Texas. He became a rancher of some renown with sheep. It was soon determined his lot was far better than that, so after marrying a wealthy Texas girl, he became a banker in Austin at kind of a loosey-goosey bank where record-keeping wasnt the main forte.

Things happen, okay? Mr. Porter was soon fired  but not charged with embezzlement proper just yet. Not to worry; the temperature was hot enough that he cut a trail to Honduras. He did admirably well but his wealthy wife croaked and left his daughter behind. This would not do. So he came home, copped a plea over something like $800 the Feds claimed he had embezzled, and was sent to the federal prison in Columbus, Ohio, to do his five years of penance.

Wait! Because he was a pharmacist, he wasnt assigned a cell; instead a nice room without a locking door in the medical wing of the prison. Better, the Feds knew that William Sydney Porter had developed quite a hobby  he was quickly becoming the most beloved short story writer in America. With no TV, Internet or any other means of mass distribution, the weekly mags clamored for his articles but nobody had any idea of his true identity. He wrote under a pen name. His pseudonym was  O.Henry.

Go ahead, look it up. He was one of Americas greatest literary giants in the early 1900s but, because he was behind bars, his mailing address was a bar of a different type, this something of a speak-easy in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

When my dad told me this story, I couldnt wait to see what Mr. Porter wrote. Dont you see, the back-story stoked my furnace. I could hardly wait. And then one day in December, he handed me a story of what is universally recognized as one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time. It was The Gift of the Maji by O. Henry.

Its been said a thousand more people have heard of the story than have read it, but today that gives us no pause. Here is the story that I read for the first time long ago about a young couple, just married and living very lean, and how they learned about a real Christmas. As you read it, knowing that now it is recognized from every corner as one of the worlds greatest classics, please realize that to O. Henry, that means naught when compared to what youll carry in your heart by the last paragraph. Kindly remember this story was written 115 years ago but is as true today as it has been from the very get-go 

* * *

THE GIFT OF THE MAJI  by O. Henry

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents.

And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."

The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are.

Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.

Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.

Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

Down rippled the brown cascade.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practiced hand.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch.

As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.

Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.

"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty-seven cents?"

At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

Della wriggled off the table and went for him.

"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.

"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"

Jim looked about the room curiously.

"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"

Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.

Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.

"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."

White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.

"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.

"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.

But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

* * *

If you have stuck this far with me, allow me to ask one last favor. Please read once again the last two paragraphs. And relish if, you will, that you have just joined the Maji.

Merry Christmas!

* * *

A MUST-SEE VIDEO  Several years ago, GENTRI  A Gentlemans Trio, sang what may be the best version of O Holy Night in years. But when one of the most heart-warming videos was added to it, who could have ever guessed over 6 million people would have used approximately that many Kleenex tissues watching it. Click here.

Royexum@aol.com
PATUAKHALI: A view exchange meeting was held with candidates of four constituencies at Patuakhali DC Office yesterday. Md Motiul Islam Chowdhury, District Returning Officer presided over the programme.
When you think of Christmas movies films like Home Alone, Its a Wonderful Life, Elf, and Christmas Vacation may come to mind. For many people Die Hard is also included on their list of holiday films, but can the action flick really be considered a Christmas movie? Well, we finally got the answer to that age-old question about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie and this is according to none other than the films writer. The movies star, Bruce Willis, also recently weighed in on this subject but do they agree?

This burning question has divided people for years. Some believe that because theres no snow, no Santa or reindeer, and the movie came out in July that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. Others though point out that it takes place on Christmas, contains a couple of famous carols, and the characters make multiple references to the holiday like, Its Christmas Theo. The time for miracles, and I have a machine gun now, Ho Ho Ho.

So without further ado, heres screenwriter Steven de Souzas answer to the question as well as Willis position and the results of a new poll which reveals where most Americans stand on the issue.

The films writer attempts to settle the debate

In December 2017, CNN reporter Jack Tapper decided to reach out to the Die Hard co-writer to settle the annual debate.

Tapper tweeted at Souza and asked, Im sure you weighed in on it before, but Ive never heard you or Jeb Stuart offer your take on whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Souza responded to Tapper by announcing that it is, in fact, a Christmas movie writing, Yes, because the studio rejected the Purim draft followed by the hashtag # DieHardIsAChristmasMovie.

Yes, because the studio rejected the Purim draft #DieHardIsAChristmasMovie  Steven E. de Souza (@StevenEdeSouza) December 24, 2017

Bruce Willis declares the opposite

While Souza confirmed that Die Hard can be added to your holiday movie list, the films star doesnt agree.

At the end of his Comedy Central roast in July 2018, Willis gave his take on the 1988 classic and told the crowd, Die Hard is not a Christmas movie!

When asked how he thinks fans of the flick might react Willis said, Well see.

New poll reveals what most Americans think

Willis isnt the only one with an opposing view though, a new poll finds that the majority of Americans have a different take than Souza about the film as well.

In December 2018, a poll conducted by the Morning Consult/Hollywood Reporter found that 62% of adults across the U.S. do not view Die Hard as a holiday film while only 25 percent considered it a Christmas movie. More than 70% of adults over the age of 55 answered that they didnt view it as a Christmas movie compared to 61% of adults in the 45 to 54 age group, 51% of adults in the 30 to 44 age group, and 50% of adults in the 18 to 29 age group.

The survey was completed by 2,220 Americans and included a margin of error of two percentage points.

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Alabama police department says spike in juvenile crime due to Satanism

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The Opp Police Department in a rural Alabama has come under fire from an atheist group for publicly blaming the towns growing juvenile crime rate on residents embracing Satan and turning away from God.

The controversy erupted Tuesday after the police department made the claim on Tuesday in a since deleted post on their Facebook page.

The OPP police department in Alabama said that crime was up b/c "we have turned away from God and embraced Satan" The FB post was deleted.



Well, isn't that special. pic.twitter.com/ipQALvf0hw  Keith (@KeithWasNotHere) December 21, 2018

This past Sunday, a young man was shot and killed in Kinston. Monday night, a mother was shot and killed in Northern Covington County. There have been five murders in Covington County in 2018. These murders have been done by our young people. This is happening because we have turned away from God and embraced Satan, the police department stated.

The police department then urged the small town of 6,500 to seek Gods help in bringing down the crime rate and be better parents.

We may have not meant (sic) to do so but, we have. It is time to ask for Gods help to stop this. It is time to be parents and raise our children, not have them raise us. It is time to fully support law enforcement and stand by the officers and deputies that are far too often having to walk into these dangerous situations and clean up the mess. Friends, it is time to stand up and be responsible, grown up leaders in our community. Bottom line, there are sheep; there are wolves and there are sheep dogs. Which group do you belong to? the post ended.

Reacting a day later to the post, the FFRF called the statement inappropriate and called on the police department to retract it.

The department has very directly endorsed one religious ideology to the exclusion of minority religions and atheism, and decried Satanism. Neither message is permissible, FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Grover said in a press statement.

It is negligent for the department to spread a message of prejudice against those who choose not to believe in or worship a god. The department certainly has no data to support its theory that a rise in violent crime is caused by those choosing to turn away from god belief. Numerous scientific studies prove otherwise, the FFRF continued.

The atheism advocacy organization further cited findings from psychology and sociological studies claiming that states with the highest murder rates, including Alabama, tend to be highly religious, but the states with the lowest murder rates tend to be among the least religious in the country, such as Vermont and Oregon.

It is the height of hypocrisy to call for a reduction in crime through an act that itself breaks the law, FFRF argued.

Critics such as the Arizona chapter of the Satanic Temple also slammed the police departments statement online.

The person who runs the official Facebook page for the Opp, Alabama Police Department needs [to] take a refresher course on separation between church and state, the organization said on Twitter.

Opp Police Department officials were not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Christian Post on Friday.
Christian band releases 'Make America Great Again' song encouraging nation to be God centric

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The Dove-nominated band About A Mile says their newly released single for Make America Great Again aims to point people back to God.

"It should be our agenda to Make America Great Again by making America saved again! frontman and guitarist Adam Klutinoty told The Christian Post on Thursday.

Produced and co-written by Grammy-nominated "Producer of the Year Ian Eskelin, About A mile used the voice of the late President Ronald Reagan to kick off the track.

If we ever forget we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under, Reagan says on the track, which is a quote from a speech he gave at an ecumenical prayer breakfast in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 23, 1984.

This song is about keeping God at the center of our nation, and choosing to stand by our Bible instead of bowing to the world, Klutinoty said in a statement.

When CP asked why they chose President Trump's 2016 campaign slogan as the theme of their song, Klutinoty said it was because its time for people stand up for righteousness.

My brothers and I have been deeply apprehensive about the great dangers awaiting our country if we dont repent and turn from sin. Were sick of everyone obscuring the plans of the Lord with words without knowledge. We lack wisdom, wisdom God will give willingly if we arent double-minded, Klutinoty told CP.

We have the right to believe whatever we want, but I weep daily when I turn on CNN, the TV or the radio to hear about how far weve run from God, he continued. "We will perish! A double minded America shouldnt expect God to answer any of its prayers. Well be driven by the wind and tossed aside.

Love is here and now but were witnessing a world unable to access it because they dont want God who IS love," Klutinoty asserted.

The band hails from Pennsylvania and says America can be greater than ever if people would only come together as one nation under God.

The singles big pop chorus is combined with rap verses encouraging people to yield only to God and not the pressure of the nation.

Lets Make America Great Again/Bow our hearts and lift our hands/To the only one who can/Make America great again/Together we will stand/One nation under God/Make America great again, About A Mile belt out in the songs chorus.

About A Miles biggest-selling Christian album debut to date is from there 2014 sophomore recording, Trust You All The Way. The band has been featured in the biggest first-quarter tour Winter Jam and their song Born To Live has been heard by over 174 million people.

The band consists of three brothers  Adam, Luke and Levi Klutinoty who chose their name from the belief that Jesus carried his cross about a mile.

For more on the band or their new single Make America Great Again, visit www.aboutamile.com.
Despite yellow vest protests and terrorist attacks, Paris is open for business

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PARIS  Many of my friends and family couldnt believe I was coming here in the wake of ongoing protests by the yellow vests, or gilets jaunes in French, and the recent terrorist act in Strasbourg.

They assumed the city wasnt safe. Yes, the protests continue, but Paris is open for visitors.

I am excited for my third Parisian Christmas. As I recently wrote, the holidays are a great time of the year to visit Paris and other big cities. Generally speaking, crowds are minimal and all of the attractions and sights are open.

As an Anglican, I will worship Christmas Eve at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, better known as the American Cathedral and the seat of the Episcopal bishop in Europe. Located on the fashionable Avenue George V, the Gothic Revival edifice dates to the 1880s.

As with everyone else who goes to Paris I will also visit The Louvre  after all, its a must-visit  but instead of trying to see everything I am only going for A Dream of Italy: The Marquis Campanas Collection, a special exhibit that runs through mid-February. Afterwards its off to the City of Paris Museum of Fine Art. One of more than a dozen museums historically run by city hall, the Musee des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, as it is called in French, isnt as overwhelming as The Louvre. Best of all, admission to the world-class museums permanent collection is free.

Two other museums on my list are the Musee de Cluny with its medieval religious art and the Cite de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, or the Museum of Heritage and Architecture in English. The latter is known for its collection of casts from the facades of old churches and cathedrals.

While I have other plans on my schedule, including visits to several old favorites, including the 13th century Sainte-Chapelle, I will follow the example set by American visitors in the 19th century  long before Hemingway and the Lost Generation  as best told by David McCullough in his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris and embark upon long, rambling walks.

And who knows, one of my walks may just take me to Harrys Bar, which, like every old bar once patronized by Hemingway, claims to have been his favorite.

Where to stay

I chose the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel, which has welcomed guests since its opening by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, in 1862. Just be mindful that an extensive renovation is underway. Nevertheless, I highly recommend the hotel, which stands in the shadow of the palatial and similarly old opera house. Rooms start at about 300 euros (about $340) per night.

Spires and Crosses, a travel column exclusive to The Christian Post, is published every week. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram.
Ex-Planned Parenthood director says abortion giant isn't pro-woman, treats pregnant employees 'like trash'

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The nation's largest abortion business is under fire for mistreating its pregnant employees, a move pro-life advocates say isn't surprising.

In an extensive New York Times investigative report published Thursday, workers at Planned Parenthood say their facilities have been sidelining, ousting or otherwise handicapping pregnant employees.

Planned Parenthood managers in several states "declined to hire pregnant job candidates, refused requests by expecting mothers to take breaks and in some cases pushed them out of their jobs after they gave birth, the Times reported.

Despite purporting to be a champion for women and advocating publicly for paid maternity leave, most locations do not offer that benefit. Even when it wasn't spoken of, the environment at Planned Parenthood was one where it was "looked down upon" when employees became pregnant, one former staffer said.

"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."

Abby Johnson, who famously left her director position at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas, several years ago and is the subject of the upcoming movieUnplanned, which tells her story of leaving the abortion industry, is calling out the abortion giant for their hypocrisy.

"[Planned Parenthood] cannot claim to fight for women yet treat their employees ... like trash when they become pregnant," Johnson said in a statement obtained by The Christian Post.

When Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood it was offered to her several times to have her pregnancy "taken care of" for fear that a baby would interrupt her upward trajectory and work performance.

"And it's a massive deception on the part of Planned Parenthood to claim they cannot afford to pay for maternity leave. I run a nonprofit, one that helps abortion workers leave their jobs, with a budget less than 1 percent of Planned Parenthood's and I offer my employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave," she said.

"It can be done if the priorities of organizations are in the right order  and they aren't at Planned Parenthood. They don't empower women through abortion. They don't empower women through maternity leave. And they don't empower women by discrimination."

Johnson's nonprofit organization is called And Then There Were None.

Writing at National Review on Thursday, Alexandra DeSanctis pointed to the data in Planned Parenthood's most recent annual report, which documents that they performed 321,384 abortions in the last fiscal year while providing fewer than 8,000 instances of prenatal services. ..."

"Given that these women work for an organization that specializes in ending pregnancies, perhaps this type of mistreatment shouldnt come as a shock  though it certainly deserves to be roundly condemned," she said of the group's treatment of pregnant employees.

Pro-life group Live Action contacted 97 Planned Parenthood facilities and found only five clinics that provided prenatal care in a 2017 investigation.

"Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with parenthood, and everything to do with killing babies," Live Action founder Lila Rose commented Thursday. "And if you're wanting to be a parent, they will discriminate against you."

In response to the NY Times piece, Dr. Leana Wen, Planned Parenthood's new president, asserted on Twitter that the abortion giant is committed to doing better.

"At @PPFA, we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment. When we learn about accusations that violate our policies and high standards, we move immediately to investigate and address them, as we are doing in this instance."

Wen added that Planned Parenthood is starting a new initiative to "review and revamp" their parental leave policies.
Indonesia: 34 Children Die in Church During Bible Study; Earthquake, Tsunami Death Toll Now Over 1,300

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At least 34 children died during a Bible study held inside a church in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi following Friday's earthquake and tsunami, a relief group has said.

The Indonesian Red Cross, which has been assisting with rescue operations amid the tragedy, said the bodies of the 34 children have been discovered buried inside the church.

They had been attending a Christian Bible camp when they died, and fears are that more bodies from the church are expected to be recovered, ABC News reported.

Over 1,300 people have been reported dead so far as a result of magnitude-7.4 earthquake and tsunami, which reached 20 feet in height.

Red Cross spokeswoman Aulia Arriani explained that with no heavy machinery operating in Sigi, there is no way to lift the concrete church rubble and search for more survivors and casualties.

Arriani separately told AFP that "the most challenging problem is walking in the mud for an hour-and-a-half while carrying the bodies to an ambulance."

Reuters added that Indonesia faces a race against time to save survivors in the Sulawesi island devastation, with most of the confirmed dead reported in the city of Palu, which is 930 miles northeast of Jakarta.

Smartphone videos recorded the tsunami waves smashing into Palu's beachfront, causing hotels and shopping malls to collapse. Close to 1,700 houses were swallowed by ground liquefaction in one neighborhood alone, with hundreds of people believed to have died there.

Devastated survivors have been sharing their emotional stories of losing loved ones in the surging waters. One man by the name of Adi said that he hugged his wife when the waters struck the beach at Palu, but she slipped out of his hands.

"When the wave came, I lost her," the man said.

"I was carried about 50 meters. I couldn't hold anything. The water was spinning me around," he said.

"This morning I went back to the beach, I found my motorbike and my wife's wallet," he added.

Over 60,000 have been displaced by the tragedy and are in need of emergency help, authorities said.

Rescue volunteers said that there is a desperate need for aid, with looting and lawlessness spreading.

"There was a fear of the crowd mobbing the plane; people are so desperate for aid," one anonymous aid worker said.

He added that stores have been "cleaned out" of supplies, with gas stations also being looted.

U.N. aid coordinating agency, OCHA, said that humanitarian agencies are in contact with the government and ready to help.

"There is an immediate need for food, clean water, shelter, medical care and psycho-social support," said spokesman Jens Laerke,

Christian relief agencies, including World Vision, have also been assisting in emergency efforts by sending in supplies.

World Help has separately set up a drive for people wishing to offer financial assistance to the victims who are in need of food, water, and medicine, warning that the death toll continues to rise.
Indonesia: 90,000 soldiers to guard Christians in 50,000 churches for Christmas services

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As many as 90,000 soldiers will be guarding more than 50,000 churches across Indonesia in an effort to thwart terror attacks during Christmas.

Francis Xavier Ping Tedja, security coordinator at Santa Maria Church, told UCA News earlier this week that 70 police officers and members of Banser  the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest moderate Muslim group in the country, will guard the church for Christmas services.

"We have coordinated with police, military, and Islamic groups to maintain the security, so that Catholics can attend Christmas masses comfortably and safely," Tedja said.

We hope Catholics will not be afraid to attend Christmas masses at the church, he added.

The church in Surabaya, East Java, was attacked by suicide bombers in May. The terrorists, linked with the Islamic State terror group, targeted three churches in the world's most populous Islamic nation, killing 18 people.

Father Antonius Suyadi, chairman of the Jakarta Archdioceses Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Commission, added that the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral Church in Jakarta will be secured by 300 police and military personnel.

Besides the cathedral church, police and military forces will also guard other Catholic churches in the archdiocese, Suyadi explained.

As police combat terrorist threats, the nation's leaders continue to work on reconciliation efforts that include terror attack survivors meeting face-to-face with people who've carried out bombings.

A three-day first-of-its-kind event was staged in March in Jakarta, where 124 convicted terrorists met 51 survivors of attacks and their family members.

One former Islamic radical who killed three people in 2002 spoke of his regret for what he did.

"I have repented and I will help the government educate others not to follow a radical path as I did," Mokhtar Daeng Lau said at the time.

Another man by the name of Sumarno, who took part in 2002 Bali bombings where Islamic radicals killed over 200 people, added: "I deeply regret what I have done. I did not expect that so many victims were our brothers and sisters."

"It's hard and saddens me to see survivors who are now suffering from permanent disabilities," the man added.

"I had not imagined the impact would be like that. I am sorry and have apologized to them."

IS, which in the past couple of years has lost significant territory in Iraq and Syria, has been escalating attacks into other nations with large Islamic majorities, such as Egypt and Indonesia.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. troops will leave Syria, declaring that the terror group has been defeated.

Johannes de Jong, a Netherlands-based director of Sallux, an association that serves as the political foundation for the European Christian Political Movement, told The Christian Post that IS is not yet defeated, however.

[The U.S. withdraw] means basically that you sacrifice the Christian community of northeast Syria for the Jihadists. If that happens, it is the end of the ten thousands of Christians in Northeast Syria," he warned.

Similarly, one of the nations leading Christian conservative advocacy groups that has been supportive of the Trump administration has also warned that 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.

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.
Viral online film argues Exodus went into Saudi Arabia, Mt. Sinai located in Muslim nation

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A new online documentary video has argued that Moses and the Hebrews went into Saudi Arabia during the Exodus, with the famous Mt. Sinai being in the Arabian Peninsula.

Ryan Mauro, a national security expert, director of the Clarion Intelligence Network and former professor at Liberty University, uploaded a nearly 25-minute long film to YouTube on Dec. 17.

Created with The Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, Mauros film argues that Mt. Sinai is the modern day Jebel al-Lawz.

For generations, we have been taught we had to believe the story of the Exodus on faith alone. We were taught that Mount Sinai was located in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, but there was barely any evidence found there to make the story of Moses and the Exodus believable, reads the videos description.

A new theory has emerged in recent decades that the real Mount Sinai is actually in Saudi Arabia, along with other stunning evidences  Now, unprecedented footage has been acquired from within Saudi Arabia, bringing the Exodus story to life as never before and potentially shaking up the Middle East.

Mauro narrates the video, interviewing multiple individuals ranging from a former member of a Jihadist organization to an American pilot who served in the Second World War, who argue that the Saudi Arabian mountain is the biblical Mt. Sinai.

He points to evidence such as a shallow underwater land bridge, called the Nuweiba Land Bridge, leading from Egypt to the Arabian Peninsula that could have been used by the Hebrews when, according the biblical account of the Exodus, the Red Sea parted.

Mauro also noted that the area around Jebel al-Lawz included some archaeological evidence indicating an ancient Jewish presence, such as artwork depicting a Menorah and calves.

According to Mauro, the area is fiercely guarded by Saudi officials and is hard to access. There are also plans by the Saudi government to construct a major city in the area, threatening the site and any further evidence that could be discovered.

The Saudis are constructing a super-city that is planned to be 33 times the size of New York. If all of us dont take action, Saudi construction in the area may destroy key evidence and prevent excavation for the foreseeable future, Mauro said in the video.

To try and stop the construction project, Mauro has helped set up a website called sinaiinarabia.com, as well as a nonprofit, to spread awareness.

The claim that Saudi Arabia has the real Mt. Sinai has been around for the past several years, going at least as far back as the 1980s and has many critics.

Gordon Franz, a Bible teacher who holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Columbia Biblical Seminary, is one of the critics of the Exodus-Saudi Arabia theory.

In a paper published on Biblical Archaeologys website in 2007, Franz argued that there is no credible historical, geographical, archaeological or Biblical evidence to support the thesis that Mt. Sinai is at Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia.

In his lengthy paper, Franz pointed to apparent contradictions between how the Bible described the Exodus and the features of the alleged Saudi Arabian site. He also noted chronological issues with some of the on-the-ground evidence purporting to show that Moses and the Ancient Israelites went into the area.

First, the Sinai Peninsula was not part of Egypt proper, but out of Egypt. Second, Biblically, Mt. Sinai is not in the Land of Midian, yet Jebel al-Lawz is in Midian territory (northwest Saudi Arabia), wrote Franz.

The proponents also need to face up to the archaeological evidence at their site. The petroglyphs of bovine existed long before Moses ever lived. The so-called Cave of Moses at el-Bad were not hewn until long after Moses lived.

Franz also explained that the Nuweiba land crossing was problematic as the terrain of the underwater bridge would have been challenging for the Hebrews to cross, especially in the time explained by the Bible.

From Nuweiba the land bridge slopes down to 850 meters (2,790 feet) but then comes up sharply on the east side as it gets to the shore of Saudi Arabia. This sharp incline would make the ascent extremely difficult, if not impossible for the Israelites to cross in one night, noted Franz.
KISHOREGANJ: Awami League candidate from Kishoreganj -2 Noor Mohammad addressing a view exchange meeting with local people at Katiadi Upazila on Friday .
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I find it amazing that when God decided to become flesh and blood in order to save us from our sins, he did not choose to be born in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, accompanied by choirs and psalters and laid into a golden crib at the Royal Palace. No, he was born into a poor, Nazarene family who had to place him in a food pot.

On top of that, Jesus and his parents had to become refugees before he had reached two years of human age:

When the magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up! he said. Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him. So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Out of Egypt I called My Son. (Mt 2:13-15)

The first Christmas wasnt a cozy, fuzzy, cinnamon-scented gathering filled with gifts and candy. It was dirty, raw and dangerous. The holy family became holy refugees.

Recently, activist theologian Shane Claiborne gave a powerful message at Woodland Hills Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on what this means for us today. He said:

You know a lot of people are talking about the war on Christmas, and by that they mean we need to make sure we say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. But I gotta say, I think God could care less whether we say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas if we still turn away immigrants and leave Jesus in the cold this Christmas. So Im less interested in putting the Christ back in Christmas than I am putting the Christ back in Christians.

Jesus will indeed say I was a stranger and you took Me in to those who join him in his glorious Kingdom, and I was a stranger and you did not take Me in to those banished to an eternity without God (Mt 25:35, 43). How we treat refugees today say something about how we would have treated Jesus and his family if we lived in Egypt 2,000 years ago.

But Micael, arent you politicizing the Gospel now? someone might object. Surely, Jesus was talking about welcoming strangers privately into our homes, he wasnt talking about what migration policies countries should have.

Well, Jesus himself is quite good at politicizing the Gospel already. He, along with John the Baptist and several Old Testament prophets, made it clear that kings and lords needed to follow the same divinely inspired ethics as everyone else (2 Sam 12, Mk 6:18, Lk 22:53). In Matthew 25, he addresses all the nations (v. 32). Obviously, a few politicians and leaders will be in that crowd.

Isn't it a bit weird to think that Jesus really wants us to host and welcome strangers in our homes, but doesn't mind if we all of a suddenly cheer and clap our hands as the state forcefully deport them to poverty, persecution or war? Jesus clearly criticizes the rich man who refused to let poor Lazarus into his home. Would he celebrate a rich country that does the same to poor refugees on a national level?

The world is upside down. Developing nations host 84% of the worlds refugees. The richest nations on earth complain that they cant afford refugees or that they have to prioritize our own, so poor countries like Pakistan, Uganda, Congo and Lebanon have to bear the heaviest burden. Is this righteous? Is this fair? Why should rich countries have moral freedom to cause refugee crises through invasions and environmental destruction without any responsibility to provide them with hospitality and refuge?

Jesus wants us to do to others as we would have them do to us (Mt 7:12). This golden rule echoes the Old Testament principle of treating immigrants as natives and loving them as we love ourselves (Lev 19:33-34).

This Christmas, lets put the Christ back in Christians. Let us welcome refugees as we would welcome him.
Archbishop of Canterbury pays tribute to Paddy Ashdown

Former leader of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown died on Saturday at the age of 77 after being treated for bladder cancer.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, was among the leaders paying tribute to Lord Ashdown.

'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,' he said.

Lord Ashdown, whose real name was Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, was diagnosed with cancer in October. He led the Lib Dems between 1988 and 1999.

Current party leader, Sir Vince Cable, said he would be 'sadly missed'.

'This is a hugely sad day for the Liberal Democrats and for the very many people across political and public life who had immense affection and respect for @paddyashdown. He was famous for his politics but his talents extended well beyond that arena. RIP,' he said.

Lord Ashdown, also the former MP for Yeovil, was the longest serving Liberal Democrat leader in the party's history and is credited with establishing it as a major political force in the UK.

Sir Nick Clegg, former Lib Dem leader and former deputy Prime Minister, also paid tribute to Lord Ashdown.

'Paddy was the reason I entered politics,' he said.

'He was the reason I became a liberal. And he became a lifelong mentor, friend and guide.'
Christmas traditions 'create a sense of stability', says Bishop of London

The Bishop of London is encouraging people to escape the Brexit chaos by indulging in a panto, nativity play or other time-honoured Christmas traditions.

Writing in The Sun, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally said Christmas traditions could bring a sense of stability as Britain continues to weather its stormy departure from the European Union.

'Families have all sorts of traditions which tell them Christmas is coming  decorating the tree, going to a pantomime, seeing the children in a nativity play, meeting up with old friends,' she wrote.

'They bring to mind comforting memories. Christmas traditions reassure us and they create a sense of stability.

'Yet this year, we find ourselves in turbulent times. The talks on Brexit mean many of us are living with a profound feeling of uncertainty.

'Divisions in our society have been exposed and we are faced with an ongoing political process which risks deepening them.'

Bishop Mullally said there was 'no simple political solution' to the rifts in society and that the only answer was to strengthen relationships within communities.

She said every person had a part to play in reconciliation and that the birth of Jesus was a reminder that there could be hope even when things were uncertain.

'While I hope politicians co-operate across party boundaries to find a way forward, for the common good, we must work together right across the country and our society to build communities which are tolerant, integrated and strong,' she said.

'Christmas reminds us that it was precisely into a world of uncertainty, when there looked like no way forward, the light of Jesus Christ came.'
No need to edit 'Virgin's womb' out of 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing', say CofE bishops

'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' is a staple of Christmas carol services around the world but one version edits out references to the Virgin's womb.

A modernised version of the classic Charles Wesley Christmas hymn replaces the line 'Offspring of a virgin's womb' with 'Offspring of the favoured one'.

But clergy in the Church of England have said they're sticking with the original. The Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Rev Jacqueline Searle, said the original wording should stay 'because it's a part of our creed' and changing it could mislead people who are not so familiar with the Christian faith.

'It's important that we are not squeamish about singing 'of a virgin's womb', which reflects nothing being impossible with God,' she told The Telegraph.

'Just because something sounds difficult or new doesn't mean it needs to be changed.

"When we sing our doctrine, it is saying something about what we believe. Especially at this time of year, when lots of people are singing carols, we would like what we're singing to reflect as accurately as we can the faith we inhabit.'

More bishops in the Church of England are also opposed to any changes. The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Julian Henderson, said the hymn 'is an essential part of the Christmas story'.

The Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Donald Allister, told the newspaper: 'Wesley's great Christmas carol conveys the true Christmas message joyfully and powerfully. It is a great shame to see any attempt to reduce that message.'

Charles Wesley, born 1701, was one of the founders of Methodism along with his preacher brother John Wesley, but he was also a prolific hymn writer.

Other hymns penned by Wesley that are still sung in churches today include 'Love Divine, All Loves Excelling' and 'O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing'.

'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' was written in 1739 and is set to an adaptation of music by Felix Mendelssohn.

The original opening couplet read, 'Hark how all the Welkin rings, Glory to the Kings of Kings,' but this was later amended to 'Hark! The herald-angels sing, Glory to the newborn king,' that form that is still sung today.
UK adult sites to require proof of age from 2019

MPs have backed changes to the law to stop children from accessing online adult content.

Under the changes, adult sites in the UK will require proof of age, such as driver's licences or age verification cards. Visitors to the sites will be redirected to age verification pages before they can access content.

The new rules were passed by the House of Commons on Monday and come into effect from April next year.

The Government's media minister Margot James told MPs that the regulations were an 'important step forward' in preventing children from accessing adult sites online.

'In the offline world, there are strict rules to deter children from accessing adult content,' she said.

'A large amount...is available on the internet in the UK, often for free, with little or no protections to ensure that those accessing the content are old enough to do so.'

However, the rules do not extend to social media platforms. Ms James said this was because the amount of adult material to be found on them is 'a relatively small minority of the content that they provide'.

'This is not a foolproof guarantee that young people and children will not be exposed... online. It is a significant step forward, but there is .. the potential for people to access material on social media platforms, which do not fall within the scope of the regulations unless more than a third of their average content is [adult content],' she said.
Members of Houston's Asian community met with the FBI in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to voice concerns about potential racial bias in economic espionage investigations.

The meeting comes over two months after a forum on the topic was held with the Houston FBI field office.

"The community leaders acknowledged the serious threat posed by trade secret theft within the U.S. where intellectual property has found its way to foreign nations, including China," a press release on the meeting said.

"At the same time," it continued, "the community leaders spoke about the fear and suspicious created by certain actions by the FBI, particularly related to cases where apparent innocent parties were involved."

According to a study conducted by Andrew Kim, a local attorney and visiting scholar at South Texas College of Law who attended the FBI's Dec. 7 meeting, the rate of people of Chinese heritage charged under the Economic Espionage Act has tripled to 52 percent between 2009 and 2015  making up the majority of EEA defendants. The rate of defendants of other Asian heritages was 10 percent.

In addition to the disproportionate number of charges, convicted defendants of Asian heritage had sentences twice as severe as those with Western names  22 months on average. And 1 in 5 of those of Asian heritage accused of economic espionage have yet to be proven guilty  again, double the rate of those with Western names falsely accused.

"We believe it is possible (and necessary) to distinguish between those cases that should be investigated and brought, with credible claims of illegal behavior, and the lawful actions of millions of Chinese Americans who are no different than their co-workers, neighbors, and friends," Frank Wu, president of Committee of 100, wrote to the FBI in advance of the meeting.

Steven Pei, a professor at the University of Houston's Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, brought up concerns about "a large number of Chinese American researchers in Houston investigated for espionage and put on administrative leave with or without pay over the law year"  mainly individuals working for the University of Texas-Houston.

Keping Xie, a former MD Anderson Cancer Center scientist, was one such case.

The 56-year-old researcher in pancreatic cancer resigned from the hospital in April, some three months after University of Texas-Houston police launched their investigation into contents of his work computer.

Xie was arrested Aug. 20, on allegations that his computer had five child pornography images and faced a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. He vehemently denied the accusations, and his case was dismissed on Nov. 28, after a Harris County grand jury declined to indict him on charges brought by university police.

Last year, six technology experts in the Houston area were charged by the FBI with stealing trade secrets from a Houston engineering company and slipping them to a manufacturer in China in what investigators said was an effort by the Chinese government to become a worldwide marine power.

Those in attendance of the forum the local community held in September voiced many concerns about racial bias in economic espionage, citing personal confrontations with the FBI and the cases taking place locally.

But FBI Special Agent Michael Morgan dissented.

"We conduct our investigations based on threat, which is defined by vulnerabilities it brings," he told the audience of over 100 repeatedly. "It's not based on ethnicity or the individual."

Despite his assurances, the crowd's concerns remained intact. Most of the questions posed were about steps they could take to avoid being scrutinized by the FBI, whether they could participate in talent programs, whether it's dangerous to work or do research for companies in the U.S. and abroad, and even how to go about reporting other people.

Also in his letter, Wu made the point that "Chinese Americans work daily across the U.S. in government, industry and academia, making invaluable contributions to the nation's portfolio of intellectual property and its robust economy."

He continued, "C100 remains gravely concerned that the ethnicity of Chinese Americans, by itself, will render them unfairly vulnerable to suspicion, racial profiling and discrimination."
Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Fireworks can be fun and beautiful, but can also be very dangerous. The Harris County Fire Marshals Office encourages residents to attend professional fireworks displays and practice fireworks safety.

Professional fireworks displays are a great way for residents to safely enjoy fireworks, said Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen. If you choose to use consumer fireworks, please read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions. Fireworks can be dangerous if not used properly.
Less than a week after announcing his intent to retire from the Katy Police Department next month, Chief William Hastings said he plans to run for mayor in 2019.

The announcement came just four days after Hastings handed over a retirement letter to Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner on Dec. 17 and on the same day that Brawner announced his plans to seek re-election.

Im just not ready to give up my service to the community, Hastings said. I think that I can help the community to grow in positive ways. Our growing pains have left certain areas (of the city) feel like they have neglected or let down or that they are not a big a part as others. As mayor, I just really hope to bring that sense of small-town, all inclusive feel back to Katy.

Brawner announced his plans to run for a second term as Katy mayor in a news release Thursday.

"Serving Katy has been a distinct honor and I would be humbled to serve one more term to complete the work we have begun together," Brawner said in a statement. "The families of Katy were at the center of my campaign when I ran for Mayor and our Katy families remain the center of my re-election campaign to keep Katy on the right track."

Hastings said the 2019 mayoral election will be strangest election Katy has ever had due to the law enforcement history the men share.

The two men go back nearly 40 years to when Hastings was a paramedic with the Village Fire Department and Brawner was a patrol officer with the Village Police Department, Hastings said.

Weve never been best buddies, but we do respect each other, Hastings said. We work together on different things through the years. I think we both agree that we dont want any mudslinging or none of the controversy that generally goes with elections in Katy, Texas. I think it will be interesting to watch because without controversy you really end up with not a whole lot of interest.

Brawner, a Katy area resident for 32 years, retired as police chief of the Spring Branch Independent School District after 21 years in 2016. He served as a Katy councilman from 2013 to 2017, when he was appointed as mayor pro-term by former Katy Mayor Fabol Hughes. In May 2017, Brawner was elected as the Katy mayor.

This will be Hastingss first foray into a politics. He has served as the top cop at the Katy Police Department for 10 years and has been with the department since 1986.

He said the police department runs like a well-oiled machine and that after 32 years with the department, it was time for someone else to man it. Hastings has been employed with the city of Katy since 1975.

Brawner and Hastings are the first to announce their intent to run for the Katy mayoral race. Candidates intending to run for office in the city of Katy must file an application by Feb. 15, 2019. The city will begin accepting applications on Jan. 16, 2019. Elections take place in May 2019.
Egypt's new mega-museum set to open in 2020

AP, Cairo :

On the Giza Plateau outside Cairo, thousands of Egyptians are laboring in the shadow of the pyramids to erect a monument worthy of the pharaohs.

The Grand Egyptian Museum has been under construction for well over a decade and is intended to showcase Egypt's ancient treasures while drawing tourists to help fund its future development. But the project has been subject to repeated delays, with a "soft opening" planned for next year scrapped in favor of a more triumphant inauguration in 2020. Costs have meanwhile soared from an initial $650 million to well over $1 billion, with most of the financing coming from Japan.

It's the latest mega-project to be championed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who is wagering that massive investments in infrastructure will revive an economy weakened by decades of stagnation and battered by the unrest that followed the 2011 uprising.

The museum is a series of towering concrete halls that will eventually hold some 50,000 artifacts, including the famed mask of Tutankhamen - popularly known as King Tut - and other treasures currently housed in the century-old Egyptian Museum in Cairo's congested Tahrir Square.

The hope is that tourists will stay awhile, and provide the foreign currency Egypt needs to buttress its economy.

"It's a place where you can linger to enjoy ancient Egypt," project director Tarek Tawfik said on a recent tour of the site, which will also include a conference center, a cinema, 28 shops, 10 restaurants and a boutique hotel. Giant windows open onto the 5,000-year-old pyramids, and the museum will feature an intact wooden ship and a towering statue of Ramses II.

Tawfik describes it as "a fantastic experience of ancient Egypt in a very modern building that provides all kind of modern, comfortable functions."

That would mark a major change from the current setup, in which tourists visiting the pyramids and the Sphinx are routinely hassled by touts and camel-drivers.

Tourists are gradually returning to Egypt, but the industry has yet to recover from the 2011 uprising, which toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak and ushered in a period of instability, culminating in the military overthrow of the country's first freely elected president, an Islamist whose brief rule sparked mass protests.




Katy ISD board president Courtney Doyle rejects the idea her fellow trustees didnt do an adequate search to find the candidate to replace outgoing Superintendent Lance Hindt.

Rather than hire an outside firm to conduct a national search, the KISD trustees looked in house for someone to lead the 80,000 student school district. They had one applicant - Acting Superintendent Ken Gregorski - who was appointed the lone finalist for the top schools job in a narrow 4-3 vote during a sometimes acrimonious board meeting.

While Doyle joined the majority in raising their hand for Gregorski, three of the trustees, including Rebecca Fox, the longest-serving board member, voted against naming him the finalist and instead sought the more expansive search. Doyle said she didnt consider the no vote from Fox and new board members Dawn Champagne and Susan Gessoff to mean they had any against Gregorski, who has been in KISD administration for the past two years.

They wanted the search to be different, she said. They know that Mr. Gregorski is the man for the job and hell do the job.

Fox agreed, stressing that her opposition had nothing to do with him as an educator.

This vote is not about Mr. Gregorski. My vote will be about the process, Fox said.

Just before the vote was called, Fox asked for a substitution amendment. It would have postponed the vote and kept Gregorski as interim superintendent until a search was conducted that included input from Katy parents and educators.

Both Ken Gregorski and Katy ISD deserve a process by which the best possible candidates emerge. We should all want to hear from the community, said trustee Dawn Champagne, one of the three no votes. If we allow for a broader search, the most suitable candidate would emerge.

Trustee George Scott - a vocal Gregorski backer - accused Fox and Champagne of being allies of anarchy and chaos after they made social media comments about their concerns about the process to find Hindts replacement. He accused Champagne of fomenting a grossly incompetent assault on how Gregorski was hired at Katy ISD in the first place.

Their conduct has been despicable and harmful to the school district, Scott said. They have proven themselves to be non-credible.

Gessoff, who spoke very little at the meeting, took exception to what appeared to be Scotts pointed criticism of those on the other side of the issue.

I feel that everyones voice should be heard. I dont have 45 years of experience but I did stand in a Katy ISD classroom for five years and delivered instructions, Gessoff said. I think that makes me qualified to have a vote. To discount other peoples experience is unkind.

In an interview following the board meeting, Doyle addressed the issue of input from the community. She said the district did a survey of the community two years ago to ask what they wanted in their superintendent. Out of almost 90,000 surveys that were sent out, KISD received about 2,900 responses. Less than three percent of our community told us what they wanted, she said.

She said KISD has received accolades in several areas during Hindts tenure as superintendent. And Mr. Gregorski has been a part of that team, Doyle added.

Scott said he has personally observed Gregorskis skill as a school administrator over the past two years. Katy ISD has the people in place right now who understand the complexities of the challenges.

The audience seemed about evenly mixed between those who wanted Gregorski as superintendent and those backing the national search option. Brook Foreman, a Katy parent, said it appeared the trustees were rushing to fill Hindts seat and questioned Gregorskis ties to him.

With the scandal going on, it seems like its a little shady, Foreman said. That might not be the best thing to do.

Hindt will be leaving the district at the end of the year. Its an ignominious end for a Katy native who has received high marks from KISD staff as well as parents when he took on the superintendents job. He announced his resignation following the public uproar after a school board meeting in March when a former classmate, Katy businessman Greg Gay, said Hindt shoved his head into a urinal more than 30 years ago while they both attended junior high school. The University of Houston later confirmed they were investigating allegations of strong similarities between Hindts doctoral dissertation at the and a paper on the same topic written by a high school principal in suburban Atlanta.

The KISD trustees strongly defended Hindt, even awarding him a a payout of about $700,000 when he steps down at the end of the year. Doyle lamented having to replace him at all.

We did not ask to be in this position. Dr. Lance Hindt would be our superintendent if the obvious reason of his family being harassed and bullied had not taken place, she said.

James Strickland, another Katy ISD parent, said he is all for transparency and accountability from government officials but said he believes the district needs the top leadership positions filled immediately.

At the end of the day, we still need somebody to run this district right now, Strickland said. If hes already been doing it - and hes been doing a fine job of it - theres no reason I can see as a parent not to give him the job.

He said a major problem affecting the school district is the bitterly divided KISD school board.

The board just needs to come together and iron out their differences, Strickland said. The community is being kind of split down the middle.

mike.glenn@chron.com
5 quota reform leaders hurt in attack 'by BCL men' at DU

DU Correspondent :

Five quota reform movement's leaders were injured in an attack allegedly by some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists in the TSC area on the Dhaka University (DU) campus around 2:30pm on Sunday.

The injured are: Md Sohrab, Kabir Hossain, Jasimuddin and Bin Yamin Molla, joint conveners of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council, a platform that led the quota reform movement.

Around 40-50 BCL leaders and activists from different dormitories swooped on the quota reformists around 3:30 pm, while they were chatting in front of Dhaka University Teachers-Students Centre (TSC) cafeteria after lunch, witnesses said.

"The BCL men suddenly attacked us while they were chatting at TSC. We don't understand why they attacked us," said Md Fahim Rahman Khan, a joint convener of the platform.

Contacted, DU unit BCL General Secretary Saddam Hussain said he was not aware of any such attack.

Nurul Haque, joint convener of the General Students Rights Protection Council, said that five joint conveners of their organization were beaten up. The condition of the three is critical. The injured students are: Sohrab Hossain, Bin Yamin Molla, Jasim Uddin, Ahmed Kabir and Md. Tareq Rahman.

They were admitted to different private hospital in the capital, he said.




SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A man is recovering in the hospital and a woman is in custody after a shooting Saturday afternoon in Shaker Heights, according to police.

Officers responded at about 2 p.m. for a call about a shooting on the 2000 block of North Moreland Boulevard, Shaker Heights police Commander John Cole said.

A 41-year-old Cleveland Heights man was brought to a hospital for a gunshot wound, Cole said. Police declined to say where on his body the man was shot.

Police detained a 45-year-old Shaker Heights woman in connection to the shooting, but no charges have been filed, Cole said.

The investigation is ongoing.

To comment on this story, visit Saturdays crime and courts comment section.
LORAIN, Ohio -- A 27-year-old man is dead after he was shot Saturday in Lorain, police say.

The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 29th Street and Gary Avenue in South Lorain, police said in a Sunday news released.

First responders found the shooting victim, 27-year-old Michael M. Turner, with a single gunshot wound, Lorain police said. Turner was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center, where he died.

Lorain police will not release additional information regarding the shooting while the investigation continues, the news release states.

This post will be updated if more details are provided Sunday.

If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A man was injured Sunday morning in a shooting on the citys East Side, police say.

The shooting happened about 6 a.m. on the 10900 block of Shale Avenue, near the intersection of East 110th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said.

A 26-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds to both legs, Lanton said. He was taken to University Hospitals for treatment.

His current condition is unknown.

No additional details about the Sunday morning shooting were provided. This post will be updated if more information is released.

If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
Repeated attacks on BNP candidates in Dhaka, Ctg

Six journalists among 200 hurt: Kalyan Party chief Syed Muhammad Ibrahim assaulted, Afroza Abbas forced to back from campaign

Staff Reporter :

Six journalists among 200 hurt: Kalyan Party chief Syed Muhammad Ibrahim assaulted, Aforoza Abbas forced to back from campaign

Staff Reporter

BNP candidate for Dhaka-9 constituency Afroza Abbas and Chattogram-2 constituency Colonel (retd) Azim Ullah Bahar came under attacks again on Sunday allegedly by Awami League activists while conducting electioneering in the respective areas.

At least 200 campaigners were injured in the separate attacks in Dhaka's Maniknagar and in Chattagram's Fatikchhari upazilas. The severe injured men have been taken loal cliics and hospitals, Police said.

In Dhaka, BNP candidate for Dhaka-9 constituency Afroza Abbas and her supporters came under attack for the third time of the ruling party men during conducting electioneering

in the city's Maniknagar area, leaving more than 100, including some journalists, injured.

Talking to reporters at her Shahjahanpur residence in the afternoon, Afroza said she along with her supporters was going to Mugdha's Maniknagar in a procession around 1:00pm for election work.

"As our procession reached Maniknagar crossing, a group of ruling party men, led by local Swechchasebak League leader Thunda Babu, swopped on us and beat my supporters and journalists with rods and sticks," she said.

The BNP candidate said that a photojournalist, Haider Ali, and other journalists were injured seriously as the attackers beat him mercilessly.

She also claimed the attack left over 100 of her supporters injured.

Afroza said she was forced to return home halting her campaign following the attack.

On December 18, ruling party men reportedly attacked Afroza and her supporters during their electioneering in the city's Khilgaon area and her campaign convoy came under attack twice at Kamalapur and Madartek in the city on December 12.

Meanwhile, Oikyofront backed Chattgram-5 constituency candidate and Bangladesh Kalyan Party President Major General (rtd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim's motorcade was attacked by the miscreants near Gate No.1 of Chattogram University (CU) at Hathazari upazila in the district on Sunday afternoon.

At least 15 campaigners were inured during the attack and they were admitted separate clinics, sources said.

Beside, BNP candidate for Chattogram-2 constituency Colonel (retd) Azim Ullah Bahar and 19 of his supporters were injured as Awami League men allegedly attacked his procession for 'Sheaf of Paddy' in Fatikchhari upazila on Sunday.

The attack left at least 50 BNP men, including Bahar and former judge Faisal Mahmud Fayezi, injured.

Babul Akter, Officer-in-Charge of Fatikchhari Police Station, said a group of miscreants attacked the activists of Bahar while electioneering, leaving 10-12 people injured.








On the Statehouse marquee this new week: Gov. John Kasichs veto of a gun bill and his veto of a pay raise the legislature wants to give itself and other elected officials.

The Senate plans to meet Thursday, the House, tentatively, Friday. A third Capitol Square sound-and-light show may also open: A GOP showdown over the House speakership between Speaker Ryan Smith, of Gallia Countys Bidwell, who wants to be re-elected, and former Speaker Larry Householder, of Glenford, in Perry County, who wants his old job back.

First, Kasichs vetoes: Overriding a governors veto requires 60 votes in the 99-seat House, 20 votes in the 33-seat Senate. If a vetoed bill has an emergency clause (as the pay-raise bill does), an override requires 66 House votes, 22 Senate votes. While the Senate likely could muster that many override votes to save the pay raises, getting to 66 ayes in the House might be dicey.

When the House passed the pay raise, it drew 68 yes votes  just two more than the 66 required. But one yes vote was cast by then-Rep. Brian Hill, a Zanesville Republican. Later that day, Senate Republicans appointed Hill to the Senate seat formerly held by new U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson, also a Zanesville Republican. So, if House members who backed the pay raise Dec. 13 still do, there arent 68 of them. There are 67, just one more than the 66 required for an override. If a couple pro-pay-raise House members play hooky, that could kill the raise unless arm-twisting produces pro-pay-raise converts.

The pay-raise measure, Senate Bill 296, would boost the base annual pay for a member of the legislature, now $60,584, to $63,007 in January, then, gradually, to $76,208 in 2028. The bill would also give raises to other elected officials.

On the guns-and-ammo front, Kasich vetoed House Bill 228 Wednesday. The bill is sponsored by Republican Reps. Terry Johnson, of Scioto Countys McDermott, and Sarah LaTourette of suburban Cleveland. Kasich said the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association opposes the bill because the measure would reverse the burden of proof in criminal cases in which the defendant alleges he or she acted in self-defense. The bill would require the prosecution to disprove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendants self-defense allegation. This has never been the law in Ohio, Kasich wrote. (Italics in the original.) Kasich also said the bill violated the home rule powers of cities and villages, something General Assembly Republicans have repeatedly and successfully aimed to do. The House vote on HB 228 was 59-22, while the Senate vote was 19-10  not enough votes in either chamber to override the veto.

If Kasichs veto of HB 228 stands, it would be a rare defeat for the Statehouses handgun lobby and gun manufacturers. Whether that lobby is as powerful as claimed is open to debate  but legislators think it is. Politically speaking, thats what matters.

The speakership: Republican then-Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, of Clarksville, in Clinton County, resigned in April amid a federal investigation into Statehouse lobbying. Its unclear where that probe stands. But it took House Republicans eight weeks to elect Ryan Smith to succeed Rosenberger because Householder and his backers want Householder, not Smith, to be the Ohio Houses speaker.

During that two-month deadlock, the Ohio House didnt pass any bills. Cynics may consider that the best thing Ohios House has done since it began to legalize Sunday liquor in 1969. (Among the yes votes: then-Rep. George V. Voinovich.) But the Houses spring sit-down strike (thats what it amounted to) was completely irresponsible. One saving grace  2018 wasnt a budget-writing year.

The Ohio House and state Senate will meet on Jan. 7. Republican Gov.-elect Mike DeWine will be sworn in on Jan. 14. A new governor has only a limited amount of time, early in his (someday, her) first term, to outline big-picture goals, draft a state budget, set a tone.

In January, if theres still a House leadership deadlock, it could distract Ohioans from hearing what DeWines policy agenda is. That doesnt help voters. That doesnt help Mike DeWine. And  if House Republicans think about it  that doesnt help them, either.

*********************

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Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials

1 year ago
Just days before submitting his resignation, U.S. special envoy Brett McGurk, who heads the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State, said in an exclusive interview that putting an end to ISIS will be a long-term, multiyear effort.

"We're on track now over the coming months to defeat what used to be the physical space that ISIS controlled," McGurk told CNBC's Hadley Gamble. "That will not be the end of ISIS."

The conversation with McGurk took place on Dec. 15 at a security forum in Doha, Qatar. Just four days later, President Donald Trump would declare the Islamic State defeated and announce the withdrawal of all U.S. forces fighting ISIS from Syria.

"Nobody is naive," McGurk said less than a week before Trump's decision. "The small clandestine cells, the individual terrorist attacks, will remain a threat for some time. That is why we have to remain together as a global coalition to keep the pressure on."

McGurk submitted his resignation on Friday, effective Dec. 31, a State Department official said on Saturday. A person familiar with the matter said McGurk quit because he objected to President Donald Trump's decision to pull out U.S. troops from Syria, a decision followed by the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis a day later.
Since his arrest on suspicion of falsifying financial reports, Nissan's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn has been sitting in a humble cell for more than a month, interrogated day in and day out, without a lawyer present.

His case is drawing attention to the criminal justice system in Japan, where there is no presumption of innocence and the accused can be held for months before trial. The system, sometimes called "hostage justice," has come under fire from human rights advocates.

When a court denied Tokyo prosecutors' request to detain Ghosn another 10 days on Dec. 20, it was so unusual that the Japanese media reported he might be released. But such speculation was dashed when prosecutors rearrested him a day later on suspicion of breach of trust, tagging on a new set of allegations centered on Ghosn's shifting personal investment losses of some 1.8 billion yen ($16 million) to Nissan Motor. On Sunday, a court approved prosecutors' request to detain him through Jan. 1.

But his plight is routine in Japan. People have signed confessions, even to killings they never committed, just to get out of the ordeal.

A trial could be months away and could drag on even longer. And his chances aren't good: The conviction rate in Japan is 99 percent.

Those close to Ghosn and his family say he is asserting his innocence. But it is unclear when release may come for Ghosn, who led a two-decade turnaround at Nissan from near-bankruptcy. Tokyo prosecutors consider Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, a flight risk.

Other nations may have legal systems that are criticized as brutal and unfair. The U.S., for instance, has its share of erroneous convictions, police brutality and dubious plea bargains. But, in the U.S., a person is presumed innocent, has the right to have an attorney present and gets freed within 72 hours if there is no charge.

Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond's School of Law, said such a longtime detention is highly unusual in the U.S.

"Each time the government reaches a deadline where Ghosn might be released, the government files new allegations and rearrests," he said.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Shin Kukimoto said prosecutors are merely doing their job of "trying to carry out a proper investigation."

When asked by a reporter about "hostage justice," he replied: "We are not in a position to comment on how the law has been designed."
WASHINGTON  Russian President Vladimir Putin offered President Donald Trump his praise. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis offered his resignation. America's allies fear the worst. And the top foreign policy lawmaker in Congress cannot stop laughing.

As a quarter of the federal government barrels headlong into a shutdown, the biggest story in Washington concerns America's presence overseas, where allies fear a retreat of the global superpower that has been the bedrock of military and diplomatic alliances that have lasted since the end of the second World War.

On Sunday, Trump tapped Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to become the acting Secretary of Defense, following Mattis' shock resignation. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who spearheaded the development of the 787 Dreamliner, took the Pentagon's second ranking role in 2017.

Shanahan "will continue to serve as directed by the president," said U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Joe Buccino, to CNBC on Sunday. "The Department of Defense will remain focused on the defense of the nation."

His temporary appointment appears unlikely to allay the growing concerns about the direction of U.S. foreign policy, or the turmoil surrounding the Trump administration.

"I think you will have extreme consequences," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-MD., told CNBC in a phone interview on Friday, speaking about Mattis's surprise resignation the night before. The retired general's resignation came after Trump's announcement that the U.S. would be pulling troops from Syria, and followed his decision to remove troops from Afghanistan.

That announcement came on the heels of a government shutdown, tumbling markets, and amid lingering uncertainty about the president's legal exposure as special counsel Robert Mueller continues his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Cardin, the top Democrat who served as ranking member on the Senate's foreign relations panel for most of Trump's presidency, called the former Marine's exit "one of the most difficult changes in the Trump administration."

He added: "Not only his leaving, but the manner in which he has left will create major concerns about the reliability of America as a partner."

Mattis issued a terse letter to the president Thursday evening, in which he hinted that the two had irreconcilable differences about their views of the world, citing their treatment of global alliances in particular. His resignation is effective at the end of 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," Sen. Bob Menendez, the Foreign Relations Committee's ranking member, said in a statement.

Mattis was seen as the lone remaining grownup in Trump's Cabinet, willing to push back against a commander-in-chief who disdains the government's foreign policy apparatus, and has little use for traditional diplomacy.

"Secretary Mattis represents the last of what we might call the mainstream foreign policy thinkers in the Trump administration," said Jim Lindsay, who recently co-authored the book The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership. "His departure is going to shape the balance of advice the president gets. And I think it is also going to change how American foreign policy is viewed overseas."
US President Donald Trump speaks as Defense Secretary James Mattis (L) looks on during a meeting with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House on October 5, 2017. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Defense Secretary James Mattis will depart the Pentagon by January 1, a date earlier than anticipated after his stunning resignation, and will appoint Patrick Shanahan  the agency's number 2 official  as acting Secretary. The president's announcement, made via Twitter, comes days after Mattis stunned Washington by announcing his resignation, prompted by what the former marine said were policy differences with Trump. The move was amplified by news on Saturday that Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting Islamic State-inspired terrorism, resigned in protest to the Trump administration's plans to withdraw troops from Syria. Trump tweet

Defense Department's Patrick Shanahan, before he was tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as the department's Acting Secretary Department of Defense

Amid tensions with Mattis, the president sent shock waves through the global security establishment last week by announcing troop drawdowns in both Syria and Afghanistan, moves that Mattis was said to oppose. In his resignation letter, the general delivered a harsh assessment of his boss' policy objectives. A New York Times report suggested the letter's phrasing  which led to endless negative headlines  was the impetus behind Trump's decision to remove him earlier than expected. "Trump's decision to accelerate Mattis' departure ... seems like more of the same ungrateful and precipitous behavior which characterizes the Trump presidency," said Carl Tobias, a legal scholar at the University of Richmond School of Law. "Mattis has served the nation honorably and effectively for decades, and his resignation letter was clear and pragmatic about the US role in the world. Mattis' successor... must be as careful, wise and realistic as Mattis," Tobias said.
May hopes to carry on until 2021 if deal passes

Theresa Mays allies are plotting to keep her in Downing Street for at least another two years amid growing confidence that she will get her Brexit deal through parliament. Her supporters in cabinet have been buoyed by what they believe to be a substantial shift in political arithmetic in the Commons. This follows secret talks between Mays chief Brexit negotiator Ollie Robbins and his European counterparts last week. Plans being floated by a prominent cabinet minister would see May hang on to power until the autumn of 2021 when she would hand over the keys of No 10 to a new Conservative leader. The new prime minister would then have about nine months to prepare their team before the next general election, due in May

2022.

MPs cannot prevent no deal without backing the Withdrawal Agreement, warns Leadsom  Sunday Telegraph

Ministers claim Mays plan for three-year spending review is a fantasy  The Observer

The partys internal politics have become so febrile that only a week ago two of Mays most senior colleagues were preparing for a second referendum behind her back. Now her allies report a significant improvement in the number of MPs who are prepared to support her proposed withdrawal agreement.  Sunday Times

More:

Williamson caught plotting how to succeed May  Sunday Times

2019 election an under-reported likelihood, claims Osborne  The Observer

Comment:

Of all the names we call Hunt, let Prime Minister not be one  Nick Cohen, The Observer

>Today: Line Kristensen in Comment: Why you should be getting even more Conservative Party emails than you already do

as Lidington oversees exercises for no deal Brexit

Ministers are to stage emergency exercises at the border next month to see if ports and airports could cope with a no-deal Brexit. The plans, which will test Border Force computer systems and staff, could see people with fake passports or lorries of sheep used to check preparations. Well be testing the border from end to end, a cabinet minister said. Ministers were informed of the plans at a no-deal Brexit cabinet meeting last week, when David Lidington, Theresa Mays deputy, brokered a compromise on preparations for leaving the EU. At his suggestion, ministers agreed that no-deal planning will be the principal operational focus of the government for the foreseeable future  with other manifesto commitments ditched. Lidingtons intervention provided a middle ground between ministers who wanted no-deal planning to be the central planning assumption of the government and remainers who only want contingency planning as a last resort. The whole process of no deal has been shrouded in mystery, with even the cabinet divided over whether it is a bluff or a genuine effort to prepare for Britain to walk away.  Sunday Times

Gauke hints again that he might quit over no-deal departure  Sunday Express

Hammond and Osborne branded Brexit wreckers  Sun on Sunday

DUP slate Varadkar for border con trick  Sunday Express

Health:

NHS told to review operations and holidays as deadline looms  Sunday Times

Health Service sets up trouble-shooting deam to deal with Brexit disruption  The Observer

Suppliers struggle to stockpile life-saving drugs  Sunday Times

Comment:

Dont let Hammond the Grinch scheme to keep us in the EU  Iain Duncan Smith, Sun on Sunday

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: For mighty dread had seized their troubled mind

and Corbyn affirms he would push on with EU withdrawal if he won a snap election

Labour leader faces furious backlash over EU remarks  The Observer

British space industry tries to chart post-Brexit course  FT

Bookings take off as EU gives guarantee on holiday flights  Sunday Times

Jeremy Corbyn would push ahead with Brexit if he won a snap general election next year, he said in an interview published today  a stance which is likely to anger the confused ranks of Labour MPs and party supporters who are demanding a second referendum. The opposition leader said he if he became Prime Minister he would head to Brussels to renegotiate the terms of the UKs divorce deal from the European Union to secure a better outcome for the country.Mr Corbyn, a socialist who has in the past made a string of anti-EU comments and bashed the bloc for supporting austerity, has been reluctant to throw his weight behind a campaign for a Peoples Vote, backed by a sizeable chunk of his party. Youd have to go back and negotiate, and see what the timetable would be, Mr Corbyn told the Guardian when asked what he would do if he won an election in the new year. Critics have accused Mr Corbyn of conducting a lacklustre Remain campaign in the run up to the 2016 referendum, with some even calling for his resignation, and have argued that he is happy to go along with Theresa Mays Brexit policy as long as the UK departs the EU.  Sunday Express

Comment:

Corbyn wont be forgiven for conniving in a right-wing Brexit  Will Hutton, The Observer

Daniel Hannan: Blame Remainers, but no-deal might be the best Brexit now

If Britain leaves the EU with no deal, we shall have Gina Miller to thank. It was her court case that gave Parliament the decisive say over the disengagement. She hoped that MPs would use it to block Brexit. Instead, they are blocking Theresa Mays withdrawal terms, thus making it likelier that Britain leaves without an agreement. Never underestimate the law of unintended consequences. I dont want to single out Ms Miller. A number of Remain-supporting politicians have made a similar miscalculation. By loudly and pompously declaring that they wont allow a no-deal outcome, they have encouraged Brussels to dig in, and so, paradoxically, made a no-deal outcome more probable Look at it from the point of view of an EU negotiator. If the British wont walk away then, by definition, they have only two options  either to drop Brexit or to sign whatever terms Brussels puts before them. The EU can hardly be blamed, in the circumstances, for hardening its line. Repeatedly assured that Parliament would force British negotiators back to the table, it made increasingly aggressive demands: a massive financial payment, a spell of non-voting membership, the regulatory annexation of Northern Ireland, control of UK trade policy even after Brexit, a continuing role for Euro-judges  and all without any promise of a trade deal in return.  Sunday Telegraph

A calamitous Brexit would be the Tories equivalent of the Winter of Discontent  Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer

Hard-line Remainers elite attempt to subvert democracy itself  Robert Tombs, Sunday Telegraph

They say the bullet wont be fired, but once the safety catch is off  Adam Boulton, Sunday Times

Its time to tackle Brexit and show confidence in the future  Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sunday Telegraph

Backstop offers May a strategic advantage  Matthew OToole, FT

Ill do anything to stop the Tories pursuing no-deal Brexit, even resigning the whip  Nick Boles, Sunday Telegraph

Disorderly Brexit will drive business to desperate measures  Adam Marshall, The Observer

Hinds announces an extra 12 million for adopted children

wants to ensure that emotional wellbeing is put on a par with academic results by schools, including for children who have had a traumatic start to life. Under plans unveiled in October, schools will be asked to monitor happiness and mental health to counter rising anxiety among the young. Its not an either/or between a well-rounded education and academic performance, Hinds said.  Sunday Times

An extra 12m for adopted children to have therapy will be announced by Damian Hinds, the education secretary, today as he puts emotional wellbeing, rather than just academic achievement, at the heart of his departments mission. Hinds, who has three children under eight, said he felt a personal responsibility to ensure that those who had been adopted, or were living in care, had the same life-developing, character-building, resilience-strengthening opportunities as other children. The extra 12m, for the adoption support fund, is to encourage parents of adopted children, and people thinking about adopting, to know there is specialist support in place to help families as they adjust to their new lives. Hinds, who has urged primary pupils to climb trees and explore caves to build character,

>Yesterday: Hillary Su in Comment: From childhood in communist China to Tory candidacy in London. Why I am a Conservative.

Ministers scramble to protect airports from copycat drone attacks

Ministers were scrambling to protect Britain against potential copy-cats drone attacks amid fears the chaos at Gatwick could be replicated at other transport hubs across the country. Whitehall sources said the authorities were very concerned about attempts to repeat the paralysis at Britains second busiest airport which saw 140,000 passengers delayed and were taking urgent steps to safeguard others against the threat. Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, who is among ministers liaising with authorities and airport chiefs, told The Sunday Telegraph: The Armed Forces stand ready to assist the civilian authorities whenever they are required. Senior ministers are due to meet at Number 10 Downing Street tomorrow, Christmas Eve, to discuss their response to the threat. On Friday night police arrested a local drone enthusiast on suspicion of carrying out the attack Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Richard Walton, who was Scotland Yards head of counter-terrorism until 2016, says: Unfortunately we are now likely to see copy-cat incidents off the back of this.And the ease with which a major UK aviation hub was brought to a standstill will not have escaped the attention of terrorist groups who will be wondering why they have not tried using drones before.  Sunday Telegraph

Police to be issued net-throwing bazookas  Sunday Times

Comment:

Its a question of when, not if, drones are used by terrorists  Richard Walton, Sunday Telegraph

Leadsom calls for MPs being investigated over expenses to be named

W

Rutley announces ban on puppy farms  Sun on Sunday

Labour fixers try to head off stupid woman row with claim next leader will be (hard-left) female

hen, earlier this year, MPs voted to give themselves anonymity during investigations for financial impropriety, the Commons faced an almighty stink. Such was the level of concern about the move, even Kathryn Stone, the watchdog who polices the MPs code of conduct, spoke out publicly to warn that the ban on her publishing the names of those facing inquiries was seen as a cover-up and a retrograde step. Today, Andrea Leadsom, the cabinet minister who led the cross-party panel responsible for the change, suggests that the policy could now be overturned following the row. The vote, in July, imposed a ban on Mrs Stone publishing the names of MPs being investigated under the existing code of conduct, apparently in order to ensure the system was consistent with a new, separate complaints procedure for Commons staff raising the alarm about bullying or harassment. The use of anonymity under the new system was needed, the panel had argued, to prevent victims from being easily identified, for example in the case of a researcher who complained about their employer. Its argument for extending the new ban to investigations under the existing system appeared somewhat less compelling. To do otherwise, it was felt, would muddy the waters.  Sunday Telegraph

Labour fixers today made a cynical attempt to try and deflect from Jeremy Corbyns stupid woman misogyny allegations by suggesting a female MP member of the hard left Momentum group as the veteran left-wingers successor. Mr Corbyn was savaged as a sexist dinosaur after he mouthed the words stupid woman following a parliamentary run-in with Prime Minster Theresa May. The Labour leader has claimed he said stupid people  but professional lip-readers and voters watching the clip online have drawn their own conclusions. Now Labour insiders have circulated the idea that MP Laura Pidcock, 31, will be rewarded for her loyalty by Mr Corbyn. She called the Conservative Party pathetic before appearing on TV and firing off angry Tweets hailing Mr Corbyn a saint and dismissing the spat as an attempt to divert attention from the Governments shambolic rule. Ms Pidcock was showered with praise by her fellow Corbynistas for being so outspoken in her defending of him in comparison to other Labour MPs such as Stella Creasey who chastised him. A senior Labour source told the Daily Mail she has now been hotly tipped as Mr Corbyns successor.  Sunday Express

Corbyns sexism is outrageous, as is his cowardly lie  Karren Brady, Sun on Sunday

Lord Ashdown dies

Paddy Ashdown, the action-man politician who made the Liberal Democrats a force in British politics, died last night after a brief battle with cancer. Lord Ashdown passed away seven weeks after announcing that he was being treated for bladder cancer, a diagnosis he received only in October  a development he bore with stoicism and good humour. He branded his prognosis unpredictable, declaring: Ive fought a lot of battles in my life. This was not one he would win. In his political fights Ashdown took the Lib Dems from obscurity to become the strongest third party in parliament since the 1920s, beginning a revival that led them to the coalition government in 2010. Last night four prime ministers led the tributes to a politician who

was widely admired for his sense of duty and for cramming several lives into his 77 years.

A tribute to Britains irrepressible internationalist  Miranda Green, FT

His career included time in the Royal Marines, the Special Boat Section (later Service) and a spell as a spy with MI6 before entering parliament as MP for Yeovil in 1983, a seat he held until 2001. Theresa May said: It is with great sadness that I have learnt of the passing of Lord Ashdown. Paddy served his country with distinction. He dedicated his life to public service and he will be sorely missed. David Cameron called his death desperately sad news.  Sunday Times
100%

Website printfamily.ir uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 61729 bytes (60.28 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-22, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Lukas Schulze/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Sen. Jeff Merkley said the Democratic Party will not agree to any funding for a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, one of President Trumps central campaign promises that is at the heart of the ongoing partial government shutdown.



We're absolutely willing to fund border security, the Oregon Democrat, who is weighing a run for president in 2020, said on This Week Sunday.



The American people want us to spend money in a smart way. Five billion dollars is a lot of money," he said, adding, "To spend it on a fourth-century strategy rather than on stuff that actually improves border security is something that we're just not going to do.



So, let me be clear, Democrats are not going to agree to any funding to build new border wall - none? ABC News' Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked.



That's correct, Merkley said. None.



At 12 a.m. Saturday, the government partially shut down after the White House and Congress couldnt reach a budget funding deal, with President Trump saying he wouldnt sign a bill that didnt include $5 billion for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.



The House passed a deal, including over $5 billion in border wall spending, Thursday after Trump indicated he would not sign the short-term funding bill passed by the Senate, which included less than $2 billion for border security. The House proposal has stalled in the Senate as congressional leaders negotiate the terms of a deal.



Congress has adjourned for the holiday, making it unlikely a deal will be reached before Congress reconvenes this Thursday.



Merkley mentioned his recent travels to the U.S.-Mexico border, and said the border patrol agents there told him that the president just doesn't get it.



When you talk with the border guards, they fill you in on what's really happening and say the president's vision and understanding of the law -- he just doesn't get it, Merkley said on This Week. He doesn't get that the drugs are coming through tunnels. He doesn't get that they need high-security sensors."



Merkley cited a prior bipartisan proposal that included funding for border security that could be the basis of future negotiations.



We have a plan -- a bipartisan plan -- that is on the table. We have the 2013 plan that passed by a supermajority in the Senate that would address the vast bulk of these issues. So we're ready for a broader discussion; the president hasn't been there, Merkley said.



Karl pressed Merkley, noting that the 2013 deal included funding for border security, including 700 miles of fencing. Merkley countered by saying that the 2013 plan is starkly different from Trumps proposal for a large border wall or steel slats.



There's a difference between a fence and wall, Merkley said.



There is? Karl pressed.



Thirty-foot-concrete wall, 30-foot steel spikes -- that's not the smart way, and that's what all the experts on the border tell us, Merkley said.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
ANSONIA  Work to transform the former Farrel corporate headquarters downtown into a new police headquarters has begun.

Thats according to Economic Development Director Sheila OMalley, who said thousands of ceiling tiles have been removed from two of the buildings three floors, by Frank Pepe Construction.

Police Chief Kevin Hale said the tiles needed to be removed in order to allow engineers and architects to expose and assess the electrical and wiring. An environmental study revealed the tiles did not contain any asbestos or hazardous materials.

Hale said tile removal was a first step toward major renovation of the former Farrel administrative offices at 65 Main St. into a new headquarters for police.

It is exciting; preliminary work is getting done, Hale said.

The renovation project is slated to go out to bid in early 2019. Hale, as well as OMalley, anticipates police may be able to move in in late spring or early summer.

OMalley said the city is having smaller jobs, such as the tile removal, done prior to going out to bid for a general contractor, to help the city cut costs. The city Department of Public Works is doing some prep work to help out, she said.

I've been wanting a new home for the police since I served on the police commission, said Mayor David Cassetti. They need it and they certainly deserve it. In addition, the boost to businesses and the added security presence will be a very positive outcome for our downtown.

The city acquired the 85,000-square-foot property earlier this year through eminent domain, after a sale agreement could not be reached with Shaw Growth Ventures of Greenwich and New York. The city since deposited $1.85 million, which represents the average of two appraisals, with Superior Court in Milford.

The purchase and renovation of the building will be covered by a 40-year, $12 million loan the city received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ansonia Police Departments current headquarters are cramped inside the 122-year-old former Larkin School on Elm Street, where there is very little parking and even less space to store evidence and detain prisoners.

The plan is to use 28,000 square feet of the top floor of the new building for the police department. There also is talk of establishing a regional police, fire and emergency dispatch and training center on the second floor. But that is something for the future, and if it happened it would require an agreement by all the Valley towns, according to city officials.

As far as what may happen to the existing police station building, OMalley said that remains to be seen.

We are looking at highest and best uses for that building, OMalley said. The issue for the city and its residents is how do we save money and decrease the burden on the taxpayers. That remains to be seen. We could save money by having other city offices relocate there and we could make money if we were to sell the property.

jean.sos@snet.net
Erie has a child care 'crisis.' But help could be on the way
Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This analysis originated at texastribune.com. Contact Ramsey at rramsey@texastribune.org.
Many fire academies have a sign posted with the warning, Let no mans ghost return to say his training let him down.

Matthew LeTourneau and those who served with him knew that wouldnt happen to him. He was known for teaching new firefighters and encouraging them to never stop training or learning.

No matter how long it took, he was going to help you learn and keep doing it until you understood, J.J. Bonsall, a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department, said about LeTourneau practicing and reviewing skills with career and volunteer firefighters. He loved training. It didnt matter what time of day it was or what the weather was like. It was the most joyous moment for him because someone wanted to learn. He loved to teach and pass on knowledge to newer members.

The LeTourneau family created the Captain Matthew LeTourneau Memorial Foundation, carrying on Matthews legacy of continuing the education and advancement of firefighters, and those wishing to become instructors, passing on their knowledge, like he did. They created a scholarship in his name and have provided funds to two college students who are in the fire service.

My brother had a passion for firefighting that was unrivaled, Luke LeTourneau said during an event. He was always on a journey to learn and teach, take opportunities to gain knowledge or even talk shop with whoever would listen.

He said that Matthew always trained, and encouraged other firefighters to keep training. Matthew also served as a state instructor at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center and as a volunteer firefighter with the Springfield Fire Company since 1991.

He was certain that muscle memory and learning new and safer techniques made you the best firefighter, Luke LeTourneau said. Matt went into every shift, every call and every fire with the same passion, love and enthusiasm, as if it was his first day. He knew that he would not fail his fellow firefighters due to lack of training.

A Philadelphia firefighter since 2007, LeTourneau, 42, was promoted to lieutenant in 2015 and promoted to captain posthumously. He served with the Philadelphia Fire Department Engine 45/Platoon A. He died on Jan. 6 after being trapped in a structural collapse while battling a rowhome fire in North Philadelphia. Two other firefighters were injured during the collapse and a neighbor suffered an injury during the blaze. The homeowner perished in the fire.

He lost his life trying to save another, Luke LeTourneau said, truly living on as a hero forever.

Matthew LeTourneau became a volunteer firefighter at 16, the youngest age allowed at the time. He was attending Cardinal OHara then and graduated in 1993. His alma mater dedicated a bench in his name in October. Additionally, the LeTourneau family accepted Delaware County Community Colleges Wong Moss Outstanding Alumni award given in October to Matthew LeTourneau, a 1995 graduate.
One of the things I most enjoyed about living in Russia was the absence of prissy health and safety. The doors on the Moscow metro slammed shut with a vicious crash, after a single warning, and if you were caught in them, too bad. No pathetic reopening of the doors. So nobody ever was caught in them, and trains ran fast and frequently.

On ferociously freezing days when any Western airline would have given up, Russian internal flights took off without hesitation, and arrived on time.

This is nothing to do with communism or tyranny. Israel is much the same. Russia (how can I put this?) is still a rather masculine society, in which the influence of lawyers and social workers is minimal. And I rather think that if anyone was fool enough to fly a drone over one of Moscow's major airports today, two things would happen within about half an hour. The drone would be shot out of the sky, and the person involved would be in the slammer, contemplating a lengthy spell in Siberia. If the airport ever had closed (which I doubt), it would soon be opened again.

Passengers wait for their flights at Gatwick Airport during this week's drone mayhem

When I lived there, in the 1990s, this aspect of it reminded me of the equally masculine post-war society in which I grew up.

'Just get on with it,' was a good rule, in my view, and it served us so much better than our current attitude. No doubt, the health and safety frenzy created by Margaret Thatcher and John Major (who licensed ambulance chasers here) saves some lives. But it also makes us so gutless that our very survival as a country is in question.

There's another worrying thing about the wet response to the Gatwick drone. Here we are, with our own burgeoning KGB-type organisations. There's the ludicrous MI5, lavished with public money and constantly claiming to be saving us from the supposed menace of terror.

Then there's the so-called 'British FBI', the National Crime Agency. And MI6, which also claims to know everything. We also have the gigantic secret doughnut of GCHQ, supposedly plucking the plots of the wicked from the airwaves with fantastically sophisticated devices. Not to mention the police who, having forgotten how to walk, maintain their own air force instead.

And then there is the huge industry of 'airport security', which forces innocent people to shuffle through humiliating searches, in which they must remove their clothes and have their private parts photographed by scanners, before they can get near a plane.

But all these organisations and 'security' personnel can't find a way to deal with what is, in effect, a large remote-controlled toy helicopter buzzing about near the runway. It is nothing to do with the resources available to them. It is just that they have all gone soft, like supermarket apples.

It is rather lucky that we don't actually have any serious enemies at the moment, isn't it?

Bloated unis are a lesson in stupidity

It is now almost 30 years since this country made one of its gravest mistakes  the expansion of universities.

The vast cost of this folly has now found its way on to the Government books, after long years when the Treasury tried to pretend that student debt  much of which will never be paid off  wasn't a national liability.

And within days of this outbreak of truth, unchallengeable research confirmed what every properly educated person has known for many years, that the 'degrees' awarded by the new expanded universities are inflated paper. Even deluded foreign admirers of Britain will have spotted this.

What the Major and Blair governments did when they expanded universities was to raise the school leaving age to 22, so hiding much of the terrible youth unemployment in this country. And then they compelled the young victims of this fraud to take out huge debts to pay for their often-wasted years at often-miserable colleges.

Who will have the courage to admit that this was a terrible mistake, and close it down? How many more poor school-leavers will end their college years clutching certificates they can barely read, qualified only for flipping burgers, while the foolish comprehensive schools, which failed to teach them what they really need to know, continue to decay and decline?

A sinister choice for our festive favourite

How strange that Its A Wonderful Life, a very American story, has become Britains favourite Christmas film. Actually, the nightmare scene during which George Bailey learns what the world would have been like had he never been born, is some of the most sinister and disturbing footage ever shot. And you might be interested to note that the apparently mild-mannered Cabinet Minister Michael Gove says he prefers the rackety, amoral Pottersville of the nightmare to sweet, benevolent Bedford Falls.

Donna Reed as Mary Hatch and James Stewart as George Bailey in the film It's A Wonderful Life

I have made many enemies by refusing to join in the anti-Russian frenzy. I was particularly scorned for pointing out that Britains pious attacks on the Russian bombing of Aleppo were ridiculous, given what Western forces were doing in cities ruled by Islamic State.

Now Anthony Loyd of The Times has visited Raqqa which, like Mosul, was shelled and bombed heavily by US and British forces, though the British Government has absurdly denied causing any civilian casualties there. And he has found that Syrian workers recovering the dead say the vast majority of the remains being dug from the ruins are those of civilians killed by coalition air strikes and artillery fire.

Lets hope that these facts will end the ridiculous moral posturing of the Western countries about Russias role in the Syrian war. The real blame for all this misery lies in those Western countries.

By intervening first in Iraq and then in Libya and Syria, they transformed this whole region into a cauldron of war.

And they turned hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians into corpses, and millions into refugees and economic migrants.

This Christmas Eve it is 50 years since the Apollo 8 Moon Mission, which transformed our view of our planet by providing the two most astonishing photos of our home: one of the whole planet, the only tiny trace of warmth and colour in a frozen, monochrome universe; the other of Earth rising over the surface of the Moon. The astronauts  practical, military men versed in science, maths and engineering but overcome by the mysterious glory of the universe seen from space  took it in turns to read the soaring poetry of the opening words of the King James Bible. How the atheists fumed. Let them. They can never defeat Christmas.

I recently had to beat off attacks from the feminist sisterhood after using the adjective squawking. They ruled that it could only apply to women (it doesnt) and was therefore automatically an expression of anti-woman feeling (it wasnt).

So I am puzzled by the strange Tory rage about Jeremy Corbyn allegedly muttering stupid woman under his breath (something Lord Hague was also once accused of doing).

Why exactly would a Tory think this rather mild expression was such a frightful thing to say? Politically correct people can, and do, classify everything and anything as misogyny. But do Tories do this? It seems so. Was this the moment the Tory Party became officially PC?

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Jeremy Corbyn has masterfully maintained a position of cynical equidistance from Brexit for the past few months

Last Monday I received a call from a member of the Shadow Cabinet.

'What's going on?' they asked. It wasn't a social enquiry, or implied criticism. They were genuinely trying  and failing  to discover what Labour's position was on calling a no confidence motion in Theresa May's Government.

For the past few months, Jeremy Corbyn has done a masterful job on Brexit, successfully maintaining a position of cynical equidistance on the most important issue facing Britain since the war.

Even more impressively, he has framed that positioning as the product of a carefully co-ordinated strategy.

Until last week. At which point  with the end of the parliamentary term in sight, and the Prime Minister desperately struggling to save her premiership  the fiction that Labour's leader actually knows what he's doing fell apart.

'He genuinely doesn't have an idea about what to do,' the Shadow Cabinet member explained.

'The problem is his team keep lurching from the sort of naked electioneering that would make Tony Blair blush to the dogmatic Marxism of their childhood.'

Symptoms of the depths Labour have plumbed in the past seven days included one of Mr Corbyn's MPs comparing herself to Jesus Christ, shortly after being convicted of perverting the course of justice.

It was one of the least noteworthy events. There was the 'stupid woman' slur and compounding lie, the spectacle of one of his MPs resigning the whip, citing his own party's anti-Semitism and, a day later, one of his key allies signing a petition in support of a notorious Holocaust denier.

The Labour leader has even managed to frame that positioning as the product of a carefully co-ordinated strategy

But it was Monday's shambolic quadruple U-turn on the confidence challenge that made Labour MPs realise that the tactical opportunism they had been slavishly supporting had run its course.

'On Brexit he's just a snake-oil salesman, like Farage,' one told me. 'It's time for people to pick a side.'

Until now, most of Corbyn's colleagues have been content to do anything but. Their speeches have contained emotive demands for the Prime Minister to put the 'national interest first', after which they have lined up robotically behind their leader to oppose every measure proposed by the Government to break the Brexit impasse.

They have accused Mrs May of 'running down the clock' when their own strategy has been to keep the clock ticking indefinitely to avoid taking any clear position on Brexit. But now Corbyn's incompetence has contrived to wrest the focus away from the Tories' Brexit divisions.

'For the first time in months, the political pressure has been cranked up on Labour,' a May aide told me with relief.

'The narrative has just been about us pummelling ourselves. But the cracks in Corbyn's operation are starting to surface.'

A week after 117 of May's MPs ambushed her and demanded a change of leader, this was supposed to be the perfect moment for The Absolute Boy to strike.

Instead, he has merely underlined his own ideological toxicity: his commitment to Irish nationalism, making him anathema to the DUP; his aggressive hard-Left tribalism, preventing the construction of a workable coalition with moderate Tories.

Corbyn pledged to his supporters he would defeat the Conservatives in a confidence motion and force an election. But in the end he couldn't even risk tabling such a motion  never mind win one.

A week after 117 of Theresa May's MPs ambushed her and demanded a change of leader, this was supposed to be the perfect moment for The Absolute Boy to strike

Within Labour there are those who have been aware his no-confidence braggadocio would prove his undoing.

According to senior Shadow Ministers, Labour Chief Whip Nick Brown has been urging his leader to try to broker a Brexit compromise with the Government.

'Nick knew it would only be a matter of time before our own splits started to pull us apart,' one said.

But with Corbyn now immobilised by Brexit paralysis, Labour MPs are preparing to pursue their own strategies.

For Labour Remainers, this means an overt drive towards the promised land of a second referendum, reaching out to Tory Ministers who have started to brief that a No Deal Brexit represents a personal red line.

'The thing we're saying to them is, 'If you want to stop the countdown to No Deal, then the only way to do that is to suspend Article 50,' ' said one Labour MP. 'And the EU have made clear the only way they'll agree to that is if it's coupled to a second referendum.'

Other Labour Remainers think Corbyn is so intent on delivering a 'Red Brexit' he will actively try to sabotage their plans by committing Labour to a 'free vote' on the issue.

This fork-tongued proposition would have the practical effect of killing off any new referendum by giving Labour Brexiteers licence to oppose it.

Tories' Brexit battle gets dirty... Are some Brexiteers resorting to dirty tricks to undermine Theresa May's deal? According to one Tory Minister, they could well be. 'I was in the tea-room last week with one of our backbenchers who was telling people he was on the fence about whether to back her. The next day, his office started to get dozens of emails urging him to vote against. He doesn't believe it was a coincidence.' Some Government insiders think there is an organised campaign under way to target waverers, especially those in the 2015 and 2017 intakes. 'The problem with the new guys is they're not used to the pressure,' a colleague explains. 'Their office suddenly gets a few negative letters and they start freaking out.' A question puzzling May allies is where opponents could obtain the membership data necessary to target Tory MPs. I'm told to expect some interesting revelations about this in the New Year. Advertisement

They also described as 'a kick in the guts' yesterday's Guardian interview, in which Corbyn pledged to pursue Brexit even if Labour won an election.

To many moderate Labour MPs, killing off the option of a second referendum would be an act of war, which is why some of them have started to think the unthinkable.

'I can't allow No Deal,' one Shadow Minister admitted to me, 'and the fact is May's strategy of running down the clock is working.

I'll have to wait to see precisely what her final offer is.' In effect, they are preparing to present Corbyn with an ultimatum.

If he removes the option of a second referendum, they will have no option but to vote for May's deal.

Meanwhile, Government insiders are suddenly daring to believe. Partly as a result of Corbyn's blundering, last week saw a subtle repositioning from the hardcore Tory Brexiteers.

Where once they were looking for reasons to vote against May's deal, many have begun to look for excuses to back it.

Downing Street has also detected a change in tone from the DUP. 'The key is whether we can get to the point where Labour votes could make the difference,' said a May aide. 'The way we look at it, for every Tory vote we get back, we bring another Labour vote into play.'

Incredibly, the Prime Minister is ending 2018 with political momentum. Even more fantastically, she has been handed it by the man who had pledged for the second year in a row to force her out of No 10 by Christmas.

This was supposed to be the Labour leader's time to strike. Instead, Jeremy Corbyn might just have saved Theresa May's premiership.

On Friday evening I was chatting to a Department for Transport official about the Gatwick drone crisis.

'It's been really hard to tackle,' he was explaining. 'They've gone now, and the airport is operating again. But we don't know where Uh, oh.'

The drone was back. Oh, for the days of leaves on the line
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A photographer has gone viral for hosting a wedding with a difference after marrying off two of her chickens.

Erin Bankston, who is from Fort Worth in Texas but currently lives in Acworth, Georgia, decided to host the wedding after seeing how inseparable her chickens Mr and Mrs Mayflower were.

The mother-of-three, 40, spent around a day setting up the altar and even managed to put the rooster in a tuxedo and the hen in a pearl necklace and white garter.

After posting snaps of the big day on Facebook, Erin was overwhelmed with positive feedback from animal lovers who adored the idea.

Now she's using her newfound viral fame to raise awareness for the humane treatment of animals and hopes to make people think twice when they see a creature in need.

Photographer Erin Bankston, 40, went viral after hosting a wedding for her two chickens, Mr and Mrs Mayflower at her home in Acworth, Georgia - complete with all the trimmings including flowers and bridal veil

The brilliant snaps show the groom in a tuxedo and bow tie, and the bride wearing a veil and white garter on her leg

Here comes the bride! Mrs Mayflower showing off her veil and pearls. Erin spent a full day preparing the altar with sticks and flowers, but only spent around $20 in total as she had many of the items already

She told Femail: 'We knew after we saw how inseparable they were that this funny little event needed to happen.

'These birds have a story to tell, and a good lesson to go with it. They reached thousands and thousands of people, and they made so many people happy.

'I can't tell you how many wonderful reactions we had to their story. People cried, laughed, shared, and are just so in love with them.'

After the pictures went viral, Erin decided to set up social media pages dedicated to the adventures of the Mayflowers and their other animals, and now even plans to write a book.

Erin added: 'I have always tried to raise awareness for the humane treatment of animals, and love to have children (and adults) over at the farm so they can learn how and why we treat animals with kindness from such a young age so that it follows them to adulthood.

Erin and her husband Mark, pictured with their three kids Addison, 17, Avery, 14, and Arden, 12, run a Eight Acres Home & Design, and used the barn they created as a backdrop for the wedding

Mr and Mrs Mayflower met two months ago and have been inseparable ever since. They now have their own little coop together

The love birds were apparently very cooperative, but Erin and her friends Leslie Wells and Sandra Bianco had to keep readjusting their outfits

'Every little life deserves respect and kindness, and hopefully through this page and their story they will touch someone's heart where it wasn't touched before.

'We rescue many animals on this farm and hopefully through this page their personalities and stories will make people think twice when they see an animal in need.'

Erin and her family rescued Mr Mayflower in May 2017 after he was abandoned at a chicken farm with a broken leg.

The poor rooster couldn't walk and was as 'mean as a snake' from his injuries, but Erin nursed him back to health, and Mr Mayflower soon became one of the sweetest birds on the farm.

After growing too large to hang out with her other chickens, the lonely Mr Mayflower was separated from the others by a fence - until Mrs Mayflower came along.

Mr Mayflower joined the farm in May 2017 after he was abandoned at a chicken farm with a broken leg. He had to be kept separated from the other chickens as his bad eyesight means he gets anxious if there is too much movement near him

Mrs Mayflower, who was originally named Beyonce, came to the farm after falling off a chicken truck two months ago. She was meant to stay with the other chickens but the pair had other plans

The incredible photos from the wedding racked up thousands of likes and shares on Facebook. Erin said: 'I can't tell you how many wonderful reactions we had to their story. People cried, laughed, shared, and are just so in love with them'

Mrs Mayflower, who was originally named Beyonce, came to Erin's farm after falling off a chicken truck two months ago.

Erin planned to keep Mrs Mayflower with the other chickens, but she soon spotted the pair talking to each other through a greenhouse on the farm.

After allowing the two chickens to meet, they quickly became inseparable, and soon spent every waking hour together - which is when she decided the two love birds deserved a wedding.

She said: 'I probably spent about one full day getting everything made and ready, and in total probably spent about $20 between purchasing the flowers and sticks.

'Everything else I already had and just pieced it together.'

The happy couple even had a tiny wedding cake to enjoy. Erin has since created a page for Mr and Mrs Mayflowers adventures together, and even hopes to write a book

She added: 'We rescue many animals on this farm and hopefully through this page their personalities and stories will make people think twice when they see an animal in need'

Now Mr and Mrs Mayflower are living out their own happy ever after in their own coop on the farm

Erin and her husband, Mark, who works as a home contractor, recently began working together on their home and design business, Eight Acres Home & Design.

They used the barn they created as the backdrop for the pictures, before enlisting two friends - Leslie Wells and Sandra Bianco - to get the birds into position.

She said: 'We did have to straighten out ties and dresses quite often, but overall the two lovebirds were pretty cooperative.

'It was the party guests that made us work for it... it was a wild bunch.'

Now Mr and Mrs Mayflower are living out their own happy ever after in their own coop on the farm.
Glen James, a financial guru, wanted to throw a 'premium' party for his friends this Christmas - spending nearly $3,000 on a night of treats and tipple.

But the 34-year-old from the NSW Central Coast isn't alone in his quest to impress this holiday season, with the Commonwealth Bank finding the annual Christmas lunch is the most expensive meal of the year for more than half of Australians.

'I like entertaining and it's good to have people over. You can celebrate friendships money can't buy,' Mr James told FEMAIL.

Glen James (pictured), a financial guru, wanted to throw a 'premium' party for his friends this Christmas - spending nearly $3,000 on a night of treats and tipple

But the 34-year-old from the NSW Central Coast isn't alone in his quest to impress this holiday season (pictured are his catered treats)

The founder of My Millenial Money gathered a group of 28 people on Friday night and under glittering lights and tiki torches put on a $750 catered display of delicious smoked meats, buttermilk chicken and flatbread.

He supplied champagne and beer (to the tune of $665) for his visitors, spent $210 on festive lights for the yard, $124 on lucky door prizes, $300 on live music, $250 on nibbles and $150 on cutlery and plates.

'The dessert I did on my own with some poached strawberries and lime, and I asked some of the guests to bring pavlovas,' he said.

The founder of My Millenial Money gathered a group of 28 people on Friday night and under glittering lights and tiki torches put on a $750 catered display of delicious smoked meats, buttermilk chicken and flatbread

'I don't like eating off plastic plates so I went to IKEA and bought some crockery for the event too.'

But Mr James, who spent a total of $2,819 on the occasion, said that there are certainly ways to cut back on the all-important Christmas lunch - and the biggest way is by giving yourself time.

'I threw this all together at the last minute but if I had more time I would have methodically worked out a budget and the cheapest places to buy certain things,' he explained.

But Mr James, who spent a total of $2,819 on the occasion, said that there are certainly ways to cut back on the all-important Christmas lunch (musician at the event pictured)

Even so, the lights he purchased were on sale because stores were trying to get rid of this year's stock and he got a discount on the guests' gifts - quirky socks - because he bought them in bulk

How much did Glen spend on the gathering? Catering $750 Alcohol $665 Lights for yard & deck $210 (on sale) Tiki torches etc $25 Gifts for guests $165 (on sale) Plastic chairs from Bunnings $130 (on sale) Female lucky door prize $89 Male lucky door prize $35 Entertainment - live music $300 Cheese, Crackers, Nibbles, Soft Drink, Ice-Cream etc $250 Ikea - more plates & cutlery $150 Bunch of flowers for side board $50 Total $2,819 Advertisement

Even so, the lights he purchased were on sale because stores were trying to get rid of this year's stock and he got a discount on the guests' gifts - quirky socks - because he bought them in bulk.

The 2018 Commonwealth Bank Christmas Consumer Spending Study revealed that almost four in ten Australians (38 per cent) starting their food shopping up to one month before the big day.

The majority of Australians are still choosing to celebrate the meal at their home or at the home of family and friends (89 per cent), and only a small number are breaking tradition to dine out at a restaurant (five per cent).

Baby boomers prove to be the most hospitable and are most likely to host the Christmas feast (46 per cent). They also admit to spending the most on groceries at 65 per cent.

While Millennials may not be spending the most, one quarter (24 per cent) believe that overspending on food and groceries is the main reason they can't stick to their Christmas budget.

'It's only natural we want to give generously to our friends and family at Christmas and hosting a delicious meal is a great way to do this,' General Manager Everyday Banking and Retail FX, Rohan Ritchie, said

The majority of Australians are still choosing to celebrate the meal at their home or at the home of family and friends (89 per cent)

'It's only natural we want to give generously to our friends and family at Christmas and hosting a delicious meal is a great way to do this,' General Manager Everyday Banking and Retail FX, Rohan Ritchie, said.

'Unfortunately how much we're spending is often the last thing on our minds and we often don't add it all up until after the holiday period.'

'To keep this festive period carefree and avoid a spending aftershock, it's helpful to keep track of how much you have spent and work from a budget.'
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Natalie Otto won an incredible $25,000 trip travelling around Australia - with skydiving over Byron Bay, snorkelling in the Great Barrier reef and abseiling off cliffs in Brisbane all included in the itinerary.

The catch? She had to go on the adventure with a complete stranger, Tom Cunningham, moving between states in a Jucy camper-van and spending and five weeks alongside him.

Making things even more difficult was Miss Otto, 25, had to leave her boyfriend Callum Hulst in Melbourne to go on the assignment, but insists he was always going to let her follow her dreams.

Natalie Otto won an incredible $25,000 trip travelling around Australia - with skydiving over Byron Bay, snorkelling in the Great Barrier reef and abseiling off cliffs in Brisbane all included in the itinerary

Miss Otto had to leave her boyfriend Callum (left) at home while she travelled with tom (right), who at the time was a complete stranger from Sydney

'My poor boyfriend has got a little bit of flack about this whole thing. All of my friends have asked how he feels about me travelling the country with another boy but he's super supportive,' she told the Today show before they set off in October.

In a Facebook post from that time, Mr Hulst addressed the peculiar circumstances and said he was 'very proud' of his girlfriend.

'So proud that Natalie Otto has got the opportunity of a lifetime to travel the whole of Australia and promote everything adventure and tourism our land Down Under has to offer,' he wrote.

'You've got a talent and a heart of gold and I cant wait to see what you capture from this trip of a lifetime. CRIKEY you'll do it all whilst being the cover girl of Travello.'

The catch? She had to go on the adventure with a complete stranger, Tom Cunningham (pictured in the reflection), moving between states in a Jucy camper-van, sharing a bed and five weeks alongside him

'My poor boyfriend has got a little bit of flack about this whole thing. All of my friends have asked how he feels about me travelling the country with another boy but he's super supportive,' she told the Today show before they set off in October (pictured with Tom Cunningham)

Miss Otto's travelling partner Mr Cunningham said he was 'very lucky' to be chosen to travel alongside her, and the pair began uploading a number of cheeky snaps together enjoying the great outdoors

Miss Otto's travelling partner Mr Cunningham said he was 'very lucky' to be chosen to travel alongside her, and the pair began uploading a number of cheeky snaps together enjoying the great outdoors.

They could be seen sharing a beer on the back of a boat, learning how to surf, snorkelling along the coastal reef and even meeting the Irwin family at Australia Zoo.

After five weeks of travel Mr Cunningham was asked whether anything vaguely romantic had struck up between the two, but he said they were 'just best mates'.

They could be seen sharing a beer on the back of a boat, learning how to surf, snorkelling along the coastal reef and even meeting the Irwin family at Australia Zoo (Miss Otto and Mr Cunningham pictured)

After five weeks of travel Mr Cunningham was asked whether anything vaguely romantic had struck up between the two, but he said they were 'just best mates'

'Nothing happened, and the only romantic elements were the locations we stayed in. But what I will say, is if she was single, I would ask her out in a heartbeat after this trip,' he commented

However, things might have been different had she not been tied down.

'Nothing happened, and the only romantic elements were the locations we stayed in. But what I will say, is if she was single, I would ask her out in a heartbeat after this trip,' he commented.

Mr Cunningham, who is originally from Sydney, described the experience as a 'great way of seeing my backyard' and was indebted to Miss Otto for the good memories.

Mr Cunningham, who is originally from Sydney, described the experience as a 'great way of seeing my backyard' and was indebted to Miss Otto for the good memories

'Nat was amazing to road trip with and I consider myself very lucky for having her there to share it all with,' Mr Cunningham wrote on social media

When Miss Otto flew to Adelaide to do another week of sightseeing without Mr Cunningham, she commented that it was 'super weird being there without him'

'What a great way to see my backyard of Australia and what a great way to make a friend for life. Nat was amazing to road trip with and I consider myself very lucky for having her there to share it all with. There wasn't a day where I didn't laugh because of her,' he wrote on Instagram alongside photos of them together.

When Miss Otto flew to Adelaide to do another week of sightseeing without Mr Cunningham, she commented that it was 'super weird being there without him'.

The pair are now back in their respective states and preparing to enjoy the silly season ahead - with Miss Otto's boyfriend no doubt glad to have her back.
Australian Olympic swimmer and new mum Marieke D'Cruz is grateful for one thing: this Christmas the family and their newborn will be able to celebrate all together.

Her daughter, Camille, was born at 31 weeks and because of her premature arrival weighed just over a kilo, barely more than a tub of butter.

Mrs D'Cruz, 32, struck complications in the third trimester of her pregnancy after it was revealed her placenta wasn't feeding the bub life-enhancing nutrients.

'Our expectations were to bring home a bouncing baby and it would be all smiles and rainbows and butterflies, but I had to let go of what I fantasised about,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

Australian Olympic swimmer and new mum Marieke D'Cruz (pictured with her new baby Camille) revealed how she struck complications around her third trimester

Mrs D'Cruz (formerly Marieke Gurher) represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics; in 2009 she'd also take out the title as world champion for 50m butterfly.

The Sydney-based mother said she turned to aspects of her training as an athlete competing on the world stage in order to bravely face the challenges which lay ahead of her and her family.

This meant embracing a mindset where she understood it was impossible to control the circumstances of a situation and that all she could do was focus on her own 'performance'.

'I couldnt control how Camille was born, how healthy she would be, but I could control how stressed or emotional I got about it,' she said.

While Camille (pictured with Ms D'Cruz) is now a healthy 2.6kg she weighed a mere 1.1kg after she was born

Although Mrs D'Cruz was prepared for the fact she'd give birth prematurely, she recalls still feeling a little shocked at seeing a 'miniature adult' when she arrived.

She said her child was crying after she'd been born but had no fat on her whatsoever. This is because babies put on weight during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Professor Kei Lui, director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Women ICU, told the publication while Camille was healthy, and the odds were in her favour for survival, she'd had to overcome her share of challenges.

Mrs D'Cruz and her husband Jason (pictured) took part in a program run by the hospital which encourages touch as a form of therapy for newborns

The newborn faced a host of feeding problems which initially made it hard for her to put on weight.

As her organs were underdeveloped, she was aspirating milk into her lungs, and she was also intolerant to a cow's milk protein she received via her mother's breast milk.

The 'long, slow run', back to health, as Mrs D'Cruz describes it, has seen Camille fed with a nasal feeding tube and formula feeding.

However, Mrs D'Cruz said she'd now dairy-free and able to breastfeed her bub again.

Parental love is understood to be a key factor in helping under-weight babies put on more weight (baby Camille pictured)

Over the course of baby Camille's stay at the newborn unit, Mrs D'Cruz and her husband Jason were always by her side.

The pair took part of a program run by the hospital which encourages touch as a form of therapy for premature babies. This means parents can spend anywhere up to six hours a day holding and cuddling their child.

Parental love is understood to be a key factor in helping under-weight babies put on more weight.

Mrs D'Cruz couldn't be more overjoyed by the fact baby Camille is home in time to celebrate her first Christmas with the family

Although ups and downs are part and parcel of life with a prematurely-born child, Camille's health continues to improve daily; her parents report she's now a bouncing 2.6kg.

And although she still relies on oxygen to help her breathe, she's been released from the hospital and will spend Christmas with her overjoyed family.

'It means everything to have her home. She is the first grandchild on both sides and they are all coming here to celebrate so she will be doted on,' Ms D'Cruz concluded.

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Looking at the exterior of this pristine white surf shack in Pearl Beach, north of Sydney, you would never guess it was once an old school, very beige timber home with lime green benchtops.

Venturing inside you'll find marble accents, Smeg kitchenware, mermaid-inspired artworks and rattan furniture the likes of which pay homage to the 70s era.

Mother-of-four Bonnie Hindmarsh is one-third of Three Birds Renovations, a best friend trio who joined forces in 2014 to rebuild and refurbish rundown houses like this one.

 Slide me  Looking at the exterior of this pristine white surf shack you would never guess it was once an old school, very beige timber home with lime green benchtops

She had purchased the property in hopes of restoring it but took her time getting the flavour of the furniture and setting just right.

'This transformation has been a bit different to others we've done - it's been completed in stages and over a few years,' Bonnie and her colleagues Lana Taylor and Erin Cayless wrote on their website.

'The first thing we did was rip up the old nasty carpet and whitewash the pine floors that were hiding underneath. Then we painted the walls and the ceilings white.

'This transformation has been a bit different to others we've done - it's been completed in stages and over a few years,' Bonnie and her colleagues Lana Taylor and Erin Cayless wrote on their website

 Slide me  She had purchased the property in hopes of restoring it but took her time getting the flavour of the furniture and setting just right

The results are nothing short of incredible with carpet and bleached white floorboards blending seamlessly throughout the home

'A few years later we renovated the kitchen and added some new openings to connect the inside to the outside using our trusted fave gas strut window and cheap-as-chips French doors from Bunnings.

'We also added a large timber deck with stadium seating.'

Most recently they completed the self-contained studio, which used to be the garage, and restyled the entire home using products purchased from Australian store Zanui.

Most recently they completed the self-contained studio, which used to be the garage, and restyled the entire home using products purchased from Australian store Zanui.

Aspects like using double rugs - a larger one with a smaller, different textured variety on top - are an ode to Bonnie's personal styling techniques

The results are nothing short of incredible with carpet and bleached white floorboards blending seamlessly throughout the home.

Aspects like using double rugs - a larger one with a smaller, different textured variety on top - are an ode to Bonnie's personal styling techniques and something that makes the space feel like hers.

But that doesn't mean mistakes weren't made and lessons learned along the way.

'I believe every reno gives you the chance to learn something new and we certainly did learn a few things as we renovated this home,' Bonnie commented.

What did Bonnie Hindmarsh learn from renovating the shack? 1. Contrary to what people think, white floors don't show the dirt. At least not at this house. The whitewashed floors are perfect for hiding the inevitable sand that come in on the kids' feet. And even scratches don't tend to show up as much as they would with darker floors. 2. You can never have too much seating on a deck. We built this deck with long wide, wrap around steps so that you can use the deck steps like bench seating. There's often a whole bunch of us adults sitting on the steps with a vino or beer in our hands while we watch the kids play cricket on the lawn. This was the first time I'd thought about steps as a way to have additional seating and it's something we've used a few times in our renos since. 3. A self-contained cottage is much more valuable than a garage! This lesson is probably most relevant to holiday rentals, but as soon as we converted the studio, we were able to sleep more bodies in the property and that made a difference to bookings. Advertisement
The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex carried out fewer days of official engagements this year than their aunt Princess Anne, it has been revealed.

The Princess Royal, 68, was crowned the hardest working royal again this year after carrying out official engagements on more than 180 days.

In comparison, Prince William spent more than 120 days working, while Prince Harry spent more than 90 days working this year, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The Duchess of Sussex, who only joined the court circular after her nuptials in May, carried out just under 50 days of engagements in those seven months.

Princess Anne, pictured at a memorial service for the 25th anniversary of a bombing by the IRA in Warrington town centre, Cheshire, was the hardest working royal this year

Prince Charles (pictured playing darts during a visit to the Fleece Inn in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, a pub supported by the Pub is The Hub initiative earlier this month), Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne worked a combined total of 675 days this year

Kate, who was on maternity leave for much of the year after giving birth to Prince Louis in April, carried out a similar number, working more than 50 days in 2018.

The number of days worked by the royals differs greatly to the actual number of engagements as many may take place in a single day.

One royal may attend more engagements than another, but work less days as a number are completed together.

Princess Anne has been named the hardest working royal each year since 2015.

Prince William, pictured at the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Berkshire, earlier this month, had more than 120 days of engagements

Meanwhile Prince Harry, pictured at a gala performance of Bat Out Of Hell at the Dominion Theatre in London earlier this month) had more than 90 days of engagements

This year, her engagements included visiting Chile for the 200th Anniversary of the navy earlier this month and observing the annual census of the swan population on the River Thames in July.

Princess Anne also opened many buildings this year including the Lister Learning and Teaching Centre in Edinburgh in October.

Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne worked a combined total of 675 days this year, helping the Queen with duties including plaque unveiling and charity visits.

The younger royals instead have chosen to focus on fewer projects that they are more involved in, including their Heads Together mental health initiative.

The Queen, pictured during a visit to the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, London, in December, worked more than 120 days in 2018. Next year she is expected to hand over some of her patronages to the Duchess of Sussex, who joined the court circular in May after her wedding

Prince Edward, pictured at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff at the centenary for the end of the First World War, worked for more than 170 days this year, taking over from Prince Philip as head of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme after his retirement

Prince Edward took over from Prince Philip as head of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme after his retirement. The Duke of Edinburgh took part in six royal engagements this year.

Meghan's working days are expected to increase next year, as the Queen is expected to pass along her patronages to other family members. This year, the Queen worked more than 120 days.

The royal family's working year ends this week, as they head off to Sandringham to join the Queen for Christmas.

In 2017, Princess Anne attended 455 engagements, and in 2016 she worked 170 days.
Tesco has been mocked after a shopper spotted a large display of Christmas chocolates - right next to a sign for 'sweet-free checkouts'.

Tubs of Quality Street, Celebrations and Heroes were seen stacked several feet high in what is supposed to be a treat free zone.

The image was shared on Reddit by user 'grishnackh' after originally being posted by Richard Johnston for Bleeding Cool, alongside the caption: 'good work Tesco'.

Tubs of Quality Street, Celebrations and Heroes were seen stacked several feet high in what is supposed to be a treat free zone. The snap was shared on Reddit by a British user

The person posted the image on Reddit mocking the display set up with a sarcastic comment 'good work, Tesco' pointing out the awkward gaffe

The photo, taken at a Tesco in Kingston across from a cinema, prompted a flurry of responses from fellow users.

One person suggested the festive period had caused the mix-up: 'It's Christmas all rules go out the window when it comes to food.'

Another posted: 'Plot twist, they're all filled with various knitting bits.'

In 2015 Tesco announced it had removed 'all sweets and chocolates in all supermarkets' across the UK.

The photo, taken in an unknown location, prompted a flurry of responses from fellow users. Those outside the UK were confused by the idea of 'sweet-free checkouts'

The move was designed to 'help customers lead healthier lives' and to reduce 'pester power', where children nag their parents for sugary sweets as they prepare to pay.

Sweets and chocolates were reportedly replaced by a variety of healthier snacks including dried fruit, nuts and cereal bars.

However the Reddit snap appeared to show different rules apply for the festive season.

The idea of the sweet-free checkout left some Reddit users living outside the UK baffled.

Others began to debate the reason why sweets had been removed from the checkout aisle: 'It's meant to be to deter children nagging their parents when they are at the checkout.

MailOnline has contacted Tesco for comment.
Oh, its going to be... interesting this Christmas in the Johnson family! If I had a milk chocolate mini-Santa for everyone whos said that to me, I could start my own Advent calendar business.

My instinct is to close down the subject, but as its the most magical time of year, why not spread the joy? Given the inexplicable interest in our humble festivity, heres my exclusive guide to a stress-free family Christmas.

But before I divulge my top tips, a confession: if it wasnt already Christmas Eve, my generic advice is to make like a man  in other words, pretend Christmas isnt happening, never bring the subject up until the last minute, dont go shopping, and thereby force another woman to do all the emotional labour, present-buying, wrapping, cooking and general grunt work.

This approach has served me very well in the many happy years we have guested with one of my sainted sister-in-laws, when I try to overcompensate by being a tireless kitchen toto, always on hand to unload the dishwasher or make the bread sauce.

Rachel Johnson (pictured) who is set to host twelve family members this Christmas shared advice for a smooth get together

This year, however, I am hosting  a couple of brothers, a cousin and his wife, my kids and husband, and my mother and her carer; 12 in all.

There is no escape. And the event is like a season opener for Game Of Thrones. Theres a tremendous amount of build-up: Christmas Is Coming (even before Halloween these days), Christmas Is Coming . . . and then its here. Help!

In order for the day to run with Royal Household smoothness, here are my top tips for the similarly burdened  I mean blessed  hostesses (and hosts) out there.

NO PRESENTS

Around the time that little children all over the country are asking, how many sleeps till Santa comes, Mummy? and toddling on to school stages dressed as Yonder Star or the Yule Log, I send out my annual Christmas Message full of seasonal cheer to the Famiglia Johnson WhatsApp group. This is a stern reminder that we must not buy each other presents.

Think about it. If you are a family group of, say, 22 (as we were for the past two years under my older brother Boriss roof), and everyone buys just one piece of cheap tat  I mean present  for everyone in the house, thats almost 500 presents for folk to wrap and place under the tree. Then unwrap and leave lying around.

The problem is, this is the time for giving, etc., and my diktat is often observed only in the breach.

Last year, for example, I picked up my mother to convey her to the clan gathering and she brought eighty presents with her that I had to somehow stuff into the back of the Volvo.

After that, every time I saw her with a mail order catalogue in one hand and a telephone in the other from September onward, I staged a gentle intervention.

My idea of hell is people arriving and dropping off bags of bulky presents for my loved ones in the hall, and my idea of heaven is someone coming into my house and selecting a large object to remove from my sight for ever.

Rachel (pictured) says she has banned Christmas presents in her house except for children and spouse but would accept edible gifts and booze

Or socks. My husbands family source each other generous presents selected with love and care, such as paintings or amusing hats, whereas the Johnsons have a tradition to give each other books theyve written themselves. Or, failing that, socks  to such an extent that my husbands name for a Johnson family Xmas is Sockmas.

Given my fear of stuff, my house rule for Christmas is: everyone is free to give presents to their own children and spouse if they must, and other loved ones a choix, under-18s and godchildren, but beyond that, only edible gifts, and, obviously, huge amounts of really top-notch booze.

If someone arrives with a present for you and you havent got a present for them, dont be embarrassed. Let them bask in the knowledge that it is always better to give than receive.

GET BOSSY

Issue strict, detailed and non-negotiable instructions about contributions, timing, and assistance for Christmas dinner by around mid-December. You cannot afford to be vague  you dont want two dishes of cranberry sauce and no crackers.

For example, one year, when I had two small children plus a newborn baby, an aunt asked what she could bring. I said something we could have with champagne upstairs while the bird was resting (as Delia would say) and I was making gravy, boiling sprouts, warming plates.

If I had a milk chocolate mini-Santa for everyone whos said to me, Ooh, its going to be interesting this Christmas at the Johnson family Id start my own Advent calendar business

Category error! When this aunt (she knows who she is) arrived at 1pm, to my horror she thrust some packets of smoked salmon in my hands. Memo to self: what I should have said was, Please can you bring a platter of something, like smoked salmon blini, we can just hand round and the crisis would have been averted.

Make it very clear its your way or the high way when it comes to the centre-piece of the feast.

Frown if anyone dares to utter the words goose or beef or ham, as the whole point of the dead period between Christmas and the New Year is to eat turkey leftovers and ham and mince pies for every meal for a whole week.

THE SPUDS MATTER

Everyone stresses like mad about Christmas dinner, but if you break it down, its a Sunday roast. Only three things really matter.

For my money these are 1. the roast potatoes, 2. the turkey, 3. the gravy.

I advise you to delegate one person simply to be on spud duty, from peeling to roasting, because there is nothing more disappointing than a soggy roast potato. My husband assumes the mantle for this important role on the day.

Johnson family Christmas (pictured clockwise from bottom left): Jo, Rachel, Leo, Boris, with parents Charlotte and Stanley

Luckily, turkey gravy is a doddle (my tip is to deglaze the tray with a generous slosh of white wine), and its harder than it looks to under-cook a turkey (I like butter and bacon all over the breast, and a butter-soaked muslin). Trimmings are easy to delegate and guests are only too thrilled to contribute (or they bloody well should be), so always have something to say when asked what shall we bring? as well as what can I do?

My mother is bringing the Christmas pudding and brandy butter (Just buy them from Waitrose or Marks & Spencer, I said, as if she would really set about making figgy pudding from scratch herself). Others are bringing wine, champagne, chocolates and crackers.

I dont like my husband underfoot until its time for table laying and potato roasting, so he enjoys long pleasurable sorties into gentlemans London around St James, to source crucial items such as crystallised ginger, port and Stilton from places like Fortnum & Mason and Jermyn St. He then returns, hours later, in triumph, clutching some candied chestnuts, during which time I will have wrapped 75 presents and made two stuffings with an air of pained-yet-noble martyrdom.

NO PHONES! NO BREXIT!

Someone sent me a Xmas card with a bunch of people sitting in paper hats and someone taking a phone call on a landline. Yeah, all good here thanks, hes saying. Weve had the meal and were just getting ready for the argument.

It will not surprise readers to hear that we try not to talk about Brexit at the table, which is, if you think about it, traditional.

As my friend Marina says, if someone could invent a medicine that would stop people talking about Brexit at Christmas, supplies would have run out by now

It was considered very bad form to talk about politics or religion over meals in days of yore, and the last thing anyone (i.e. me) wants after they dished up the festive feast is to have several grown men going shouty crackers about the Irish backstop or what should be on the ballot paper for a second  even third  referendum.

Even talking with mouths full about the moistness of the bird or the crunchiness of the roast potatoes is preferable.

As my friend Marina says, if someone could invent a medicine that would stop people talking about Brexit at Christmas, supplies would have run out by now.

A good tip is to put a swear box on the table, and every time someone mentions the B-word they have to put in at least a fiver for charity.

My other tip is to suddenly clap your hands and cry, Crackers! if things start going pear-shaped conversationally, and allow the loud bangs, spilt drinks, weak jokes to provide a welcome diversion from the blessed will of the people.

Rachel (pictured) revealed she doesn't like the excess about Christmas including over-eating, pointless presents and wrapping paper

I am braced for our festivity to be a bit Brexmassy too, though, especially after drink is taken, which it will be. But the truth is, Johnsons are very greedy, and once we have our mounded platefuls in front of us, all we want to do is get our heads down into our nosebags.

Anyway, small talk is pointless. We know where weve come from, we know what we all do, we know whether were Leave or Remain and our views on the Withdrawal Agreement, so we shut up and eat. If we do big talk at all  as in the B word  we save it for long walks. Far safer.

But to be honest, soothing, time-soaking board games like Scrabble or bridge are preferable to talking about the ongoing political crisis that has rent our family and, indeed, so many other families across the whole country.

No phones are allowed at table apart from for photographs to record the wreckage of the groaning board, the flaming pudding and the family wearing silly hats.

DONT LEAVE THE CLEAR-UP UNTIL THE MORNING

I love clearing up, as, like many women, I believe only I do it properly. My husband is one of those men who says: Lets leave it till the morning. But I am incapable of such slobbery. As soon as everyone has gone, I pick the turkey meat off and start boiling up the bones for soup.

And thats about it.

Oh, yes, I forgot: another tradition is that every year, my husband complains that I am insufficiently Christmassy and goes on to say that as a Johnson (a term he uses interchangeably to mean someone who seeks attention like a moth to a flame), I resent anyone else being celebrated, even tiny baby Jesus, on one magic day.

Thats not true. Or fair. I imagine I love Christmas as much as the next person, but thank God it only comes once a year.

I dont like the excess, the over-eating, the wrapping paper, the pointless presents. But Im not a Christmas denier. I love carols, the Christmas Day service, stockings and, above all, moist turkey and crunchy roast potatoes and all those leftovers to tide you over to the New Year.

Look, if I can get my holly jolly on for our family Christmas, this year of all years  so can you.

Have a very merry Christmas!
While most Britons are deep in a blissful slumber, millions toss and turn until the small hours, unable to nod off. We are a nation plagued by lack of sleep and it is a problem thats only getting worse.

Research by the Sleep Council suggests that more than a third of Britons get by on five to six hours sleep a night, with as many as three-quarters of the population sleeping for seven hours or less.

At least eight hours is the recommendation so, given that a good nights sleep is essential for the repair and growth of every cell in the body. Insomnia is undoubtedly a health issue.

For some insomniacs, sleep-deprivation isnt always a bad thing. They are not insomniacs. Rather, they are wakeful (stock image)

Healthcare professionals react accordingly. More than 12 million prescriptions were written for insomnia drugs last year, costing the NHS 72 million.

But for some insomniacs, sleep-deprivation isnt always a bad thing. They are not insomniacs. Rather, they are wakeful.

Far from leaving them exhausted, a night of scattered sleep offers a unique creative skill.

According to sleep experts, insomniac brains may harbour exceptional cognitive capabilities which, when harnessed, can reveal an undiscovered talent.

Marina Benjamin, 54, is just one example of someone who has managed to take advantage of her chronic insomnia.

Even as a child, the author, from North London, says she was never a good sleeper. This worsened as she got older and she has now suffered for almost 20 years, averaging just four or five hours broken sleep a night.

Two years ago, Marina decided to shift her night-time focus from the frustration of not sleeping to the unique gift of extra time.

She began writing in the small hours, and within months had produced her memoir, aptly named Insomnia.

Rather than fighting the night, I went with it, she says. I harnessed the creative impulses. It is a different kind of wakefulness during the night  it gives you incredible focus.

Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov actually trained himself to be most productive at night, considering his wakefulness a gift

In the day it is fragmented because there is so much sensory information and overload. Its a different way of thinking at night. I tap into my more instinctual self, something quite creative.

A 2006 study by researchers at the University of Canterbury reported more sleep difficulties in highly creative children, suggesting that a lack of sleep may result in a state of mind that makes creativity more likely to occur.

Experts have hypothesised that this altered state of mind is in fact divergent thinking  the ability to open your mind in all directions.

According to a 2013 study at the University of North Carolina in the US, insomniacs may use the wakeful time to consider different possible solutions to problems, or expand their way of thinking.

This in turn results in a wider array of original ideas in both work and leisure activities.

Meanwhile, scientists from Israels University of Haifa showed that visually creative art students reported more disturbed sleep and lower daytime functioning than social science students.

Some scientists believe the wakeful phenomena may be due to the sudden interruption of sleep when the brain is at its most powerful.

When we sleep, the brain moves through different stages of activity. By far the most productive part of the cycle is a state known as REM, or rapid eye movement sleep.

This stage, categorised by the eyes moving rapidly in different directions, occurs within 90 minutes of falling asleep and recurs several times every night.

Studies show that the number of times we experience REM each night can dramatically affect our learning and memory function, as well as imagination.

During REM sleep, brain waves mimic the activity experienced during waking, and it is in this stage that dreams are typically most intense and vivid.

According to sleep experts, insomniac brains may harbour exceptional cognitive capabilities which, when harnessed, can reveal an undiscovered talent (stock image)

According to scientists at Harvard Medical School, abruptly waking during REM sleep improves cognitive performance, particularly on complex written tasks. They found scores on a word anagram puzzle were a third higher when participants were tested after waking from REM sleep.

Other studies by researchers at the University of California have looked directly at REMs power to increase creativity, with striking results.

When woken during REM sleep, participants were almost twice as creative  measured by a psychometric test  than when woken elsewhere in the sleep cycle.

And brain-imaging studies from the University of Lubeck in Germany show the right side of the brain is illuminated more than the left during and directly after REM sleep. It is this side of the brains complex network that is shown to light up vividly, with increased connectivity when participants engage in creative activities, and in those who are artistic.

Marina is in good company when it comes to minds that come alive at night  successful insomniacs include Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust and Madonna.

Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov actually trained himself to be most productive at night, considering his wakefulness a gift.

But what comes first  the insomniac or the creative genius?

Kevin Morgan, professor of psychology at Loughborough Universitys Clinical Sleep Research Unit, claims that the 'demon of insomnia is thinking'

Kevin Morgan, professor of psychology at Loughborough Universitys Clinical Sleep Research Unit, says those who struggle to switch off often report trouble sleeping.

He adds: The demon of insomnia is thinking. If you cant turn your brain to fading mode to go to sleep, then you wont sleep.

The jury is out on the underlying mechanism but there is one thing sleep experts seem to agree on: reframing insomnia as wakefulness provides a golden opportunity to get things done.

Insomnia is only a problem when it impacts on a persons daily life, says Dr Neil Stanley, of the British Sleep Society.

Although he doesnt advocate deliberately curtailing sleep, he encourages night-owls to accept their waking and use it to be productive. He says: Time is the one thing we have a limited amount of in our lives so we need to use it productively.

People shouldnt cut down on their sleep, but it is better to be awake and out of bed doing something than awake in bed.

If you are awake for 20 minutes, get up, and if that means you can do something creative, then all the better.
David and Victoria Beckham have each had a near-10million dividend from their company  even though her luxury fashion empire has run up big losses.

The couple, along with former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller (pictured below), have shared dividends of 29.85m over the past two years, accounts filed over this weekend reveal.

The dividends have come from Beckham Brand Holdings, the holding company for Victorias luxury fashion brand and for Davids business, which makes money from licensing his name and image.

Loss and Becks: Davids company made a multi-million profit while has wifes firm remains in the red

Both David and Victoria, now in their early forties, have aimed to cash in on their youthful fame, but with very different outcomes so far.

Known as Goldenballs in his playing years, 43-year-old David has displayed a Midas touch since.

He remains one of the worlds most recognisable faces and has made millions by cashing in on his image through advertising deals, including ads for Haig Club whisky and male skincare products.

But Victorias clothing business has remained stubbornly in the red, though her designs have been acclaimed in fashion circles.

Despite their differing commercial fortunes, both Beckhams have benefited from the latest dividends.

Beckham Brand Holdings paid an 18.75million dividend in 2017 to its three shareholders, who are David, Victoria and XIX Management, one of Fullers companies.

The accounts also state it paid another 11.1million after its most recent financial year-end, on December 31, 2017.

The Beckhams, along with former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller (pictured), shared in dividends of 29.85m over the past two years

That adds up to nearly 30million, or nearly 10million apiece for the trio.

However, documents reveal that the dividends all came out of Davids business.

His company, DB Ventures, made a profit before tax of 26.5million in the year to December 31, 2017, according to accounts just filed at Companies House.

That is in sharp contrast with Poshs firm, Victoria Beckham Limited, which made a loss of just over 10million. Her brand has a shop in Londons swanky Mayfair and a second flagship store in Hong Kong.

She also sells through a website, where this weekend a Tuck Shoulder Shift Dress was on sale for 615 along with Pre-spring Bags including a Jumbo Eva tan satchel style for 1,525.

Some garments were already on sale before Christmas, including a Pleat Panel Dress reduced from 2,295 to 1,148 and a polo top down from 685 to 342.50.

Victorias brand this year celebrated its tenth anniversary with its first show at London Fashion Week. Sales at her company have increased by 17 per centto just under 42million and she has gone into high-profile partnerships including with Estee Lauder cosmetics.

It is not unusual for luxury brands to be loss-makers for a number of years after they first start up and the former Posh Spice appears to have no worries about running out of funds.

Victoria, 44, last year received 30million of backing from private investment firm NEO Investment Partners.

Her venture is also being supported by David, whose business has historically provided working capital for sister company Victoria Beckham Ltd. She is understood to be more concerned about long-term investment in her business than in turning a quick profit.
Australia's surf lifesavers are gearing up for one of their busiest festive seasons in years, with thousands set to flock to the nation's beaches over Christmas.

With temperatures set to soar across the country on Christmas Day, lifeguards are bracing for what could be a deadly festive season.

Thousands of sun-seekers head to Sydney's famous Bondi Beach to escape the sweltering heat in late December every year.

Australia's surf lifesavers are gearing up for one of their busiest festive seasons in years, with thousands set to flock to the nation's beaches over Christmas (Bondi Beach pictured)

Juliana King (pictured) will be among the crew looking out for beachgoers at Bondi this summer

Beachgoers need to remember to swim between the red and yellow flags as that will be the area supervised by surf lifesavers and lifeguards (lifesaver Juliana King pictured)

This year temperatures are tipped to reach 30C in Sydney - meaning even more people could be on the sands this Christmas.

And while lifeguards encourage everyone to have fun in the sun, they are also urging everyone to be smart when it comes to water safety.

Beachgoers need to remember to swim between the red and yellow flags as that will be the area supervised by surf lifesavers and lifeguards.

Bruce Hopkins, Lifeguard Coordinator, Waverley Council, said people often underestimate the serious affects extreme heat can have on your health.

'We want everyone to stay safe at the beach, and that means swimming between the flags, keep hydrated, stay cool, and above all, know when to ask for help,' Mr Hopkins said.

'The water is a great place to cool off, but sometimes the safest option on a really hot day is to stay indoors.'

With more than 17,000 rip currents on any given day around Australia - and the fact three in four Australians are unable to spot the danger - the risks are high, he added.

Queensland Lifeguards are also getting ready for a busy season, with temperatures also tipped to be scorching

Christmas day is expected to be a hot one this year and Bondi Lifeguards (pictured) are getting ready for an onslaught of sun-seekers

Sydney mum-of-two Samantha Morley knows only too well about the risks posed by a visit to the beach.

Ms Morley was rescued by Camden Haven surf lifesavers Tony Worton and Phil Traves last year.

She had spent the day at the beach on the NSW mid-north coast with her husband Dominic and their two daughters Charley, 14, and Josephine, 13, when the surf suddenly changed.

The family were at an unpatrolled beach so they stopped the girls from going into the water beyond their knees.

They thought they would be safe but the girls got caught in a rip.

Dominic managed to pull Josie out of the rip, but as Samantha pushed Charley to safety she felt herself being sucked out to sea. Samantha was in the water for more than an hour.

Queensland beachgoers will have flags to swim between as well, with lifeguards on patrol

Thousands of sun-lovers will flock to Sydney's famous Bondi Beach this summer

Surf Life Saving Australia is urging beachgoers is swim between the red and yellow flags, it is the area supervised by surf lifesavers and lifeguards who can assist you should something go wrong

'When I finally saw that big red boat, the knights of the Southern Ocean came out, I thought, I'm going to survive,' she said.

Within 15 minutes of being notified of the emergency, Tony and Phil were in their Inflatable Rescue Boat, charging into the surf.

'I spun her around, put my arms up underneath her and hauled her into the boat,' Worton said.

'It was a really rough day with consistent swells of between three and four metres. As the next big wave hit she said, ''my kids'' and we said, ''your kids are on the shore, they're ok'',' he said.

Sydney mum-of-two, Samantha Morley (pictured centre) was dramatically rescued by Camden Haven surf lifesavers Tony Worton and Phil Traves last year

Bondi's lifeguards are ready for the festive season but are still urging beachgoers to be vigilant

Temperatures on Christmas Day will shoot up to a scorching 30 degrees in Sydney.

And for those living further from the coast and west of the city, temperatures could rise even higher into the mid 30s due to a lack of a sea breeze.

Adelaide is predicated to reach as high as 35 degrees with a south-easterly wind bringing some relief later in the big day.

Western Australia will swelter the most with outback areas expecting temperatures above 40 degrees and around 35 degrees in Perth.

Darwin will see the mercury hover around 34 degrees, though mostly cloudy conditions with a chance of a storm which may bring some relief.

Tasmania may be the only state not to swelter this Christmas with a cooler 22 degrees day for Hobart predicted under cloudy conditions and a possible shower.

Victoria is set for a scorching Christmas Eve with temperatures in the low 30s over southern Victoria and the mid-to-high 30s across the north.

A forecast change will bring some relief and a slightly cooler Christmas Day, with Melbourne expecting a top of 26.
One of the most intricate drug smuggling operations in Australian history unraveled when a flashy undercover cop hoodwinked a notoriously skeptical criminal.

Michael Ibrahim, 40, pleaded guilty to being the man behind an international crime racket on Tuesday, facing Sydney's Central Local Court.

But the confession took 18 months of undercover police work, in which an operative went toe-to-toe with underworld figures on a daily basis.

Michael Ibrahim, 40, pleaded guilty to being the man behind an international crime racket on Tuesday, facing Sydney's Central Local Court.

Operation Veyda was launched in March 2016, with the sole purpose of bringing Michael Ibrahim (left) and his business associate Ryan Watsford (right) to justice

Operation Veyda was launched in March 2016, with the sole purpose of bringing Michael Ibrahim and his family friend and business associate Ryan Watsford to justice.

Six months later, Watsford would lead the operative - who was given the pseudonym Joe Smith for safety - to Michael Ibrahim and eventually convince him to vouch for the officer as being 'like a brother'.

But before that, Smith had to work over Watsford.

The pair made contact in June 2016, when they would meet up to discuss international money laundering techniques and services Smith could provide.

Watsford found the operative to be a charming, professional smuggler and money-launderer with a secret method that promised containers full of drugs and cigarettes snuck past border security, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

After building trust with Watsford, Smith was eventually introduced to Ibrahim at the Sheraton on the Park hotel in Sydney later that year.

John Ibrahim (right) the more well-known brother, is not facing any charges and there is no suggestion he has committed any offences

Smith would go on to infiltrate Michael's drug and tobacco smuggling syndicate, helping them bring tonnes of cigarettes into the country.

What followed was months of negotiations, with the undercover operative slowly convincing the crew that he was a legitimate supplier with serious contacts.

'I vouch for you like I've known you all my life,' Michael told the police operative at one point, according to the Daily Telegraph. 'That's what you got to understand. It falls on my head, because I sit there and vouch for you.'

On another occasion, when asked if he trusted Smith by a member of the drug syndicate, Michael Ibrahim replied: '100 per cent... he's my mate.'

It was eventually that trust that would be Michael's downfall.

Michael (right) was one of 20 men arrested in a series of police raids in Sydney and Dubai last year, and was charged with a plot to import 900,000 packets of cigarettes, 1.9 tonnes of the drug ecstasy and 15kg of meth

Michael was one of 20 men arrested in a series of police raids in Sydney and Dubai last year, and was charged with a plot to import 900,000 packets of cigarettes, 1.9 tonnes of the drug ecstasy and 15kg of meth.

The 40-year-old will return to court in January for sentencing after pleading guilty to his role in the syndicate.

The case against him relied heavily on the undercover agent's 150-plus secret recordings, which exposed his involvement in the ring.

John Ibrahim, the more well-known brother, is not facing any charges and there is no suggestion he has committed any offences.
Shocking footage has emerged of two young children and a dog locked in a car on a sweltering hot day.

Concerned bystanders rushed to the aid of the distressed passengers at Cockburn Shopping Centre in Perth's south on Saturday morning, where temperatures had already soared into the mid 30s by 9am.

The city is currently in the middle of a heatwave, where temperatures reached up to scorching 39 degrees later on Saturday.

'There's kids in there. Two kids in the f***ing car,' a woman can be heard yelling in the footage obtained by Nine News.

Bystanders found a young girl and her little brother in the backseat and a dog in the front

Witnesses claimed the window was just two inches open.

'Standing there I was sweating and we were all really hot and those kids just looked so distressed,' the woman, who filmed the incident told Nine News.

'You could see the sweat dripping off them, it was disgusting.'

Witnesses considered smashing the window open before the young girl was talked into opening the door.

A man turned up to the car shortly afterwards carrying washing, telling witnesses he'd only been gone a few minutes.

But the woman claimed she was with the children and dog for at least ten minutes.

'The guy came out and he was swearing his head off at us telling us to mind our own f***ing business,' she said.

'He doesn't deserve to be a parent if you ask me.'

A woman (pictured) who rushed to the distressed passengers' aid says she has since reported the incident to police

Witnesses also claimed the car was parked in a disabled bay.

The woman told Nine News she has contacted police about the incident.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Western Australia Police for comment.

Emergency services rescue more than 2,000 unattended children in cars each year.

The temperature inside a parked car can be more than 30 degrees hotter than outside the car, according to the NRMA.

The children and dog were locked in the car with the window just two inches open

Up to 75 per cent of the temperature increase occurs within five minutes of the car being closed.

'A child left in a parked car under those conditions for even a few minutes can very quickly become distressed, dehydrated and can die from organ failure,' the NRMA website states.

Earlier this month, a man was charged over the death of a German Shepherd, which was allegedly locked in a car in Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales north coast.

Police allege the owner of the one-year-old dog left him locked in the ute for hours without any water while he attended a nearby licensed premises.

The Queensland man, 45 was charged with committing an act of aggravated animal cruelty and will appear in Coffs Harbour Local Court in February.
A teenager has been charged with attempted murder and another is on the run from police after allegedly mowing down the son of one of Australia's most senior officers.

Constable Ben Condon and a female officer were responding to reports of a car doing burnouts in Logan, south of Brisbane, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The two officers tried to intercept the Ford Laser as the 37-year-old constable, son of Queensland Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon, got out to talk to the driver.

When he did, the car allegedly sped directly towards him and struck him in the leg, according to 9 News.

Constable Ben Condon (pictured) and a female officer were responding to reports of a car doing burnouts in Logan, south of Brisbane, in the early hours of Saturday morning

Fearing for his life, he pulled out his gun and fired one shot at the car but it managed to escape.

The Ford Laser then returned to the scene shortly after and police laid out stingers, causing the car to spin out of control and hit a patrol vehicle.

Constable Condon suffered leg, groin and hip injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Member of the Police Union Ian Leavers said these incidents show how dangerous it is being a police officer.

The two officers tried to intercept the Ford Laser as the 37-year-old constable got out to talk to the drive

Constable Condon, son of Queensland's Assistant Commissioner was taken to hospital to be treated for leg

'We are very fortunate today that we didn't have police officers more seriously injured or even killed,' Mr Leavers said.

Authorities spent the rest of Saturday on the search for the two men, with the dog squad searching locals backyards for the men responsible.

On Saturday evening, police had an 18-year-old man in custody but his alleged accomplice is still yet to be found.
Daniel Ricciardo is making the most of his Christmas break in Australia after posting a video of himself speeding through a bush track on an ATV.

The F1 star, who is back in Australia for Christmas, will move to Renault in 2019 on a two-year contract following a tumultuous decade with Red Bull Racing.

He posted the video to his Instagram with the caption: 'Bush bashing', tagging the location as 'Straya mate'.

The clip shows Ricciardo, along with a passenger, driving along a tight bush track at breakneck speed, taking the turns, dips and loose surface as easily as a professional driver would be expected to.

Scroll down for video

Daniel Ricciardo (pictured left) is back in Australia for Christmas and ahead of his highly publicised move to Renault after five years with Red Bull Racing

Ricciardo, who grew up in Perth's northern suburbs, regularly spends time in Australia despite his jet-setting lifestyle.

In an interview with planetf1 in November Ricciardo said he was eager to get back to Australia after his 100th and last race with Red Bull and before his highly publicised move to Renault is complete for the 2019 and 2020 season.

'Its been a long season so Im looking forward to going home and to talking to cows and the sheep for a bit where they talk sense,' he said.

Ricciardo has spoken openly in the past about his love for the Australian rural life and how it affords him the chances to get away from the glitz, glamour and high pressure situations in Formula 1.

Ricciardo is making the most of his Christmas break in Australia after posting a video of himself speeding through a bush track on a ATV

Ricciardo makes a point to return home to Australia any chance he can get which is demonstrated on his social media

'I honestly enjoy a bit of the outback and a few of my mates back home have farms,' he told ESPN.

Ricciardo took to social media in August to thank his fans and Red Bull for a decade of great memories and opportunities, but said he felt it was time for a new challenge.

'By far the toughest decision Ive made in my racing career, but 29 years living on this earth it was actually one of the toughest life decisions Ive made,' he said.

'Sad to move on, absolutely, excited for the challenge at Renault but its been a 10 year journey with Red Bull.'

Ricciardo (pictured) took to social media in August to thank his fans and Red Bull for a decade of great memories and opportunities, but said he felt it was time for a new challenge

Ricciardo first joined the Red Bull racing team when he entered the junior racing program in 2008 and said the decade long journey was one he would always cherish.

'Some amazing memories from there and things that Ill always be grateful for and Ill never forget that ride,' he said.

But Ricciardo said he felt it was the right time to make the most difficult decision of his life to date.

'Personally I felt it was a time now where it is good for me to move on and have a fresh start somewhere else and I think it will be healthy for me,' he said.

Ricciardo (pictured) first joined the Red Bull racing team when he entered the junior racing program in 2008 and said the decade long journey was one he would always cherish

'Excited for what lies ahead with Renault but I just want to thank Red Bull racing, Red Bull the company for everything they have done for me, I really appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart.'

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner spoke publicly about the team's split with Ricciardo on F1 podcast Beyond The Grid and said it was a 'great shame' to part ways with the Australian star.

'Hes chosen to join the Renault team he feels are in the ascendancy. He knows the Renault product very well from all the time hes spent with us,' he said.

'I think it comes back to wanting to take on a new challenge, but I also feel that he sees Max growing and growing,' he said.

'In terms of speed and strength and he doesnt want to play a support role, not that they are in any way treated different.'

Horner said Red Bull racing had given Ricciardo everything he had asked for' but it wasn't enough to stave off his ambitions to race for another team.

Ricciardo said he had hoped to finish his last race of the year with a podium in Abu Dhabi for Red Bull but was only able secure a fourth place finish.

'Got damn close to the podium, part of me was actually disappointed when I crossed the line, even though I had been waiting to cross the finish line for a while,' he later said of the race on social media.

He finished the 2018 overall standings in sixth position ahead of his move to Renault for the 2019 F1 season.
An Australian father-of-four who thought he had a horrible case of Bali belly is now fighting for his life in an induced coma.

Mason Henn, 44, from Perth, was holidaying in Bali with his wife and children when he started feeling intense back pain.

In just half an hour, the pain got progressively worse and Mr Henn was rushed to hospital.

An Australian dad, Mason Henn, 44 who thought he had a horrible case of Bali Belly is fighting for his life in hospital

Mason Henn (pictured) suffered from a life-threatening case of pancreatitis when holidaying in Bali

His son Bailey told The West Australian, 'It just went downhill very quickly.'

Mr Henn suffered from a life-threatening case of pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is a disease which stems from the inflammation of the pancreas and can cause severe pain.

The Perth father is now in an induced coma after he was urgently flown back to Australia on Saturday.

'Its really hard, really hard to see him like that,' his daughter Amber told the publication.

The family initially has paid a staggering $50,000 for the emergency flight from Bali to Perth.

Mr Henn's brother-in-law Cameron Allen told Daily Mail Australia that while the initial costs were $30,000 they have now exceeded to $65,000.

He said Mr Henn was medically evacuated yesterday and is now in intensive care in Fiona Stanley hospital, Perth.

'They are going to try and wake him up by reducing the sedation tonight.. fingers crossed,' Mr Allen said.

'The generous spirit of our families, friends and colleagues is inspiring. Additionally, the anonymous donors who have assisted and words of encouragement have kept us all very optimistic and hopeful,' he added.

The Perth father is now in an induced coma (pictured) after he was urgently flown back to Australia on Saturday

Mr Henn's son Bailey (pictured right) said his dad 'went downhill very quickly' after he had a severe back ache

Mr Henn's insurer refused to pay the bill because Mr Henn had suffered from pancreatitis last December.

Mr Allen said it would be a very difficult Christmas for the family.

'Life is not going to be the same and it going to be a very different Christmas this year,' he told The West Australian.

'Look after your loved ones, hold them and tell them you love them...life is precious!'

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay his hospital fees.

So far, $20,725 of their $30,000 goal has been raised.
Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central theme of his presidency, though he raised eyebrows on Thursday by apparently believing that actual 'coyotes' were invading the country from Mexico.

'A nation without borders is a nation not at all,' Trump said in his remarks from Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

'Without borders, we have the reign of chaos, crime, cartels and believe it or not, coyotes.'

The President added that he refused to give in to 'the whims of criminal organizations.'

President Donald Trump is seen above on the left as Vice President Mike Pence looks on in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. 'A nation without borders is a nation not at all,' Trump said in his remarks

Coyotes, of course, are a species of canine native to North America.

In the context of migrants crossing the border illegally, the term 'coyotes' means a group of people who are paid money to help smuggle migrants into the United States.

Migrants pay a fee to coyotes who in return guide them across the border.

Once the migrant arrives to a pre-determined destination, usually a town along the border in California, Texas, or Arizona, they pay a fee to the coyote.

The increased surveillance and security along the southern border has led to an increase in the usage of coyotes, according to a study by the RAND Corportation.

Coyotes, which is used both in English and Spanish, could receive as much as $15,000 per person to smuggle migrants into the U.S., according to The New York Times.

These 'coyotes' are apparently not what Trump had in mind when he used the term on Thursday.

This led to a number of hilarious reactions on social media, with Twitter users posting memes of Wile E. Coyote fleeing the Road Runner.

'Your daily reminder that President Trump thinks literal coyotes have taken over our border with Mexico,' tweeted Patrick Chovanec.

The President raised eyebrows when he said 'coyotes' were coming across the border, though it appears he meant the animal. Coyotes, in the context of border crossings, are smugglers (above) who help migrants cross into the United States from Mexico in exchange for a fee

The tweet includes an attached GIF showing Wile E. Coyote.

'Coyotes are coming across the border!!! Trump seriously thinks his speech writer means [actual coyotes],' tweeted Austin Barker.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing Connecticut, wrote: 'So you get that he thinks these are real coyotes, right?'

The federal government partially shut down as of Saturday after the President refused to authorize continued funding that did not include $5billion for a border wall.

Trump said on Twitter on Saturday that he was continuing to negotiate with Democrats to end the U.S. government shutdown, but added that 'it could be a long stay.'

The Senate ended a short legislative day on Saturday and will hold its next legislative session on Thursday, as negotiators continued to search for a way to end the partial government shutdown that began just after midnight.

'Your daily reminder that President Trump thinks literal coyotes have taken over our border with Mexico,' tweeted Patrick Chovanec. The tweet includes an attached GIF showing Wile E. Coyote

'Coyotes are coming across the border!!! Trump seriously thinks his speech writer means [actual coyotes],' tweeted Austin Barker

Ben Towle tweeted about the 'methods' used by coyotes to cross the border. 'Check this guy for example,' he wrote in a caption above an image of Wile E. Coyote using an improvised engine

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing Connecticut, wrote: 'So you get that he thinks these are real coyotes, right?'

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would meet in a 'pro forma' session on Monday.

Those sessions can last for just minutes before adjourning.

As McConnell was closing the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that negotiators were 'still talking.'

The House of Representatives passed a bill that included $5 billion Trump had demanded for a wall, but the Senate included considerably less money for border security.

The partial shutdown will affect about 15 percent of the federal workforce, a senior administration official said on Saturday, as a majority of agencies and departments, including the Department of Defense and the Postal Service, already have secured funding.

Still, some 800,000 employees from the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and others will be affected.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees, 420,000 people who have been deemed 'essential' must work without pay, while 380,000 others will not be able to report for work at all.

Trump administration officials say anyone working without pay will receive back pay once a deal is reached.
Colin Kroll, 34, (pictured) was found dead from a reported heroin and cocaine overdose in his Soho apartment on Sunday

The former fiance of the HQ Trivia founder found dead this week claimed he had everything to live for but his 'demons got the best of him'.

Colin Kroll, 34, died from a reported drug overdose on Sunday and was found face down in one of the bedrooms of his Soho apartment.

Kroll, who launched HQ Trivia with Rus Yusparov in August 2017, presided over a business valued at $100 million.

In 2012, they sold Vine, the once wildly popular video app they created, to Twitter for $30 million.

Colleagues claimed that Kroll was working round the clock and had been under extreme pressure to stay ahead of his rivals and create new games.

Maggie Neuwald, who was engaged to Kroll in 2012, claimed his fast-paced lifestyle was partly to blame for their split in 2013.

She told the New York Post: 'I think that, probably, being continually catapulted into these high visibility, successful roles in a very fast-moving city where theres a lot of accessibility [to illicit substances], made it difficult for him to stay grounded.

'Its not like anyone hands you a manual of how to deal with [whirlwind success],' said Neuwald.

'That probably, unfortunately, got the best of him, although I had hoped hed be able to fight those demons'.

Police were called to the $7,450-a-month apartment by an unidentified woman who said she was worried that she had not heard from Kroll.

He had been living in the apartment since 2016. Heroin and cocaine were reportedly found at the scene but his official cause of death has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.

The night before, Kroll had attended HQs holiday party at Gran Morsi, an Italian restaurant in Tribeca.

A company insider told The Post he seemed 'especially off' that evening.

Neuwald told the New York Post that Kroll had first struggled with addiction while still in Michigan where he studied computer science at Oakland University.

Krolls former fiance Maggie Neuwald (right) claimed he had found it difficult to deal with his whirlwind success

Before they got together in 2009, Kroll had sobered up. He did drink with Neuwald but not excessively, she said.

'I think toward the end of our relationship, as he got more successful, he started to want to dabble in drinking and those types of things a little bit more.

'His aspirations were to really change the world through the Internet.

'He had every reason in the world to be happy and excited about everything he was accomplishing, but even in spite of that, he still struggled with his demons and, unfortunately, just wasnt able to battle them off in the end'.

Before HQ, Kroll founded and sold Vine, a video platform which was bought by Twitter in 2012 then closed in 2014.

At the start of the year, HQ had was ubiquitous among millenials.

In August this year, Kroll replaced Rus Yusupov (left) as the CEO of Intermedia Labs, the company which owns HQ Trivia. It came after he apologized for 'creepy' and 'inappropriate' behavior which cost the pair investment last December

Kroll was under pressure to deliver a new game as HQ Trivia, the wildly successful game-show app he released in 2016, continued to lose its audience

It was comfortably among the top 10 most downloaded apps on iTunes but had slid down to between number 250 and 500 in recent weeks.

Privately, Kroll and Yusupov had pinned their hopes on a new product - HQ Words.

It would take the form of a live, smartphone version of Wheel of Fortune which founders hoped would deliver a one-two punch and reel players back in.

HQ Words was to be released in October this year but the launch was delayed.

Intermedia Labs, the company which owns HQ Trivia, did not respond to questions answer questions about the delay this week.

One employee said that the pressure had been on Kroll to create the next successful app.

The employee told the New York Post: 'Theres so much pressure on [start-up] founders because they need to deliver to investors,' said the company insider.

Kroll was found face down in one of the two bedrooms inside his Soho apartment (shown above) on Sunday after a concerned woman called 911 to say she had not heard from him

'Theres a disproportionately younger set of founders in this space. They are brilliant and creative and innovative, but they are also young and inexperienced and naive.

'All of a sudden, youre going from a fun, creative time of building something into pressure from the investor side'.

In December last year, Kroll's management style was described as 'egregious', 'abusive', 'aggressive' and 'abrasive' by Twitter and Vine sources in a Recode report about HQ's failed attempts to raise funds.

At the time, the company was looking for investment from three prominent venture capitalists but they all pulled out after discovering the complaints against him while performing due diligence.

At Vine, Kroll was repeatedly described as 'creepy' towards women and was generally unpopular.

Colleagues say Kroll had been under pressure to create the next successful app and to stay ahead of rivals

Intermedia Labs carried out an internal investigation as more investors pulled out but found nothing that warranted Kroll being removed.

He declined to comment at the time. But in March this year, the company was given investment after Kroll apologized publicly.

'I now realize that there are things I said and did that made some feel unappreciated or uncomfortable. I apologize to those people.

'Today, Im committed to building HQ Trivia into a culture-defining product and supporting the dedicated team that makes it all possible'.

In August, Kroll replaced Yusupov as CEO, despite an HQ employee filing a formal complaint alleging that Kroll's management style was 'aggressive'.

Kroll was fired by Twitter in 2014, two years after it acquired Vine, the popular video platform he and Yusupov created with Dom Hoffman years earlier. Twitter shuttered Vine in 2016, four years after buying it for a reported $30million.

Around the time he was unveiled as the company's CEO, Kroll swore off alcohol but he also began skipping work for days at a time, calling out sick.

A company insider told the New York Post: 'People were worried about [Kroll].

'Hed yell at people and would have episodes where he would get especially vocal and push things around'.

The source said that in the past few months he would show up at HQ headquarters appearing 'nervous, jittery and sort of wired'.

Kroll recently cooked a turkey for the staffs Thanksgiving potluck and brought in Christmas cookies that his mother had sent him.

The insider claimed that some staff members were unaware of Kroll's battle with alcohol and other substances.

According to him, multiple complaints were filed with HQs human-resources department against Kroll, including one for him using a swear word on a company chat portal.

The tech entrepreneur had been living in this $7,450-a-month, two-bedroom apartment since 2016

'It almost seemed like the complaints were peoples way of trying to help him,' said the company insider.

The New York Post reported that Kroll was seeing a girl named Julie Antonio, 27. They first connected during Vines early days, when Antonio was a user of the app.

The two are said to have dated on and off for years and had recently started spending more time together.

Kroll's father Alan told The New York Times that he was troubled by the allegations and that here had a hard time understanding how people couldn't operate at a fast-pace as he did.

'He couldnt understand people that couldnt keep up.

'I tried to explain to him that not everyone could do that,' he said, adding that his son had a 'tough Mid-West drive' having grown up in Detroit.

Alan added that he had been working 'too many hours' and was struggling to keep up with life in New York City.

'He worked too many hours and too hard. I think New York City got to him a little bit.

'You need to have great constraint to have a disciplined life there. All of that leads to getting too much drugs or bad drugs and overdosing,' he said, adding that his son had recently stopped drinking alcohol.

'He had so much talent and had accomplished so much at such a young age. It truly is a waste.

'At 34, imagine the things he'd done and the skills he had. It would have been really fun to watch him at 50,' he said.
Melissa Mathieson was 18 when she was murdered by a fellow resident at a Bristol unit

More distraught parents of teenagers and young adults with autism and learning disabilities locked up in secure hospital units have stepped forward to beg for the release of their children.

Their pleas follow a Mail on Sunday investigation exposing how vulnerable people are being held in solitary confinement, fed through hatches like animals, violently restrained, and forcibly injected with drugs to sedate them.

Our children are being abducted by the state and we are powerless to speak out, said one mother, gagged by a court order from discussing her situation.

It has emerged that in one case, an 18-year-old girl was strangled by another resident of a specialist unit for autism. The victims mental state deteriorated as she was held in secure centres.

At least 40 other people with autism and learning disabilities have died over the past three years in assessment and treatment units (ATUs). The units are supposed to keep people for short assessment periods, yet the average stay is five and a half years.

The mother of Tony Hickmott, who has autism, says he never harmed anyone while living at home, was sent away for a supposed nine months, but instead has spent almost 18 years in ATUs.

Our revelations have sparked three official inquiries: by the Joint Committee on Human Rights in Parliament; by the Childrens Commissioner; and a Care Quality Commission review that Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged would be expedited and completed as quickly as is feasible.

Trusting teenager murdered at her unit Melissa Mathieson was 18 when she was murdered by a fellow resident at a Bristol unit providing special care for adults with autism. She was known to be at risk due to her trusting nature, yet an inquiry last year found her killer had already tried to kill his mother and strangle two female staff members for sexual purposes. Melissa, left, had autism and a learning disability. She found school difficult since she struggled to fit in and was bullied. She ended up being sectioned and stuck alongside teenagers with mental health problems who were self-harming, leading to spiralling problems as she adopted their behaviour patterns. Her family said they were treated with contempt and arrogance by social services when they fought to protect their daughter as she was sent to unsuitable places. We knew how her condition affected her behaviour better than anyone but no one seemed to listen to us, they said in a moving statement urging improvement of services to stop more tragedies. Advertisement

But Labours Shadow Care spokeswoman Barbara Keeley, who raised our reports last week in Parliament, has written to Mr Hancock demanding to know why his review into such costly and ineffective treatment is not reporting until March 2020.

She said: These further cases of appalling abuse warrant immediate and decisive action from Ministers, not a review by the CQC, which will only confirm what we already know: that vulnerable people with learning disabilities and autism should be cared for in the community, not in barbaric conditions in private hospitals.

It can cost up to 730,000 a year to keep someone in a secure unit. This newspaper has exposed how US healthcare firms, hedge funds and fat-cat charity chiefs have been accused by parents of viewing patients as cash cows after muscling in on the lucrative sector.

The NHS has paid these operators more than 100 million in the past year. Yet a study by Dimensions, a not-for-profit care provider, found it costs between 161,000 and 172,000 to support a person with severe autism in the community. We know people have better lives in their communities with the right support, said spokesman Alicia Wood.

Last week Joey Jacobs, chief executive of Arcadia  the US firm that bought the giant Priory group for 1.3 billion two years ago  was fired to accelerate momentum following a disappointing UK performance. He will receive a reported 8.2 million payout.

Model student girl was 'tortured' and drugged

Lydia Wooldridge was a model student but, like many children with autism, she found the transition to secondary school a struggle. She was bullied, became depressed and ended up being sent to a psychiatric unit three times before the age of 14.

She developed an eating disorder, her weight plunged to 7st and she started to self-harm. Lydia was ordered to take medication that made her state of mind worse. Her parents were warned she would be sectioned if they did not consent. She was tortured, said her father Alan, with his daughter, below.

She knew the drugs made her deteriorate but we had to agree since we knew if she refused they would section her. Finally, they freed her  but Lydia, now 19, still suffers post-traumatic stress. She was heading towards death, said Alan.

Lydia Wooldridge was a model student. She was tortured, said her father Alan (both pictured)

Held for 11 years, moved 65 times

Mark Verrion, 46, has been incarcerated for more than 11 years, during which time he has been moved 65 times around psychiatric hospitals and autism units. Mark, below, is now at St Andrews, a controversial charity-run centre in Northampton linked to several distressing recent cases.

His elderly parents, Michael, 80, and Moya, 74, spend 12 hours on a round trip to visit him  they claim he is banned from telephone contact.

They have spent 23,000 on legal fees trying to free their son, who has twice been on life-support, broken a hip in suspicious circumstances, and been held in hatch-fed seclusion. Please help us, pleaded his tearful mother.

Mark Verrion, 46, has been incarcerated for more than 11 years, during which time he has been moved 65 times around psychiatric hospitals and autism units

Fed through a hatch like an animal

Matthew Richards was assessed with autism aged 14 and was locked up five years later after a meltdown.

Since then he has been shunted around different units, stuck in seclusion, and fed through a hatch like an animal. He has gained 8st in weight.

My son is so damaged and traumatised, yet hes quite easy to handle with sympathy and someone to hear his worries, said his mother, Andi.

She fears that Matthew, now 26, is becoming institutionalised, making it harder to get him out.

Andi suffers from a terminal illness and has a teenage daughter with severe mental health issues.

The tragic irony is I cannot get my daughter into a psychiatric hospital when she is unwell and my son out of one when he should be at home, said Andi.

So I cant protect my children and take away their pain, which is all you want as a parent.

Boy freed in time for Christmas... and the man who will miss his 18th

Leo Andrade can enjoy Christmas this year after her autistic son Stephen was freed earlier this month following six years of incarceration. You can see how happy he is from his eyes  but there is still so much trauma after spending so long in those horrible place, she said.

Stephen, 23, was a fit teenager when he was sectioned four days before Christmas in 2012. It was the worst time imaginable, said Leo, whose younger son Josh, 11, is also autistic. Weve not celebrated Christmas since then.

While in secure psychiatric units, Stephen was heavily drugged and started self-harming. He suffered panic attacks every ten minutes in the first week he was out but hes been brilliant these last few days, although you can see he is still afraid.

Stark contrast: Stephen Andrade, left, who was sectioned four days before Christmas in 2012 (right: Tony Hickmott)

Islington Council in North London found him a flat and funded support staff. Theres a long way to go but I cant tell you of my joy, said Leo. Her happiness is in stark contrast to the suffering of Roy and Pam Hickmott, who are steeling themselves for their 18th Christmas away from their autistic son Tony.

The couple will make the 180-mile round trip tomorrow from their home in Brighton to see Tony, 41, in Cedar House, a 40-bed secure unit near Canterbury. Pam said it was so sad to visit him at this time of year amid all the festivities.

I cant even put decorations up because I find it so distressing with my son not here, she said.

Shut in a tiny cell for five years

Emerson (not his real name) is 26 years old yet has already spent nearly a decade locked in secure psychiatric units after voluntarily seeking psychiatric help.

His distraught family say that for more than five years he was stuck in a tiny solitary cell, his weight more than doubled to 33st, and he was so heavily drugged that he often slept 15 hours a day. He has since been moved to another privately owned unit in central England, which is a 12-hour round trip for his family to visit.

These places are disgusting  they need shutting, said his stepfather.

Why is the NHS funding them when they just make people worse?

'Little bundle of joy' abused by care worker

Thomas Rawnsley was described as a little bundle of joy by his mother Paula, despite his autism and Downs syndrome.

Yet at 17 he was taken off by police in handcuffs and leg restraints to an assessment and treatment unit for three months  and three years later he was dead. While in secure units Thomas was badly abused, which led to the prosecution of a care worker. Yet his mother was silenced by court order when speaking out after her son was sent, as the first patient, to a new centre in Sheffield that had not been inspected.

Five days before his death, she warned he was vulnerable to chest infections, yet he died from suspected pneumonia.

An inquest before a jury will be held next year.
Security chiefs at Gatwick knew of the threat posed by drones but only put up signs warning users to stay away from the airport.

The use of high-tech devices to stop illegal drone flights was discussed in recent months, but set aside as something for the future.

Instead, the airport decided to 'raise awareness' of the law with local residents and put up signs on the perimeter fence warning of an official No Drone Zone.

The Mail on Sunday has seen a presentation given in July by ex-Army officer Damien Trower, Gatwick's head of airport security, on the risks posed by unmanned aircraft.

The use of high-tech devices to stop illegal drone flights was discussed by Gatwick security chiefs in recent months, but set aside as something for the future (pictured, police stand near counter drone equipment on the roof of London Gatwick Airport on Friday)

Speaking to councillors on the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee, he told how the runway had been shut in July 2017 after a pilot called 'drone 11 o'clock' after seeing one of the machines whizz by his wing.

Mr Trower explained that drone activity was greatest in the summer months and in December. And he told how a new No Drone Zone measuring half-a-mile around all airport perimeters had been introduced by the Government in May.

A slide asking 'What are we doing?' highlighted tactics such as monitoring 'likely launch sites', advertising a drone hotline, and the possibility of utilising Neighbourhood Watch groups.

The page featured a photo of someone holding a shoulder-mounted anti-drone gun and the phrase 'detect and disrupt technology'  but only under the heading 'in future'.

The committee wanted to know more about where warning signs would be placed. It had previously expressed concerns about a 'proliferation' of signs or the 'inappropriate positioning of signs' in the countryside and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It is believed that the No Drone Zone signs have so far only been placed on the perimeter fence.

Damien Trower, Gatwick's head of airport security, gave presentation on the risks posed by a unmanned aircraft in July

A separate report by Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate published in February revealed the airport had been advised on drone risk by the protective security arm of MI5 but had not bought any anti-drone technology.

It stated: 'Our wider threat and risk management continues to remain vigilant.

'Recent horizon scanning and joint working with the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure has been of immense value in assisting both the Security and Airside Operations teams to review potential launch sites for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs  more commonly known as drones).

This work will form an important component of a planned future business case to address the risk posed by UAVs.'

Last night the airport said it had carried out trials of anti-drone technology but admitted that at present it relies on 'visual detection'.

A spokesman insisted there was no single, proven commercial technology that could detect and disrupt drones when deliberately flown over the airport for a long period.
A crack team of military electronic warfare specialists were prevented from bringing the Gatwick drone crisis to a halt just hours after it started because Ministers refused to sanction their deployment.

Ten troops from the Royal Air Force 2 Field Communications Squadron and four from the Army's 14 Signal Regiment were put on standby following the first sighting at 9pm on Wednesday.

The highly skilled units were poised to be flown into Gatwick in Chinook helicopters and were ready to use sophisticated anti-drone weaponry which would have intercepted and crippled the device. It could even have tracked down the culprits.

Military electronic warfare specialists were prevented from bringing the Gatwick drone crisis to a halt just hours after it started by Ministers (pictured, military equipment guarded by an airman on the airport's roof on Saturday)

But The Mail on Sunday has been told by high-level Whitehall sources that officials at the Department for Transport and the Home Office stopped the troops taking action for up 18 hours  as the situation descended into a crisis that brought misery to more than 140,000 travellers.

Last night a source said: 'Keeping the military at bay when they had the expertise and the kit ready to go on Wednesday night was madness.

'I think this situation could have been brought under control 24 hours earlier had the right decisions been taken.

'There was a reluctance in the Department for Transport, which is responsible for Gatwick, and to some extent in the Home Office, to use the Armed Forces and as a result the airport was paralysed for longer.

'The incident has to be a huge wake-up call for Government departments and Ministers who sat on their hands in the early stages of the crisis and made it much worse than it needed to be.

'Next time it could be a terrorist attack on an airport using drones  and hundreds of lives could be at stake.'

High-level Whitehall sources said officials at the Department for Transport and the Home Office stopped the troops taking action for up 18 hours

The decision not to deploy the troops is all the more shocking because strict laws prevent police and other law enforcement agencies from using jamming equipment which would have neutralised the drone.

But the Armed Forces are exempt from these regulations and can use this highly effective kit in the event of a national emergency.

As the troops waited at their UK bases to fly to Gatwick Airport, drones were seen repeatedly during Thursday, disrupting 246 departures and 202 arrivals, and affecting 72,500 passengers.

Finally a formal request for military assistance was made by Sussex Police at 3.56pm on Thursday, 19 hours after the first sighting of drones at Gatwick.

The support of the Armed Forces to civil authorities in the UK is officially known as Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) and is strictly regulated.

The role is part of the National Security Strategy and involves troops being brought in to provide niche capabilities, such as defusing bombs or assisting police in anti-terror operations.

An array of anti-drone technology helped to reopen Gatwick Airport after almost 36 hours of chaos

Under MACA guidelines, a Government department must make a formal request for help when there is a clear reason for troops to be involved. This is usually agreed at ministerial level. Military assistance is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Defence's Operations Directorate in London which, it is understood, became involved in the Gatwick crisis on Wednesday night.

This newspaper has also been told that the military teams are expected to remain at Gatwick for the next fortnight to protect the airport from further drone incursions  a decision which means the troops will spend Christmas away from their families.

Last night, the Department for Transport refused to say what, if any, additional security measures would be introduced at other UK airports to combat the threat of drones, some of which are large enough to wreck a plane's engine if they collided, potentially leading to the deaths of hundreds of passengers.

A Transport Department spokesman said: 'I cannot comment on operational matters.'
Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland has been hard at work at the Los Angeles studio where she teaches yoga to senior citizens as Christmas looms just days away.

Ragland stepped out the yoga studio clutching a white card on Friday, casually dressed in a white top, navy blue slacks, beige ankle boots and a gray sweater tied around her waist.

Spotted on her SUV was a bumper sticker that reads: 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance'.

The 62-year-old reportedly chose the California sunshine over spending Christmas with her pregnant daughter and the British royals at the Queen's private residence - turning down a rare invitation from Elizabeth II.

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Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland was seen leaving the Los Angeles studio where she teaches yoga to senior citizens on Friday amid reports that she will be celebrating a California Christmas this year instead of spending the holiday with her pregnant daughter in Britain

The 62-year-old was casually dressed in a white top, navy blue slacks, beige ankle boots and a gray sweater tied around her waist. She held a white card in one hand and keys in the other

Plastered on the rear bumper of Ragland's SUV is a bumper sticker that reads: 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Her outward support of education reflects her parenting style, which resulted in Meghan's attending the prestigious Northwestern University

Earlier this week it was reported that Ragland (with Markle in May) had politely declined an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to spend Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham

Speaking to Vanity Fair, a royal source said the invitation to Sandringham was offered partly because the Queen was so 'impressed' by Ragland at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle in May.

However, Ragland politely declined the Queen's offer of spending December 25 at Sandringham House, People reported.

Meghan's estranged father was not offered an invite.

An invitation for Doria would break with royal precedent as even the Middleton family has not been invited to stay at the Norfolk estate.

The Duchess of Cambridge's family has joined the royals at church on Christmas morning but they have stayed at nearby Anmer Hall rather than Sandringham itself.

It's very rare for the Queen to invite non-royals to spend Christmas at Sandringham

A royal source reported that the Queen had extended the invitation because she had been impressed by Ragland when they met at Meghan and Harry's wedding in May of this year

While other spouses that have married into the family don't usually have the privilege of relatives joining in the Norfolk-based celebrations, pregnant Markle doesn't have family in the United Kingdom to split her time with during the holidays.

American Markle will spend the festive period with Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other royals.

It's where the royals have been enjoying the Yuletide every year since 1988.

Ragland will also not be moving in with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they welcome their first child next year.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at King's Lynn on Thursday after catching a public train from London, at the start of her annual Christmas holiday at Sandringham

This will be Meghan's second Christmas at Sandringham House, in Norfolk, where the royals have been enjoying the Yuletide every year since 1988

On Sunday 30 or more of the Queen's nearest and dearest will descend on her Sandringham estate.

Although imposing, the main house is small by Royal standards, with accommodation described as 'cramped'  which means finding space for the Monarch's expanding brood requires exhaustive logistical planning.

In recent years, some of the more junior family members have found themselves billeted in servants' quarters, while others take over cottages on the Norfolk estate.

If nothing else, depositing Harry and Meghan with William and Kate over at Anmer Hall, the Cambridges' stunning ten-bedroom Georgian pile, would help ease the crush.

It is only a couple of miles away and the arrangement worked well last year, when the Duke of Sussex rhapsodised about their 'fantastic' stay.

And what better way to signal that tensions between the two Royal wives are not as serious as suggested?

Yet The Mail on Sunday has established that this Christmas, the Sussexes will be housed with the other guests  'packed in like sardines', according to a source  under the Queen's roof.

Against reports of growing distance between the two couples, it will be impossible for some not to interpret this as a snub to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Ragland's views on the importance of education - made clear by the work ethic she helped instill into her daughter, a Northwestern University graduate - are likely part of the reason her presence was requested at the Royal Family's Christmas festivities.
Beijing's furious response to the arrest of a tech 'princess' who is a top executive at Huawei reveals that the company is part and parcel of China's spying apparatus, an expert has argued.

'Huawei is much more than an innocent manufacturer of smartphones. It is a spy agency of the Chinese Communist Party,' wrote China expert Steven W. Mosher in a column on Saturday for the New York Post.

Mosher points out that since the December 1 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada, where she faces extradition to the U.S. on bank fraud and international sanction violation charges, China has rounded up at least three Canadian 'revenge hostages'.

'Beijing hints that the hostage count may grow if Meng is not freed and fast,' writes Mosher. 'Even for a thuggish regime like China's, this kind of action is almost unprecedented.'

Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou as she exits the court registry following the bail hearing at British Columbia Superior Courts in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 11

Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen on a state visit to Portugal earlier this month. Experts argue that 'private' tech firm Huawei is actually an arm of China's spy apparatus

Mosher, the author of Bully of Asia: Why China's Dream is the New Threat to World Order, says the dramatic response adds to evidence that Huawei, the second largest smartphone maker in the world after Samsung, is no simple private competitor to other tech firms around the world.

Huawei has been nourished by China's ruling Communist Party and military through low-interest loans and protected access to the domestic market, Mosher writes.

China has also repeatedly declared that all Chinese companies, private or not, must assist the government with gathering intelligence.

Under Chinese law, 'all organizations and citizens... must support, assist with, and collaborate in national intelligence work, and guard the national intelligence work secrets they are privy to.'

All of which has led the U.S. and its allies to view Huawei with extreme skepticism as the company attempts to spearhead the roll out of 5G network technology worldwide, potentially giving the Chinese government access to and control over information networks.

Huawei has already been labeled a national security threat by U.S. officials, who urged allies who host American military bases to ban the use of Huawei products in their communications infrastructure.

'Huawei stands in the same relationship to the Chinese Communist Party as German steelmaker Alfried Krupp did to Germany's National Socialists in the days leading up to WWII,' writes Mosher.

German arms maker Krupp effectively became a wing of the Nazi party during the war, Mosher notes.

Adding to the drama of Meng's arrest is the fact that she is no simple executive - she is the daughter of Huawei founder and president Ren Zhengfei, a former officer in the People's Liberation Army and a Communist Party elite.

Meng (above) is the daughter of Huawei's founder and president

Meng was arrested in Vancouver on an American warrant accusing her of a scheme to sell U.S. equipment to Iran in violation of sanctions law, and of falsifying bank records to cover up the transactions.

Lawyers for Meng have argued that she broke no U.S. or Canadian laws, and she is currently free in Canada on bail of C$10 million.

Since her arrest, China has arrested at least three Canadian citizens: former diplomat Michael Kovrig, consultant Michael Spavor and most recently teacher Sarah McIver.

Kovrig and Spavor were detained on December 10 and accused of engaging in activities that 'endanger China's national security'.

McIver's detention was confirmed on Thursday, when Beijing confirmed that it had arrested the Alberta native for 'working illegally' in the country.

Canadian officials said that McIver's case appeared to be more routine and unrelated to the earlier arrests.

Family friends of the woman said she had communicated that she would be held for 10 days and then returned to Canada.
I have interviewed abused women, bereaved parents, torture victims and girls in the captivity of jihadis.

I have seen fields strewn with dead bodies, hospitals flooded with ebola victims and towns crushed by aerial bombing.

But nothing has felt so traumatic as my investigation for this newspaper of people with autism and learning disabilities being locked up in cruel and destructive conditions across Britain.

It is heartbreaking as I listen to parents, often in tears and sometimes silenced by court orders, tell of children torn from families and sent to secretive units that can devastate lives for ever.

It is heartbreaking as I listen to parents, often in tears and sometimes silenced by court orders, tell of children torn from families and sent to secretive units that can devastate lives for ever (stock image)

Perhaps it strikes home so hard because my own daughter has profound learning disabilities, so I understand what it is like to struggle against a powerful system that pretends to be helping, and to feel alienated from wider society.

Perhaps it is despair that there is so little sympathy for people whose only offence is to see the world differently. Or simply the discovery of human rights abuses taking place in heart of my nation with grim deeds we thought banished to the dark past.

Last month I was in Belgium examining controversies over permitting people with extreme mental health problems to end their lives.

I was stunned after asking a young scientist what led her to go through this process to win the right to euthanasia. She said it was the trauma of being locked up for five years as an autistic teenager in an adult psychiatric unit.

If you understand anything about autism and learning disabilities, then you can appreciate how this smart but troubled woman had reached this tragic point after years of forced sedation and frequent seclusion.

Such people can need order, routine and control in their lives. They might struggle with sensory overload such as bright lights, loud noises and crowded places.

Grim deeds we thought had been banished to the dark past

If they have one type of autism, called pathological demand avoidance  traits seen in the awful case of Bethany, one of the first autistic teenagers I reported on, who was locked in seclusion and fed through a hatch  they may need coaxing rather than coercion. So when they have anxieties, it is hard to think of anything worse than confining them in chaotic places filled with troubled psychiatric patients and where staff often lack correct training.

Then, when these people go to pieces, they lock them up in tiny cells and treat them like dangerous animals.

Their families also suffer. Many disintegrate under the immense stress of seeing their beloved children suffer systemic abuse or forcibly sedated into zombies.

There is a clear pattern. Parents seek help as children hit adolescence and become bigger. They trust experts who say it will just take a few weeks in an assessment and treatment unit. Then the teenagers and young adults are snared for years.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised to act after reading my reports  then pathetically ordered another limited review that does not report finally until 2020

Once inside, many are frequently moved  sometimes in cages  far away.

One mother told me she spends 250 and two days making each 800-mile round-trip to visit her son for two hours.

Bear in mind that autism and learning disabilities are not conditions that can be cured. These are simply people with alternative needs, outlooks and perceptions who are being detained without dignity or justice.

Men and women handle incarceration differently. Men can become more angry and aggressive. Women, often placed with patients who are self-harming or suffering eating disorders, start mimicking such behaviour to fit in. Such incarceration is like a spiral of cruelty.

It locks innocent people in unsuitable places that intensify mental stresses, which then make it harder for them to win freedom.

This is all bad enough. But it gets worse. For there is a whiff of corruption emerging from this system as rapacious private firms muscle in on the system, raking off vast profits while having the power to determine if people can escape their clutches.

Multinationals, hedge funds and private equity groups are buying up psychiatric units holding these people and opening new centres  yet Ministers have repeatedly promised to empty them since the Winterbourne View abuse scandal in 2011. No wonder: they earn fees of up to 2,007 a day per patient while paying support staff scarcely more than minimum wage. So we have the sickening sight of the Priory Group owner giving 8.2 million to its sacked US boss while paying 8.50 an hour to carers.

This money comes from the NHS, although it is often far cheaper, more effective and definitely more humane to provide proper community support. But this comes from cash-strapped councils, so many prefer to dump the problem on the NHS. Childrens mental health services are also badly underfunded, so some also shift problems by sectioning challenging teenagers. One such distressing case came to my attention last week when I discovered that a nine-year-old boy with autism was nearly sent to an adult secure unit recently. Everyone was saying they could not cope, said Michael Richards, a senior social worker in Berkshire. But the last resort should not have been a psychiatric hospital.

With the help of experts, tiny changes at home  such as fixing meal times and shifting the boy into his own bedroom  ensured that after three months his behaviour improved and medication stopped. Small things can be very meaningful for an autistic person but there is systemic failure in many places, said Mr Richards.

Yet, once again, for all the lofty talk of transforming care, politicians have kicked this into touch. Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised to act after reading my reports  then pathetically ordered another limited review that does not report finally until 2020.

Meanwhile, MPs debated a bill last week regarding treatment of people who lack capacity to give consent that makes it easier to hold people for longer periods while doing little to stop conflicts of interest for private firms with power to deprive citizens of their liberty. There are many causes of this crisis, from incompetence and complacency through to a disturbing lack of compassion. But hidden away behind locked doors, barbarism is being inflicted on people with autism and learning disabilities.

At this time of family celebration, remember these traumatised citizens and families ripped apart by the state under the guise of care. Then think of that famous saying that you measure a nations worth by how it treats its weakest members  and ask what this scandal tells us about 21st Century Britain?
Two sailors were forced into the ocean after relentless waves and 80km/hr winds snapped their anchor and sent their yacht into raging surf.

Experienced New South Wales boatman Joel Antill and his friend Tom, 76, were sailing his yacht, Sailing Free, from Bateman's Bay to Lake Macquarie on Saturday when wind and wild surf started to cause havoc.

When they started to sail past the Cronulla headland in Sydney's south, strong winds began to toss the boat, 9 News reported.

Two men were forced to jump into raging surf to save their lives as a yacht they were skippering was battered by relentless waves and 80km/h winds that snapped the anchor

The pair dropped their anchor, but it was quickly torn from its bindings and the men were left surging towards the shore in dangerous conditions.

Bystanders on at Wanda Beach spotted the yacht in trouble and began to film.

'It (the yacht) was bobbing around in the water like a cork in a washing machine,' one witness said.

As bystanders filmed Mr Antill and his friend Tom, a man in his 70s, dived into the water before the boat could be capsized.

Lifeguards noticed the yacht in peril and raced towards it on the beach and were then able to pluck Mr Antill and Tom from the water.

As waves and strong winds battered the yacht the two men were forced to jump into the raging sea as the anchor line snapped and left the yacht helpless in the wild waters

'We had no choice but to abandon ship,' Mr Antill told 9 News.

A witness said Mr Antill's sailing partner he was barely able to stand once he made it to shore.

Tom was transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

Mr Antill praised the fast acting life guards on Wanda Beach who raced to the aid of him and his ship mate.

'They did a fantastic job,' he said.

After the tide had receded and the yacht was beach Mr Antill returned inside to assess the damage done.

It could be a number of days before the yacht is cleared from the beach and both Mr Antill and his companion Tom will have to foot the salvage bill.
At long last, the Government has got round to telling us how it thinks the immigration system will work once we have left the EU.

Presented by Home Secretary Sajid Javid just a few days ago, a new White Paper has been promoted as a game-changer  a set of plans that will open up Britain for business while taking back much-needed control of our borders.

Sadly, the opposite is the case. Far from the big leap forward we have been promised, these proposals mark a further slide backwards into the migration chaos that is now a prime concern of British voters.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid presented a new White Paper that sets out plans that will open up Britain for business while taking back much-needed control of our borders

To be blunt, the Government has caved in to pressure from employers without regard for the interests of British workers, particularly those of our young people looking for decent careers.

The fact of the matter is that migration to Britain from countries outside the EU now makes up three-quarters of the total  yet for several years now Ministers have done nothing useful to clamp down on the loopholes and abuses in the system and they show little sign of doing so in future.

Those in power know very well that they are on thin ice.

The sheer scale of immigration is a real and entirely legitimate concern to the public. The net annual figure peaked at a third of a million a couple of years ago.

No wonder nearly two-thirds of the people of Great Britain think immigration has been too high over the past decade.

They have good reason for alarm. Since 2001, immigration has been adding one million to our population every three years.

They might not have the precise statistics to hand but ordinary members of the public are well aware that the roads and trains are getting ever more crowded.

Theresa May has been determined to face down the Treasury and others who say that immigration is an undiluted good for our economy

Many are concerned about getting on to the housing ladder but they know that the demand arising from immigration is no help.

Official housing projections show that if net migration to England were to continue at 210,000 a year, we would have to build about 90,000 homes a year  a new home every six minutes day and night.

To be fair to Theresa May, she has been determined to face down the Treasury and others who say that immigration is an undiluted good for our economy and has attempted to stick to the Conservative manifesto pledge of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

Yet she has not had the Cabinet support she deserves.

Take Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary and the man in charge of border controls.

He refused eight times on Radio 4s Today programme to confirm the target  only to be publicly slapped down by the Prime Minister in Parliament that very day.

Does he seriously intend to reduce immigration? Do his colleagues? On the face of it, the Government White Paper seems sensible enough.

The major change it proposes is that EU citizens and those from outside the EU will be treated in the same way from January 2021 when the proposed transition period (from EU membership to full Brexit) comes to an end.

The route for skilled workers will be widened and there will be a new temporary route for low-skilled workers.

But the detail of these arrangements tells a very different story.

One problem is this: under huge pressure from industry, the Government has thrown open the doors to skilled workers.

With the apparent support of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, there is now talk of a threshold of 21,000

And the definition of skilled has been reduced from degree to A-Level or its equivalent  a change that will open millions of jobs in the UK to people worldwide who are looking for a better life.

It gets worse. The Government is proposing that there will no longer be any need for employers to advertise posts in the UK before rushing to recruit from overseas.

In other words, anybody will be free to bring in a skilled worker, provided that they claim they will pay them 30,000 a year or more.

And even that limit is under intense pressure from industry, apparently with the support of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond.

There is now talk of a threshold of 21,000, which is hardly a hurdle at all, especially as it is very easy to manipulate salaries by including housing allowances and other expenses.

Most worrying of all, there will be no cap on numbers.

The plans get no better when it comes to low-skilled migration. It is proposed that visas will be limited to 12 months, after which the holder is supposed to return home for a one-year cooling off period.

But how the Government expects to ensure that they leave on time is anyones guess.

What we do know is that this is a blatant attempt to fiddle immigration statistics which have long been such an embarrassment to the Government.

Here is how it will work. When foreign travellers arrive at a port or airport, a sample will be asked whether they intend to stay for a year or more.

If they say yes they are included as international migrants. But these people will say no and will not be included in the migration statistics. Amazingly, this route will also be uncapped.

What happens if they overstay? Nothing. The Government does not have the resources to locate them, let alone remove them.

Their capacity to remove immigration offenders and former prisoners is only about 9,000 a year, so the result will be that they add to the population of illegal immigrants that former senior Home Office officials have already estimated at more than a million.

None of this is about controlling immigration. It is quite the opposite  it is abdicating control.

It is not as if our existing EU workforce is departing in droves. In the last available year, 74,000 more EU citizens arrived than left.

This is down from the peak of 190,000 a couple of years ago  a fall that may be due to uncertainty about the future, a drop in the value of the pound or a mini-boom in Poland  but there is no reason to expect a sudden exodus.

In any case, low-skilled and low-paid workers, while adding to total production, do not add to productivity per head, which is what really matters.

Indeed, low-paid EU workers are subsidised by the Treasury with working-age benefits to the tune of 4.7 billion a year in 2015-16  or nearly 13 million a day. This is serious money.

Meanwhile, a pool of low-wage migrants discourages employers from investing in the productivity of the existing workforce. Is this why apprenticeship training by British employers has fallen through the floor?

Then there is the persistent and growing problem of non-EU migration, which is now running at 250,000 a year, the highest for 14 years.

This is a huge issue that must be tackled and which now requires a very different approach. For a start, the skilled route must not be diluted. It must remain at degree level and the numbers must be capped.

There should also be a medium skilled route confined to, for example, plumbers and electricians, and limited to EU workers for a specific period of stay.

We do not believe there should be any route for the unskilled aside from the occasional, very carefully controlled, scheme.

There is plenty more we could and should do. We should demand higher standards of English from spouses intending to come to Britain from abroad.

We should interview foreign students before they arrive to ensure they are legitimate. We should tighten up border controls that mean we can never be entirely clear who has entered or who has left the country.

Meanwhile, there is a serious risk that the system now proposed could spin out of control.

The public have made their concerns very clear. If the Government continues to ride roughshod over them, they will pay a very high price, and will deserve to do so.
A Japanese boy is fighting for his life after a near drowning in a lagoon in far north Queensland.

The seven-year-old was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition after being pulled out of the water by lifeguards at Cairns Esplanade Lagoon about 4.15pm on Saturday.

District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Duane Amos told The Cairns Post that the young boy was attended to by lifeguards and paramedics before being transferred to hospital.

The seven-year-old was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition after being pulled out of the water by lifeguards at Cairns Esplanade Lagoon about 4.15pm on Saturday (stock)

'He was critical at that stage, but with the quick response of the lifesavers from the council and advanced care paramedics, our best wishes are with the family and the child at this stage,' he said.

According to Sergeant Amos, the boy is understood to have only just arrived in Cairns on holidays with his parents on Friday.

The consular were notified to support the family during the difficult period.

'It's a tragic circumstance for them on what should be an enjoyable time in the festive season,' Sen Sgt Amos said.

He warned families to keep and eye on their children during the holiday period when they're out swimming.

He also urged those who don't know how to swim to keep out of the water.

According to Lifesaving Australia, as at 22 December 2018, there have been 23 drowning deaths reported in Australia this summer.
Two competing GoFundMe pages - one raising money to fund President Trump's border wall and another raising money for ladders for migrants to use to surmount that wall - are both continuing to rack up quite a bit of cash.

The original crowdfunding campaign, entitled We The People Will Fund The Wall, surpassed $15million on Saturday, on its way to lofty $1billion goal.

More than 250,000 people have donated to the page since it was created on Sunday by Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee Air Force veteran.

The campaign description says in part: 'It's time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! Its up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling.'

On Wednesday Charlotte Clymer, a transgender Army veteran and human rights activist from Texas, launched her own fundraising page in response, titled Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall.

It's description says: 'We saw some folks are raising money for a border wall to keep out our migrant siblings and fellow human beings, who are fleeing violence and persecution and whose tragically-underpaid labor is essential to the US economy.

'Seems like a bad idea on countless levels for everyone involved. Maybe we should focus on human rights and creating a community that reflects our supposed values.

'And even though at a rate of $1.7million daily, it would take their fund about 35 years to raise the $21.7billion that Trump's own Department of Homeland Security says would be needed to build said wall, we wanna make sure ladders are ready to send over to our undocumented friends and help them.'

In just three days that page has raised more than $127,000 toward its $100million goal as of Saturday, with donations made by more than 5,000 people.

A GoFundMe page raising money to fund President Trump's border wall, which was created by triple amputee Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage (left) on Sunday, has surpassed $15million as of Saturday evening. A counter-campaign raising money for ladders for migrants to use to surmount that border wall, created Wednesday by human rights activist and transgender Army veteran Charlotte Clymer (right), reached $127,000 as of Saturday

More than 250,000 people have donated to Kolfage's campaign We The People Will Fund The Wall (above) in less than a week as it climbs toward a lofty goal of $1billion

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people have donated to Clymer's Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall campaign in the past three days. Her campaign (above) has a goal of $100million

The campaign wars over the wall come after Trump appeared to back down from threats of a government shutdown to secure the $5billion he wants for the wall.

He signaled that he would sign the last spending bill he will get from a Republican-controlled Congress for the rest of his term without the desired wall money.

Kolfage (above in January 2016) lost both legs and his arm in 2004 insurgent attack in Iraq

The sting for conservatives was deepened by an announcement on Tuesday that the US will increase aid to Mexico and Central America to $10.6billion.

Democrats mocked the GoFundMe as evidence of Trump supporters' gullibility, gloating that federal funding for Trump's signature proposal is looking increasingly less likely.

'It's up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling,' the page reads. 'If the 63million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall.'

The fundraising page says it has contacted the Trump Administration to secure a point of contact where all the funds will go, but adds it has 'many very high level contacts already helping'.

The page says further: '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,' while elaborating on Kolfage's history as a Purple Heart Medal recipient.

The married father-of-two lost both legs and his right arm in a 2004 insurgent attack in Iraq.

Kolfage (pictured left and right with his wife) launched the campaign as Senate Democrats insisted they would not include money for Trump's wall in the budget. The married Florida father-of-two received a Purple Heart for his service to the United States

Kolfage said on the GoFundMe page: 'Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers' (file photo)

Clymer's campaign was launched three days after Kolfage's after the self-described liberal writer and feminist noticed how quickly the veteran's efforts gained traction.

'You see, theyll never reach their goal, but no matter how much we raise, were going to reach ours,' the Ladders page says.

'Supporting an organization working to help immigrants seeking legal asylum. This GoFundMe isnt really about ladders at all. Its about lifting people up.'

Clymer, who works as the press secretary for rapid response at the Human Rights Campaign, explained in the description that if the goal is not met, funds raised will go toward the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).

RAICES is the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas, according to its website.

'If this seems ludicrous, we welcome you to the coalition of reasonable adults,' the campaign summary further says.

Clymer's campaign was launched three days after Kolfage's after the self-described liberal writer and feminist (pictured) noticed how quickly the veteran's efforts gained traction

The description on Clymer's Ladders to Get Over Trump's Wall is pictured in full above

Last week Trump made the claim that the US military would build his border wall and Mexico would pay for it - indirectly under the new trade agreement.

'Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the US.

'Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!,' he tweeted.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday the administration's legal team was looking into whether the White House could redirect funds to build the wall.
The disgraced Labour MP facing jail for perverting the course of justice claimed to fellow MPs that she was only targeted by the police because she supported Jeremy Corbyn.

Last week a jury found Fiona Onasanya guilty of persistently and deliberately lying about a speeding offence, prompting a possible by-election in one of the most marginal seats in the country.

The Peterborough MPs own Labour branch communications officer had exposed her for plotting with her brother to avoid a penalty notice in July 2017. She has been kicked out of Labour and urged by her former party to resign her Commons seat immediately ahead of her sentencing early next year.

Labour MP for Peterborough Fiona Onasanya (pictured with Jeremy Corbyn) was last week found guilty of persistently and deliberately lying about a speeding offence

However, The Mail on Sunday understands Ms Onasanya believes she has been targeted by the police because of her political views. Discussing her upcoming trial at last autumns Labour Party Womens Conference in Liverpool, MPs were left stunned when the devout Corbynista and Christian brushed off her charges as a politically motivated attack.

One Labour MP said she was going around saying its all a conspiracy and Jeremy Corbyn supporters are being targeted by the state.

Last night Ms Onasanya did not respond to requests for comment. However, earlier this week she hinted she would not yet be standing down from the Commons unless forced.

She described her guilty verdict as the next chapter of her story, despite facing being ejected from the Commons automatically if she is sentenced to more than 12 months in jail.

Former Labour whip Fiona Onasanya leaving the Old Bailey in central London after she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. She will be sentenced early next year

A shorter sentence would trigger the recall mechanism, where a petition for a by-election must be backed by ten per cent of her electorate.

In an extraordinary WhatsApp diatribe sent to fellow MPs, she compared herself to Jesus, claiming: I am in good biblical company along with Joseph, Moses, Daniel and his three Hebrew friends who were each found guilty by the courts of their day.

She added: Christ was accused and convicted by the courts of his day and yet this was not his end but rather the beginning of the next chapter in his story.

Before sending the jury out to consider their verdict at the Old Bailey, Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC told them: Im sure it does not need saying but politics do not come into it. They cannot be a factor in the decision-making process at all.

The Peterborough MPs own Labour branch communications officer had exposed her for plotting with her brother Festus Onasanya (pictured) to avoid a penalty notice in July 2017

Ms Onasanya is not the first follower of the Left-wing Labour chief to believe they are being targeted by shadowy state-backed critics.

Trade union boss Len McCluskey said: The security forces play an unhealthy role in the democratic processes that exist in our nation.

He added: Would I be surprised if there were dark forces at play? No.

It came after former communist Labour aide Andrew Murray suggested someone paid by the taxpayer was planting critical stories about Labour in the media.
Spy chiefs believe the scale of Russian and Chinese influence on Parliament is now a major threat to national security and have drawn up a secret watchlist of lords with dubious connections.

It is understood that more than a dozen are feared to have been compromised by financial interests with foreign powers  with MPs today demanding a tough crackdown.

However, security sources add that concerns within MI5 and the Home Office go beyond commercial ties, with other members of the Upper House suspected of being cultivated by enemy agents. Concern has soared as diplomatic relations between London and Moscow have plunged in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent outrage.

Spy chiefs have drawn up a secret watchlist of lords with dubious connections to Russia or China

The stark warning raised at the highest levels in Whitehall comes as an investigation by The Mail on Sunday reveals 30 members of the House of Lords have direct financial links to Russia or China.

Among them are peers with board memberships on Moscow-owned firms or positions with Chinese companies. They include a Russian expert who has written books about the country and executives of Russian banks, mining firms and state-backed shipping conglomerates.

Others, not named for legal reasons, have publicly attacked sanctions against Russia in the Lords chamber and used written parliamentary questions to probe Government foreign policy stances while working for Russian firms.

Comments made in the Lords have also been published online by RT  the controversial Russian news channel slammed by Ofcom this week for its pro-Kremlin bias.

An investigation by The Mail on Sunday reveals 30 members of the House of Lords have direct financial links to Russia or China and spy chiefs believe the scale of their influence on Parliament is now a major threat to national security

Last night Tory MP Bob Seely called for the rules for peers to be tightened by a Foreign Agents Act.

He argued for the equivalent of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act  which was designed to block not only foreign powers but also powerful foreign individuals or companies covertly or discreetly influencing US democracy  to be introduced in the UK.

Mr Seely told The Mail on Sunday: If you want to work for Russian President Vladimir Putin or his cronies, directly or via proxies, you need to be open and honest about it, describe the work you do and who you meet and why.
Cabinet ministers want to keep Theresa May as Prime Minister until 2021 to bring through a new generation of talent, it has been claimed.

Sources in Whitehall say senior figures in the Government want Mrs May to deliver Brexit before she steps down and they are keen to give her an opportunity to slay the old guard.

Those at risk could be Chancellor Philip Hammond, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Business Secretary Greg Clark.

But it would cause outrage among Eurosceptic MPs who want her out of Number 10 when the UK formally leaves the EU next March.

Cabinet ministers want to keep Theresa May in Downing Street until summer 2021 so she can oversee reshuffles to bring in a new wave of young Tory MPs. Mrs May is pictured braving the conditions as she arrives for the Sunday service with her husband Phillip at her local Church in Sonning Berkshire today

The premier announced she would not seek re-election earlier this month ahead of a successful battle with rebels over a no confidence vote, meaning she cannot be challenged again for another year.

A source told the Sun a new succession plan could allow Mrs May to carry out at least two more reshuffles of her core team, with the first lined up to coincide with Brexit.

She would eventually resign in summer 2021, and a new prime minister would then get almost a year to prepare the Conservatives for the next election, slated for 2022.

The source told the paper: There is a real opportunity to bring in a new wave of Tory MPs through.

Favourites to take over include Home Secretary Sajid Javid, former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and International Aid minister Penny Mordaunt.

Sources suggest Chancellor Philip Hammond, pictured, could be one of the senior figures under threat in potential reshuffles before summer 202

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, left, and Business Secretary Greg Clark, right, could also be at risk of losing their positions in a reshuffle

Mrs May and her husband were seen carrying what appeared to be bags of presents with them as they arrived for the Sunday service at her local Church in Sonning Berkshire today

The plan would mean they could get a team in place by the 2021 Conservative Party Conference.

But a Eurosceptic Tory MP told the Sun last night: The PM must go as soon as practically possible after we leave the EU.

We dont want her or her advisers working on the future trade deal with the EU. It just cant happen.

Mrs May is pictured meeting Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki at Number 10 last week

It comes as Mrs May is facing a struggle to get her Brexit Withdrawal deal through the House of Commons ahead of a vote in January.

Mrs May is expected to pull out all the stops over the next few weeks to try to win support for her plan.

She has invited all Tory MPs and their spouses to a party in Downing Street in the new year, a week before the crunch vote.

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.

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.
A man was arrested after he moved into a $500,000 home that another family had just purchased in Georgia.

Joel Fedd, 33, claimed the home in Gwinett County was his because he is an 'indigenous Moor' and as such had rights to the land.

Last Saturday, Fedd recorded himself and his nephew walking around outside the house on Settles Brook Court.

Fedd claimed they were entitled to live there because they were 'Moorish American'.

Joel Fedd (pictured) is in jail at the Gwinnett County Detention Center after he moved into someone else's property , changed the locks on the door and displayed no trespass signs

In the video which he posted on Facebook, Fedd states: 'Hey, you all can keep paying rent, you can think this is a game.

'You can think we are just cappin', but for real talk, we are taking the land back'.

Fedd told viewers police had no right to kick him out and even if they did come, all they would do is say the matter is a civil issue.

He added: 'I ain't encouraging, I ain't promoting anyone do to this, I feel it's my time to do this.

'When you get up in your level of consciousness and knowledge, who gonna come tell me I can't take it.

'Who gonna come and take it from me, we are the law of the land, we are the land lord', he declares.

Fedd ends by saying: 'We are out for truth, peace and justice, we not black, we are Moorish Americans, go home'.

Neighbors said Fedd came back and moved in later this week in what police called a 'sovereign citizen' case.

Jack Campbell told WSB-TV that Fedd posted signs on the windows claiming ownership and warning others not to trespass.

He had all the blinds pulled down and also changed the locks on the doors.

Fedd recorded himself walking around outside of the house on Settles Brook Court and said he was entitled to live there because he was 'Moorish American

The new owners have regained control of the house and are in the process of moving in

'He had pulled all the blinds down and put private property and no trespassing (signs up),' Campbell said.

'I called the guy, and what was his response? He was belligerent. This is my house under this law and this law'.

When the new owners came, they couldn't get into the house they had just purchased because the locks were changed.

Campbell added: 'He came back and changed the locks and they had to change them again'.

Fedd had put signs in the window (left) saying 'no trespassing' into the house which was put on the market with an estimated asking price of $500k

Neighbor Jack Campbell confronted Fedd after he moved into the house and he repeatedly insisted the house was his under the law

Fedd (above) refers to himself as Moorish American in his social media commentary

'Ive seen a lot of things in my 56 years, but this is the wildest', Campbell added.

In the video Fedd posted online, he gave advice to other would-be home scammers on how to claim property.

'First thing you want to do is make sure it's vacant,' Fedd said as his nephew stood behind him.

'Who's going to tell me I can't take it? Who's going to come take it from me? We are the law of the land, we are the landlords, we are the Moors'.

He posted the video with the caption 'Taking Back Whats Ours The Land #Moor #TheNewMoorsInMorocco'.

The video generated much comment on Facebook, with the majority telling Fedd that he was breaking the law by squatting in someone else's house.

Who are 'indigenous Moors'? The Moorish sovereign citizens political movement emerged in the mid-1990s on the East Coast based off the teachings of the Moorish Science Temple, a religious sect dating back to 1913. MSTs founder Noble Drew Ali taught that black Moors were Americas original inhabitants and were therefore entitled to self-governing status. He believed that all African Americans were descendants of the Moabites and are therefore Moorish. Some Islamic historians believe that the Moors and Muslim groups reached the Americas before Christopher Columbus. Moorish sovereigns believe this entitles them to claim immunity from federal, state, and local laws and can sometimes cite Gods law or common law over constitutional authority. They come into conflict with federal and state authorities over their refusal to obey laws and government regulations. Advertisement

When Gwinnett County police arrived, Campbell said Fedd argued with them too.

He was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and making false statements.

Campbell is relieved Fedd has been removed from his neighborhood.

'At the time we were all worried about him. We've got small kids in this neighborhood so we were all scared'.

WSB-TV reported that the new owners have regained control of the house and are in the process of moving in.

Fedd is currently in prison and has, charged with criminal trespass and making false statements.

It is thought that Fedd claimed he had a right to claim the land as there is a theory that Moors had discovered the Americas before Christopher Columbus.

In 2013, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan generated much discussion when he claimed Muslim sailors reached the American continent 314 years before Columbus, in 1178.

In his memoirs, Christopher Columbus mentions the existence of a mosque atop a hill on the coast of Cuba, Erdogan said.

Some scholars have disputed the claim in Columbus writings, saying there is no archaeological evidence of Muslims having lived in the Americas before Columbus, an Italian, made his expedition in 1492 on behalf of the Spanish crown.
A year ago, Naomi Findlay and Dean Wilkins were in hospital praying that their daughter  the first baby in Britain to ever survive being born with its heart outside the body  would live.

Twelve months on, they will enjoy a particularly joyous Christmas at their Nottingham home with brave Vanellope.

She weighed just 3 lb 8oz when she was delivered at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on November 22 last year, where a 50-strong team was on hand to conduct the difficult and unique surgery.

Little Vanellope was the first baby in Britain to ever survive being born with its heart outside the body

Doctors told her parents, who had earlier watched scans of their unborn child playing with her own heart in the womb, to expect the worst.

Vanellope, who had the extremely rare condition ectopia cordis, underwent three operations in her first three weeks.

Her heart was covered by protective plastic and her chest opened to make room for the organ, which naturally sank into her body over two weeks.

Naomi Findlay and Dean Wilkins were in hospital praying that their daughter would survive a year ago - and she was last week healthy enough to watch her brother's play

Then a protective mesh shield was installed over the heart and the cavity covered with a skin graft.

'At times this year her life was hanging by a thread, but she survived and she now has her own page in the medical encyclopaedias,' said Naomi.

'That's how special she is.'

Vanellope still needs oxygen and has to take a cocktail of drugs, but weighs 18 lb and was last week healthy enough to watch her elder brother in his school Nativity play.

'That was a miracle in itself,' said Naomi. 'Having her at home with us is the only present we need.'

The family are hoping for more good news in the New Year.

Vanellope  named after a feisty character in the Disney film Wreck-It Ralph  currently spends four nights at home and three in hospital, but the plan is to have her at home permanently soon.
Police are yet to speak to the man who staggered into a car wash with shocking burns to half of his body after he allegedly stripped copper from an abandoned factory.

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 night.

He suffered severe burns after a transformer exploded at a nearby abandoned warehouse and was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

A Good Samaritan (pictured left) came to the aid of Joseph Anderson (right) suffered severe burns after a transformer exploded at a nearby abandoned warehouse.

No charges have been laid and investigations by Blacktown Police and specialist forensic officers are ongoing.

'Police are still waiting to speak to the man as he remains in a critical condition,' Blacktown Police Chief Inspector Bob Fitzgerald told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.

'But we are hoping to speak to him shortly as part of our ongoing investigation.'

He was unable to confirm whether charges will be laid.

'We need to speak to him to find out more about what he was doing there and why,' Chief Inspector Fitzgerald told Daily Mail Australia.

'A thorough investigation will be conducted before any possible charges will be laid.'

The owner of the property is assisting police with their inquiries.

The man's family believe he was trying to strip copper from a transformer inside the warehouse when it blew up

Mr Anderson 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.

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.

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

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.

Unable to touch or help the man because of the burns, a horrified passer-by at his wits' 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.

NSW Fire and Rescue authorities then rush up to the man and try to help him

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.'

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.

Emergency services treated Joseph Anderson at the scene before he was airlifted to hospital

NSW Fire and Rescue authorities then rush up to the man and try to help him.

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 Allan Anderson 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.

Mr Anderson's brother Allan (pictured) said: 'I didn't expect anything like this to happen at all'
A 77-year-old Tory peer who founded the Conservative Muslim Forum has married a former waitress who is 45 years younger than him.

Mohamed Iltaf Sheikh last month wed Guli Muradova, 32, at Lambeth Register Office in South London.

Five years ago, The Mail on Sunday revealed how he had struck up a close friendship with Ms Muradova after meeting her at a cafe where she worked.

Mohamed Iltaf Sheikh last month wed Guli Muradova, 32, at Lambeth Register Office in South London

The multi-millionaire, who made his fortune in the insurance industry, gave the Uzbek student his House of Lords business card and took her for meals at hotels including The Dorchester.

But the peers then wife, Lady Shaida Sheikh, was unhappy about the relationship and confronted Ms Muradova at the cafe in Victoria, Central London.

Miss Muradova returned to Uzbekistan, but Lord Sheikh pursued her and asked for her hand in marriage.

The couple planned to wed in an Islamic ceremony in London in December 2012, but Lord Sheikh called off the marriage two days before the ceremony.

Lord Sheikh divorced his wife of 25 years and he and Ms Muradova were reconciled.

They marked their wedding with a lavish celebration at the five-star Grosvenor House hotel in Park Lane.

It is not known if any members of Lord Sheikhs family  including his daughter, Zarina, who is 15 years older than the bride  attended, but the bride has been keen to publicise her married status.

The multi-millionaire, who made his fortune in the insurance industry, gave the Uzbek student his House of Lords business card and took her for meals at hotels including The Dorchester

On her website, she titles herself Mrs Guli Sheikh and states: Lady Guli became happily married to Lord Mohamed Sheikh in 2018 and she has a wonderful and trusting relationship with her husband.

The couple have also attended several official functions together at foreign embassies in London and posted photographs from the events on her website.

Born in Kenya and raised in Uganda, Lord Sheikh was made a life peer in 2006 after being nominated by Michael Howard, the then Tory leader.

In August, the peer said he had received vile Islamophobic emails after calling for Boris Johnson to be removed from the Conservative Party for suggesting veiled Muslim women resembled letter boxes and bank robbers.

Mr Johnson was last week cleared of breaking party rules by making the comments.

Lord and Lady Sheikh declined to comment, as did his former wife.
Police are using a Minority Report-style computer system to predict who is likely to commit crimes and who may become victims.

The 48 million National Analytics Solution analyses vast quantities of data from force databases, social services, the NHS and schools to calculate where officers can be most effectively deployed.

A detailed report about the programme, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, estimates that it could save the public sector up to 1.5 billion and claims that wider societal benefits could exceed 3 billion.

SEEING THE FUTURE: Software like that used by Tom Cruise in Minority Report, above, could soon be used by forces

But it admits to ethical challenges about storing and sharing huge amounts of data on individuals and warns of damaging consequences if those risks are not tackled.

The project  which has echoes of Minority Report, the 2002 film in which Tom Cruise plays the head of the PreCrime unit that can predict offences and arrest people before the crimes are committed  is being funded by the Home Office and led by West Midlands Police.

In one pilot scheme, officers will try to predict who will be drawn into modern-day slavery, such as migrants forced to work at car washes, nail bars or brothels.

Another possible use would be to identify vulnerable individuals at risk of going missing.

An initial trial combined data on crimes, custody, gangs and criminal records to identify 200 offenders who were getting others into a life on the wrong side of the law.

In an effort to address privacy concerns, those behind the trial say it will not create a centralised law enforcement database that would allow any officer to search for information on individuals.

...as Yard bosses star on 'Metflix' They are unlikely to garner the viewing figures of crime dramas such as Luther, Line Of Duty or Bodyguard, but Scotland Yard officers are starring in their own films on a website called Metflix. Police chiefs have set up the mini-YouTube to allow officers and staff to share skills and information. Topics include advice on how to breathalyse a suspected drink-driver, how to safely store forensic evidence, and interview techniques. About 100 clips have been uploaded so far and watched by a total of 1,200 people. Met officers are warned to make their videos public-proof and to ensure that they dont criticise particular people or make it personal. Scotland Yard said: The website was designed and developed in-house as a pilot by the team in their spare time and has not incurred any costs. Owing to its success, the Met has invested 4,000 in the site to incorporate it as part of our strategy for learning and development. Advertisement

Despite that, academics warned such use of big data posed huge questions for police. We see the National Analytics Solution as moving law enforcement away from its traditional crime-related role and into wider and deeper aspects of social and public policy, said a study by the Alan Turing Institute for artificial intelligence.

It added that the project raised concerns about surveillance and autonomy, the potential reversal of the presumption of innocence, and the impact of inaccurate prediction.

Another pilot, entitled workforce wellbeing, intends to identify which police officers are at highest risk of being signed off sick or attacked while on duty. The report claims the software could improve efficiency, saving almost 20 million if sickness rates are reduced.

Britains first experiment with predictive policing recently ended after five years. Kent Police used a computer system created by an American firm called Predpol to analyse the time and location of previous incidents to work out where future street crime might take place.

However, the force revealed last month that the contract of about 100,000 a year had ended because it was unclear whether it was reducing crime. The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that Norfolk Constabulary was using technology to help detectives decide if burglaries should be investigated fully. The force created a solvability algorithm that examined 29 factors to determine whether it was likely that a suspect would be traced.

Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, criticised the new idea. This would be a remarkable change in policing, he said. Every one of us would risk being monitored, judged and having our lives intruded upon.

Predictive policing conflicts with the presumption of innocence that our justice system is built on and invites authorities to keep tabs on innocent citizens. Its extraordinary that police have spent millions on a Minority Report-style scheme.
Joyce 'Tillie' Mitchell, 54, has expressed her fury over the Showtime series 'Escape at Dannemora' - which she says unfairly depicts the events that transpired when the ex-prison tailor helped two convicted killers escape a maximum security facility in New York in 2015. Mitchell, 54, is pictured during her sentencing after being convicted for the prison break in September 2015

The prison tailor who allegedly had sex with with two inmates at a maximum security facility in upstate New York and was convicted of helping them escape, has furiously labeled director Ben Stiller a liar for his TV portrayal of the case in 'Escape at Dannemora'.

Joyce 'Tillie' Mitchell is the central character in the Showtime series that first aired last month, detailing how the seamstress hatched a plan for convicted killers David Sweat and Richard Matt to escape Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015.

Mitchell spoke out for the first time in three years in a pair of interviews last week as she serves a seven-year sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester.

'I never had sex with them,' the 54-year-old told the New York Post of Sweat and Matt, whose escape resulted in a $20million manhunt that went on for 23 days before the former was recaptured and latter was shot dead.

'Ben Stiller is a son-of-a-b**** liar just like the rest of the world. He doesnt care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me. Hes an idiot,' Mitchell said.

Speaking out for the first time since her 2015 conviction, Mitchell slammed 'Dannemora' director Ben Stiller (pictured) over how she is portrayed in the series that premiered last month - though the 54-year-old has never actually seen it herself. 'Ben Stiller is a son-of-a-b**** liar just like the rest of the world. He doesnt care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me,' Mitchell told the New York Post during an interview at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester, where she is currently serving a seven-year sentence

Though Mitchell has never actually seen 'Dannemora' herself, she claims that the Showtime series is based on 'lies' about what occurred between her and Clinton Correctional Facility inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt. In the show, Mitchell - played by Patricia Arquette (above) - frequently has sex with Sweat and Matt in the closet of the tailor shop where she supervised inmates. Real-life Mitchell insists she never had consensual sex with either inmate

Mitchell - who has not actually seen 'Dannemora' but has heard about it from her husband and prison guards - says the show's portrayal of her as a 'lovesick prison seamstress' fails to capture the reality of the situation she was in.

She admitted to providing Sweat and Matt with the hacksaw blades and drillbit they used to saw through the walls of Clinton Correctional in Dannemora, New York, but said that she did it out of fear, not love.

'At that point, I had to do it,' Mitchell told the Post. 'I was stupid. They took advantage of my kindness.

'I wish I could take it all back. If I had to do it over, I would have told somebody.'

Sweat and Matt used tools that Mitchell smuggled into Clinton Correctional to cut through prison walls and make their escape, sparking a 23-day manhunt that resulted in Matt (left) being shot dead and Sweat (right) being recaptured

Mitchell claims that it would not have been possible for her to have sex with anyone in the closet of the tailor shop where she supervised inmates - despite what occurs in the Showtime version. Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, is pictured above

Mitchell says 'Escape at Dannemora' fails to accurately tell her story because 'the truth doesn't sell. Everyone thinks I'm just a whore who wanted it'. Arquette declined to meet with the character she is playing because she felt real-life Mitchell would distort the story to make herself look more favorable. Arquette is pictured during a scene with David Sweat (Paul Dano)

In the TV adaptation of the prison break, Mitchell is immortalized by Patricia Arquette - who made the decision not to meet the person whom her character is based on because she thought the mother-of-one would try to spin the story.

Mitchell said of that claim: 'The truth doesnt sell. Everyone thinks Im just a whore who wanted it.'

While the show repeatedly depicts sex between Matt (Benicio Del Toro) and Sweat (Paul Dano) - mirroring claims from prison insiders - Mitchell says that's not how things actually went down.

She told investigators that she had provided nude photos of herself to Sweat, and that Matt forced her to perform oral sex on him.

Mitchell claims that it would have been 'impossible' for her to have sex with the inmates in the real-life closet of the tailor shop where she supervised them.

'It has an air compressor in it,' she said. 'I went back there to turn it on and off, but I was always by myself.'

Mitchell said that the one thing 'Dannemora' gets right is the character of Richard Matt, played by Benicio Del Toro (above), who is seen as an untouchable figure within the prison

Though Mitchell says her own portrayal is deeply flawed, she believes Del Toro's portrayal of Matt as a prison god is spot on.

'[Matt] could have anything he wanted in that prison,' Mitchell said.

She said the show accurately captured Matt's relationship with Corrections Officer Gene Palmer, who was sentenced to six months in jail for delivering the hamburger meat that Mitchell used to smuggle the escape tools in.

Mitchell was furious when Palmer was released after just four months. She said he got favorable treatment because he was an officer.

Meanwhile, Mitchell has been denied parole twice and is eligible for early release again in June. She could be behind bars through June 2022 if she serves her maximum sentence.

Mitchell will be up for parole for a third time in June 2019. If she serves her maximum sentence, the 54-year-old will be behind bars until June 2022. The former prison seamstress is pictured at a hearing one week after Matt and Sweat escaped with her help on June 6, 2015

Arquette's Mitchell is pictured during a scene from 'Escape at Dannemora'

'Escape at Dannemora' has also been poorly-received in the New York village where the prison break took place, as residents say the show has reopened painful wounds inflicted by Mitchell.

When Mitchell eventually gets released, whether it be next year or in 2022, her former neighbors in Dannemora say she better not try to come home.

A friend longtime friend of Lyle Mitchell, the ex prison tailor's cuckolded husband, told the Post: 'Id tell [Tillie]: 'Youre no good.'

He added: 'With any luck, shell pass away in prison and never have to come back.'

The friend said that the community, which sits just by the Canadian border, was disgusted by Mitchell's decision to help her 'secret storeroom lovers' escape from the prison - the area's largest employer.

Following the prison break, all facility employees are not required to carry all of their belongings in transparent bags dubbed 'Tillie bags'.

Residents in Dannemora, New York, are also frustrated with the Showtime series because it has reopened painful wounds inflicted by Mitchell's actions and because many say the show portrays locals as 'hillbillies'. Clinton Correctional (above) is the largest employer in the area

Locals are also disgusted by how their town has been portrayed in the Showtime series.

'Its insulting  they have everyone look like a bunch of hillbillies,' Lyles friend said.

The Post reported that another resident was recently asked by an outsider: 'Is everybody in that town that dumb?'

The friend said that the most insulting portrayal has been of Mitchell's husband.

'They have Lyle playing a total idiot on TV. Sh-t, they should have gotten Goofy to play his part if theyre gonna do that,' he said.

However, the friend said of real-life Lyle: 'I dont care what [Tillie] does, but she made my buddy look like a moron.

'I told him: "Youre not the first guy to marry a whore." He didnt like that. People laugh at him. Weve got a lot of town jokes and hes one of them.'

Friends of Mitchell's cuckolded husband Lyle (above during his wife's 2015 trial) say that he is anxiously awaiting his wife's release - while Dannemora residents hope she doesn't come back

Lyle's friends also said that the Showtime series has been brutal in its portrayal of Lyle as a 'total idiot'. His character, played by Eric Lange, is pictured above in a scene from the show

Another friend agreed, saying of Lyle: 'Hes got a lot of shame. I would sell my house and go. I would have gotten rid of her on day one.'

'I told him to his face: "If you love her, shut up about it  dont tell the whole world. Go see her on the quiet."'

Lyle is said to be anxiously awaiting his wife's return at the couple's home in Dickinson Center, about an hour outside of Dannemora, with his ailing 77-year-old mother-in-law.

The former prison tailor - who is depicted in the show as an electrician - even built his wife a backyard gazebo for her to enjoy when she gets home.

One of the neighbors, identified only as Bill, told the Post of Lyle: 'Hes waiting for her to come home.

'I think hes nuts for staying with his wife after she tried to kill him,' he said, referring to prosecutors' unsubstantiated claims that Mitchell and the inmates hatched a plan to off Lyle. 'If my wife wanted me dead, I sure as hell wouldnt take her back.'

The Post reported that when a journalist stopped by the couple's home this week, Lyle answered the door and said hes doing 'good' but: 'Im not saying nothing to nobody.'
Ministers are to press ahead with a ban on the sale of puppies from pet shops.

They vowed they would outlaw so-called third-party sales after more than 95 per cent of people backed the move in a public consultation.

The decision follows the Lucys Law campaign, named after a spaniel who was rescued after being kept in a cage at a puppy farm.

It means that anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under the age of six months must in future deal directly with a breeder or an animal rehoming centre [File photo]

The decision follows the Lucys Law campaign, named after a spaniel who was rescued after being kept in a cage at a puppy farm

It means that anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under the age of six months must in future deal directly with a breeder or an animal rehoming centre.

The new rules are also designed to bring an end to the terrible conditions often found in puppy farms, officials said.

Speaking during a visit to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Animal Welfare Minister David Rutley said: This ban is part of our commitment to make sure the nations much-loved pets get the right start in life.

TV vet Marc Abraham, founder of the Lucys Law campaign, said: This is a real victory for campaigners as well as the UKs dogs and cats.

Government officials will continue to review whether non-commercial rescue and rehoming centres require a licence to operate.
The meal at the Louise seafood restaurant on Oslo's waterfront is believed to be the world's biggest outbreak of the new strain so far. Norwegian epidemiologists have ruled out the possibility the infections are Delta variant cases and said there was a 'high probability' it was Omicron because at least one of the Scatec employees had recently returned from the renewable energy company's South African office in Cape Town. It came as one of Boris Johnson's business ministers today plunged Christmas party plans for millions of Britons into further chaos after declaring it would be 'sensible' to limit them to 'four or five staff' or axe them completely as hospitality bosses said the Government's muddled and confusing advice had led to a 'catastrophic' 48 hours for the industry. George Freeman, the Under Secretary of State for Science, revealed that he was cancelling his own department's bash, changing it to drinks on Zoom instead amid concerns over the new Omicron variant, admitting: 'It won't be the best party in the world'. Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said the advice from UK Health Security Agency head Dr Jenny Harries on Tuesday that people should not socialise unnecessarily - which kicked off the row - had been 'catastrophic for the industry'. He told Sky News: 'In the last 48 hours it's been catastrophic for the industry. We've seen office parties cancelled, flights are cancelling, it's been a huge domino effect. This isn't just restaurants, this is the whole ecology around it - it's the supply chain, it's the taxis, it's hotel rooms, it's everything that goes with it'.
Two brothers have been arrested and charged with the murder of a young girl, who was shot in the head in a road rage incident.

Tylan McCray, 21, and Brandon McCray, 19, were arrested on Friday in Memphis, Tennessee in connection with the June 11, 2017 murder of two-year-old Laylah Washington. Tylan is charged with the murder while Brandon is charged as an accessory.

Laylahs mother, Leslie Washington, said the shooting occurred after she confronted the two men for driving dangerously in a parking lot. She says the pair then followed her and opened fire on her car - killing her daughter.

Laylah was shot in the head in the back of her mother's car after her mom yelled at a driver in 2017

Tylan McCray, 21, (left) and Brandon McCray, 19, (right) were arrested on Friday in Memphis, Tennessee in connection with the June 11, 2017 murder of two-year-old Laylah Washington

The confrontation began in June 2017, when Washington parked at a strip mall while waiting to pick her two sons up from their jobs at Subway.

She told investigators that a black Chevrolet Impala, with three occupants, was driving wildly and nearly hit her car.

She said she yelled at the other driver, 'Don't hit my car!'

The occupants of the Impala yelled back something indistinguishable.

She stayed in the parking lot while one of her sons took her two-year-old to use the bathroom at Subway. Then, all three of her children came back to the car.

'If you sat there and actually watched them come out, you knew I had a baby in the car,' the mother, Leslie Washington, told the Commercial Appeal last year.

Laylah's mother Leslie Washington (with her left) says that the shooter would have seen her daughter was in the car before shooting, after her son let the girl out to use the bathroom

Surveillance video shows that the Impala followed Washington's car as she drove down the street.

Suddenly she heard gunshots from behind and noticed, in horror, that Laylah had been hit in the head by gunfire.

The girl was the only one hit.

The mother rushed her to a nearby fire station, where paramedics transported her to a hospital in critical condition.

Young Laylah clung to life for two days before she died in the hospital.

'Laylah was my life,' Washington. 'It's hard, especially in the way that she died.'

Young Laylah (above) clung to life for two days before she died in the hospital

Police chased down leads for a year with no arrests. On the one year anniversary of the shooting, perhaps due to renewed media coverage, an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers gave investigators a new lead.

On Friday night, a task force composed of the Memphis Police Department's Homicide Unit, Violent Crimes Unit, and Multi-Agency Gang Unit swooped in on the McCray brothers and arrested them.

Police say that Tylan was in possession of 26.7 grams of suspected marijuana and THC oil when he was taken into custody.

Tylan McCray is charged with first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, employing a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Tylan McCray (above) is charged with the murder while his brother is charged as an accessory

Tylan McCray is seen above last year. Police say that he was in possession of 26.7 grams of suspected marijuana and THC oil when he was taken into custody

Brandon McCray is charged with accessory after the fact to first degree murder.

'The Memphis Police Department would like to thank everyone that played a part in helping bring justice to those responsible for the senseless killing of Laylah Washington,' the department said in a statement.

'For more than a year, our investigators have worked long and hard to ensure justice for Laylah. This holiday season, the Washington family and all Memphians affected by this senseless killing can find some level of comfort in knowing that those responsible have been arrested and will answer for their actions,' the statement added.

Tylan is being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond, and Brandon is free on bond of $10,000. Both brothers are due in court on Wednesday.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was last night at the centre of a row over claims he had been overheard plotting a Tory leadership bid in an exclusive London restaurant.

Party sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Williamson was caught plotting with two diners on Tuesday evening at The Colony Grill, a 100-a-head restaurant in Londons Mayfair.

According to the sources, Mr Williamson  dubbed Private Pike by the Treasury following a row with Chancellor Philip Hammond over defence spending  was heard boasting about his links with the DUP and how he could outmanoeuvre Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid when the next contest came.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was last night embroiled in a row after fellow diners at a Mayfair restaurant claim they overheard him plotting a Tory leadership bid

The alleged remarks  which Mr Williamson strongly denies  were relayed to a senior party figure by a diner eavesdropping at an adjoining table and passed around Tory high command.

A source said: We were told that Gavin was saying that he had the DUP eating out of his hand, because of the contacts he had made when striking the agreement to prop up the Government after the Election. He was apparently talking about how the threat from Jeremy and Saj [the two frontrunners] could be neutralised by mobilising his supporters on the backbenches.

The wood-panelled The Colony Grill, in the five-star Beaumont Hotel, is a favourite venue for plotters because of its safe distance from Westminster and its  seemingly  discreet leather booths. Dishes include Oscietra caviar, at 140 a plate, and 14oz grain-fed rib-eye steak for 49.

Last night, Mr Williamsons team hit back at the claims, with one supporter describing them as deliberate mischief making and tittle tattle.

A source close to Mr Williamson said: Gavin does not have leadership ambitions. He wants to stay as Defence Secretary to complete what is a very important job. And anyway, one of the dining guests was unknown to Gavin, so the idea he would have confided such thoughts stretches credulity.

Mr Williamson  dubbed Private Pike after the Dad's Army character who is known to be too big for his boots (pictured) - was allegedly heard boasting about his links with the DUP and how he could outmanoeuvre Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid when the next contest came

Mr Williamson was promoted from Chief Whip to the MoD last year when Michael Fallon was forced to resign during the pestminster scandal. His ambition became evident earlier this year when The Mail on Sunday revealed he had threatened to mobilise Tory MPs to vote down the next Budget if Theresa May did not commit more money to defence. I made her  and I can break her, Mr Williamson boasted to service chiefs.

The instability of Mrs Mays premiership has led to months of plotting by potential candidates, led by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab.

Within the Cabinet, Mr Hunt and Mr Javid are regarded as the frontrunners, with Mr Javid openly ringing round MPs to gauge support within the party.

Last week, Mr Hunt, who backed Remain in 2016 and once supported the idea of the second referendum, appeared to pivot towards the Brexiteers by insisting Britain could flourish and prosper if it crashes out of the EU without a deal.

It has led some members of the Eurosceptic European Research Group of Tory MPs to discuss swinging behind Mr Hunt in a contest.

When asked directly if he wanted to be prime minister, Mr Hunt said: I think every MP has a corner of their heart that says they would like to have a crack at the top job. Im no different.

However, his aides later clarified that he did not welcome the idea of no deal, and had been urging MPs to back the deal Mrs May negotiated with Brussels.

The wood-panelled The Colony Grill, in the five-star Beaumont Hotel, is a favourite venue for plotters because of its safe distance from Westminster and its  seemingly  discreet leather booths

Mr Hunts apparent Brexit pivot angered many senior figures in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a predominantly pro-Remain institution.

One senior diplomatic source said: We were delighted when Jeremy was announced as the new Foreign Secretary  we thought he was a serious diplomat for serious times. But eyebrows have also been raised about his flirting with the extreme Brexiteers, which is as dangerous as it is deceitful.

If he continues down this road he will quickly lose the support of his colleagues and department.

The source added: No one believes he is a Brexiteer. He is overtly political and has made members of the Civil Service quite uncomfortable with the blurring of the lines between political and departmental. He also doesnt read his brief especially closely, which has been noticed by senior officials.

However, another FCO source hit back last night: People in the FCO certainly underestimated Jeremy. They thought he would be their creature but he has refused to play their game.
Corbyn has vowed to go through with Brexit even if Labour win a snap General Election

Jeremy Corbyn sparked fury within his own party yesterday by vowing to go ahead with Brexit even if Labour wins a snap General Election in the New Year.

He faced a barrage of protest from Labour Remainers for seemingly shrugging off their mounting demands for a second referendum.

And he was accused of treating his own party with contempt after using a newspaper interview to signal his determination to press ahead with Brexit.

Leading Labour moderate Chuka Umunna branded his stance deeply depressing and disappointing and urged party members to back the so-called Peoples Vote second referendum.

Fellow Labour MP Phil Wilson warned: A Remain party led by a leader prepared to facilitate Brexit wont end well for either the party or leader.

Former Shadow Cabinet member Ian Murray condemned Mr Corbyns stance as utterly contemptuous of the party and a betrayal of the country.

The row erupted after Mr Corbyn gave an interview to The Guardian indicating he would press ahead with Brexit even if he came to power in a snap Election. That was even though he acknowledged that about 60 per cent of Labour voters voted Remain; about 40 per cent voted Leave.

He indicated that his priority would be to go to Brussels and try to secure a better deal than the one currently on the table. Youd have to go back and negotiate, and see what the timetable would be, Mr Corbyn said.

The row erupted after Mr Corbyn gave an interview to The Guardian indicating he would press ahead with Brexit even if he came to power in a snap election

Labour moderates Chuka Umunna (left) and Phil Wilson (right) criticized Jeremy Corbyn's stance on Brexit

Asked what Labours stance would be on a second referendum, he said it would be for the party to decide but added: 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 fuelled fears that he privately favours Brexit by criticising Brussels state aid rules, saying: 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.

But Labour Remainers, who suspect Mr Corbyn in no way shares their enthusiasm for a second referendum, were furious. Liverpool MP Luciana Berger claimed that public support for Labour would collapse if Mr Corbyn brought about Brexit.

Harry Potter author and Labour donor J. K. Rowling mocked Mr Corbyn yesterday in a biblically styled Christmas Twitter rant

She tweeted: Labour will never be forgiven its been made patently clear that there isnt a better Brexit.

But a Labour spokesman said: Jeremy Corbyn was restating Labours policy of rejecting Theresa Mays botched Brexit deal, supporting a jobs-first alternative, pushing for a General Election and keeping all options on the table  including the option of a public vote.

Harry Potter author and Labour donor J. K. Rowling mocked Mr Corbyn yesterday in a biblically styled Christmas Twitter rant against the party leader and the Corbynites. She wrote: How shall the poor fare under Brexit, which thy Saint hath always in his secret heart desired, yet he hath not admitted lest fewer attend his next Sermon on the Glastonbury B stage.
A brazen thief has taken thousands of dollars worth of Christmas presents from a young father who hid his family's gifts in the boot of his locked car.

Greg Oros, from Cranbourne, Melbourne, had finished his Christmas shopping early and kept the wrapped presents in his car boot  hiding them from his son Jackson.

The next morning Mr Oros was heartbroken when he found a heartless thief broke into his car boot and took all $5,000 worth of presents.

A brazen thief has taken thousands of dollars worth of Christmas presents from a young father who hid his family's gifts in his locked up car (pictured)

Video footage, from the home security cameras, shows the moment a man covered in black opened the car boot and took all the gift-wrapped presents late on Thursday night.

Greg's wife Rebecca Lawson said she was horrified that someone would take another family's Christmas gifts.

'I was just disgusted that there are people out there that do this and they don't care,' Ms Lawson told 9 News.

A laptop was also taken from the locked up car.

Police are investigating.

Video footage (pictured), from the home security cameras, shows the moment a man covered in black opened the car boot and took all the gift-wrapped presents late on Thursday night
Theresa Mays deputy has been accused of Project Fear Mark Three for warning of a slaughter of the lambs in a No Deal Brexit.

MPs say Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington privately raised the spectre of a mass cull of sheep destined for the vital EU market if No Deal border problems delayed their export.

They said ex-Europe Minister and Remain supporter Mr Lidington  the Prime Ministers de facto number two  gave a chilling warning about the impact of No Deal.

Ex-Europe Minister and Remain supporter David Lidington has given a chilling warning about the impact of No Deal on British sheep meat exports

One MP said: David was quite explicit. He said, If theres No Deal, well have to prepare for the slaughter of every lamb in Britain destined for export. 

The EU is a vital market for the UKs sheep industry, with 95 per cent of British sheep meat exports going to the Continent in 2015.

Brexiteer Tory MP Peter Bone seized on the reported warning, saying: This is truly Project Fear gone baa-nanas! I thought the Remainiacs had given up on silly scare stories like this but with talk of mass killings of sheep on the motorways theres a good chance theyll be warning of plagues of locusts on the M20 next.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove last week sought to play down fears of sheep en route to the Continent having to be slaughtered.

Brexiteer Tory MPs Environment Secretary Michael Gove (left) and Peter Bone (right) sought to downplay fears over No Deal

He told the Commons Environmental Audit Committee the Government would focus on ensuring an efficient flow of goods, adding: We are not going to have the mass slaughter of lambs or sheep in lorries en route to EU member states.

George Osborne has warned that the Tory Party faces a prolonged period out of power unless it engages more with modern Britain.

The former Chancellor, who was sacked by Theresa May, branded her handling of Brexit a massive mistake, saying her Governments approach had been to dismiss the views of those who had voted Remain, treat them as saboteurs or traitors.
Donald Trump has taken a swipe at critics of his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria by saying if anyone else brought soldiers home they would be branded a 'hero'.

In a series of fiery tweets tonight, POTUS also dismissed the top US envoy in the fight against ISIS as an 'Obama appointee' who he claimed he did not know.

Earlier today Brett McGurk announced that he is resigning in the wake of Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria and just days after Secretary of Defense James Mattis stepped down.

McGurk was to leave the role in February but moved up his departure date by two months to December 31 after very publicly stating that the move to pull American forces at this time could result in a 'possibly catastrophic outcome'.

He claimed if anyone else announced they were bringing soldiers home they would be branded a hero

Donald Trump (left) tonight dismissed Brett McGurk (right) has an 'Obama' appointee' who he didn't know and was set to stand down a month from now. This follows McGurk's decision to quit his role two months earlier than expected

Donald Trump took credit for giving Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis (pictured) 'a second chance' after he was 'ingloriously fired' by Barack Obama in 2013. Mattis announced on Thursday that he will leave his role as Secretary of Defense on February 28

Responding to the news , Trump tweeted: 'Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015.

'Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!.

'If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!

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.

Trump also fired a parting shot at Mattis, the most respected foreign policy official in the administration who will leave by the end of February.

McGurk (left) and Mattis (right), who worked alongside each other, had both opposed withdrawing troops from Syria as well as reducing the US presence in Afghanistan

President Donald Trump reportedly overruled Mattis' objection in deciding to withdraw American troops from Syria. He later said he would leave so Trump could have someone in the position that more closely agreed with him on policy strategy

He tweeted: 'When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance.

'Some thought I shouldnt, 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'.

The former United States Marine Corps general commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He later served as the Commander of United States Central Command under Obama.

In his resignation later on Thursday, he told Trump that he was departing because 'you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.'

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 had initially given 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.

Trump launched a tirade on Twitter (pictured) against top US officials who resigned within days of each other after they disagreed with his decision to pull troops out of Syria

Trump said he had an 'interesting relationship with Mattis and he had given him resources

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.

However said he 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 seen here attending a meeting deputy commander of the Task Force on Operation Inherent Resolve in Raqa city, Syria on June 29 2017

Mattis outlined similar reasons for his departure, suggesting that Trump has left the United States unable to defend its interests overseas.

'Because you have the right to a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects,' Mattis wrote after his litany, 'I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.

Mattis declared that America 'must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours.'

In clear references to Russia and China, he wrote about four decades of 'immersion' in global affairs, leading him to believe in 'treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors.'

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.

However 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 (left) and Mattis (right) give the media an update on the global coalition's efforts to crack down on ISIS' operations in the Pentagon in May 2017

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, he 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.

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.
Shocking footage has emerged of a middle-aged man getting out of a vintage 1960s coupe before attacking another motorist.

In the footage, obtained by the Herald Sun, the man can be seen approaching another car in Glen Huntley Road in Caulfield South, Melbourne.

He then throws punches through the window of a car before climbing back into his vintage Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe and speeding off.

Shocking footage of a bizarre road rage incident shows the moment a man climbs from his luxury sedan before hitting the driver ahead of him

As he speeds off the driver of the car in front is seen walking toward the other before checking his nose for blood and making his way back to his own car.

The footage was captured by another driver who witnessed the attack.

They said it was not clear what had prompted the road rage incident.

The fight occurred at about 2pm on Saturday afternoon as the roads were jam-packed with Christmas shoppers.

The witness said the driver of the first car was bleeding after the alleged attack and he had offered the victim something to clean up the blood.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that so far the incident hasn't been reported to police.
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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel choked up and wiped away tears during his eulogy for Eduardo Marmolejo, 36, one of two police officers who were struck and killed by a commuter train while chasing a man who allegedly fired a gun.

Just as his smile had the power to light up a room, his memory has the power to light up our city, Emanuel said during the funeral service at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on Chicagos South Side on Saturday.

He wanted to be a hero to his family, the Mayor said. He became a hero to our city.'

I did not know Lalo (Marmalejo's nickname) ersonally,' Emanuel continued. 'I wish I had.

But I know the love and loyalty he inspired in his family and friends.

And I know the legacy he will leave behind.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seen above wiping away tears during a eulogy for fallen police officer Eduardo Marmolejo on Saturday

Just as his smile had the power to light up a room, his memory has the power to light up our city, Emanuel said during the funeral service at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on Chicagos South Side on Saturday

Emanuel is seen above embracing a member of Marmolejo's family during the funeral services on Saturday

Marmolejo is survived by his wife and three daughters. He was 36 years old

Emanuel then turned to Marmolejos family.

Maria, Becca, Madeline, and Sophia - we will always be here for you.

We will always cherish Eduardos memory.

We will always honor the journey of the Marmolejo family who came to America, came to the city of Chicago, to find and build a better life.

And you have helped Chicago become a better city.

Marmolejo, son of Mexican immigrants, is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Rebecca Marmolejo (left), 15, also delivered a eulogy at her father's funeral service on Chicago's South Side on Saturday

'Now that you clocked out, it's my turn to cover the shift,' Rebeca Marmolejo said. 'You will always be my hero, my best friend, and my dad'

Marmolejo (left) and another officer, Conrad Gary (right), 31, were fatally hit by a train on Monday night while responding to reports of gunshots

Your husband's remarkable life and legacy will endure through your three incredible girls, Emanuel said.

Marmolejos oldest daughter, Rebecca, 15, also eulogized her father.

I miss you so much. I cannot tell you how many times I've cried just thinking of you, she said while shedding tears and growing emotional.

Chicago police officers salute at the funeral on Saturday. Gary and Marmolejo were the third and fourth Chicago police officers to die in the line of duty this year

The Marmolejo family watches as the pall bearers load Eduardo Marmolejo's casket into a waiting hearse

Marmolejo's daughter Madeleine (far right), 9, holds a folded Chicago flag as she is embraced by a police officer as her mother, Maria, looks on. Rebecca, the oldest daughter, is seen far left

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Marmalejo family. So far, it has raised more than $60,000

Pall bearers are seen above carrying the remains of Marmolejo out of St. Rita's Church on Saturday

I have so much to say and now there's no time. I never knew what getting my heart broken felt like until now.

Knowing that I'll never get to hug or even see you again breaks my heart into a million pieces.

There's no one else like you. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.

Rebecca then told those in attendance: Please, when you go home, hug everyone that means something to you.

Tell them you love them, because in the end it isn't worth knowing you could've given more time and love and effort into that person.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Marmolejos family would not be alone on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations.

You're not alone, he said.

You will not be alone this Christmas, next Christmas, or the Christmas after that.

You've gained an entire department of guardian angels.

A Chicago Police Honor Guard fires a 21-gun salute during funeral services for Marmolejo in Chicago on Saturday

Eduardo Marmolejo's casket is seen above arriving at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on Saturday

The most senior Catholic official in Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich (center), led the funeral mass for Marmolejo. He is seen above greeting the fallen officer's children

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (far left), Emanuel (center), and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson (right) are seen leaving the church

This was the second funeral for a fallen police officer to be held in as many days in Chicago. Gary's funeral was held on Friday

Officers prepare for the funeral of Marmolejo. Programs were handed out to those who attended the service

A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign was started to help the family with funeral expenses and other needs. So far the campaign has raised more than $63,000.

This was the second funeral for a fallen police officer to be held in as many days in Chicago.

On Friday, Emanuel, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, and Johnson eulogized Conrad Gary, 31, who was with Marmolejo when they were both struck and killed by an elevated train on the citys far South Side on Monday night.

Police say the officers may not have seen or heard the train that hit them because they were watching another train coming from the opposite direction.

Marmolejo and Gary were pursuing Edward Brown, a 24-year-old resident of Chicago.

Brown on Wednesday was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.

As the officers were chasing Brown, they were hit by a train just after 6pm, Johnson said.

Gary and his wife Kelly were married six years and their baby daughter Tess was just six months old when he died

Gary graduated from Eastern Illinois, then served five years in the Air Force but returned to Chicago to be closer to his family and join Chicago Police Department

He added that the vehicle was going at a high speed when the law enforcement officers were killed.

'There was no stop at that location so the train was probably going somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per hour,' Johnson said during a news conference on Wednesday.

Marmolejo had been with the department for two-and-a-half years and Gary for 18 months, Johnson said.

Chicago police use 'ShotSpotter' technology, or sensors that monitor for the sound of gunfire and alert police.

Johnson said the two officers went to the scene Monday after a 'ShotSpotter' alert went out.

'It just highlights again how dangerous this job can be. I often say that the most dangerous thing a police officer can do is take a weapon off of an armed individual,' Johnson said.

The train that struck the officers was operated by a commuter rail line that links northern Indiana and Chicago, according to media reports.

Police investigate the scene where the two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train near 103rd Street and Dauphin Avenue on Monday in Chicago, Illinois

They were struck by a train that 'was probably going somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per hour,' police said

Passengers sit on a train while police officers work the scene where two officers were killed after they were struck by a South Shore train

The attorney Brown said on Thursday he happened upon a fanny pack containing a gun and ammunition accidentally.

Attorney Frank Kostouros told a judge at Browns bond hearing Thursday that his client wasnt out looking for a gun but saw the fanny pack and 'curiosity got the best of him.'

Kostouros says Brown went to the tracks to fire the gun as a safety precaution.

He says Brown 'thought he was doing something safe.'

'Had he just gone to the next garbage can over, this never would have happened,' Kostouros said.

The attorney said Brown is a 'good kid who made a bad mistake.'

Kostouros added that while Brown feels guilty about what happened to the officers, he should not be held legally responsible.

'What happened to these officers was completely unforeseeable, the series of events that set this off  its crazy to even think about,' he said.

Chicago police said Wednesday that Edward Brown, 24, (above) of Chicago, has been charged. He was ordered held on $200,000 bond

Brown, who has no criminal record, was ordered held on $200,000 bond. He is currently behind bars at Cook County jail.

During the hearing, Assistant States Attorney Guy Lisuzzo said Brown was coming home from work and had gotten off a train when he went into an alley and found a fanny pack.

Lisuzzo says Brown looked inside, saw a gun and ammunition, and took it home.

He later went to the tracks to shoot the gun, firing it twice  once in the air and once at a school building that was not in session.

Police later located the owner of the gun, who told them that he dropped his fanny pack while taking out the garbage.

If Brown is convicted, he faces a possible prison term of one to three years.

Brown told police he didn't know officers were looking for him.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Thursday that Brown told detectives hed found a gun and had taken it to a remote area near the train tracks to see if it worked Monday evening.

Guglielmi says detectives believe Brown, who was stopped minutes later by other officers near a train station on the citys South Side.

The union representing Chicago Police Department officers is demanding that Brown be indicted for felony murder.

'The Fraternal Order of Police believes that felony murder charges should be pursued,' the union told WGN-TV.

'Cook County States Attorney Kimberly Foxx has an obligation to the families of these officers, the police, and the community to vigorously pursue the highest possible charges anytime an officer dies as a result of the criminal actions of an offender.'

In 2002, Chicago police officer Benjamin Perez was fatally struck by a commuter train while conducting surveillance on narcotics activity on the city's West Side.

Marmolejo and Gary were the third and fourth Chicago police officers to die in the line of duty, according to ABC News.
The shattered father who lost control of his ute has opened up about his grief over the loss of his young son killed in the tragic accident.

Tamworth father Luke Byrnes has been in a world of pain since he lost control of his ute during a storm on his way home on the New England Highway in north-eastern New South Wales last Sunday, slamming into trees and a boulder.

His little boy Archie, 3, who was in the backseat at the time, tragically died at the scene, despite desperate efforts from emergency workers.

Overwhelmed by the support he and Archie's mother Sammy McAlpine have since received from the close-knit community, Mr Byrnes has publicly urged every parent to cherish every moment they have with their children.

'My heart is shattered for Archie (pictured),' Luke Byrnes posted following the tragic death of his little boy near Tamworth last Sunday

The poignant Facebook post has been shared on the GoFundMe page set up to help raise funds for Archie's funeral, which will be held later this week.

'It's been a horrible few days I'm overwhelmed by all the support and kind words from everyone I'm still getting through them all,' Mr Byrnes wrote.

'Life is so SO precious, please cherish your family cherish your little ones hold them a little while longer while ever you can because what I am going through and what Archie's mother is enduring, no-one, absolutely NO ONE should have to experience it.'

Luke Byrnes and his son (pictured) were on their way home from visiting friends in Dorrigo on the NSW north coast when tragedy struck

Mr Byrnes, who was injured in the fatal crash, also pleaded anyone who held grudges with loved ones to bury the hatchet this Christmas.

'Even the people I don't necessarily like, much love to you and your families but most importantly to all my beautiful family and friends thanks for being here for me in the most darkest time of my life,' he wrote.

'To everyone in the world, be safe, be humble, cherish the people close to you do not, DO NOT hold grudges with the people that mean anything to you.'

Archie Byrnes (middle) died after his father Luke lost control of his ute during a storm near Tamworth. This photo was posted by Archie's mother Sammy McAlpine last Monday

Everyone who knew Archie has been invited to attend a celebration of his short life in Tamworth on Friday morning (December 28).

The GoFundMe page set up to help Archie's devastated parents has raised more than $4800 in four days.

That's on top of the $18,000 raised by almost 450 people on the Fly High Archie Boy Facebook page in five days, where the little' boy's mother broke her silence earlier in the week.

'I've got no words. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my broken heart,' Sammy McAlpine posted on Tuesday night.

A celebration of Archie's short life will be held in Tamworth on December 28

Luke Byrnes, 24, was driving through a storm when his ute veered off the road near Tamworth

The North Tamworth Bears rugby league club, where Mr Byrnes plays reserve grade, has also rallied behind the family.

Little Archie was a regular spectator at Bears' games to watch his dad play.

The club has ordered memorial jerseys for the 2019 season with the number three on the back in Archie's memory.

The first grade side has raised more than $6,500 alone, an amount which doesnt include donations from the ladies squad and club sponsors.

Sammy McAlpine (right) paid tribute to her 'sweet little boy' Archie earlier this week

Luke Byrnes has urged parents to cherish every moment they have with their kids following the tragic death of his son Archie (pictured)

Bears club president Jody Cooper told Daily Mail Australia that the family has been devastated by the tragedy.

Its had a big impact on the whole community, Mr Cooper said.

The boys have been over there, giving as much support to Luke and the family without making nuisances of themselves. What else can you do?

Other shattered family members have since posted public tributes.

'Will miss our marsupial park and Hungry Jacks play dates,' Archie's aunt Jess posted on Facebook.

'All of the hugs and kisses and all the times you fell asleep on me and waited at the window for me to come. All of our FaceTime chats just so you could show me that you could ride your bike. This world won't be the same without you my baby. My heart is hurting.'

Donations continue to pour in as the heartbroken family prepare for Archie's funeral this week

Crash Investigation Unit officers are continuing their investigations into the crash.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

More than 1180 people have lost their lives on the nation's roads this year.

A confronting Australian Road Safety Foundation's Christmas road safety campaign launched last week featured 91 stockings for each of people were killed on the nation's roads during the 2017-18 Christmas/New Year period.
Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has revealed the segment that was 'too dark' for his series Who Is America?, in which a hotel concierge agreed to help him get a 'date' with a young boy.

Cohen was staying at a hotel in Las Vegas in character as Italian billionaire Gio Monaldo when he interviewed the concierge, the comedian told Deadline in an article published on Wednesday.

'During the interview, I revealed that basically Gio has molested an eight-year-old boy,' Cohen said.

'Now, mind you, this is extreme comedy and we thought that the guy would leave the room. Instead, this concierge stays in the room and I go, listen, you've got to help me get rid of the problem,' he continued.

Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was in character as Italian billionaire Gio Monaldo (above) when he says a hotel concierge offered to help him cover up molesting a boy and find him another

Cohen claims that the concierge began 'advising Gio how to get rid of this issue' of the molested boy.

'We even at one point talk about murdering the boy, and the concierge is just saying, 'well, listen, I'm really sorry. In this country, we can't just drown the boy. This is America we don't do that,'' Cohen said.

'And then, in the end, he puts me in touch with a lawyer who can silence the boy,' he said.

'And then at the end of the interview I say, listen, I want to go out and celebrate now. Can you get me a date for tonight? He says, 'what do you mean, a date?'

'I go, you know, like a young man. He says, 'well, what kind of age?' 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.''

Cohen said that he feared he had stumbled onto some kind of pedophile ring, because the concierge said he'd 'worked for politicians and various billionaires.'

Cohen (above) said that he feared he had stumbled onto some kind of pedophile ring, because the concierge said he'd 'worked for politicians and various billionaires'

The comedian said he immediately turned over the footage to the FBI, but that the agency decided not to pursue the case.

In the end, the scene was cut from the Showtime series.

'It was too dark and wrong. In a journalistic way it was fascinating, but it was so extreme and so dark that it was too unsettling for the audience,' Cohen said.

The Gio Monaldo did appear in the series however, in an interview with OJ Simpson that aired in the finale.

Who Is America? premiered in June and ran for seven episodes. Cohen said that the show will not return for another season, because it would be too hard to trick people again using his characters.

Another scene that was famously cut from the series was his interview with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Cohen explained to Deadline that the Palin segment simply wasn't funny when he reviewed the footage.
A lifeguard has revealed the horrific moment she conducted the rescue of a 22-year-old backpacker who plunged off a 10-metre cliff in a Sydney national park.

Nick Taylor, 22, had been venturing with his friends in the Figure Eight Pools in Sydney's Royal National Park.

On the way back, the Canadian backpacker decided to take a shortcut and hiked up a steep track up a nearby cliff.

A lifeguard has described the horrific moment she rescued a 22-year-old backpacker Nick Taylor who plunged off a 10-metre cliff near the Figure Eight Pools in Sydney's Royal National Park (stock image)

Yet Mr Taylor plunged down the cliff as his friends watched in horror.

Annabel Braithwaite-Young patrol captain at the local lifesaving club was about to start her beach patrol when she was alerted about the man's fall.

'It was horrific. [Taylor] had holes in the front and back of his head,' told Sydney Morning Herald.

'His brains were hanging out. His body was broken from top to bottom,' she added.

Ms Braithwaite-Young said it was very difficult to coordinate the rescue because he fell in a spot that is inaccessible by road.

'He had fallen about 10 metres. To get him out the pilot had to hold the chopper right on the edge of the cliff with the nose balancing on a tuft of grass[...], Ms Braithwaite-Young told the publication.

A helicopter rushed to rescue the backpacker who was suffering from life-threatening head injuries and he was flown to St George Hospital.

Nick Taylor, 22, had been venturing with his friends in the Figure Eight Pools (pictured) in Sydney's Royal National Park

A helicopter rushed to rescue the backpacker who was suffering from life-threatening head injuries and he was flown to St George Hospital (stock image)

Last October the life saving club won the National & NSW Rescue of the Month Award for the Canadian backpacker's rescue. The news was shared on Facebook by Surf Life Saving NSW (pictured) at the time

This week, Mr Taylor and his family wrote a letter thanking Burning Palms Surf Lifesaving Club for saving his life.

Last October, the life saving club won the National & NSW Rescue of the Month Award for the Canadian backpacker's rescue.

The life saving club was praised by the public in a Surf Life Saving NSW Facebook post at the time.

'Well done to all patrol members - so very proud of you and our little club. You have worked so hard and always as a team,' one woman said.

'Well done everyone,' another said.
An unidentified foreign government-owned company involved in Robert Mueller's investigation has asked the Supreme Court to halt a grand jury subpoena it has received.

The Supreme Court appeal comes after a federal appeals court ruling that ordered the company to comply with the subpoena.

The company, which has not been named, had been required to turn over 'information' about its commercial activity in a criminal investigation, CNN reported.

The appeals court also said the company could face fines for every day of noncompliance.

An unidentified foreign company asked the Supreme Court to halt a grand jury subpoena it received in connection to an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential election by special counsel Robert Mueller (pictured)

Special counsel Robert Mueller and multiple congressional committees are looking into allegations that there was collusion between Russian operatives and Trump associates during the presidential campaign and transition.

In January 13, 2017, the senate select committee announced that it was conducting a probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential Election.

The investigation was sparked by a declassified report from the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that described a multifaceted effort led by Russian President Vladimir Putin to interfere with the election by releasing damaging information about Clinton to help Trump.

The request to the Supreme Court by the company is the latest twist in the secret case, which is under seal and has made its way through the federal court system with uncommon speed.

This is the first known legal challenge apparently related to Mueller's investigation to make its way to the Supreme Court.

It is not known when the court might decide if it will take action on the company's request to appeal further.

It is understood that the company's challenge of the subpoena appears to have begun in September.

In its ruling this past week, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia gave few clues about the company and its country of origin or what Mueller's team sought.

It is not known when the Supreme Court might decide if it will take action on the company's request to appeal further. The nine justices of the Court are pictured above

The request to the Supreme Court (pictured) is the latest twist in the case, which is under seal and has made its way through the federal court system

In a three-page decision obtained by CNN, the judges describe how they had learned confidentially from prosecutors that they had 'reasonable probability' the records requested involved actions that took place outside of the United States but affected the US.

Prosecutors claim that the Mueller team is also examining actions related to Turkish, Ukrainian and other foreign government interests.

Mueller has already indicted three Russian companies and 25 Russians for their alleged contributions to a social media propaganda scheme meant to influence American voters and to the hack of the Democratic Party.

The special counsel and other Justice Department units continue to pursue several investigations related to Mueller's investigation.

Mueller is known to be investigating Donald Trump (left) for possible obstruction of justice, including over the firing of FBI Director James Comey (right)

It is thought that Robert Mueller is nearing the end of his investigation and could submit his confidential report to the attorney general as early as February.

Mueller is now tying up loose ends in his investigation into allegations of 'links and/or coordination' between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, U.S. officials and others familiar with the situation told NBC News.

Nineteen months into his investigation, Mueller has yet to publicly provide evidence of the central crime he was appointed to investigate: a conspiracy between members of Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.

Mueller is also known to be investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, including over the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

When it is complete, Mueller's report will likely go to Bill Barr, Trump's appointee as attorney general who has yet to be confirmed.
There was further sighting earlier in the day of a shark at Magic Lands beach

A juvenile great white shark was spotted lurking close to the shore of a popular beach, near to where young children were being towed on a boat.

Witness Steve Carey captured the young shark on camera as it swam in the clear waters.

He alerted the two children to the shark, who scrambled off an inflatable donut to safety, 9News reported.

Witness Steve Carey captured the young shark on camera as it swam in the clear waters

A juvenile great white shark was spotted lurking close to the shore of a popular beach, near to where young children were playing

Mr Carey warned on Twitter: 'Fair sized shark off McCrae beach just now. Warned a family with kids being towed in an inflatable.'

'Rescue patrol think its a juvenile white pointer.'

Experts believe the shark to have been injured after a gash was visible down its left side.

Earlier in the day, a shark was sighted within just 500m of Magic Lands beach

Following the sighting, Victoria Police advised swimmers to leave the water in Cape Woolamai, Newhaven, Smiths Beach, Sunderland Bay, Surf Beach and Ventnor.

The shark is believed to be a 4m great white shark and was spotted within just 500m of Magic Lands beach at 9.45am on Sunday morning, the Herald Sun reported.
Border Patrol agents have arrested two convicted sex offenders and two MS-13 gang members who were all previously deported.

The arrests occurred in four separate incidents this week near the border in Arizona and Texas, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

On Wednesday, agents arrested a 46-year-old Mexican national, after he illegally entered the U.S. near Lukeville.

During processing, agents discovered he was convicted in 2002 of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Mesa, Arizona.

Agents in San Diego search the Honduran after he illegally crossed to border to request asylum. In separate incidents in Texas and Arizona, Ms-13 gang members and sex offenders were arrested after illegally crossing the border

The U.S. border is seen from Mexico marked with white pickets near Lukeville, Arizona, where Border Patrol agents arrested a convicted sex offender who tried to enter the U.S. illegally

Then on Thursday evening, Nogales Station agents arrested a 24-year-old national of El Salvador.

During processing, agents conducting records checks learned that he is a member of MS-13, a violent trans-national criminal organization operating in many parts of the U.S.

Both subjects are considered felons previously removed from the country and now face federal criminal immigration charges, CBP said.

The agency noted that all persons apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal aliens with criminal histories are positively identified.

Earlier this week in Texas, Border Patrol agents also arrested a sex offender and MS-13 gang member who tried to cross the border illegally.

In San Diego, Border Patrol agents are seen from Tijuana on Saturday detaining a Honduran asylum seeker after he crossed the U.S. border illegally

On Wednesday in Eagle Pass, Texas, agents arrested a 26-year-old Honduran national after he illegally entered the United States.

Record checks revealed he has a criminal history, including a conviction in 2012 for sexually fondling a child in New Brunswick, New Jersey, CBP said.

The man was sentenced to serve 255 days in prison and is registered as a sex-offender. He was removed from the U.S. in 2013.

On Tuesday, agents assigned to the Eagle Pass North Station arrested a Honduran national near Eagle Pass shortly after he made an illegal entry by crossing the Rio Grande River.

Records checks revealed that he had been previously deported and that he is a confirmed member of the notorious MS-13 gang.

His prior order of removal will be reinstated, and he faces prosecution for reentry after deportation, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

On Friday, Supreme Court struck down a proposed ban on allowing asylum claims from people who illegally cross the border between ports of entry.

Chief Justice John Roberts joined his four more liberal colleagues in ruling against the administration in the case.

New Justice Brett Kavanaugh and three other conservative justices sided with the Trump administration in favor of allowing the ban.

There were no opinions explaining either side's votes.
Footage has emerged of the moment a man was fatally stabbed on a street in Sydney's eastern suburbs after a violent argument as shocked bystanders rushed to help.

In the footage two men, one shirtless, can be seen arguing on Oxford Street Bondi Junction at about 8pm Saturday, before one man throws his backpack to the ground and a knife is produced.

Both men suffered stab wounds in the ensuing melee, and although paramedics arrived quickly, 60-year-old Mark Thomas who was reportedly homeless, died from stab wounds at the scene.

Footage has emerged of the moment a man was fatally stabbed on a street in Sydney's eastern suburbs after a violent argument as shocked bystanders rushed to help

Both men suffered stab wounds in the ensuing melee, and although paramedics arrived quickly, 60-year-old Mark Thomas, died from stab wounds at the scene

'There was an English chap who got there and tried to help and tried to put pressure on the wounds but there was a lot of blood,' witness John Stewart told 7 News.

The second man, a 30-year-old from Maroubra, was seen walking across Oxford Street towards a nearby KFC outlet after the brawl brandishing the knife.

He was later taken to St Vincent's hospital with stab wounds to the stomach and is now in a stable condition and under police guard.

'I saw the guy with a knife walking over here and I freaked out,' witness Jessica Honey told 9 News.

A man has been stabbed to death on a busy street in Sydney's Bondi Junction front of Christmas shoppers

Police are now searching for two other people, including a woman, who were seen trying to break up the fight before it took a deadly turn.

It is unconfirmed if the two men were known to each other and what prompted the argument.

Police shut down the street as they investigated what happened.

Oxford Street runs through the heart of the eastern Sydney suburb's retail district where hundreds of people were doing last-minute Christmas shopping.
New Zealand has joined the list of countries moving to legalise cannabis for personal use.

The historical referendum was announced this week and is set to take place in 2020. It could see personal use of the drug legalised in the country for the first time.

So does Australia risk being left behind?

New Zealand has joined the list of countries moving to legalise cannabis for personal use

The historical referendum was announced this week and is set to take place in 2020. It could see personal use of the drug legalised in the country for the first time

Greens Senator for Queensland, Larissa Waters seems to think so.

The Senator told news.com.au it is 'high time' for Australia to legalise the drug.

'One in three Australians have used it, and the vast majority of Australians think it shouldn't be a crime to do so,' she said.

'Now that Canada, states in the US, and New Zealand are moving down the path of legalisation, Australia risks getting left behind if our politicians continue to support the failed experiment of prohibition.'

The Greens Senator added drug use is a health issue and not a criminal issue and the most dangerous thing about cannabis is its legal status.

The Greens Senator added drug use is a health issue and not a criminal issue and the most dangerous thing about cannabis is its legal status

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has already moved to legalise medicinal cannabis and a bill is working its way through parliament

Ms Waters claimed that the country's 'war on drugs' had been an epic failure and had done more harm than good, destroying thousands of Australian lives.

In October, Canada became the second country in the world to legalise the sale of marijuana for personal use and has seen legal pot shops open across the country and Canadians able to order the drug online.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has already moved to legalise medicinal cannabis and a bill is working its way through parliament.

The 2020 referendum could see the drug legalised for personal use.
A trio of police officers have been rushed to hospital after a horror crash with a taxi driver who pulled out in front of them.

The cabbie had just completed a job in Sydney's west on Sunday morning when he cautiously pulled out of a side street and on to St Marys' generally busy Glossop Street.

But only seconds after drifting into the right lane, a Toyota Camry police car with its lights and sirens blaring collided with the unaware driver behind the wheel of another Toyota Camry, sending debris sprawling across the road.

A trio of police officers have been left injured after a taxi pulled out in front of them, wrecking their Toyota Camry (pictured)

The officers were rushing to attend to a job marked as 'urgent' when they hit the taxi driver.

The force of the collision pushed the taxi more than 50metres down the road, with nearby workers running to help after hearing the boom.

'It was really loud, the customers literally jumped when we heard it,' New Age Caravans worker Chad Kanj told Nine News.

Rushing to help, the locals found twisted panels of metal along the median strip of the road, with the front left of the police car a mangled wreck.

The officers in the car were taken to hospital with minor injuries, one complaining of chest pains, with the taxi driver left in shock.

The taxi driver behind the wheel of the other Toyota Camry was left 'stunned' after he didn't see or hear the blaring lights and sirens

The police car sped over a crest (right), a blind-spot for the taxi driver pulling onto the road

The officers' actions are being investigated, and the speed at which they were travelling will be reviewed with scrutiny.

The cabbie had pulled out in front of them slowly, and could never have seen the car coming as it sped over a crest.

It is believed the police had been deployed to respond to calls of a violent domestic abuse call, and were told to get there 'urgently'.
Convicted baby killer Keli Lane will spend her eighth Christmas behind bars despite reported attempts for a retrial.

Lane, 43, was jailed for 18 years in 2010 after a court found her guilty of murdering her daughter Tegan two days after giving birth at Auburn Hospital, western Sydney.

But in a letter written from behind bars, Lane remains convinced she was unfairly convicted and mistreated by the criminal justice system, Nine News reported.

Convicted baby killer Keli Lane will spend her eighth Christmas behind bars despite attempts for a retrial

The letter, sent to criminologist Xanthe Mallet (pictured) from the University of Newcastle, reveals Lane's frustration as she waits for the attorney general to decide on a retrial

'We believe we have gathered substantial information and new and compelling evidence to show not only did I not kill my child but that the investigation was unreliable, deficient and tainted,' Lane wrote in the letter.

The letter, which was wrote to criminologist Xanthe Mallet from the University of Newcastle, reveals Lane's frustration as she waits for the attorney general to decide on a retrial.

'She wants to speak, she didn't during the original trial because she was advised not to by the defence that's her right but now she wants to be heard,' Ms Mallet said.

Lane has always maintained her innocence and recently featured in an ABC documentary Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane.

The former water polo player said she gave the baby to the child's biological father soon after giving birth in September 1996.

She claims the father is named either Andrew Morris or Andrew Norris but police found no evidence to back up Lane's claims about her relationship with the man.

Lane has always maintained her innocence and recently featured in an ABC documentary Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane

Lane, who has been in prison for eight years, wrote of her sadness about being away from her family for another Christmas

No man with either of those names has ever been found and Tegan's body has never been recovered.

Lane, who has been in prison for eight years, wrote of her sadness about being away from her family for another Christmas.

'The question I have to ask is why am I still in prison? Eight years locked away for a crime I did not commit,' she wrote.

Ms Mallet said she did not think Lane should be behind bars, arguing the case has reasonable doubt.

Ms Mallet said she did not think Lane should be behind bars, arguing the case has reasonable doubt

A spokesperson from the office of NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said the Department of Justice needs more information before appointing a retrial.

The spokesperson said they would prepare advice for the attorney general after receiving and reviewing material.

Lane is not due for release until 2023.
The parents of a gravely ill boy are praying for a Christmas miracle that their son can beat a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Luke Bell, eight, from Darlington, County Durham, has neuroblastoma, which, despite intensive treatment, has spread.

NHS doctors say there is little more they can do, but Lukes parents are desperate for him to join a trial of an experimental method being conducted in Spain.

Luke Bell, eight, from Darlington, County Durham, has neuroblastoma and his parents Mark and Becky (pictured together) are trying to raise money to take him to Barcelona for a trial

In January, the family were told Luke (with Mr Bell) was clear of cancer but by April it had returned. In November doctors said Luke's cancer had spread to his skeletal system

His father Mark Bell told The Mail on Sunday: He has been accepted on to the trial, starting on January 21, but he has to be well enough to start it.

In November, his NHS consultant said that his cancer had spread to his skeletal system and that his bone marrow is now made up of 70 per cent cancerous neuroblastoma cells.

'We were told he has only got weeks  or a few months at best  to live.

Despite that, Mr Bell, 37, and his wife Becky have researched all possible options and found the trial, involving a milder form of chemotherapy with a type of antibody treatment, taking place at the Paediatric Cancer Centre in Barcelona.

As the treatment is experimental, it is not available on the NHS, but Mr Bell said Lukes NHS consultants at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle are supporting their bid to take him abroad for a final shot at beating the disease.

It will cost about 140,000, of which the Bells have already raised about 95,000.

The family has been fundraising to take Luke (pictured with father Mr Bell) abroad as it will cost about 140,000, of which the Bells have already raised about 95,000

Mr Bell said the type of treatment used in Barcelona has had some pretty good success in treating patients who have relapsed with neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer which strikes fewer than 100 children a year in the UK.

What is rare cancer neuroblastoma? Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children. It affects fewer than 100 children a year in the UK. It develops from specialised nerve cells, called neuroblasts, left behind from a baby's development in the womb. Neuroblastoma most commonly occurs in one of the adrenal glands that are above the kidneys. But can also occur in nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord in the neck, chest, tummy or pelvis. Neuroblastoma can spread to the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin. Source: NHS Advertisement

However, he added: Becky and I are pretty realistic.

We know Lukes chances are not great as the cancer is so far advanced, but as any parents would do, we are doing everything we can.

Becky, also 37, said: Words cant describe how incredibly proud I am of our little boy.

'His absolute determination and the courage he has shown throughout his battle is truly inspirational.

We continue as a family to hope, and are incredibly grateful to everyone for their support.

Lukes cancer was diagnosed in April last year.

Between then and last Christmas he had 11 rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove a large tumour wrapped around his adrenal gland and a kidney.

In January, the family were told Luke was clear of cancer but in April were given the devastating news that it had returned.

The couple have organised numerous fundraising events, with Mr Bell, a keen rugby player, setting up a series of charity matches.

They are also raising money through a Just Giving page.
Police at Britain's biggest airports are set to be armed with drone-killing bazookas in the wake of the Gatwick attack which grounded tens of thousands of passengers.

Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport are testing anti-drone weapons which fire a mortar-like projectile containing a net to snare a flying drone within a range of 130 yards.

After the crisis that brought misery to more than 140,000 travellers last week, senior government figures have now agreed to enlist the use of military warfare technologies in a bid to stop copycat attacks.

A team of officers at Heathrow have already been armed with the SkyWall 100 system (file photo)

THE COUNTER-DRONE BAZOOKA The SkyWall 100 counter-measure system designed for civil drone threat. It is lightweight and portable, so it can be used by a single operator on foot. It uses compressed gas to power a 'smart launcher,' along with a programmable projectile. After launch, a parachute floats the whole package safely down to the ground for collection. So far, the SkyWall 100 is the first system that will be released. Other models include the SkyWall 200, a semi-permanent device that can be carried by two people, and the SkyWall 300, a permanent installation. Source: Openworks Advertisement

According to The Sunday Times, a team of officers at Heathrow have already been armed with the SkyWall 100 system, which will put into use in a matter of weeks.

SkyWall 100 is a drone-capturing system which was developed three years ago by UK-based OpenWorks Engineering.

T he operator mounts the bazooka-like mechanism onto a shoulder to locate the drone in question with the help of a smart scope.

While the operator closes in on the target, the scope provides constant feedback for a more precise aim.

The computer tracks the flight path of the drone, and calculates the necessary projectile trajectory to intercept it.

Then, the projectile is launched, opening up into a net in the air to capture the drone.

A parachute then floats the whole package, including the projectiles and the drone, safely down to the ground for collection.

SkyWall 100 deploys a parachute after ensnaring the drone, so it can be recovered intact on the ground for intelligence gathering

The operator mounts the bazooka-like mechanism onto a shoulder to locate the drone in question with the help of a smart scope (pictured). Then, the projectile is launched, opening up into a net in the air to capture the drone

A parachute then floats the whole package, including the projectiles, and the drone, safely down to the ground for collection. This allows for capture of the drone without destroying it, so officials can perform forensic investigations

This allows for capture of the drone without destroying it, so officials can perform forensic investigations.

If the operator's aim is off, and they happen to miss the drone, the parachute will still deploy and return to the ground so the parts can be reused.

The counter-drone system can even be equipped with audible and visual alarms.

The creators say this system is cost effective, as it has a low initial cost and the projectiles can be refurbished and reused.

With a new portable defence system by Open Works Engineering, capturing a drone has never been so easy. SkyWall can pinpoint and take a drone down bazooka-style  but using a net for capture and a parachute to safely fly it down, the intact object can be taken into custody for analysis

Anti-drone devices that can spot drones from miles away and shoot them down with a laser A defence company has created anti-drone products that can spot drones from miles away - and shoot them down with a laser. The Gun is able to deactivate flying drones from more than 3000 feet by using frequencies - shot from a futuristic-looking black rifle. Users can shoot 'jammer frequencies' able to disable and take down approaching drones - leaving them grounded and intact. While the Sentinel device combines radar, radio frequency and thermal detectors to create a product that spots incoming drones. The devices were used for the protection of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang, South Korea in February this year. In March French President Emmanuel Macron tested the Gun at a French military base in north eastern France. The weather resistant technology could alert authorities and prevent unnecessary delays at airports or enter city centres. Advertisement

According to the creators, a system like this provides the optimal way to handle a potential drone threat.

'The best way to neutralise a drone is to physically intercept it,' Openworks says.
The Duchess of Sussex has been brushing up on her French, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Despite the demands of helping to organise her wedding to Prince Harry in May and taking part in a major tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji, Meghan disclosed that she has been 'trying to get better at my French over the last year'.

She made the comment during a recent visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen in London, where survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have bonded over their shared love of food.

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The Duchess of Sussex revealed she has been brushing up on her French during a recent visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen in London

Meghan studied French for six years, and also learned Spanish in Madrid and during an internship at the US Embassy in Argentina.

She and Harry are known to be fond of France, having flown to Nice for a holiday a year ago.

Meghan's old headshot and resume resurfaced online earlier this month, offering a insight into her skill set.

It is not known exactly when the resume was first used, however it does list her as being fluent in Spanish and 'French proficiency', with 'dialects (Southern, French, Spanish, Argentine)'.

Meghan's old resume (pictured) resurfaced online which lists her as being fluent in Spanish and 'French proficiency', with 'dialects (Southern, French, Spanish, Argentine)'

Made made comment at the kitchen where survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have bonded over their shared love of food

This comes after Meghan Markle gave Prince Harry a tour of the community kitchen where she worked on a charity cookbook alongside Grenfell survivors during a secret visit this week.

Harry paid his first visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London with his pregnant wife, to see the work himself first-hand, on Thursday evening, the Mirror reported.

Opening up about Prince Harry's visit, a royal source said: 'He has met many of the women before at Meghan's book launch at Kensington Palace, but this was the first time he has visited the kitchen.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured in New Zealand earlier this year) made a joint visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen this week, it has emerged

'He loved meeting the women whom his wife has spoken so fondly of over the last year and is a huge supporter of their work.'

Meghan last visited the Hubb Community Kitchen, not far from the site of the deadly tower block blaze in west London, in November.

The Duchess, who has been making private visits to the kitchen since January, helped launch the Together cookbook in September and wrote the foreword.

The book - full title Together: Our Community Cookbook - took the number one spot on Amazon within hours of being unveiled three months ago and has since sold nearly 40,000 copies in the UK, raising over 210,000.
A convicted paedophile who sexually assaulted his 11-year-old granddaughter has tried to weasel his way out of paying a $3500 victim assistance grant.

The grandfather was convicted and sentenced to 21 months jail for the molestation of the young girl while he was living in his son's Queensland home in 2016.

Despite his despicable act the man has never served a day behind bars.

The judge suspended his sentence after citing his age, poor health and a low risk of reoffending.

Now the pensioner, aged in his 70s, adamantly argues he cannot afford $3500 allocated to the young girl under the Victims of Crime Assistance Act.

A convicted paedophile who molested his granddaughter says he can't afford to pay her victim's assistance grant (stock image)

After the conviction was registered, the young girl successfully applied for financial support from Victim Assist Queensland (VAQ), The Courier Mail reported.

She was granted $3500, which the VAQ sought to retrieve from the paedophile.

However, when he was approached for the money, he denied he could afford it.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard the elderly man argue he should not have to pay because he had no assets and was sick.

He claims his only income is from the fortnightly disability support pension.

But he also said that, should he find a way to scrounge up the money, the amount he owes should be reduced.

The grandfather cited his poor health and the pension being his only source of income as reasons for being unable to pay the $3500 grant (stock image)

Under the Act, the maximum assistance on offer for victims of sex offences is $3500.

A tribunal convened in Townsville on Sunday to decide whether his appeal of the assistance be successful.

One member of the tribunal said the grandfather committed acts of violence and never showed remorse for his behaviour.

'He simply says that he is an aged pensioner who has poor health and he cannot afford to repay the amount sought to be recovered from him,' the tribunal member said.

'Neither his age or health are grounds to support any proposition that the amount should be reduced,' the member said.

The tribunal lamented the amount given represents the community's recognition of the travesties a victim lived through.

The member found the pensioner was liable to pay the full sum of $3500.
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Partygoers hit the vomit-stained tiles last night to celebrate in fancy dress and festive colours on the last Saturday before Christmas.

Dozens of revellers braved the rainy weather to make the most of the weekend but some looked worse for wear at the end of the night, with women abandoning their heels and others needing a helping hand to stay standing.

Police had to step in and break up fights Blackpool while officers in Newcastle were seen assisting a few people who'd had one drink too many.

Men and women were pictured sheltering their hair from the rain in Manchester, vomiting in the road, collapsed in the street and fighting each other in various cities across the country.

Last night's rowdy antics follow on from Black Eye, Mad or Fighting Friday the evening before which also has a poor reputation for drunken behaviour.

Revellers dressed up in their festive finest (left) in Manchester while a woman in Newcastle (right) swapped her heels for flip flops by the end of her Saturday night out

A man wraps his arm around his smiling friend in Blackpool as they enjoy their final Saturday night before Christmas

Police hold a man away from another man in Newcastle while a paramedic deals with another reveller on the floor

Three women dressed in festive red and high heels make their way across a street in Blackpool last night

Two women wearing Santa hats take a break from the drinking in Newcastle city centre to fix their makeup

Partygoers braving the cold weather with bare legs have a laugh as they take to the streets of Newcastle

Police officers and a paramedic try to help a woman up from the floor in Newcastle city centre last night

A woman in a cut out jumpsuit checks her phone (left) as two friends in high heels carefully make their way to the clubs in Manchester (right) last night

A woman uses her jacket as protection from the rain last night in Blackpool as she talks to her friend

A man tries to stop two others from fighting in Blackpool as they stand around discarded takeaway boxes last night

A woman dressed as Mrs Claus has a cigarette while on the phone in Blackpool (left) while another woman has a piggy back (right) from a man in Manchester

A police officer holds onto an upset woman's arm as she points and cries in Blackpool last night

Two women, one donning a sparkly Santa hat, perch on the curb as the rain falls in Blackpool last night

A woman wearing black doesn't look impressed with a man as they talk in the streets of Manchester last night

Two men take their festive jumpers out for a spin in Newcastle on the last Saturday night before Christmas

A man dressed as Santa grabs some food for the walk home (left) in Newcastle while two women hold hands (right) as the navigate the streets of Blackpool last night

A man takes a passed out woman to police officers in Blackpool during the last Saturday night before Christmas

A group of women dressed to the nines cross the road and head for the clubs in Blackpool last night

Two women rest on the floor during a cigarette break on a night out in Newcastle on the last Saturday before Christmas

Two women do not look happy as they leave a club in Blackpool and door men speak to revellers behind them
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed MP George Christensen, who has accused political rivals of peddling a 'disgusting smear campaign' against him.

It was reported last week that an unnamed government MP had made frequent trips to 'seedy' parts of Southeast Asia, causing the Australian Federal Police to become concerned he could be subject to blackmail.

But Mr Christensen hit back on Saturday insisting any trips he made to Asia were to meet with his fiancee and her family, and also for philanthropic purposes.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has backed MP George Christensen, who has accused political rivals of peddling a 'disgusting smear campaign' against him

'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 on Facebook.

He said he was told the allegations were made to the AFP by a 'senior Labor MP' and a 'former senior government MP' along with their senior ex-staffer.

News Corp Australia on Friday alleged the un-named government MP had sent money to multiple accounts in the region, with checks revealing he was visiting 'dangerous' neighbourhoods 'notorious for prostitution and drugs'.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on Sunday, said Mr Christensen's explanation behind the travel was 'very clear' and 'spoke for itself'.

He criticised political rivals for keeping the issue alive.

'I think George has made it pretty clear about what the nature of those events were,' Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

'I think it's disappointing even as recently as yesterday the Labor Party seemed to be wanting to kick it along. I just thought it was pretty grubby.'

But Mr Christensen (pictured) hit back on Saturday insisting any trips he made to Asia were to meet with his fiancee and her family, and also for philanthropic purposes

Mr Morrison said he wasn't 'familiar' with government members betraying Mr Christensen.

The Prime Minister also refused to divulge if he was aware of any AFP investigations into Mr Christensen or any other matter.

The federal opposition on Friday said it was 'extremely concerned' by reports the MP could be open to blackmail over their frequent trips to parts of Southeast Asia.

Speaking before Mr Christensen issued his statement, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the government had to come clean as to how much it knew about an AFP investigation.

Mr Christensen said he had never been interviewed by the AFP, who he said had told him there was no evidence or information to support allegations made against him.

But News Corp on Saturday reported the investigations into his conduct had begun several months before the Labor referral to the federal police.
High profile US television host Stephen Colbert has weighed in on the 'sugar baby' sexting scandal that caused the downfall of Australian politician Andrew Broad.

Colbert, who fronts The Late Show, which he began hosting in 2015 after the retirement of David Letterman, mocked Broad for sending a message to a woman promising to 'softly kiss your neck and whisper 'Gday mate.'

'Turns out Australian politicians have career ending scandals too, except there your life goes down the toilet in the other direction,' he said during a two-and-a-half minute monologue on the latest episode of the hugely popular talk show.

High profile US television host Stephen Colbert has weighed in on the 'sugar baby' sexting scandal by giving a few more examples of texts he said The Late Show found

Broad, who was the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, resigned from his role earlier this week after the woman named Amy told New Idea of meeting the married Nationals MP after they started talking on a website for 'sugar daddies' and 'sugar babies'

Colbert then retold the woman's account of meeting Broad for dinner in Hong Kong where he allegedly referred to himself as 'James Bond' before complaining about the expensive prices at the restaurant.

'Classic Bond. 'Martini, shaken, not stirred and I have a Groupon',' Colbert said.

'Well we here at the Late Show got our hands on some of the other extremely Australian sext messages that Andrew Broad sent,' the 54-year-old joked.

Colbert then gave some satirical examples of text messages he joked The Late Show team had found.

'We'll boomerang back to my place, I'll peel your clothes off and then softly say, 'what say I toss my shrimp on your barbie?''

'We'll listen to some sweet didgeridoo, then at the moment of ecstasy I'll shout, 'Hugh Jackman!''

Broad, who was the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, resigned from his role earlier this week after the woman named Amy told New Idea of meeting the married Nationals MP after they started talking on a website for 'sugar daddies' and 'sugar babies'.

The woman named 'Amy' who allegedly received the texts after meeting the MP through a website
A new version of 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' has sparked outrage among bishops after it removes the mention of Mary's virginity.

Christmas Carol services and choirs have changed the line 'Offspring of a virgin's womb' to 'Offspring of the favoured one'.

Senior Church of England clergy have warned that using the altered version of the popular hymn 'plays down Mary's virgin birth' and misleads people about Christianity.

Carol services and choirs have been replacing line 'Offspring of a virgin's womb' with 'Offspring of the favoured one'. Stock image

Revd Marcus Walker, rector of Great St Bartholomew in the City of London told the Telegraph that is 'plays down the reality of Christ's birth, and Mary's femininity  that he came out of a womb; this was a real birth from a real woman.

And The Bishop of Crediton, Bishop Jacqueline Searle says that we should not be 'squeamish' about singing about a 'virgin's womb', the Telegraph reported.

Bishop Searle also believes Christmas hymns should not be tampered with because they could potentially mislead people who know little about Christina faith.

Donald Allister, the Bishop of Peterborough, told the Telegraph: 'Wesley's great Christmas carol conveys the true Christmas message joyfully and powerfully. It is a great shame to see any attempt to reduce that message.'

Members of the clergy have warned against searching online for hymns which may have had their words tampered with.

This comes after carols and hymns have been altered to be more 'inclusive' to avoid language such as 'sons and 'men'.
Samantha Markle has sent her sister the Duchess of Sussex a Christmas card begging her to 'end the rift' with her estranged father Thomas 'in his last years'.

Samantha, 53, a half-sister of Meghan, wrote to the royal saying 'the time was now' to reunite with her father Thomas, the Sunday Mirror reported.

According to Mr Markle, the relationship broke down and the father and daughter have not spoken for more than six months.

Samantha Markle has sent her sister the Duchess of Sussex a Christmas card begging her to 'end the rift' with her estranged father Thomas 'in his last years'

Samantha Markle (left) has sent her sister the Duchess of Sussex (right) a Christmas card where she wrote: wrote: 'Holidays are a time for family and are sentimental'

In a picture of the card published by the Sunday Mirror, Samantha Markle wrote: 'Holidays are a time for family and are sentimental.

'Dad has been trying to contact you and is very hurt because you are avoiding him.

'Life is short and you know Dad is wonderful. Please give him joy in his last years by showing you love him. The time is now.'

The 74-year-old was caught up in controversy days before the wedding of Harry and Meghan after he allegedly staged paparazzi photographs of himself.

Speaking from San Diego during an interview with Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Thomas Markle made a public appeal to his daughter to get in touch

Speaking from San Diego during an interview with Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Mr Markle made a public appeal to his daughter to get in touch.

He said: 'I'm hopeful that soon something will be resolved and we'll be talking. This can't continue forever.

'People are saying I should be quiet about this and not speak, if I don't speak, they will speak to me. That hasn't happened. I don't plan to be silent for the rest of my life.

'I love my daughter very much and she has to know that. I would really appreciate if she would just call me, reach out to me somehow, send me a text, just say you're there and you're hearing me.'

This comes after Samantha took a swipe at Meghan and Prince Harry over their official Christmas card, hinting that the Royal had 'turned her back on her family'.

The Christmas card is a black and white photograph of the couple with their backs to the camera watching fireworks from their wedding day.

She said: 'Interesting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have their backs turned.

'Is this towards the world or just the Ragland and Markle family? It's a bit sad. Face the Christmas spirit.'

Samantha Markle has launched a series of verbal attacks on her sister since she was not invited to the Royal Wedding earlier this year.
Gatwick Airport today told beleaguered passengers looking to get away for Christmas that the runway is open with a full schedule running.

There are some 769 flights operating today, with a total of 131, 228 passengers passing through Gatwick.

More than 140,000 people suffered as a drone brought the airport to a standstill last week, forcing the cancellation and delay of over 1,000 flights.

Passengers at Gatwick airport waiting for their flights on Friday

More than 140,000 people suffered as a drone brought the airport to a standstill last week, forcing the cancellation and delay of over 1,000 flights. Pictured, passengers still waiting on Friday

Paul Gait, a double-glazing fitter, and his wife Elaine, from Crawley in West Sussex, were questioned by police over the drone but released this morning without charge.

A spokesman told MailOnline services are 'stable and normal' today.

Only one flight this evening has been cancelled - a domestic flight to Stansted Airport which should not affect passengers.

Today there will be some 73,726 holidaymakers departing on outbound flights and 57,502 passengers coming through arrivals.

However passengers are being warned they should expect some delays as the airport continues to 'recover our operations' following three days of disruption. Click here for live travel information

A family of seven had their 'once in a lifetime' Christmas trip to Lapland ruined by the Gatwick drone chaos.

Jan Johnson (centre) had paid for a Lapland trip for her grandchildren - from left, Tori, 12, Teddy, 10, Tirah, eight, Tivka, 16, and Tivon, 14 - but their hopes were dashed

Grandmother Jan Johnson, 70, paid more than 4,000 to take her daughter and five grandchildren to visit Santa.

She and her late husband John, who died of cancer in 2010, aged 60, had long planned such a trip.

Last Monday, she told her grandchildren  Tirah, eight, Teddy, 10, Tovi, 12, Tivon, 14, and Tivka, 16  about the treat.

They were thrilled by the prospect of petting reindeer, riding with huskies, and meeting Father Christmas, but their hopes were dashed when their flight to Finland was cancelled on Friday.

Mrs Johnson said: 'When the children were little, John and I said we'd take them on a holiday they won't forget. It took quite a lot for me to go and sort it out, and then it all went terribly wrong.

'The children were so desperately upset about it, especially the smaller ones.'

Eldest sibling Tivka said: 'This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We are a big family, with a single mum struggling to bring up five children, and then we learned we couldn't go.'

The teenager, from Petersfield in Hampshire, added: 'I want the culprits to know that they have had a really detrimental effect on my family and our Christmas.'

Her mother, Kristi Johnson, 43, a former midwife, recalled: 'One of the children said, 'I knew something this good could never happen to us.' '

Sympathy: Zoe Ball escaped delays as she flew into Gatwick

The family have travel insurance and hope to rebook next Christmas. Their story emerged as thousands of passengers faced continued uncertainty at Gatwick. The rogue drone activity led to about 1,000 flights being cancelled, delaying 140,000 passengers. Long queues continued to snake around the check-in desks yesterday. In total, 757 flights carrying 124,484 were scheduled in and out of the airport.

Among those affected was Sebastian Jones, 20, from Miami, who missed a connecting flight to Madrid due to the delays. He spent Friday night on the airport floor. Yacht deckhand Nate Nekrep, 32, from Slovenia, missed a connection to Majorca when his flight from Antigua was delayed.

But newly appointed Radio 2 breakfast show DJ Zoe Ball escaped the chaos. After returning to Gatwick from a Caribbean break, she said: 'I feel so sorry for everyone affected and hope it doesn't spoil their Christmas.'

However, more long queues are likely today when 785 flights are scheduled to carry about 130,000 passengers.

A Gatwick spokesman said: 'We are grateful for passengers' continued patience as we work to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas.'
Andrea Leadsom has warned MPs that they cannot stop a no-deal Brexit unless they approve an alternative plan for Britain to leave the EU.

The Leader of the Commons told colleagues that a no-deal is the 'legal fault position' if the UK leaves the EU in March with no alternative.

Mrs Leadsom supports a 'managed no-deal' which would see the UK and EU keep elements of the withdrawal agreement during a transitional period while making mini-deals on aviation and travel.

But in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mrs Leadsom says the government is set to prepare for 'all eventualities' and if parliament does not want a no-deal, MPs should vote for the prime minister's plans.

Andrea Leadsom (pictured) has warned MPs that they cannot stop a no-deal Brexit unless they approve an alternative plan for Britain to leave the EU

The former Leave campaigner also warned that a second referendum could drive support away from the Conservatives and cause the rise of 'extremist parties'.

It comes after David Gauke threatened to quit the Cabinet if Theresa May pushed forward with a no-deal Brexit.

And No10 fear a string of ministers could also quit if the UK looks set for a no deal - including Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, Education Secretary Damian Hinds and Scotland Secretary David Mundell.

Mrs Leadsom, also known as 'the Leader' to her staff, told The Sunday Telegraph that failing to deliver on the referendum wold be 'unforgivable'.

She said: 'Not only for the fact that it ignores the clear result of the biggest democratic exercise ever, but also because of what would be the potential knock-on effect.

'It could result in support for the Conservative Party being lost, a rise in extremist politics as weve seen happening elsewhere in the world, and an even deeper divide across the country.'

David Gauke (pictured left) has warned he could quit the Cabinet if Theresa May pushes ahead with a no deal Brexit. Commons leader Leadsom (pictured right) told colleagues that a no-deal is the 'legal fault position' if the UK leaves the EU in March with no other alternative

Shortly before the interview, it emerged that a cross-party group of MPs tabled a slew of amendments to key pieces of legislation to try to bind the Government's hands to kill off a 'no deal'.

Tory MPs Nicky Morgan and Sir Oliver Letwin have joined with Labours Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn to table an amendment to the Finance Bill.

If passed, it would stop the Government from changing taxes if there is a no deal Brexit without Parliaments explicit consent.

Further amendments are expected to be drafted to key pieces of Brexit legislation as part of the same campaign.

The MPs hope that they can stop a no deal Brexit and get the Government to pursue a 'plan B' if Mrs May's deal is voted down as expected next month.
A Japanese boy has died in hospital after a near drowning at a kids' lagoon in Cairns.

The boy's family landed on Saturday morning, heading straight from the airport to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon for a swim.

Bystanders alerted the authorities when the boy, who was seven, failed to resurface after a swim.

He was pulled from the water at around 3.50pm where paramedics and lifeguards performed CPR on him.

The boy was rushed to Cairns Hospital where he was put on life support.

The seven-year-old was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition after being pulled out of the water by lifeguards at Cairns Esplanade Lagoon about 4.15pm on Saturday (stock)

He remained in a critical condition overnight, before being taken off life support and pronounced dead at about midday Sunday.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

The consular were notified to support the family during the difficult period.

'It's a tragic circumstance for them on what should be an enjoyable time in the festive season,' District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Duane Amos told The Cairns Post.

A short time after the horrific incident, a man on a Buck's party was captured diving into the water as part of the prank (stock)

He warned families to keep and eye on their children during the holiday period when they're out swimming.

He also urged those who don't know how to swim to keep out of the water.

The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is located on the foreshore and features a 4,800metre swimming pool.

The pool - which is large enough to accommodate 1,000 swimmers - is scrupulously monitored by lifeguards.

According to Lifesaving Australia, as at 22 December 2018, there have been 23 drowning deaths reported in Australia this summer.
A lesbian neo-Nazi killer has been moved to a different prison after she allegedly struck up a love affair with another notorious murderer behind bars.

Melony Attwood, 37, was sentenced to life in prison over the brutal murder of her former partner Alan Taylor.

The white supremacist is believed to have started a relationship with inmate Jemma Lilley, while they both incarcerated in Melaleuca jail in Canning Vale, Western Australia.

Their relationship sparked complaints from other inmates and prison staff, Perth Now reported.

Neo-Nazi Melony Attwood, 37, (pictured) was sentenced to life in prison over the brutal murder of her former partner Alan Taylor

Neo-Nazi Melony Attwood was reportedly showing off her relationship with inmate Jemma Lilley (pictured) in Melaleuca jail in Canning Vale, Western Australia

Lilley was sentenced to life in prison with a 28-year non-parole period for murdering autistic teenager Aaron Pajich, who she stabbed with a knife.

According to the Sunday Times, Lilley and her new lover Ms Attwood, were openly affectionate in the jail, including 'constantly touching, holding hands and sitting in each other's laps'.

The pair were overheard discussing their white supremacist views by other inmates, the publication reported.

Attwood has since been transferred to Bandyup Women's Prison. Lilley has reportedly also been moved to a regional jail.

Jemma Lilley was a British expat living in Perth when she and her bondage-loving housemate Trudi Lenon, 43, murdered Aaron Pajich, 18.

Lenon, who was into BDSM, agreed to assist Lilley in the murder as her 'submissive'.

Pajich-Sweetman had trusted Lenon because he was friends with her son and allowed himself to be lured to a shopping centre and back to the couple's home.

The teenager, who had Asperger's syndrome, was believed to have been killed just after arriving at the home, and was found buried beneath a concrete slab in the backyard a week later.

Her lesbian lover, Jemma Lilley (pictured) was also sentenced to life in prison with a 28-year non-parole period for murdering autistic teenager Aaron Pajich

Melony Attwood was found guilty of murder in March along with two accomplices.

Victim Alan Taylor, 42, was living with Attwood and her 22-year-old lover Robert Edhouse - the president of the Perth chapter of neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations - before the murder.

Attwood shared a five-year-old son with her former partner Alan Taylor, but that didn't stop her from bludgeoning her partner to death with a hammer while he slept.

The women struck up a relationship after meeting behind bars at Melaleuca jail in Canning Vale, Western Australia (pictured)

Attwood has since been transferred to Bandyup Women's Prison (pictured)

Attwood and Edhouse's motive was getting hold of a $1 million life insurance policy they believed the 42-year-old had.

Edhouse may have wanted to eliminate his sexual rival, retain cohesion of the Aryan Nations group he presided over and impress Attwood, who led the female division Aryan Girls.

The attack was carried out by Edhouse and a fourth person, an Aryan Nations affiliate who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty to murder and was previously given a reduced sentence for testifying.

White supremacist Attwood and lover Robert Edhouse (left and right) were both jailed for a minimum of 21 years for murdering Mr Taylor for his $1 million life insurance policy

Edhouse's former friend and acolyte Corey Joshua Dymock, 21, who was acquitted of murder but found guilty of being an accessory, was jailed for five years and will be eligible for parole after serving three.

The trial heard the group went to a cinema after the killing in a bid to create a false alibi and Attwood made a distressed-sounding triple-zero call when she returned home.

Justice Jenkins described the premeditated killing as vicious and horrendous, saying it was degrading Mr Taylor had been left alone for hours to die, bleeding and naked.
One of Britain's rarest breed of dog which is more endangered than the giant panda has received a welcome boost for Christmas with a litter of five puppies.

The Dandie Dinmont has been cast aside in recent decades in favour of designer pooches such as cockerpoos, labradoodles and French bulldogs.

The species - the world's oldest breed of terrier - has featured on the Kennel Club's top 10 vulnerable breeds list every year since its inception 15 years ago.

In 2015, numbers of new-born puppies in the UK sunk to an all-time low of just 79, however their numbers have gradually increased over the last two years.

One of Britain's rarest breed of dog which is more endangered than the giant panda has received a welcome boost for Christmas with a litter of five puppies

Breeder Andy Kennedy is currently caring for the five male pups a this Hants home and has already found buyers for two of the adorable dogs.

He has plans to keep the fifth puppy for himself but is still looking for homes for the other two, which he is trying to sell for 1,000 each.

Paul Keevil, a fellow Dandie Dinmont breeder and founding member of the Kennel Club's vulnerable breed committee, said: 'The population of the Dandie Dinmont terrier has virtually halved in the last 15 years.

The Dandie Dinmont has been cast aside in recent decades in favour of designer pooches such as cockerpoos, labradoodles and French bulldogs

The species - the world's oldest breed of terrier - has featured on the Kennel Club's top 10 vulnerable breeds list every year since its inception 15 years ago

In 2015, numbers of new-born puppies in the UK sunk to an all-time low of just 79, however their numbers have gradually increased over the last two years

'We have just come off the back of the two lowest consecutive years of all time with just 79 born in 2015 and 80 in 2016.

'We are in a very highly endangered place but in the last 18 months has thankfully seen a bit of a growth.

'It looks like we are beginning to make a bit of a slow recovery which is why a litter like this is so very important for us.

Breeder Andy Kennedy is currently caring for the five male pups a this Hants home and has already found buyers for two of the adorable dogs

He has plans to keep the fifth puppy for himself but is still looking for homes for the other two, which he is trying to sell for 1,000 each

Paul Keevil, a fellow Dandie Dinmont breeder and founding member of the Kennel Club's vulnerable breed committee, said: 'The population of the Dandie Dinmont terrier has virtually halved in the last 15 years

'Three puppies is average and four is lucky so to have five is fantastic news.

'We hope their new owners will be encouraged to breed them on.'

Dandie Dinmonts were established in the 1700s on the English/Scottish borders and were originally called mustard and pepper terriers owing to the colour of their coasts.

Dandie Dinmonts were established in the 1700s on the English/Scottish borders and were originally called mustard and pepper terriers owing to the colour of their coasts

Their name changed after Scottish author Sir Walter Scott's 1815 novel Guy Mannering

They were bred to hunt ground vermin like foxes, badgers and otters.

Their name changed after Scottish author Sir Walter Scott's 1815 novel Guy Mannering. The book featured the character Dandie Dimont who kept the terriers.

The novel was hugely popular and the first editions sold out in 24 hours.

Mr Keevil said: 'Mr Dandie Dinmont was a farmer and people were charmed by his terriers and flocked to the borders to try and buy them and that is when and how their name changed.'

Andy Kennedy, 54, who looks after the brood is a 4th generation Dandie breeder

His grandfather Alastair, of Dumfriesshire, was a vet for the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club parents and another ancestor, John Mather, was a found member

'They remained popular until the 1970s and since then fashionable breeds and designers dogs with endorsements from film stars and celebrities behind the and the god old fashioned British working breeds just got forgotten about.

'I think working breeds became redundant and had to be retrained to become companions and had to make the transition from field to fireside.

'Some dogs did that better than others.

He said: 'The fact that we have five puppies is quite a responsibility given their overall number'

He added: ''We want them to do well and go to good homes whose owners will be ambassadors for the breed'

Andy posed outside with the puppy's mum Jessie

The mother of the recent litter, who are being sold for 1,000 each, Jessie

'Dandie Dinmonts are a reasonable size to pick up and carry and they love human company and are affectionate and also adapts very well to life in towns and country.

'I don't know why they became unpopular but as they get less popular, fewer people know about them so it is a never ending circle of decline.'

Mr Kennedy, 54, is a 4th generation Dandie breeder. His grandfather Alastair, of Dumfriesshire, was a vet for the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club parents and another ancestor, John Mather, was a found member.

He said: 'The fact that we have five puppies is quite a responsibility given their overall number.

'We want them to do well and go to good homes whose owners will be ambassadors for the breed.'
A recreational diver has died at a boat ramp on South Australia's far west coast.

Emergency services were called to the boat ramp at Mount Hope at about 4:30pm on Sunday.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the 31-year-old man but he died at the scene.

The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Police will now prepare a report for the Coroner.
A Chinese opera troupe manager has revealed on how he and his wife were tragically sold into the Thai trade as children - before finding love together and rising through the ranks.

Thatchai Obtong, 52, was tragically sold as a slave for just 145 to the opera company in Bangkok after his mother fell on financially hard times due to a crippling gambling habit.

Mr Obtong was just seven years old when he was forced to work as a performer to entertain crowds.

Thatchai Obtong, 52, fell in love with his wife Sunee Obtong, 46, after they were tragically sold into the Thai trade as children - before rising through the ranks

One of the perfomances at the Sai Yong Hong Chinese Opera. Thatchai Obtong, 52, was tragically sold as a slave for just 145 to the opera company in Bangkok after his mother fell on financially hard times due to gambling

Backstage at one the performances at the opera. Mr Obtong didn't have much of an education when he joined the opera at such a young age

Mr Obtong fell in love with his wife Sunee Obtong, 46, who was also sold into the company as a child.

And after years of hard work mastering the ancient performance, Chinese-Thai born Thatchai rose through the ranks of the Sai Yong Hong Chinese Opera troupe from performer to manager.

Recalling the heart-wrenching day his mother sold him off, Mr Obtong said: 'She told me if I'm a good kid and stay with the Chinese opera, I will have a good future.

'I don't have much of an education since I joined the opera at a young age, so my job options are limited. This is all that I know.'

Mr Obtong fell in love with his wife Sunee Obtong, 46, who was also sold into the company as a child.

One of the performers at the opera house putting on makeup. After years of hard work mastering the ancient performance, Chinese-Thai born Thatchai rose through the ranks of the Sai Yong Hong Chinese Opera troupe from performer to manager

A performance on stage at the Sai Yong Hong Chinese Opera. The performance is a mix of martial arts, singing and dancing to traditional Chinese music

After raising two daughters with his performer wife Mr Obtong lives to preserve one of the world's oldest dramatic art forms - and insists he wouldn't have it any other way.

He said: 'I don't have the knowledge for another job, so it is what I will always do, but as long as there are Chinese temples in Thailand, there will be Opera.'

'People often turn to crime when they have few other options. I feel proud to work an honest job that I enjoy.'

The performance - a mix of martial arts, singing and dancing to traditional Chinese music - traces back to the seventh-century Tang Dynasty, making it one of the world's oldest of its kind.

After raising two daughters with his performer wife Mr Obtong lives to preserve one of the world's oldest dramatic art forms - and insists he wouldn't have it any other way

The audience watching a show. Mr Obtong was just seven years old when he was forced to work as a performer to entertain crowds

Fascinating photographs show performers - including the Obtong's daughters - applying layers of elaborate makeup and exquisite costumes backstage to transform into gods and goddesses from Chinese folklore.

Bangkok photographer Dax Ward, 38, said he was inspired to see all that Thatchai and Sunnee had overcome when he captured images at one of their shows earlier this month.

Dax, from Arkansas in the US but now working in Bangkok, said: 'Thatchai's story is truly inspiring.

Sunnee Obtong backstage doing her makeup who was sold to the opera troupe when she was just a child

Backstage at the performance at the Sai Yong Hong Chinese Opera. The art form traces back to the seventh-century Tang Dynasty, making it one of the world's oldest of its kind

'To be separated from his family and all that he knows at such a young age and still make such a success of his life is amazing.

'I got the sense that this happy couple were right where they wanted to be, which is all anybody can ask for in life, really.

'As well as keeping the tradition alive, he is helping to teach it to young disadvantaged youths to help them make a living.

'I have a lot of respect for Thatchai, there are not many people that could overcome such adversity.'
The Transportation Security Administration is planning to change up its operations in the middle of the holiday season by shifting some federal air marshals to the rear of planes.

The undercover air marshals, up to now seated towards the front of planes, will be seeing their seating arrangements change on December 28, ABC News reports, and the Federal Air Marshal Service is not happy about it.

'The TSA wants to change the way operations are carried out, and the men and women of the Federal Air Marshal Service do not support these changes,' air marshals representative to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Brian Borek said.

TSA officials explained to ABC that the change in routine is meant to keep up with the latest threats without discussing specifics due to agency policies on operational secrecy.

Air marshals historically seated at the front of planes to secure the cockpits will be seeing their seating arrangements change on December 28

'In an effort to address evolving threats to aviation security, TSA continues to optimize in-flight security efforts; training and tactics are routinely reviewed and updated based upon intelligence,' said Jenny Burke, TSA spokeswoman.

Some experts and officials are more inclined to agree with the Brian Borek's assessment that the timing of the changes during the busy holiday travel season do 'not pass the common-sense test'.

'Changes to security routines on planes and at airports are serious and should not be enacted haphazardly,' said John Cohen, a former acting undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security. 'And there is clearly a perception that is what is going on here.'

Air marshals, expected to prioritize protecting the cockpit at the front of the plane, have been considered essential to such security since the September 11th terror attacks in 2001.

A terrorist attack is simulated during training for future Federal Air Marshals at the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center's Federal Air Marshal Service Training Center

Two federal air marshals engage in handgun training (left). Critics of the new TSA seating changes believe marshals could be hindered in defending a cockpit by the added distance and crowds of passengers from being seated in the rear

Critics of these changes cite the possibility that marshals placed toward the rear of the aircraft could be hindered by narrow aisles and blocked by crowds of passengers in the case of a cockpit emergency, and that the operational shift did not sufficiently include air marshal input.

Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told ABC News that the air marshals 'are our tactical experts and their voices should be included in determining the most effective security measure.'

The latest announced changes comes at a time when the TSA is still dealing with fallout from their 'Quiet Skies' program, reported by the Boston Globe earlier this year.

TSA agents checking ID. The TSA recently curtailed their 'Quiet Skies' operation where air marshals tracked ordinary passengers on flights and throughout airports

The domestic surveillance program required air marshals to follow and monitor passengers suspected of no crimes or terrorism links to even as far as through baggage claims at airports.

The TSA told the Globe earlier this month that the minute-to-minute tracking of ordinary passengers has been scaled down.
KRAKATOA! Just the name is enough to terrify the residents of the islands of Java and Sumatra, who live in the shadow of one of the most lethal volcanoes in history.

Ever since the mammoth eruption of 1883, which blacked out the sky and was heard more than 2,000 miles away, Krakatoa, which stands in the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Java, has been shorthand for a disaster of Biblical proportions.

Just as the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius, which obliterated the residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum, horrified the ancient world, so Krakatoa is the destructive volcano of the modern age  shooting out ash, pumice stone, steam and volcanic gas.

Just like Vesuvius, it produces a deadly pyroclastic flow  hot gas and volcanic matter reaching temperatures of 1,000C and flying at 430 mph, killing everything in its path.

Lava streams down from the volcano Anak Krakatau - meaning Child of Krakatoa - during the eruption as seen from Rakata island in South Lampung, Indonesia

In fact, the weekends deadly volcano  which has been active for six months, pouring out lava and shooting fire, debris and smoke nine miles into the air  is Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatoa (the name Krakatoa, of unknown origin, can be spelt in more than 20 different ways).

It was formed in 1927, inside the caldera  or cauldron-like hollow  created by that vast 1883 explosion of the original Krakatoa volcano.

Active volcanoes are forever changing shape: the Krakatoa eruption in the 19th century itself blew away two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa, including three peaks of old volcanoes that had been there before.

As the people of the region mourn their losses this week, they will reflect on the latest deadly harvest from this malign behemoth, which has been erupting for thousands of years. There was a particularly vicious eruption in 535AD-536AD  said to be the worst year in human history, partly thanks to Krakatoas atmospheric dust veil causing crop failures, famines and appalling weather across the world. Throughout the Middle Ages, Krakatoa is thought to have erupted roughly once a century.

It isnt yet clear exactly how Saturdays tsunami, which has killed more than 220 people, was triggered, but volcanologists are near certain that it was set off by volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau. Its thought that the eruption has either blasted off a side of the volcano into the sea, generating the massive waves, or the eruption has shifted a huge movement of sediment on the sea floor, in turn creating those waves.

Either way, the eruption brings up heart-stopping memories of the Krakatoa eruption  or series of eruptions  from August 26 to 27, 1883, which are thought to have killed more than 35,000 people.

Krakatoa had been experiencing lesser eruptions  worryingly like the current one  since May 20, 1883. And then, at the end of August, the big one came.

The combined eruptions produced the equivalent of 200 megatons of TNT  thats 13,000 times the explosive effect of the nuclear bomb that flattened Hiroshima in 1945 during the Second World War.

The 1883 eruption was heard nearly 3,000 miles away to the west near Mauritius, and more than 2,000 miles to the south-east in Alice Springs, Australia. Anyone within ten miles of the volcano was said to have gone deaf.

Those who werent killed by the intense heat would have been sandblasted to death, says Dr Dave Rothery, from the Department of Earth Sciences at the Open University. It was hot enough to carbonise everything in its path.

The effects were felt across the world for years. Skeletons of Indonesians were found floating on fragments of detonated pumice a year after the eruption, washed up on the east coast of Africa. As skies darkened across the world thanks to the ash-filled atmosphere, global temperatures dropped by 1.2C for a year.

Fire and ash: An aerial view of the volcano on Sunday after the eruption which sent a wall of water slamming into the shore, in a natural disaster which has killed 222 people

The eruption played havoc with the worlds climate for five years. Some experts have even suggested the blood-red sky in the background of Edvard Munchs famed 1893 picture The Scream was created by the after-effects of the eruption as far afield as Norway, where it was painted.

Just like at the weekend, the 1883 eruption had massive tidal effects, with the wave travelling around the planet three times, and ash thrown 50 miles into the air. The waves reached 130 feet high, tossing 600-ton chunks of coral reef on to the coast.

Because the eruption happened in the modern age, after the invention of Morse code and the underwater telegraph cable, it was one of the first international media events, reported almost immediately.

First-hand accounts from survivors in the region swept across the world, including the quarry manager who told how a wave had plucked him from the top of an office block and swept him into the jungle, alongside a crocodile.

He leapt on the back of the croc, which carried him for two miles before dropping him off in the rainforest.

If theres any consolation for modern Indonesia  and there is little at the moment  the current eruption was dwarfed by the 1883 event, which killed 36,417 people and destroyed or damaged nearly 300 villages.

Just like the residents of Naples living in the shadow of Vesuvius, the Indonesians have grown used to the eruptions of Anak Krakatau, which has blown in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

With every eruption, Anak Krakatau has grown spookily taller, adding on 250 feet since 2011.

What is especially chilling is that Krakatoa is directly  and fatally  just above the area where two of the Earths tectonic plates making up the planets subterranean shield meet. One of the tectonic plates is being pulled beneath the other, at a rate of six centimetres a year.

The Earths protective crust, it is thought, is particularly shallow here  meaning it is lethally easy for an eruption to burst forth into the atmosphere, to devastate the region around with deadly effect.
An Arizona woman is facing felony charges after police say she posted naked photos of her ex-boyfriend on the fence at his children's elementary school.

Its unclear what led to 55-year-old Deborah Britton posting the naked photos of her ex at his children's elementary school in Chandler, but he told police she was the only one that he had sent the photos to.

The victim reported the photos to police after he learned about them being up at Hull Elementary School in September after their breakup, according to Fox 6.

The photos were posted on the inside of the school's fence, making them visible to the students and staff at the school.

Deborah Britton, 55, was arrested after police say she posted naked photos of her ex-boyfriend at Hull Elementary School (right) where his children go to school

The victim was pictured fully naked with his face showing.

Britton initially denied involvement in the photos being up at the school, however police say the fingerprints found on the images matched her's.

According to court documents, police received the lab results with her fingerprints matching the photos on December 11.

Britton turned herself into the the Chandler Police Department on December 18.

She is facing one count of harassment by communication and one count of unlawful of distribution of images featuring nudity.
Four men accused of trying to take over a cargo ship in the English Channel have been arrested

The men have been charged with affray after police boarded the ship on Friday in the Thames Estuary amid reports of stowaways threatening crew.

Samuel Jolumi, 26, Ishola Sunday, 27, Toheeb Popoola, 26, and Joberto McGee, 20, all of no fixed address are all due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday.

An imagined reconstruction of the dramatic scenes played out late on Friday after the stowaways launched a desperate bid to force the ship's captain to sail close enough to the Essex coast for them to swim ashore

Essex Police was called at around 9.15am on Friday to a call 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.

A dozen heavily armed Special Boat Service commandos abseiled from a helicopter on to a cargo ship on a daring mission to end a hostage drama.

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 lock themselves in 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 ship's 27 Italian and Filipino sailors.

Once the mission  understood to have been codenamed Operation Buckthorn  was complete, the troops were joined by police officers who arrested the stowaways.

SBS boarded the ship and detained the four people at around 23:00 on Friday night - 14 hours after the authorities were first alerted.

The vessel was sailing in circles in the Thames Estuary until the SBS unit were helicoptered onto the ship.

Crew believe the stowaways boarded the 71,000-tonne ship when it set off from Lagos and wanted to jump into the water as it was approaching land.

SBS abseiled onto the ship and detained the stowaways in a 20-minute operation.

No one was injured in the incident and police said the situation was not being treated as a hostage, piracy or terror-related issue.

The cargo ship arrived at the Port of Tilbury in Essex just after 4.20am on Saturday, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The ship's operator, Grimaldi Lines, said there were no reports of injuries.

Once the mission  understood to have been codenamed Operation Buckthorn  was complete, the troops were joined by police officers who arrested the stowaways.

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

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.'

The dramatic scenes played out late on Friday after the stowaways launched a desperate bid to force the ship's 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 allegedly 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 unit's 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 ship's 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 weren't 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 don't 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.
Incoming lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is daring her future colleagues in Congress to give up their salaries during the government shutdown to stand with workers who aren't being paid.

'Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well,' she wrote on Twitter on Saturday. 'It's completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision. Have some integrity.'

The legislative branch was fully funded for fiscal year 2019 in budget negotiations earlier this year, meaning members of Congress and staff on Capitol Hill will be paid while other parts of the government are shut down.

Incoming lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is daring her future colleagues in Congress to give up their salaries during the government shutdown

She tweeted members of Congress should give up their pay

As of Friday midnight, 420,000 federal employees will have to work without pay over the holidays and an additional 380,000 workers will be furloughed.

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.

Several lawmakers - both Democrats and Republicans - have tweeted their intentions to not take a salary during the shutdown.

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said she would not take a salary but would donate the money to charity instead.

'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. I'll be donating my salary to a Nevada charity for every day of the Trump shutdown,' she wrote.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York requested her salary be withheld during the shutdown in a letter to Congress administration officials.

'I submitted a letter today requesting that my pay be withheld during this partial government shutdown,' she wrote, tweeting a copy of her letter to Chief Administration Officer of the House Phillip Kiko.

Republican Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana also tweeted a copy of her letter to Kiko, requesting her pay be with held while the government is shut down.

Lawmakers have a few different options when it comes to not getting paid. They can write a letter to Kiko, whose agency handles payroll, to request their salary be with held or they can write a check to the U.S. Treasury with the amount of their salary they are returning.

Republican Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio said that if Congress 'Can't keep the government fully operational, we shouldn't get paid.'

And Republican Rep. French Hill of Arkansas wrote: 'I cannot in good conscience accept pay while federal employees are not receiving theirs.'

Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida also didn't accept a salary.

'I will not be accepting any pay for as long as the federal government remains shut down. This is yet another sad example of Washingtons dysfunction and inability to compromise,' he wrote on Twitter.

Most members of Congress make $174,000 per year.

Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida also didn't accept a salary

Republican Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana requested her pay be with held while the government is shut down

Republican Rep. French Hill of Arkansas wrote: 'I cannot in good conscience accept pay while federal employees are not receiving theirs.'

The government shut down Friday at midnight after lawmakers and the White House could not come to an agreement

Federal workers will be paid for the pay period ending Dec. 22, the White House Office of Management and Budget has said.

But if the shutdown extends past Jan. 5, they will miss their next paycheck.

On Sunday, incoming White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney warned the government shut down could last well into the new year.

'It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress,' Mulvaney said on 'Fox News Sunday.'

'I don't think things are going to move quickly over the next few days,' he added.

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said she would not take a salary but would donate the money to charity instead

Republican Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio said that if Congress 'Can't keep the government fully operational, we shouldn't get paid.'

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York requested her salary be withheld during the shutdown

With Christmas on the horizon, Congress has adjourned until Thursday, Dec. 27. And Lawmakers are expected to return to work late next week.

The new Congress is sworn into office on Jan. 3.

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.
Elon Musk's brainchild SpaceX has launched the U.S. Air Force's most powerful GPS satellite ever built.

A Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, hoisting the satellite into orbit. The successful deployment was a huge success for Musk's venture after three previous attempts were scuttled.

The satellite was supposed to soar Tuesday but rocket concerns and then weather delayed the flight.

'Engineering is true magic,' the billionaire tweeted shortly after the launch.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the U.S. Air Force's most powerful GPS satellite ever built

SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk had an up-and-down year, but SpaceX's 21st launch of the year was a major success

Musk tweeted the phrase not long after the Falcon 9 launch

Magic Musk needed after an up-and-down year of him being charged by the SEC for fraud, stepping down as Tesla chairman, getting into a feud with the cave diving rescuer of Thai children he called a 'pedo' and dealing with production problems for his Tesla vehicles that also had a tendency to burst into flames.

Despite the rough 2018, the Falcon 9 rocket delivered a big for the company as a military contractor.

'As more GPS III satellites join the constellation, it will bring better service at a lower cost to a technology that is now fully woven into the fabric of any modern civilization,' said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center.

Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, says this next-generation GPS satellite is three times more accurate than previous versions and eight times better at anti-jamming significantly upgrading an aging system currently in place.

The GPSIII Space Vehicle 01 was nicknamed 'Vespucci' in honor of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci

Along with other considerations, the Air Force believes GPSIII 'will bring better service at a lower cost.'

The GPSIII Space Vehicle 01 was nicknamed 'Vespucci' in honor of 'Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the Americas were named,' according to the Los Angeles Air Force Base's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) .

The 15th-century Italian explorer calculated the Earth's circumference to within 50 miles (80 kilometers).

Lockheed Martin's engineers will begin on-orbit checkout and tests estimated to be complete in six months. The satellite is expected to begin operational use in a year.

'As the U.S. enters a new era with the declaration of space as a warfighting domain, SMC is re-architecting efforts which will manage other significant U.S. acquisition agility initiatives in order to drive innovation within the space enterprise and speed the delivery of new capabilities to warfighters,' the Space and Missile Systems Center posted on Facebook.

The success of this launch will likely fuel future partnerships with the U.S. military

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, scheduled to launch a U.S. Air Force navigation satellite, sits on Launch Complex 40 on December 18

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to create a U.S. 'Space Command' to take overall control of military space operations, and has previously spoken of creating a new 'Space Force' branch of the U.S. military.

Lockheed Martin developed the advanced GPS technology and is building the satellites at a facility near Denver.

'The first GPS III launch marks a significant milestone for the GPS constellation as well as our partnership with SpaceX,' said Col. Robert Bongiovi, SMC Launch Enterprise director. 'This launch demonstrated the successful teamwork and cooperation amongst all mission partners to deliver the capabilities our warfighter demands. I'm proud of my team and look forward to our additional National Security Space missions with SpaceX.'

Sunday's launch was Space X's 21st and final launch of the year, a company record.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise holiday visit to Mali this weekend to see troops on a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

According to the prime minister's press office, while in Mali Saturday Trudeau met with members of the 250-person brigade and awarded a medal to the commander of the Canadian Air Force stationed there.

He thanked the service members for their sacrifice in serving Canada far from their families during the holiday season.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way from a Chinook helicopter to watch a medical evacuation demonstration on the UN base in Gao, Mali, Saturday

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with the Prime Minister of Mali Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga as he arrives on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission base in Gao

'The peace process is unfolding in Mali and certainly our presence here is allowing it to unfold more quickly than it otherwise would,' Trudeau said at the base.

'Nevertheless it is a difficult situation  and it's going to be a significant amount of effort by the UN to stabilize this area.'

Trudeau also met with Mali's Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga to discuss relations between the two countries.

Canadian troops have been stationed in Mali on a peacekeeping mission since 2013 although most were deployed in 2018.

No Canadian troops have been killed although more than 100 other peacekeepers have died in attacks by extremists and separatists.

Trudeau visiting Canadian troops at Camp Castor in Gao, Mali

Trudeau (center) visiting Canadian troops at Camp Castor in Gao, Mali, on Saturday
An Indiana mom jailed after leaving her two young sons at home watching 'Home Alone' is defending her actions and speaking out on behalf of other working moms.

Taylor Cumings, 25, was arrested on Tuesday, Fox59 reports, after leaving Cameron, 4, in the care of Tyruse, 7, at their Muncie, Indiana, watching their favorite movie. She was charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent.

In the 1990 film 'Home Alone,' Macaulay Culkin's eight-year-old character Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind when his family goes abroad on their Christmas vacation.

'I feel like I've been made out to be a joke and a really, really bad person and mom,' Cumings told the station. 'But I have received more love and support from people I don't even know.'

In a tongue-and-cheek moment, Culkin himself made himself available for the Cumings' family, retweeting their story with the offer, 'I'm actually available for babysitting gigs...'

The now 38-year-old actor only recently returned as a grown up Kevin McCallister in a Google Assistant commercial, poking fun at his iconic role.

Tyruse, 7, with brother Cameron, 4, and their mother Taylor Cumings at home

Macaulay Culkin made an offer to lend a hand to the beleaguered mom in this retweet

She said she had already missed a lot of time from her job working with at-risk youths after one of her boys had gotten sick with a fever the day before.

'I felt that for a day he was fine,' Cumings told WKRC about leaving Cameron with Tyruse. 'Was I worried sick? Absolutely! Who wouldn't be?'

While Taylor acknowledges that the circumstances were not perfect, she felt she had little choice and that her son Tyruse was mature enough to manage for the time she would be away.

'They know not to touch the stove. Don't touch the heaters, the base boards. They know not to answer the door for anybody,' she said of her kids, and when police arrived at her home on an anonymous tip, Tyruse 'knew not to answer that door until my aunt showed up'.

Police were called to Taylor Cumings' home in Muncie, Indiana, on an anonymous tip, but her children had been trained to avoid answering the door and call an aunt

'Home Alone' (left) features Kevin McCallister, 8, fending for himself over the holidays. Taylor Cumings (right) was arrested after leaving her two young children home alone to watch it

'At that time I thought it was the best decision. I know my kids and I trust my kids,' she said to Fox59.

Sandy Runkle-DeLorme with Prevent Child Abuse Indiana notes that the holiday season can be a challenging time for families.

'We definitely need more resources out there for families who have children that are not yet ready to be left alone,' Runkle-Delorme said, 'and that's not even a particular age, it's really based on maturity,'

The Muncie mom is also calling out for more resources for moms just like her in the wake of people reaching out after her embarrassing moment in the public eye.

'There's a million more girls like me,' Cumings said. 'If there was a day care, like an emergency day care for sick children or say your kids suspended or whatever these circumstances are, but we don't have that.'

While Taylor hopes to move on, she says leaving her kids alone will 'never happen again', and that the family plans on watching 'Home Alone 2'.
The cleared drone suspect's boss has slammed police for their 'appalling' investigation after officers 'failed to contact him for an alibi'.

John Allard, who runs Allard Double Glazing, said he knew exactly where Paul Gait was this week when drones caused around 1,000 planes to be grounded at Gatwick airport.

Mr Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine Kirk, 54, both from Crawley, were questioned for 36 hours after they were arrested shortly after 10pm on Friday and were released without charge on Sunday morning.

But Mr Allard, from Crowborough, East Sussex, said police failed to contact him for an alibi for his employee.

Paul Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine, 54, arriving home on Sunday morning after spending 36 hours in police custody

The 68-year-old claims he was forced to contact police himself but was unable to speak to an officer as he tried employee's name.

Mr Allard said that Mr Gait had been installing guttering for a client on when the drones were causing mayhem over Gatwick's runways this week.

And on Friday the ex-soldier had reportedly driven Mr Allard's daughter to the doctor, who had damaged one of her toes.

Mr Allard said: 'Obviously the police could have handled it better just by asking the who, when and where.

'The police have handled this absolutely appallingly, they really have.

'All it would have taken was for them to call me and contact me as his employer and I could have confirmed that all day Wednesday and half the day Thursday, he was part of a three-man team installing fascia, soffit and guttering at a client's home in Groombridge, Kent.

Paul Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine Kirk, 54, both from Crawley, were arrested in the town shortly after 10pm on Friday. They were released without charge on Sunday morning

Mr Gait arriving home after being held in custody. Mr Allard said that Mr Gait had been installing guttering for a client on when the drones were causing mayhem over Gatwick's runways

'On Friday he spent most of the day running my daughter about because she damaged one of her toes and he was ferrying her to the doctors.

'I discovered on Friday evening that he had been arrested.

I got onto the police Saturday evening, but I couldn't get through to anybody, there was just somebody who said I'll take notes and pass that message on. But they never did get back to me, there was no return contact.'

The Allard Douple Glazing business where Mr works. Mr Allard has owned his business for 37 years and runs it with his daughter Gemma Allard

Mr Allard, who has owned his business for 37 years, said how Mr Gait was 'harmless' and that the arrest would 'destroy' him and his wife.

He said: 'I know Paul well, he's worked for me for 17 years and this is going to hit him like a 10-tonne truck. Paul Gait is as harmless as a bloody new born fly. He really is, he's the most inoffensive bloke you'll ever meet.

'He refers to me as a second father and he always comes to me if there are any problems in his life. I know this will mentally destroy him.

As the couple were brought home in a police van escorted by two police cars, they declined to comment on allegations that Mr Gait had been responsible for closing down Gatwick Airport.

Gemma Allard, who had an eight-year relationship with Mr Gait and is the mother of his 15-year-old son, joined the couple as they arrived home.

Gemma, 40, and her father Mr Allard the double glazing company, where Paul works and she has maintained his innocence.

Gemma Allard (pictured left and at the Gait's homr today, right) had an eight-year relationship with Mr Gait and is the mother of his 15-year-old son. Gemma, 40, and her father run Allard Double Glazing in Crowborough, where Paul works. She maintained his innocence

Mr Allard said his employee did have an interest in drones but the ones he owned were 'silly little ones'.

He said: 'Although there was a complete lack of evidence, the police ripped his house apart.

'Paul Gait doesn't own a drone. The drone he had he sold back in mid-summer. It was only a silly little one - anyone could have gone and bought in Hamleys.

'Sussex Police have really dropped the ball on this.

'I have always supported the police and I like to think I always would but in this case I think they have really got it wrong.

'Let's also not overlook the fact I am wondering what long-term damage this would have on my business.'
Kimberly Guilfoyle is preparing to celebrate her first Christmas with the Trumps.

The former Fox News host took to Instagram to post photos of herself and beau Donald Trump Jr with 'in-laws' President Trump and Melania at the White House as she reflected on her 'many blessings' from this year.

'Merry Christmas and #HappyHolidays to you and your loved ones ... reflecting on all of our many blessings and so grateful Wishing you healthy and Happy Holidays! God Bless you and your families!,' she wrote.

Some of Guilfoyle's snaps included photos of her and Don Jr taken at last week's White House Christmas Party, which saw Trump officials - past and present - in attendance.

Scroll down for video

Kimberly Guilfoyle took to Instagram to post photos of herself, Don Jr, President Trump and First Lady Melania at the White House

The former Fox News host is planning to spend her first Christmas with the Trumps

She wrote in her post that she is 'reflecting on all of our many blessings' and wishes her followers a 'healthy and happy holidays'

The couple also attended the DailyMailTV and DailyMail.com Holiday Celebration in New York City earlier this month where they revealed they'd be spending the holidays together.

'With now six children between us, it's a lot,' Trump Jr admitted. 'We have a bunch with them and it will be a lot of fun, but it's also going to be somewhat of a zoo.'

The couple kicked off their holiday celebration last month, when they were in Washington DC at the White House for the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

However, the patriarch of the family announced Saturday he will remain in Washington through Christmas.

'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,' White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Trump reiterated Sanders through a tweet, writing: 'I will not be going to Florida because of the Shutdown - Staying in the White House! #MAGA.'

Both sides of the House now anticipate that the impasse will continue into the first weeks of January.

The President's initial plans were to spend 16 days at the so-called 'winter White House' - the nickname given for Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Guilfoyle attended Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit with friend Rush Limbaugh who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award

Guilfoyle spoke at the Winter Gala for Turning Point USA Thursday

Trump tweeted on Saturday: 'I will not be going to Florida because of the Shutdown - Staying in the White House!' He added the hashtag 'MAGA' - or, 'Make America Great Again.'

Guilfoyle previously snapped a picture while she was staying at The Mar-a-Lago Club

Guilfoyle has been keeping busy in the Florida sunshine - speaking at a Student Action Summit and attending the Winter Gala where she posed with friend and vocal Trump supporter Rush Limbaugh.

She posted photos of her and the radio host at the event with the caption: 'Thrilled to be a part of Turning Point USAs Student Action Summit and Winter Gala in Mar-a-Lago with this years Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient my friend the one and only Rush Limbaugh.'

Limbaugh became especially vocal on Wednesday during his show while discussing Trump's plans to sign a spending bill without the border wall, which he eventually did not sign, leading to the shut down.

Guilfoyle went on to show her extravagant view of palm trees and beach from The Mar-a-Lago Club last week.

Meanwhile, Eric's wife Lara Trump has been spotted showing off her ripped physique on the grounds of the Florida resort during the traditional Trump holiday getaway.
Brazil's state police say they have found a suitcase full of cash and emeralds hidden in the home of a faith healer accused of sexual abuse by hundreds of women.

The suitcase was discovered at the home of Joao Teixeira de Faria on Friday in a basement accessed by a trap door in a closet.

Police in the central state of Goias said they also found about $300,000 worth of Brazilian reals. They had yet to appraise the emeralds.

De Faria worked for several decades in rural Brazil as a healer who claimed he could cure diseases.

Joao Teixeira de Faria arrives at the Dom Inacio Loyola House in Abadiania, Brazil on Dec 12

TV channel Globo aired accounts on Dec. 7 from several alleged victims who said they had been sexually abused for years.

Joao Teixeira de Faria, who is known as Joao de Deus - John of God - came under fire when ten women in Brazil came forward to accuse him of sexually abusing them at his clinic, Casa de Dom Inacio de Loyola in Abadiania, Brazil.

They announced their bombshell accusations on Globo TV and authorities were soon contacted by more than 300 other accusers, including de Faria's adult daughter, Dalva Teixeira.

Following the claims, de Faria was given up until 3pm last Saturday to comply with an arrest warrant, however he did not surrender by the deadline and was deemed a fugitive from justice, officials said.

Self-styled spiritual healer Joao Teixeira de Faria uses scissors to perform a spiritual surgery on Rosangela Maria Benedeti's nose at the 'Casa de Dom Inacio de Loyola' in Abadiania, Brazil

The 76-year-old medium, who has been interviewed by Oprah and has treated Bill Clinton, surrendered on the outskirts of Abadiania, Goais, on the 17th December, police reported.

According to a video released by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, de Faria said: 'I surrender to divine justice and justice on Earth.'

He reportedly spent the night at the State Delegation of Criminal Investigations in the state capital.

Joao Teixeira de Faria, known as 'John of God', arrives at a police station a day after being officially ruled a fugitive, in Goiania, Brazil

In an interview published Friday by Brazilian magazine Veja, Teixeira said that under the pretense of mystical treatments he abused and raped his daughter between the ages of 10 and 14.

She said her father stopped after she became pregnant by one of his employees, but she alleges she was beaten so severely by her father that she suffered a miscarriage.

Representatives for the law office representing de Faria have said that they were not making statements on the case.

Faria is escorted by supporters, upon arrival at his 'healing center' Casa de Dom Inacio de Loyola

De Faria has been a faith healer for four decades in a small town in central Brazil and became famous for conducting 'psychic surgeries' that he claimed could cure diseases, including cancer.

He attracted followers from around the world, all looking for spiritual guidance or cures for afflictions.

He gained international exposure in 2012 when Oprah Winfrey visited his retreat to interview him for her talk show.

In a since-deleted column on oprah.com, Winfrey wrote that she was overwhelmed by the experience of seeing him cut into the breast of a woman without anesthesia and that she left feeling 'an overwhelming sense of peace.'
This is the terrifying moment a British tourist jumped 25-ft off a fourth-floor balcony at a Gran Canaria apartment block after a 24-hour crack cocaine binge.

The 28-year-old holidaymaker was filmed walking along the wrong side of a railing for more than two minutes before his crazy leap.

He is seen trying to climb round a pillar at the end of the building.

Onlookers then watched in horror as risked his life by deliberately jumping off the side of the three-star Tamaran Apartments in the holiday resort of Playa del Ingles.

The Brit, named locally only by his first name and initials as Ronnie R.W, landed on a Dacia Logan rental car -smashing its windscreen.

Fortunately for the man the car cushioned his fall and saved his life.

Miraculously he only suffered superficial injuries but he was said to be in a 'disturbed' condition and was taken to a hospital in the island capital called the Hospital Universitario Insular.

Local reports said he had been on a drink and drugs bender before jumping.

One said he had approached two local police officers and asked them to call an ambulance before sprinting away and entering the apartment block he jumped from.

The 28-year-old holidaymaker was filmed walking along the wrong side of a railing for more than two minutes before his crazy leap.

Onlookers watched on in horror as he squatted down before risking his life by deliberately jumping off the side of the three-star Tamaran Apartments

The Brit, named locally only by his first name and initials as Ronnie R.W, landed on a Dacia Logan rental car -smashing its windscreen. Fortunately for the man, the car cushioned his fall and saved his life.

He is understood to have told National Police afterwards he had been taking drugs including crack cocaine for 24 hours before his 25-foot leap.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon.

The Brit tourist is believed to have been staying at a different apartment complex with a friend.

His whereabouts today are unknown.

Police could not be reached for comment.

Three Brits died after falls from the same building this year in Magaluf - a residential block called Eden Roc - although the tragedies were linked to safety flaws which the local council told flat owners had to be remedied.

At the start of September a 20-year-old Brit from Newcastle injured himself in a fall from a Magaluf hotel while he was urinating.

He was later landed with a fine after being visited by police in hospital.

A British holidaymaker cheated death after plunging from a Magaluf sixth-floor balcony at the start of August while reportedly having a poo.

It later emerged he checked himself out of hospital - without waiting for doctors to give him the all-clear - before police could hand him a fine.
Dozens of strangers attended the funeral of a troubled British army veteran who was a regular sight in his home town where he was seen selling poppies every year.

It had been feared nobody would attend the funeral of Stewart Kingdom, 54, after the coroner was unable to find any relative to let them know of his passing.

The Crewkerne branch of the Royal British Legion in Somerset then began an appeal to try and get people to pay their respects.

Former friends, ex-servicemen and Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh flocked to Yeovil Crematorium to pay their respects to the army veteran who is believed to have taken his own life

Dozens of strangers attended the funeral of an Army veteran who sold poppies for years until he decided to take his own life

The campaign gathered momentum, reaching not only those from Somerset but also far beyond.

On Friday former friends, ex-servicemen and Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh flocked to Yeovil Crematorium to pay their respects to the army veteran who is believed to have taken his own life.

Stewart served in tours of Northern Ireland, and he also served in the Falklands campaign of 1982 and the first Gulf war in 1991.

On the day of his mother and father's funeral Stewart's sister was killed in a road accident

It had been feared nobody would attend the funeral of Stewart Kingdom, 54, after the coroner was unable to find any relative to let them know of his passing

But after he left the army in 1997, his life "seemed to be one tragedy after another".

His father died in hospital during a routine operation in 1997 and his mother was so distraught by his father's death, she took her own life the very same day.

On the day of his mother and father's funeral his sister was killed in a road accident.

The Crewkerne branch of the Royal British Legion in Somerset then began an appeal to try and get people to pay their respects

A few years later he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and PTSD which caused the eventual breakdown of his marriage.

His battle with Parkinson's became so extreme he had to be fitted with an electronic implant inserted into his brain several years ago.

He spent the remainder of his years of his life standing at local Poppy Appeal stalls in Yeovil until 'life was no longer worth living'.




The Paris prosecutor's office said Peter Cherif, of France, was expelled to France after his recent arrest in Djibouti

A Charlie Hebdo suspect has been hit with terrorism charges as he arrived in France over claims he helped organise the deadly 2015 attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

The Paris prosecutor's office said Peter Cherif, of France, was expelled to France after his recent arrest in Djibouti.

He was immediately taken into custody and charged upon his arrival on Sunday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, accused of criminal association with a terrorist enterprise.

France's defence minister says he played an 'important role in organising' the March 2015 attack.

Cherif, also known as Abu Hamza, was a close friend of the two brothers who killed 11 people at Charlie Hebdo's offices and a policeman nearby in Paris.

He had travelled to Iraq and Syria in the early 2000s, and had been on the run from French authorities since 2011.

Some 100,000 people gathered across France in the days after the attack to back the publication, Charlie Hebdo, as a huge manhunt was launched to find the attackers.

Cherif, also known as Abu Hamza, boards a plane as he is extradited to France at Djibouti International Airport

The suspected Al Qaeda militants massacred 12 people in Paris, and among those slaughtered was a police officer as he begged for mercy.

Thousands of people went to Republique Square near the scene to honour the victims, holding signs reading 'Je suis Charlie' - 'I am Charlie'.

Clad all in black with hoods and speaking French, the militants forced one of the cartoonists - at the office with her young daughter - to open the door.

Witnesses said the gunmen shouted 'we are from the Al Qaeda in Yemen', and 'Allahu akbar!' - Arabic for 'God is great' - as they stalked the building.

Thousands of people went to Republique Square near the scene to honour the victims, holding signs reading 'Je suis Charlie' - 'I am Charlie'

They were also said to have yelled 'the Prophet has been avenged', during what was France's deadliest post-war terrorist attack.

The attackers headed straight for the paper's editor and cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier, killing him and his police bodyguard.

The security had been recruited to protect him after extremists firebombed the offices in 2011 over a satirical cartoon about the Prophet Mohammed.

A year later, Mr Charbonnier famously dismissed threats against his life, declaring: 'I would rather die standing than live kneeling.'

The militants also killed three other renowned cartoonists  men who had regularly satirised Islam  and the newspaper's deputy chief editor
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The parents of a British tourist who died after being stabbed to death on the street in Cyprus have demanded the suspects be handed to police.

George Low, 22, of Dartford, Kent, died from a stab wound after he and his friend were attacked during a week-long break in Ayai Napa.

The two suspects, Mehmet Akinpar, 22, and Sali Ahmet, 42, fled to the Turkish part of the island and authorities have refused to hand them over to Cypriot police.

Parents Martyn and Helen Low have begged Turkish police to release them so that there can be a fair trial and they can have justice for their son.

Parents Martyn and Helen Low have begged Turkish police to release them so that there can be a fair trial

Speaking to The Sun Online, George's father Mr Low addressed his son's killers, saying: 'You will get caught.

'We will get justice. It might be in ten years, but you will get caught.'

Mother Mrs Low told the Mirror: 'It's barbaric they will walk free this Christmas while we lay a place at the table for our dead son.'

Suspects Akinpar and Ahmet were initially arrested by Cypriot police, but the suspects were released and fled to the Turkish controlled part of the island before DNA test could be carried out.

Mr and Mrs Low say they have been unable to 'grieve' because they haven't had a trial for their son.

There is no extradition treaty between the Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus.

George, an estate agent from Dartford, Kent, had spent two previous seasons in the resort as a club rep and manager, and was last there in June celebrating his birthday.

George Low (pictured), 22, of Dartford, Kent, died from a stab after he and his friend were attacked during a week-long break in Ayai Napa

He allegedly stepped in after getting into an argument with 'locals' and reportedly told them 'That's enough' when they 'disrespected' an English girl during the night out.

His friend, Ben Barker, also 22, suffered four knife wounds to his back during the pre-dawn attack while they walked down a busy street on Sunday. Mr Barker's injuries are not life-threatening.

The two suspects, Mehmet Akinpar (left), 22, and Sali Ahmet (right), 42, fled to the Turkish part of the island and authorities have refused to hand them over to the Greek Cypriot south

Mr Low leaves behind his parents, two brothers, Wesley, 25, and Oliver, 13, and two sisters, Laura, 21 and Millie, 19.

He had moved back to his home in Dartford, where he lived with his family while he saved for a deposit for a house and worked at local Acorn Estate Agents.

According to the Cyprus Mail, Mr Low and his friend had been walking along Grigori Afxentiou Street when the ambush happened and the two attackers ran off.

The victims were then taken by private ambulance to hospital in Paralimni, where doctors confirmed one of them had died.
Amanda Knox appears to have been enjoying her best holiday season yet if a series of social media posts are anything to go by.

The 31-year-old Washington woman who spent four years in an Italian prison after being convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher in 2007, last month announced she was to marry Christopher Robinson.

Knox and her beau have been ringing in the Christmas period with by partying with friends, spending time with their cats at their festively-decorated home and traveling as her new Vice documentary airs on TV.

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Amanda Knox, 31, and her novelist fiance, Christopher Robinson have been partying with friends ahead of the holidays

They celebrated a friend named Deanna's 30th birthday party on a bus littered with balloons

The duo shared footage from inside their festively-decorated home before Christmas

The Seattle resident's most recently Instagram post showed her and her fiance celebrating a friend named Deanna's 30th birthday party on a bus littered with balloons and lit by colored lights.

A fellow partygoers appears to start filling a glass as the large group are introduced to their host. 'Hi Wes!' Knox can be heard yelling from behind the camera.

Earlier in the week Knox showed she was in the holiday spirit as she shared a video of her feline friends grooming each other in the setting of a decorated Christmas tree and fairy lights around the property.

The couple spent time in Leavenworth, Washington, having winter fun in the Bavarian town with a group of friends

I mustache you a question: Knox played around with her hair in one post on Instagram

Loved up Amanda's clip was a splicing of footage that she and her partner recorded at the same time and end with images of each other.

The pets, named Mr Screams and Emil, have been a big focus on her public account which has approximately 39,000 followers lately.

They can be seen playing in gift boxes, resting under her tree, and lazing across both her and Robinson's chests as she refers to herself as a 'cat mom' and her soon-to-be husband as 'Daddy'.

She refers to her soon-to-be husband as 'Daddy' and herself a 'cat mom' in picture captions

Her cats Emil and Mr Screams can be seen playing in gift boxes near the tree

The soon-to-be-married couple showed how excited they were for December 25

Knox admitted 'It's getting out of hand' when showing off the gifts around the tree

More gifts had piled up by Sunday afternoon as Knox shared photos two days before Christmas

Her furry friends climbed all over presents placed under the tree on Sunday

It looks like this Christmas will be one of abundance for Knox and the novelist whom she has been dating since 2015. The fell in love while she was engaged to another man.

She posted an image of their tree boasting wrapped presents stacked up high.

Knox admitted 'It's getting out of hand' when showing off the gifts around the tree they'd previously shared pictures of them picking out.

The loved-up pair shared images from their trip to sunny Los Angeles recently

Knox launched her The Truth About True Crime installment, Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle

The couple also spent time in Leavenworth, Washington this month, having winter fun in the Bavarian town with a group of friends. Knox goofed around by taking a selfie sporting a fake mustache created by placing her long hair across her face.

She played tourist snapping a picture with Robinson in front of a mountain backdrop.

It made a vast difference to their trip to sunny Los Angeles where Knox launched her The Truth About True Crime installment, Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle.

Festive fir: Amanda Knox and her new fiance Christopher Robinson on Sunday headed to a Christmas tree farm in Seattle to pick up a fir for their home

The loved-up pair posed happily with their new tree and the bow saw used to chop it down

Knox, who was twice convicted and twice acquitted in Italy of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, had previously traveled to New York City to film interviews for the Vice talk show series The Scarlet Letter Reports, which she was tapped to host in May.

Knox returned to the US in 2011 after having her murder conviction for Kercher's killing overturned.

She was retried in 2014 but never returned to Italy for that trial. She was convicted in that case too.

In 2015, Italy's Supreme Court overturned her second conviction and brought an end to her legal saga.

Since settling in Seattle, Knox has taken part in a Netflix documentary about her case and has written books and articles advocating for people wrongfully convicted of crimes.

Knox (pictured in custody in 2011, left) was twice convicted and twice acquitted of murdering English student Meredith Kercher (right) in Italy

Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito (right), were accused of murdering Kercher during a sex-game-gone-wrong

In 2007, Kercher was found murdered in the villa she shared with Knox while the pair were both studying abroad in Perugia, Italy.

Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, were accused of murdering her in a sex-game-gone-wrong.

They were convicted of the murder in 2009 but were freed on appeal two years later.

Drifter Rudy Guede was also tried. He was found guilty and is still in jail. He was sentenced to 16 years behind bars in 2008.

Congolese bar owner Lumumba 'Patrick' Diya was also implicated in the murder by Knox. She claimed it was him who killed Kercher and was sued successfully by him for defamation for making the claim.
Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted on Sunday that Mexico will not directly pay for President Donald Trump's $5 billion border wall.

'Technically, you and I both know that it cannot work exactly like that,' he said on ABC's 'This Week.' 'Department of Homeland Security can't actually spend money for Mexico. We have to get it from Treasury.'

Mulvaney serves as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, making him an authority of federal spending.

His remarks come amid a government shut down brought about by a fight over Trump's wall. The president wants $5 billion to fully fund his border project while Democrats have offered $1.3 billion.

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted on Sunday that Mexico will not directly pay for President Donald Trump's $5 billion border wall

The government has shut down over a fight over Trump's wall

President Trump has claimed from the beginning days of his presidential campaign that Mexico would pay for his wall, despite the U.S.'s Southern neighbor saying flat out that it won't.

Trump and his administration have argued the country will pay for it indirectly through additional taxes brought in via the new trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

'Mexico has now agreed, for the first time in history, to keep asylum seekers, folks who are trying to get into the USA, on the Mexican side of the border. So these are folks in Mexican facilities maintained by Mexican officials. They're actually doing more for border security than many Democrats in Congress,' Mulvaney said.

'So we really think we're in a good place in terms of getting the wall built and also getting Mexico to participate in our border security,' he added.

Last week, Trump claimed the military would build his border wall and Mexico would pay for it - indirectly under the trade agreement.

'Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!,' he tweeted.

Mulvaney's admission comes after a partial government shut down began on Friday at midnight.

Trump is demanding the full $5 billion it would take to build his wall along the Mexico-U.S. border. Democrats have offered $1.3 billion.

Negotiations appear at a stalemate.

With Christmas on the horizon, Congress has adjourned until Thursday, Dec. 27.

And both the White House and Congress are conceding the shut down may last well into the new year.

'It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress,' Mulvaney said on 'Fox News Sunday.'

President Donald Trump and his administration have argued Mexico would pay for the wall indirectly through the new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada

Trump said the new trade deal means Mexico will pay for his wall

There is nothing in the trade agreement that requires Mexico to pay for the wall.

The administration is making a more nuanced argument that taxpayers and businesses will be saving money on goods and services that they will inject back into the U.S. economy.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted last week that savings through the trade deal with Mexico and Canada would provide the revenue that would pay for wall.

'The President has been clear that the USMCA deal would provide additional revenue through that deal that would show that Mexico was paying for the wall,' she said.

She added: 'He's saying that the revenue provided and the money that would be saved through the USMCA deal, we could pay for the wall four times over. And by doing that new trade deal, we have the opportunity to pay for the wall.'

The agreement isn't even legal yet. Although the three leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico signed the trade deal, the legislative bodies in each respective country must approve it before its binding. None of them have done so.

And there's no direct line of revenue from the agreement to the U.S. Treasury. Tax revenue generated by the trade provisions would not come from Mexico but from U.S. tax payers and corporations.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration's legal team was looking into whether the White House could redirect funds to build the border wall

It's estimated it would cost $5 billion to build the president's border wall

Funding for the government ran out Friday at midnight

A fact check by the Anneberg Public Policy Center found Trump's claim of indirect payment by Mexico to be false.

The center talked to economists to see if the USMCA would provide enough revenue to pay for the wall, using a figure the White House released in January: $25 billion.

'Even if we accept conceptually the argument that government revenue attributable to the revised trade agreement constitutes 'Mexico paying for the wall,' there are no plausible assumptions of USMCA's impact that would see government revenue increase by $25 billion,' Geoffrey Gertz, a fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, told the center.

Trump previously has threatened to use the military if Democrats wouldn't fully fund his border wall. As commander-in-chief he can issue orders to the troops.

But Congressional Democrats have warned that the Pentagon does not have the power to redirect funding to the border wall.

The Constitution requires Congressional approval before money can be allocated and spent, which Democrat argues applies to this move.

President Trump has also directed his Cabinet secretaries to look for funds that could be converted to building his border wall, which Democrats have also protested as illegal.

Sanders said the White House legal team was examining if such a move could be made.

'That's their entire job is determining whether or something is legal and we are looking to those individuals to find out those specific pots of money that can be used for that,' she said at her briefing Tuesday.
Christmas chaos has broken out in supermarkets across the UK as last-minute shoppers squabble over turkeys and limited parking spaces.

Brits who rushed to the shops in hope of bagging their festive treats with just two day until Christmas were met with empty shelves and people stocking piling their trolleys.

Shoppers found themselves trapped in car parks due to high levels off traffic and then stuck on congested motorways.

Sophia Howard was stuck in Tesco's car park in Chelmsford for an hour and questioned on Twitter why nobody was managing traffic flow.

Christmas chaos has broken out in supermarkets across the UK as last-minute shoppers squabble over the last turkey and limited parking spaces (shoppers in Grimsby Asda)

An onlooker told how two elderly women came to blows over a turkey in Liverpool and had to be separated by staff, calling their spat 'turkey rage'.

He described the events on his Twitter page, writing: ' 'All kickin off in Sainsbury's Rice Lane. Turkey rage. Nuts. Two old dears having a full on kick off over a turkey. Had to be separated by staff. Serene it ain't.

'One of them was about to use her walking stick as a weapon. Just hearing it continued in the car park. Merry Christmas, everyone.'

Further north of the country, Tom Clark told Hull Live: This is the worst part about Christmas - shopping and traffic.

'I need a lie down after this, it's done me in. I wouldn't wish it on my own enemy, this.'

Cars queue outside a Sainsbury's in Grimsby as one woman complained she was stuck in a Tesco car park in Chelsmford for an hour

People took to social media to lament the chaos that had broken out in stores

Meanwhile on Twitter, those who had braved the shops took to the social media platform to complain about the chaos that had erupted inside supermarkets nationwide.

Lucy Byrne, who was also feeling turkey rage, wrote: 'Going Asda today was a regrettable choice. Proper turkey rage.'

While Zoe Harrison lamented the busy stores: 'Just been to Sainsbury's to get the rest of the Christmas food shop and I've actually never seen chaos like it. Chill out it's only closed for one f***ing day.'

Brits who rushed to the shops in hope of bagging their Christmas treats just two days before the day, were met with empty shelves and people stocking piling their trolleys

Peter Monggomery also appeared confused as to why people stock pile food, writing: 'Heading to the supermarket at this time of year, I'm never sure if people are shopping for Christmas lunch or the Armaggeddon.

Those heading out on Christmas Eve have been warned to expect severe significant delays in some areas.

In Surrey today, there were major problems on the M25 anti-clockwise following a crash involving a number of vehicles. Three lanes were closed at one point.

Half of UK motorists will take to main roads or motorways on Monday, according to AA research.

Those heading out on Christmas Eve have been warned to expect severe significant delays in some areas

Analysis by the RAC and traffic information supplier Inrix predicted that roads will be busiest between 11am and 1pm.

The worst road for long delays is expected to be the M1 northbound from Junction 21 (Coventry/Leicester) to Junction 26 (Nottingham/Ripley).

Motorists queue on the M25 near the M3 (Image: SWNS)

The M25, M5, M6 and M40 have also been identified as 'likely to see significant delays' over the festive period.

In addition to the threat of long queues, drivers are also being hit with Christmas getaway fuel costs at a five-year high.

UK forecourts are charging motorists an average of 1.21 per litre for petrol and 1.31 per litre for diesel, according to Government data.

The last time prices were this high in the run-up to Christmas was 2013.

Some of Network Rail's 330 Christmas engineering projects have already begun, forcing a number of lines to be closed.

Airports are seeing a spike in demand in the build-up to Christmas.

Travel trade organisation Abta expects more than 4.7m people to head abroad from the UK between December 18 and January 2.
Two people in New York in the span of a 10 days have had the rare happening of finding pearls in their oysters at fine dining establishments, with the most recent found in a restaurant in Brooklyn.

Kristin Pulaski, 29, says she thought she had a screw in her oyster when she chomped down on the the shelled delight at Maison Premiere in Williamsburg.

'My first thought was, ''Is this like a screw or something in here?,'' she told the New York Post.

'And I took it out and saw that it couldn't have been anything else [but a pearl]. It was pearly white and round,' she said of her lucky find on December 15.

Just two weeks before, on December 5, a similar occurrence happened to Rick Antosh, 66, who was enjoying the Oyster Pan Roast at Oyster Bar in Grand Central.

Antosh, an Edgewater, New Jersey resident had come into the city to meet a high school friend for an afternoon meal.

Kristin Pulaski, 29, found this pearl in her oyster while dining at Maison Premiere in Brooklyn on December 15. She thought it was possibly a screw at first

Rick Antosh, 66, was dining at the Grand Central Oyster Bar on December 5 and found this pearl in his Oyster Pan Roast dish

Four million oysters have been served at Maison Premiere (left) and Pulaski's pearl find is the first for the establishment. Meanwhile the executive chef at Grand Central Oyster Bar (right) which has been serving the shelled delicacy since 1912, said that's only ever happened one other time since he's been there

He was initially concerned when he felt something hard in his mouth after taking a bite of his dish, which is prepared like a stew.

'For a fraction of a second, there was terror,' Antosh told the Post. 'Is it a tooth; is it a filling?'

However rare these bivalve beauty food finds are, they aren't making either lucky customer more rich.

Antosh's find was originally appraised by Eddie Livi, owner of DSL Pearl on West 47th Street in Manhattan, at up to $4,000 until Livi saw it in person and lowered the valuation substantially to just around $400 once he saw the size.

Antosh's however was a better quailty than Pulaski's whose lumpy and dulled pearl would fetch around $200.

'Natural pearls can be very valuable, but when they come in shapes that are imperfect like this and don't have that sheen, it would only be worth about $200,' said Livi.

Pulaski, who owns a nail salon, took her pearl and used it for a picture perfect manicure shot.

She says she will hold onto it and possibly turn it into a statement piece.

'We've served over 4 million oysters, [and] this is the first time a pearl has ever been found,' said Maison Premiere co-founder Joshua Boissy.

Pulaski is sharing her pearl of wisdom on the matter: 'I'll usually bite down on oysters a few times because I like the taste, but I know some people just swallow it whole,' she said.

'So maybe people swallow pearls more than they think.'

Antosh bit into his pan roast at Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City on December 5 and found a pea-sized pearl (pictured)

The Edgewater resident had come into the city to meet a high school friend for the afternoon meal.

He was initially concerned when he felt something hard in his mouth after taking a bite of his dish, which is prepared like a stew.

'For a fraction of a second, there was terror,' Antosh told the Post. 'Is it a tooth; is it a filling?'

But it wasn't a cause for alarm. The entree, which is prepared with six Blue Point oysters, simply came with an unexpected bonus in the form of a pearl.

The pearl was found in Antosh's pan roast which is prepared with Blue Point oysters that come to the restaurant pre-shucked from Virginia. A file photo of the pan roast is shown

Rick Antosh (pictured) said he didn't think it was that odd at first

Antosh thought it would be less of a rare find than he imagined, considering the fabled Oyster Bar in Grand Centeral has been serving up the shelled delicacy since 1913.

'This isn't Joe's Steakhouse. It's the most famous oyster place in the United States,' he said. 'I [assumed] it doesn't happen often, but figured it happens at times.'

It turns out it doesn't happen very often, at all.

'I've been here 28 years,' Oyster Bar executive chef Sandy Ingber said. 'This is only the second time I've seen this happen. And we sell over 5,000 oysters on the half shell every day.'

The bar uses oysters from Virginia that arrive pre-shucked to make its pan roast, he said, which makes it very unlikely that a pearl would make it to the restaurant, let alone into the dish.

'It's extremely rare, so that makes it interesting and exciting,' Ingber said.

Pearls are created with foreign objects, like a piece of sand, make their way into the shell of an oyster.

The oyster forms the pearl around the irritant to protect the mollusk.

Matthew W. Gray, an oyster physiologist at the University of Maryland, said that pearl production in Eastern oysters is a bit of a mystery.

'Among pearl producers, some species can produce a pearl that is the size of pea in less than one year; however, environmental and genetic factors play a role on the growth rate,' Gray said.

'The occurrence of natural pearls in oysters is not well understood, but anecdotally it has been estimated as 1 in 10,000.

The bar is is well known for featuring in Mad Men where Roger and Don shared a few lunchtime cocktails, causing Roger to throw up at the feet of Richard Nixon's campaign staffers back at the office.
An adorable dog has amassed a barking mad two million followers thanks to his unusual appearance and love for costumes.

Tuna, an eight-year-old chihuahua-dachshund mix, has been melting hearts online due to his less than conventional appearance, caused by an exaggerated overbite, recessed jaw and wrinkly neck.

He was rescued from a farmers' market in Los Angeles in 2010 by owner Courtney Dasher, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, who initially intended to foster him.

Eight-year-old chihuahua-dachshund mix Tuna has amassed two million online followers

He was rescued from a Los Angeles farmers market by Courtney Dasher, 37, pictured with husband Ian Patterson, 28, and daughter Grace

Hot dog, I mustard-mit: Ms Dasher attributes the dog's success to his 'unconventional' looks

Expecto Patronum: Ms Dasher fell in love with Tuna and after starting an Instagram account for the pup others started to follow him

Santa Paws: Tuna is a viral hit partly due to his fabulous costumes ranging from Cleopatra to Father Christmas

Bork like an Egyptian: Ms Dasher said there is 'something about his face and expression that gives people comic relief'

But she quickly fell in love and after starting an Instagram account for the peculiar-looking pup, others started to follow him.

Ms Dasher dressed Tuna in adorable costumes ranging from a 'tuna sub sandwich' to Cleopatra, a lion, Star Wars character Yoda and more.

Since then he has achieved internet stardom, and three years ago even led his owner to meet future husband Ian Patterson, 28, while in London.

The couple hope seeing Tuna online will encourage others to adopt and not shop, as well as giving a chance to dogs with special needs.

The Little Furmaid: 'He has been a mermaid for Halloween, I normally try to dress him in something related to his name,' Ms Dasher said

Excellent: Tuna's underbite and wrinkly neck have led some to compare him to Mr Burns from The Simpsons

Celebrity: Since Tuna achieved internet stardom he even led his owner to meet future husband Ian Patterson while in London

Mother-of-one Ms Dasher said: 'Tuna is very unconventional looking, his features are unique, there is something about his face and expression that gives people comic relief.

'They get a laugh and he brings them joy, I think he also has the ability to pull more at people's heartstrings as he looks different to other animals.

'Tuna challenges people to recognise true beauty captivates our hearts not just our eyes.

'At first there is normally a judgement about how he is "ugly" and people say cruel things... but now I rarely get those comments and he is celebrated online, people find him adorable, they laugh and enjoy seeing his posts.

'There are so many people that are cast aside because they are not conventional but people need to give these dogs, like Tuna, a chance.

Jurassic Bark: 'Tuna challenges people to recognise true beauty captivates our hearts not just our eyes,' Ms Dasher said

The Underdog With The Overbite: Ms Dasher wrote a book and also launched an annual calendar showcasing Tuna's most popular pictures and costumes

'Almost every time I take him out in public he is recognised, I will overhear them say "he looks like Tuna", when I stop it will genuinely freak them out.

'I often get approached by people at the airport or if we're eating in a restaurant on the patio some people will be bold enough to ask if it's Tuna and to have a photo.

'It's such a joyful experience they are in shock and get really excited.'

Ms Dasher recalls when she first saw Tuna and her determination to take him home due to being the underdog.

She said: 'It was a special moment when I saw him, he wasn't like all of the other puppies jumping at the cage to get attention, he looked so unwanted.

'He was shivering and appeared to be really unloved, he was the underdog with an underbite. I've always championed the underdog.

'I thought I would foster him for a while, but I fell in love and he joined the family, he's such a sweet, sweet dog. I call him my "fur-st born".'

Ms Dasher started an Instagram page for Tuna in 2011 and after one image gaining traction a year later, he has since shot to fame exploding online.

That takes the cake: Ms Dasher started an Instagram page for Tuna in 2011 and after one image gaining traction a year later, he has since shot to fame exploding online

'He's a little boy, all mischievous with a pride about him and then at times he can also be a cantankerous old man in his 80s,' Ms Dasher said

This would allow Ms Dasher to write a book, and also launch an annual calendar showcasing his most popular pictures and costumes.

'We annually produce a calendar, we included a Cleopatra costume, Lion photo, and more.

'I think it's the expressions he pulls that make the photos.

'He has been a mermaid for Halloween, I normally try to dress him in something related to his name.

'One year he was a tuna sub sandwich another time he was a spicy tuna roll, so this time he was "tuna of the sea".

'He's a little boy, all mischievous with a pride about him and then at times he can also be a cantankerous old man in his 80s.'

Drawing attention 'almost everywhere' he goes, Tuna hopes to show others the importance of animal rescue.

Ms Dasher added: 'Since Tuna is the epitome of the underdog, most people advocate for him and adore him for his endearing qualities.

'His loyal followers embrace his physical differences, have fallen in love with his charm and connect to his message - that true beauty comes in all forms and radiates from within.'

For more information visit: www.tunameltsmyheart.com.
Authorities in Idaho are working in conjunction with Colorado and federal agencies to execute search warrants relating to the disappearance of Kelsey Berreth who is presumed dead.

According to Fox 31 Denver, a press release from the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Department says that their detectives are working with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) and the FBI 'to prepare and serve several search warrants as well as processing some items of evidence with the assistance of Twin Falls County and Twin Falls City Evidence Technicians.'

Twin Falls is the area that Berreth's cell phone last pinged on November 25, three days after the last time she was seen publicly at a supermarket on Thanksgiving.

'We are pleased our organizations were able to provide the assistance and support requested by the FBI, CBI, and the Woodland Park Police Department,' Sheriff Tom Carter and Police Chief Craig Kingsbury said in a joint statement.

Kelsey Berreth's family shared a shot of her with her one-year-old daughter with a graphic reading 'Always in our hearts,' on Sunday after her fiance, Patrick Frazee, was arrested Friday on suspicion of first-degree murder as well as solicitation of murder.

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Kelsey Berreth's family shared a shot of her with her one-year-old daughter with a graphic reading 'Always in our hearts' after police revealed she is believed to be dead

In custody: Frazee (in his mugshot) was booked at 8:33am Friday after his fiance Kelsey Berreth has been presumed dead. Her remains have not been recovered

On Friday the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Woodland Park Police were at Berreth's home where they believe she was murdered

Frazee appeared at Teller County court via video conference where the judge read him his charges. The audience at court was unable to see the screen.

He is being represented by a public defender and non 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.

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.

Suspect: Police served an arrest warrant on Patrick Frazee early Friday morning (above being cuffed) in Colorado, one month 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 to turn heads as well when he made a trip to the local waste management facility on Wednesday.
Theresa May has hailed the work of the Armed Forces from Salisbury to Syria in her Christmas message to UK servicemen and women.

Mrs May highlighted the work done after the Russian Novichok attack in Wiltshire as well as those serving further afield in her end-of-year message to those who will not be at home with their loved ones.

She said UK forces had 'continued to demonstrate why you are the finest in the world'.

Theresa May (pictured in London last week) has hailed the work of the Armed Forces from Salisbury to Syria in her Christmas message to UK servicemen and women

'From playing a vital role in cleaning up after a sickening nerve agent attack on the streets of Salisbury, protecting our waters and our skies from Russian intrusion and strengthening our allies in Eastern Europe, striking at terrorism as part of the Global Coalition against Daesh, and along with our US and French allies - sending a message to the Assad regime that we will not stand by while chemical weapons are used, as they were in April on families, including young children,' she said.

'Time and again, you have stood up to aggression and those who flout the rules-based international order.

'You should be incredibly proud of all that you do, just as the whole country is proud of you.'

She added: 'Now as we approach the New Year, there will be new challenges ahead.

'But I know you will continue to meet them in the same way that you have always done. With courage, determination, resilience, ingenuity.

'Qualities that are as vital now as they have ever been.'

Army officers in protective clothing remove the bench where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were taken ill in Salisbury in March this year

The Army was called into Salisbury in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former spy Sergei Skripal in March.

Military personnel covered the crime scene with silver sheets and took away the bench where the Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia were taken ill.

The Skripals and Wiltshire Police officer Nick Bailey were left fighting for their lives after they were exposed to the Soviet-era nerve agent.

They survived but mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died after she and her partner Charlie Rowley were exposed to the novichok in Salisbury months later.

In September the suspects were named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, although police did not believe those were their real names.

Metropolitan Police said they would not apply for extradition as Russia's constitution does not allow it.

The Met's counter-terror squad took over the investigation after Skripal's identity emerged.
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he discussed the 'slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops' from Syria with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as criticism of his decision ramped up both home and abroad.

'I just had a long and productive call with President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey. We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home. We also discussed heavily expanded Trade,' he tweeted on Sunday.

His move comes as some lawmakers from his own Republican Party were critical of his decision to pull the 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria.

President Donald Trump is digging in on his decision to remove U.S. troops from Syria

'Why are you still there?' Turkish President Recep Erdogan asked President Trump during a call where Trump ditched a script and ended up promising a withdrawal from Syria

He is defending his decision against ramped up criticism at home and abroad

'We were going to leave Syria. But to leave it when you're within a couple of months of doing something that is very important in the fight against ISIS and the president knows that, and we pull - jerk the rug out from under two months in advance, that's hard to understand,' outgoing Republican Sen. Bob Corker said on CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday.

Corker has been one of the biggest Republican critics of the president's decision. He was at the White House on Thursday, waiting to meet with Trump on the issue, when the president abruptly canceled the meeting before Corker could see him.

The senator, who is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he thinks Trump realizes he made a mistake with his Syria decision.

'I think he knows that he has made a mistake. I do. The president's tendencies are to dig in and double down even if he knows he did something incorrect. I don't think he wanted to talk about Syria that day and so the meeting was called off. And in a that's what happened,' Corker said.

Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney said the decision would hand a victory to ISIS.

'I think he knows that he has made a mistake,' GOP Sen. Bob Corker said of Trump's decision on Syria

Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney said the decision would hand a victory to ISIS

'I am deeply, deeply concerned and I oppose strongly the president's decision apparently to withdraw troops from Syria. The apparent decision that- that we're now going to be looking at withdrawing troops from Afghanistan,' she said Sunday on CBS' 'Face the Nation.'

'These two decisions would be disastrous. They would really, in many ways, hand the victories to our enemies to Iran, to ISIS in Syria, the Taliban, al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. It's a very dangerous path to go down and we shouldn't be going down it. We ought to make sure that we keep our troops there in order to prevent the establishment of safe havens from those groups that want to attack us.'

But hardline Republican Sen. Rand Paul applauded the president's move.

'I'm very proud of the president. This is exactly what he promised. And I think the people agree with him, actually. I think people believe we've been at war too long in too many places and we do need to turn attention to problems we have at home here. Roads, bridges, schools,' he said on CNN's 'State of the Union.'

And French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticized Trump's decision, saying 'an ally must be reliable'.

But acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said there was little chance the president would change his mind.

'No, I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever. You're seeing the end result now of two years worth of work,' he said on ABC's 'This Week.'

Trump shocked lawmakers on Capitol Hill and foreign allies last week when he announced plans to remove troops from Syria, where they have been helping coordinate a multinational fight against ISIS.

Turkey applauded the move.

Trump's decision came after a private call with the hard-line president of Turkey where the president ditched a script crafted by his aides and was told allies fighting alongside the U.S. were terrorists.

French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Trump's decision, saying 'an ally must be reliable'.

But Republican Sen. Rand Paul backed Trump's decision in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper

The fateful call occurred Friday, according to multiple press accounts, just as Turkey's President Recep Erdogan publicly saber-rattling about a campaign to wipe out U.S.-allied Turkish forces in northeastern Syria.

The U.S. has relied on Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria to take out ISIS elements in a multi-year military campaign that Trump cheered on Twitter Friday.

On the call, Erdogan was able to seize control of the conversation by pointing to U.S. military success, saying the U.S. had already defeated 99 per cent of ISIS.

When he asked Trump 'Why are you still there?', it prompted Trump to pass on the query to his own security advisor, John Bolton, who was monitoring the call.

Sources on the call said Trump 'quickly capitulated' and yielded to Erdogan's withdrawal demand, the Associated Press reported.

Trump has swiped at critics of his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria by saying if anyone else brought soldiers home they would be branded a 'hero'.

In a series of fiery tweets Saturday night, the president also dismissed the top U.S. envoy in the fight against ISIS as an 'Obama appointee' who he claimed he did not know.

President Donald Trump (left) Saturday dismissed special envoy Brett McGurk (right) has an 'Obama' appointee' who he didn't know and was set to stand down a month from now. This follows McGurk's decision to quit his role two months earlier than expected

Trump said he had an 'interesting relationship with Mattis and he had given him resources

Trump launched a tirade on Twitter (pictured) against top US officials who resigned within days of each other after they disagreed with his decision to pull troops out of Syria

Earlier Saturday, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk announced his resignation in the wake of Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria and just days after Mattis's announced departure.

McGurk was to leave the role in February but moved up his departure date by two months to December 31 after very publicly stating that the move to pull American forces at this time could result in a 'possibly catastrophic outcome'.

Responding to the news , Trump tweeted: 'Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015.

'Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!.

'If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!

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 Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials.

Trump also fired a parting shot at Mattis, the most respected foreign policy official in the administration who will leave by the end of February.

He tweeted: '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'.

President Donald Trump (2nd L) and Secretary of Defense James Mattis (2nd R) participate in a moment of silence for the late President George H. W. Bush as they attend the Army-Navy game in early December

The former United States Marine Corps general commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He later served as the Commander of United States Central Command under Obama.

Trump announced on Sunday Mattis would leave his administration on January 1 instead of Feb. 28 as originally planned.
Birmingham Airport has resumed operations after it was forced to suspend flights earlier this evening due to a air traffic control system fault.

Staff said the disruption began at around 6pm and was cleared around two hours later.

The incident comes the same week as the Gatwick Airport fiasco, which saw roughly 140,000 passengers affected when a drone was apparently spotted around the runway, forcing bosses to ground flights across three days.

Passengers have been advised to check with their airline regarding their flight at Birmingham Airport (pictured) this evening. Stock picture

A spokesman for the airport said: 'Birmingham Airport has had to temporarily suspend services due to an air traffic control fault.

'We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

'Passengers are advised to check with their airline regarding flight departures and arrivals.

'We apologise for the inconvenience this is causing to our passengers.'

Air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol, told the BBC, flights are expected to be affected until around 10pm.

The delays at the airport means more misery for travelers desperate to get home in time for Christmas.

Passengers prepare to disembark after flights at Birmingham Airport were temporarily halted due to an air traffic control system fault

On Twitter, one user said: 'We are stuck in Dublin being told there is a systems failure in Birmingham is that true??'

Another added: 'What a great start to a long-planned honeymoon...not! Can anyone at least tell passengers what is going on?!'

Another social media user expressed concern about being able to get home in time for Christmas.

She said: 'A cancelled flight yesterday and now no chance of getting on our alternative option as Birmingham airport is closed due to technical difficulties . Merry Christmas @flybe'
A heartbroken mother, whose son was jailed indefinitely as a teenager for stealing a mobile phone, fears he may take his own life.

Kiya Smith, 24, from Cardiff, who was jailed in 2011 for robbery, is yet to receive a release date seven years after his crime.

After his arrest Smith was not given a specific period of time to spend behind bars but instead handed a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP).

Offenders who are handed an IPP are set a minimum term (tariff) which they must spend in prison before they can apply to a Parole Board for release.

Mother Donna Wall, 44, from Ely, Cardiff, fears for her son Kiya Smith's life after he was jailed indefinitely as a teenager for stealing a mobile phone

Offenders must demonstrate to the Parole Board that they are no longer a threat.

The sentences were introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and were meant to protect the public from offenders whose crimes did not merit an ordinary life sentence.

But when IPP sentences were abolished by the UK Government in 2012 they were not scrapped retrospectively for 4,500 prisoners who had already been sentenced to them.

In the first eight months of 2018, according to Ministry of Justice figures, 548 prisoners serving IPP sentences were freed from jail.

Since his imprisonment, Smith has missed out on seeing his eight-year-old daughter Latatya grow up and has missed the birth of his young sister.

His mother Donna Wall, 44, from Ely, Cardiff, says living life without a light at the end of the tunnel has affected her son's mental health and has caused him to be placed in isolation and to self-harm.

Kiya Smith, 24, from Cardiff, who was jailed in 2011 for robbery, is yet to receive a release date seven years after his crime. His mother has seen a decline in his mental health and said he has started to self-harm

Now she is campaigning for IPPs to be removed retrospectively in order to give her son some hope that he will be released.

She said: 'I am horrified I will get a knock on the door and or a phone call saying he's hung himself. I worry about him all the time and I can't sleep properly.

'I can't speak to him on the phone at Christmas because it's too upsetting so I put him on to his brothers and sisters so he can ask them what they've had for Christmas.

'His mental health is suffering, he's self-harming. I went to see him [recently] and I saw the marks on his arms. He was in Long Lartin [prison] and he was in segregation for eight months.

'He volunteered for this PIPE (psychologically informed planned environments) course to be told there's a three-year waiting list.

Ms Wall said: 'His mental health is suffering, he's self-harming. I went to see him [recently] and I saw the marks on his arms. He was in Long Lartin [prison] and he was in segregation for eight months'

'He's now in Swaleside in the Isle of Sheppey where he's in isolation - they have got to house him back on the wing.

'It depends when I can get a lift when I can go and see him. He asks me when am I coming next and all I can say is I don't know.'

Over the last year Smith has not been able to get an appointment with the Parole Board after his parole hearing was cancelled twice.

Ms Wall said: 'They said it would be in April and then that was cancelled and they said it would be in September and then we haven't heard since.

'When I saw him last he was all right but when he phones me you can hear in his voice he's really down while on the visit he may have put up a front.

'He says he's okay but he knows deep down he's not.

'Lataya came up [recently] - it was the first time she could hug her father in ages. She asks when is her dad coming home and I can't answer her.

'We don't even know when his next parole [hearing] is.'

Ms Wall is now campaigning with Shirley Debono whose son Shaun Lloyd, also from Ely, served three times more inside than his minimum tariff of two years and nine months after being convicted of robbery in 2006, to get IPP sentences scrapped.
A 'medio' flat white from Costa contains 277mg of caffeine (stock image)

Costa Coffee's flat white has the most caffeine of any regular-size drink on the high street, boasting more than three times the stimulant found in a can of Red Bull.

The coffee chain, which is Britain's largest and most popular, typically uses between two and four shots of espresso in their drinks, depending on size.

A 'medio' flat white, made with three shots, contains 277mg of caffeine, whereas a 250ml can of the Red Bull energy drink contains 80mg, according to a report submitted to the government's committee on toxicity, which is investigating energy drinks.

One shot of Costa's espresso contains 92mg of caffeine, whereas a typical cup of tea contains roughly 40mg.

The recommended limit for adults is 400mg of caffeine a day.

Ted Kallmyer, the editor of Caffeine Informer, which publishes information about caffeinated drinks, told The Times: 'It is important that consumers understand caffeine better and the amount that is right for their body.

'Some coffee companies are lagging behind in disclosing the amount of caffeine in their drinks.

A Costa flat white has three times as much caffeine as 250ml can of energy drink Red Bull

'Some people will be having more caffeine than they think they're having. Two flat whites can put you over your recommended limit. The main problem is if it affects your sleep, it can then have other health effects because sleep is so important.'

The British Coffee Association states that drinking the beverage can have 'positive effects on an individuals alertness and concentration', as well as alleviating symptoms of the common cold.

But jitters, nausea, anxiety, heart palpitations, vomiting, restlessness and nervousness are listed on Caffeine Informer's chart of caffeine overdose symptoms.

Costa, which is Britain's largest and most popular coffee house, uses between two and four shots of espresso in their drinks, depending on size

The website lists extreme cases where individuals have suffered injury and even died due to caffeine overdose - though these cases involve very large quantities of caffeine, far more than any high street cup of coffee.

In one recorded case, 19-year-old James Stone died in 2007 after consuming 25 to 30 No-Doz caffeine pills to stay awake - the equivalent of drinking 30 cups of coffee.

Earlier this year a father-of-three suffered a brain haemorrhage after downing 25 cans of Monster and Red Bull in six hours.

Nick Mitchell, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said the drinks 'are as bad as drugs and should be banned'.

An inquest in September this year heard that English and French student Marty Dragonova, 20, died after overdosing on caffeine tablets after taking the equivalent of 147 cups of coffee.
A suicidal NYPD officer experienced his own version of the classic film It's a Wonderful Life when he was saved by an 'angel' on Christmas Eve.

After the death of his father, the loss of his fellow officers in 9/11 and becoming disabled on the job, Dean Simpson, then 35, had slipped into alcoholism and depression.

It was Christmas Eve 2001 when Dean boarded a train to upstate New York with his father's bible in one pocket and a gun in the other, determined to end his life.

That's when a cheerful woman in her 60s, full of holiday spirit, chatted up the lonely cop in an interaction that would save his life.

Dean Simpson (pictured right with his father) was on a train to upstate New York on Christmas Eve 2001 with the intent to end his life

A cheerful woman in her 60s began chatting him up and left with him a note that read: Life is a gift meant to be shared. Don't ever give up hope! Merry Christmas'

Dean grew up in Brooklyn with his brother and father James, who worked as an NYPD detective.

After serving in the Army after college, Dean followed in his father's footsteps to join the NYPD .

That was until 1993 when he was patrolling and approached two hooded men, one of whom pulled out a gun. It went off, shattering Dean's knuckles.

Dean went on disability having suffered vertigo and hearing loss. He took to drinking as a way to cope.

His life appeared to crumble from there. After the death of his father from lymphoma, he and his brother had become estranged and the woman he was in love with left him for another man.

His story mirrors the classic 1947 film It's a Wonderful Life

Things only got worse for Dean when he woke up from a night of drinking to find the Twin Towers had fallen.

He began volunteering in the cleanup effort. That lasted three weeks until he felt he was only getting in the way.

Soon after, the funerals began. Dean attended 23 in total for the fallen officers who he called friends.

By that time he had sank to a new low. Contemplating suicide, Dean thought of the best way to end his life that wouldn't be an inconvenience for others to clean up.

So on Christmas Even he bought a one-way ticket to Albany heading for Black Mountain overlooking Lake George.

He was sitting alone when a woman wearing a bright red scarf and Gucci bag sat near him.

'Isn't it pretty?' she asked Dean of the snow-frosted trees, adding how much she loved the holiday season.

She asked Dean what he loved most about New York.

'I love anonymity,' he responded. 'I love that in a city with over 8 million people, I can go for days without talking to a soul and not feel as though I missed out on a single thing. However, the thing I love most about New York City is being left alone.'

Dean now admits in his book The Blue Pawn: A Memoir of an NYPD Foot Soldier that he was taken aback by how rude his response was.

He apologized to the woman and she accepted.

The woman, seemingly unfazed, continued to keep Dean company. She was from Saratoga and her doctor husband had died two years prior.

Dean, a disabled NYPD officer an alcoholic, decided not to end his life that day and the now 51-year-old lives in Florida where he helps traumatized war veterans

Dean's father died in 2001 and his fellow officers were killed during 9/11 which sent him into an alcoholic depression

The woman went on sharing details of her life and her compassion got Dean emotional as his eyes welled with tears.

Before the final stop, the woman got up and returned with a pink slip of paper.

'I don't know where you're headed,' she said, 'but when you get there, read this.'

She hugged him and continued on her way.

He wrote a book titled: The Blue Pawn: A Memoir of an NYPD Foot Soldier

Dean walked along the two-and-a-half-mile trail of Black Mountain until he reached the summit.

He took out his father's bible and a piece of paper came out. Written on it was his father's favorite passage: Corinthians 10:13.

Dean thought it strange that 10:13 was the police code for an officer in need of assistance.

He read the passage: 'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.'

He then read the note.

'Dean, Life is a gift meant to be shared. Don't ever give up hope! Merry Christmas, Erin,' it read.

After staring at the note for a while, he emptied the gun chamber and tossed it. Dean headed back down the trail with a renewed sense of purpose purpose.

He dropped drinking and two years later moved to Florida where he began volunteer work helping war veterans rebuild their lives.

Dean met the woman of his dreams and in 2014 married her.

He never did find Erin though he's tried tracking her down without a last man.

Dean now keeps her note and his father's bible on his top dresser and said he reads it from time to time.

Like the 1947 film, it took an 'angel' to talk the protagonist down from harming themselves

'Angels are around us,' the now-51-year-old says. 'People talk about acts of kindness. We may not realize how many of them are bestowed on us every day.'

Dean's story echoes the 1947 film It's a Wonderful Life that sees George Bailey thinking about jumping from a bridge on Christmas.

But when he's ready to jump, he is rescued by a guardian angel named Clarence who shows him what life would be like without his impact on the world.

For confidential support in the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here .

For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here .

For confidential support in Australia, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or click here .
Officials say they are doing everything they can to get a Saudi Arabian murder suspect back to the United States after he fled on board a private jet with the help of his country's consulate.

Investigators believe Abdulrahman Semeer Noorah used an illicit passport to flee the country having cut off his police-issued ankle tracker as he skipped his $1million bail.

Noorah has denied the manslaughter of 15-year-old Fallon Smart who was hit by his gold Lexus when he illegally swerved around stopped traffic letting the teenager cross the road in Portland, Oregon in August 2016.

The Portland Community College man went missing June 10, 2017  just two weeks before he was due to stand trial - and the Saudi government confirmed to US Marshals this July that Noorah had returned to Saudi Arabia seven days after he went missing.

Officials believe Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah fled the US on a private jet with help from the Saudi consulate last year. It was two weeks before he was due to stand trial for the manslaughter of Fallon Smart

KSA has no extradition agreement with the USA.

'We're doing everything we can to get him back,' Eric Wahlstrom, a supervisory deputy US Marshal in Oregon told Oregon Live.

Noorah skipped bail in Portland, Oregon after the Saudi consulate posted $100,000 bond in 2016.

Fresh claims say the Saudi citizen, then 21, packed a bag, was picked up by a private black GMC Yukon XL car that drove him two miles to a sand-and-gravel yard, then he cut off the tracking device on his ankle before beginning his journey back home. Noorah has been given permission from Kolberg, to study at college that afternoon but that's not where the SUV took him.

Yet, despite the luxurious transport home, and generous bond posted by his consulate, it doesn't appear that Noorah's parents are influential.

His mother is a kindergarten teacher, and his father owns a trailer business, according to a report by his bail release supervisor, Deputy Kari Kolberg, Willamette Week reports.

However, Saudi Arabia often posts bail for its citizens arrested in the US, including $2million for Ziyad Abid, a Saudi student who was accused of murdering a bar owner in Missouri in 2013, and later that same year, they paid $5 million bail for a Saudi princess accused of human trafficking.

Kolberg only learned of his disappearance after returning from a weekend trip where she didn't have cell phone service and after contacting the prosecutor, Overstreet, there were fears Noorah had taken his own life.

They used sniffer dogs to search a nearby park and the location where his ankle monitor was eventually found. Then surveillance footage of the vehicle he's believed to have escaped in corroborated the story according to a GPS log.

Smart was killed ass he crossed the road in a car which Noorah was driving

Her family didn't want Noorah to get bail for fear he would flee the country which he later did

Courtesy of KOIN

Police found a bag packed with clothes, a cell phone and computer at his home. It's unclear why he left it.

No flights through the US or Canada showed up with his name leading investigators to believe Saudi Arabia gave him a passport under a different name to cross a border.

The consulates in Los Angeles and Washington declined to comment to Oregon Live about Noorah.

Noorah's bail had been raised from $280,000 to $1million as he was deemed a flight risk. But it didn't stop him from evading the law as the consulate provided posted $100,000, the 10 per cent needed in the state to be released.

As the money was given directly to him it meant the KSA government was not responsible for the full amount owed. However authorities cannot find the individual to collect anyhow.

According to records, the country worked with private investigators to handle his case before he vanished.

He denied manslaughter despite admitting being behind the wheel at the time

He had to hand over his passport when he paid the amount on September 11, 2016 and remained under house arrest at the home of his US host Terri Stanford as he continued his studies on a scholarship.

The Saudi Arabian embassy financially supported Noorah with monthly payments of around $1,800.

His host  who has seen many exchange students come through her door - described him as 'one of the kindest boys I've ever met'.

Two years ago she said she was worried about his 'mental stability' and 'declining health' as he stopped eating, sleeping and being social before he was due to stand trial.

'He suffers immensely from remorse and the effects of his trauma,' she wrote in a letter to his lawyer.

Stanford said Noorah began to take prescription medicine and was hospitalized on more than one occasion. She claimed eventually 'he couldn't function' and she believed 'there was no way he was going to survive jail'.

The Saudi Arabian embassy posted his bail in 2016 and he was placed under house arrest

It came after his grandmother passed away, his mother became ill and pressure mounted with his exams due to take place a week before the trail start date.

Two of his attorneys declined to speak to Oregon Live.

Multnomah County prosecutor Shawn Overstreet agreed 'he was not doing well' at the time.

Noorah was driving around 50 mph or 60 mph on a suspended license when Smart was killed.

Fallon's family are outraged that he has fled after pleas to deny him bail.

Her uncle wrote on Facebook last year: 'It seems to me, based on previous facts and strange occurrences, there are strings being pulled for this man. I am not making accusations, but am simply stating facts, and what one might speculate based on those facts.

In 2012 the Saudi government paid bail for Oregon first-degree rape suspect Ali Hussain Alhamoud, who was also accused of other sex crimes. On the same day he flew back to his country.

In 2015 KSA paid the $100,000 for a male accused of rape in Utah. Monsour Alshammari was later found trying to flee at the US-Mexico border.

Saudi Arabia is also believed to have held a squad of 15 men leave the country on a private jet the same day journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate in Istanbul in October.
Patients could be stranded despite having no medical reason to remain on wards

Thousands of elderly patients could be stranded in hospital over the festive period when they have no need to be there.

A report has found the equivalent of more than 4,600 hospital beds will have been occupied unnecessarily over December.

Despite having no medical reason to remain on the wards, elderly people can end up stuck there due to NHS delays or because the failing social care system cannot find anywhere else to look after them.

A report has found that more than 4,600 hospital beds will have been occupied unnecessarily over December, leaving thousands of elderly patients stranded in hospital. (Stock image)

Critics said the figures showed the effects of years of disastrous cuts to health and social services budgets.

Labour social care spokesman Barbara Keeley said the Governments failure to reform social care was keeping vulnerable elderly people from their families over Christmas.

Hospital bed blocking hit a high of 5,103 in February this year, but the figures have fallen slowly since.

In its analysis, Labour predicts the December figure will be around 4,615.

This includes 2,931 stuck in hospital because of delays elsewhere in the NHS, and 1,343 over delays in social care.

Another 341 will remain in a hospital bed because of delays to both.

The figures are calculated by adding together all the nights patients spend unnecessarily in hospital over the course of the month.

Miss Keeley said: This shambolic Government will be forever infamous for having record numbers of delayed transfers of care on their watch  and now as many as 5,000 beds will be occupied unnecessarily over the festive period, causing misery to people who should be at home with families.

The toxic combination of cuts to our NHS and the budgets of councils who deliver social care mean that vital care packages and further treatment, like rehabilitation and physiotherapy in the community, just isnt available.

Critics have said the figures showed the effects of years of cuts to health and social services budgets. (Stock image)

Cuts to council budgets over the past seven years have forced many town halls to slash social care services such as home helps.

Without these, hospitals cannot send many elderly people back home, as they cannot be certain they will be looked after.

There is also a shortage of care home places  meaning hospitals cannot send them there either.

This has meant fewer hospital beds are available for new patients, which has pushed NHS waiting times to record levels.

Despite the problems, the Governments long-awaited social care green paper has repeatedly been delayed.

Evidence shows that, for older people, ten days in a hospital bed leads to the equivalent of ten years of muscle ageing.

Last month Theresa May announced an initiative to tackle the scandal, saying crack medical teams would be sent in to the community to keep the elderly out of hospital and in their own homes.

A Department of Health spokesman said it had freed up 2,000 beds a day since February last year.

They added: We have invested 420million this winter to improve performance, redevelop A&Es and help patients get home quicker, including 240million for councils to help reduce social care pressures on the NHS.
Two people are assisting with police after a man was found dead in a Melbourne home.

Police attended the Civic Parade home in Altona in the city's south-west at around 11.20pm on Sunday, where a man was found dead inside.

Photos of the scene show smatterings of blood smeared on the front door of the home.

Forensic police spent the night examining the Altona home, where a man's body was found

Security cameras that cover the home and a neighbouring property could hold vital clues to what happened to the man, 9 News reported.

'Police are yet to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the death and the investigation is ongoing,' a Victoria Police statement said.

'A man and a woman are assisting police with their inquiries.'

Smatterings of blood can be seen smeared all over the front door on Monday morning

The age of the deceased man is unknown.

Homicide Squad detectives are investigating and spent the night examining the home.

They remained at the crime scene on Monday morning.

Neighbours said they did not see or hear anything suspicious in the quiet area during the night.

Police were called to the Melbourne home at around 11.20pm on Sunday night

'We didn't know what was happening,' one man told Fairfax Media.

'I don't know [the residents of the house] ... it's quite a bit of different kind of people [living there], we don't know who really they are.'

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A jealous wife stabbed her husband four times with a kitchen knife because he 'took too long' doing the Christmas shopping.

Stuart Simpson, 45, was attacked by Sonia Simpson, 52, at his home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in December last year.

The chef, who suffered a collapsed lung, said he 'lost all confidence' after ten years of abuse from Simpson.

He now hopes to encourage more men to speak out and report domestic violence.

Sonia Simpson, 52, stabbed Stuart Simpson four times with a kitchen knife because he 'took too long' doing the Christmas shopping in December last year

Mr Simpson said: 'It's sad that men feel they can't get help. It's such a taboo subject that it's difficult for us to speak out about it.

'When I was with Sonia, I felt like her behaviour was my fault and I'd caused it.

'Now, I've realised that there was nothing I could have done and I want other men to realise there's nothing to be ashamed of.'

Mr Simpson, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, suffered a collapsed lung in the attack

Mr Simpson lived with his wife until October last year - when the couple split but agreed to stay friends.

He then invited his estranged wife to celebrate Christmas with him and his friend Stacey in his new house share.

He said: 'I went into town while Sonia had some drinks with Stacey at home.

'But it took me longer than anticipated due to the rush of last-minute shoppers.

'By the time I arrived home five hours later, Sonia was raging.

'She asked Stacey if she thought I was an idiot and, when Stacey disagreed, Sonia lunged at her and punched her in the face.

'I grabbed Stacey and pushed her out of the room - protecting her from Sonia. But, as I shut the living door, I felt a sharp sensation in my back.

'Moments later, I realised that Sonia had stabbed me so hard with a kitchen knife that the handle had snapped off.'

Dazed, Mr Simpson staggered into the hallway where he told Stacey to call the police.

He managed to trap Simpson in the living room by holding the door handle. Police officers and an ambulance arrived moments later.

Simpson was arrested and the chef was rushed to James Pagett Hospital in Norfolk.

Mr Simpson said: 'At the hospital doctors told me I had a collapsed lung which was life-threatening. They inserted a drain into my chest to remove fluid.

'I thought I was going to die.'

He added that he 'completely missed Christmas' and couldn't believe he had been 'carved up like a turkey' by his ex.

Stacey also required medical attention after suffering a fractured cheekbone in Ms Simpson's attack.

Mr Simpson (pictured with Simpson, centre, and friend Stacey, right) now hopes to encourage more men to speak out about domestic violence

Mr Simpson was discharged from hospital five days later.

The chef said his wife, who he met in December 2007, had been jealous and controlling for some years before the attack.

He said she had accused him of cheating on numerous occasions - once while he was at his mother's funeral.

He said: 'I was working long hours as a chef and when I got home, Sonia would accuse me of sleeping with my boss.

'And she became jealous of every woman I went near, refusing to trust me.

Simpson was jailed for 14 years for causing grievous bodily harm with intent and perverting the course of justice at Norwich Crown Court in July

'I was so wrapped up in the relationship that I couldn't see how controlling it was.

'I was constantly walking around on eggshells so I didn't upset her.'

Simpson pleaded guilty to battery for punching Stacey but denied the charges against her husband at Norwich Crown Court in July.

She was eventually found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 14 years.

Mr Simpson said: 'I do think that women get away with domestic violence more than men.

'Unfortunately, there's a stigma against men talking about their emotions so until we crack this, I think men will always struggle with this.'
Her Harry Potter books depict a fearless hero battling against a dastardly leader and his fanatical group of followers.

But now J K Rowling has taken aim at another antagonist with a cult-like support  Jeremy Corbyn and his fanbase.

Miss Rowling, a former Labour loyalist, posted a story in a series of tweets  written in mock Old Testament language  after Mr Corbyn gave an interview in which he said Brexit would go ahead even if he won a snap election.

Author J K Rowling posted a story in a series of tweets after Jeremy Corbyn gave an interview in which he said Brexit would go ahead even if he won a snap election

Decrying him as 'Saint Jeremy', Miss Rowling describes being besieged by 'a host of Corbyn defenders'.

In the short story titled 'The Visitation of The Corbynites', Miss Rowling says Mr Corbyn 'hath always in his secret heart desired' to leave the EU.

In a swing at his Remainer fans, she goes on: 'He hath not admitted what was in his heart, lest fewer attend his next Sermon on the Glastonbury B Stage.'

Her fictional Corbynistas insist: 'Saint Jeremy will achieve a miracle, and he shall bring forth a Jobs First Brexit and all the land shall rejoice,' to which she replies: 'B******s... I have, for all my life, voted Labour, yet now I cannot.'

The former Labour loyalist posted the tweets about Mr Corbyn in mock Old Testament language

The biblical-style Twitter thread hit out at Labour leader 'Saint Jeremy' and his supporters

On Mr Corbyn's failure to adequately tackle Labour's anti-Semitism problem, Miss Rowling writes: 'For when Jews no longer feel safe in Labour, I too must leave.'

The author titled the story 'The Visitation of The Corbynites'

She addressed claims that she was against Mr Corbyn for tax reasons  'because he shall take from thee in taxation much more even than Herod'.

Miss Rowling, who lives in Edinburgh, points out her taxes are set by 'Queen Nicola'  the First Minister, Miss Sturgeon  adding: 'Unto her I do pay my full portion.'

Mr Corbyn's supporters in the story tell her 'you are a fool who doth not understand St Jeremy's master plan', before ordering her to 'go to a certain allotment, where she would find the Messiah busy with his marrows and she would be filled with the spirit of Momentum'.

But real-life supporters of Mr Corbyn attacked Miss Rowling on Twitter. Scott Fitzjaggers tweeted: 'Britain is being destroyed by the worst, most corrupt government in living memory and Britain's most celebrated author is making fun of the opposition leader who's working to help common people.'

Susie Harris added: 'Well I couldn't be bothered to read through all your ramblings JK Rowling because it just reads 'I hate Jeremy Corbyn', 'I hate Jeremy Corbyn', 'I hate Jeremy Corbyn' wrapped up in Shakespeare-speak.'

Miss Rowling is a long-time Labour supporter but has previously criticised Mr Corbyn's leadership.

Ahead of last year's general election, she posted a link to an article titled: 'What should you do if you support Labour but can't stand Jeremy Corbyn?'
Emergency border exercises will take place at ports and airports next month to see how they would cope with a no-deal Brexit.

Fake passengers and even lorries of sheep could be used in the practice runs to test Border Force computer systems and staff.

Ministers were told of the plans as part of a Cabinet meeting last week where they agreed to ramp up preparations for the possibility of leaving the EU in March without an agreement.

Fake passengers and even lorries of sheep could be used as part of the emergency border exercises testing Border Force computer systems and staff. (Stock image)

Chancellor Philip Hammond is also looking at slashing business rates in the event of no deal, the Sunday Times reported.

Corporation tax is set at 19 per cent and under existing plans is set to fall to 17 per cent by 2020.

It is claimed Mr Hammond could cut it even further so the country remains an attractive place to do business.

At the Tory conference in October, Mr Hammond said he was maintaining fiscal firepower to support our economy if there is no deal.

This comes as the Sunday Times reported Chancellor Philip Hammond was looking to slash business rates in the event of no deal

Last January, he suggested to German newspaper Die Welt that the UK could change its economic model, leading to claims he wanted to turn the country into a low-tax, low-regulation Singapore-on-Thames.

Mr Hammond said: We could suffer from economic damage at least in the short-term.

In this case, we could be forced to change our economic model and we will have to change our model to regain competitiveness.
His fine moustache is as renowned as his ability to solve even the most tangled of mysteries using his little grey cells.

But Hercule Poirot's famous facial feature has gone missing  and the prime suspect in its disappearance is none other than Hollywood star John Malkovich.

The American actor is playing Agatha Christie's celebrated Belgian sleuth in a BBC drama and has replaced the moustache with a neat grey goatee.

John Malkovich was pictured sporting a grey goatee while on location in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, for a BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1936 novel The ABC Murders

It's a far cry from the waxed and pointed moustaches described by Christie and worn by previous screen Poirots such as Albert Finney in 1974's Murder On The Orient Express and Peter Ustinov. Sir Kenneth Branagh sported an extravagant number in last year's remake of Orient Express.

And the most famous Poirot, David Suchet  who played him on ITV for 24 years  told The Times: 'As far as I know Agatha Christie never depicted him wearing a beard. I seem to remember him wearing a false beard in one of the short stories.

But Poirot is famous for his fine moustaches. Not his beard. Poirot says of himself that it is the finest moustache in the world, and he thinks he looks great. His vanity would say, 'This looks fantastic'.'

Suchet, 72, added: 'But whatever other actors choose I've got to remember that's a very careful choice from an artist.'

Malkovich, 64, was pictured while on location in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, for an adaptation of Christie's 1936 novel The ABC Murders, which is expected to be shown by the BBC at Christmas.
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

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[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

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He's no stranger to an early rise after 14 years fronting the Today show.

And following Karl Stefanovic's axing from the Nine program, it has been claimed he is keen to 'branch out' and land a breakfast radio show.

The Sydney Morning Herald claim that Karl's 'ideal' would be 'something primetime in TV and radio at breakfast.'

You can still wake up with Karl Stefanovic! TV star tipped for breakfast radio show as he wants to 'branch out into new phase' of career

'He loves broadcasting,' a source close to Karl allegedly told the publication.

'The next stop is for [Karl] to branch out into radio and move into a new phase of his TV career.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Karl's rep for comment.

Next stop, radio? 'The next stop is for [Karl] to branch out into radio and move into a new phase of his TV career,' the Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Sunday. Pictured Karl with Georgie Gardner on Today

The publication also claim that Karl was rumoured to be 'in the running' to replace Matty Johns in Triple M's breakfast slot.

However, it was announced on Friday that comedian Lawrence Mooney would lead the radio station's breakfast offering in 2019.

Karl certainly has plenty of experience when it comes to radio.

Over the years, he's enjoyed countless appearances on KIIS FM and Nova among other popular stations.

Almost! The publication also claim that Karl was rumoured to be 'in the running' to replace Matty Johns in Triple M breakfast slot (pictured), but Lawrence Mooney got the gig in the end

Good to go! Karl has plenty of experience when it comes to radio, with countless appearances on KIIS FM and Nova among other popular stations over the years under his belt

Darren Wick, director of news and current affairs at Nine, confirmed on Wednesday after Karl's Today axing he will still 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.

After returning to Australia with wife Jasmine Yarbrough on Friday following their honeymoon, 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.
She's not afraid to splash the cash from time to time.

And Ruby Rose proved this on Sunday when she treated herself to a luxurious $8,000 flight to Dubai.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the 32-year-old took documented the once-in-a-lifetime experience for her legions of doting fans.

She's a high flyer! Inside Ruby Rose's luxurious private airplane suite worth $8,000 as she flies first-class to Dubai complete with gilded decor and a personal spa

Wow! Travelling from Budapest to Dubai, the stunner captured this breathtaking interior of the first class Emirates flight

While travelling from Budapest to Dubai, the stunner captured the breathtaking interior of the first class Emirates flight.

Laced with gilded trimming, Ruby was surrounded by luxe decor for the full duration of her five-hour flight.

'Bye bye beautiful Hungary,' she penned beside one video.

Living the good life! Laced with gilded trimming, Ruby was surrounded by luxe decor for the full duration of her five hour flight

Star treatment! 'Is that a vanity mirror? And the lamp.. the lamp has me,' Ruby candidly gushed

'I pretend this sh** is normal but like... it's crazy. Is that a vanity mirror? And the lamp.. the lamp has me,' Ruby candidly added.

Days earlier, the Hollywood star was filming in Hungary for her new movie, SAS: Red Notice.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, she shared footage of herself looking bruised and bloodied while sitting in a makeup chair.

Work: The lavish flight comes after the Hollywood star was filming in Hungary for her new movie, SAS: Red Notice

Showing her trademark sense of humour, Ruby, added a 'sparkly diamonds' filter to her head, and wrote the caption: 'Heavy is the head that wears the tiara.'

It seemed she was preparing for another day of filming the project, which is scheduled for a 2020 release.

The week prior, the Pitch Perfect 3 star was rushed to hospital after a silicon earplug was stuck in her ear.

'I've had a couple co-stars end up in hospital because of ear plugs from films with gunfire and other loud noises [that] ended up being lodged in their ear canals,' she wrote on social media at the time.

'I always made fun of them... I will never make fun of them again!'

Heaven: The experience is often described 'as close as it comes to your own private jet' according to Emirates A380 first class flight details

Gorgeous: Emirates first class flight features a private suite, shower spa and fine dining
How very refreshing to see a Hollywood A-lister looking so down to earth. Heres Cameron Diaz out on a shopping spree in Los Angeles sporting everyday jeans and a jumper, and well-worn boots.

Cameron, 46, made her name as a cutesy actress in movies such as My Best Friends Wedding and Theres Something About Mary, but these days clearly doesnt mind shunning the glamour.

She carried her own bags  some stuffed with pastries  and seemed to be licking her lips at the prospect of getting stuck into them as she made her way to her motor in the underground car park.

Cameron Diaz was spotted out on a shopping spree in Los Angeles sporting everyday jeans and a jumper, and well-worn boots

Cameron, 46, made her name as a cutesy actress in movies such as My Best Friends Wedding and Theres Something About Mary (pictured)

Sandi Toksvig will be able to buy a bigger Christmas pudding this year  after winning a pay rise for hosting the TV panel show QI. Sandi, 60, had complained she was paid 60 per cent less than predecessor Stephen Fry, 61.

But she says: It has been sorted. Asked about the size of victory in her battle for gender pay equality, Sandi, who also presents Bake Off on Channel 4, told me: Im not allowed to talk about it, but lets just say theyve done the best they can.

More bad news for Pippa Middletons father-in-law, David Matthews. After hurricane Irma destroyed his lavish Eden Rock hotel on St Barths last year he had hoped for some festive cheer by reopening this Christmas.

But I can reveal he has put it off for another year as building work has been delayed. It will cost Matthews, 74, who was arrested by French police on suspicion of a historic rape allegation last March, millions in missed bookings.
Southern Charm's J.D. Madison, 44, has been arrested in South Carolina for check fraud.

John David Madison was arrested on Saturday in Charleston County after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He's since been booked on a 'check violation' charge and is still in jail, according to TMZ.

Mug shot: Southern Charm's J.D. Madison, 44, has been arrested in South Carolina for check fraud

The website reports he allegedly wrote out a bad check.

Of course this is not Madison's latest encounter with the law, as he was accused of sexual assault back in August.

The incident between the Bravo star and an unnamed woman allegedly took place August 21, 2017, when the woman claims she went to a bar with him after previously hosting a female friend of hers and a male friend of Madison's at her home with friends.

According to a report by FitNews.com, which the woman spoke to exclusively, Madison broke a glass on purpose to allow him time to slip a drug into her drink while she looked away.

The woman claims this eventually it led to her being 'forcibly raped and sodomized' in the early hours of August 22.

Reality star: Madison pictured in a promotional image for season one of Southern Charm

Accusations: Of course this is only Madison's latest encounter with the law, as he was accused of sexual assault back in August

People confirmed a complaint had been filed with Mount Pleasant Police Department August 25.

The complaint states she was unwillingly drugged, sexually assault and raped by the businessman in the guest room of her home.

Madison isn't even the only Southern Charm cast member with legal troubles as of late.

The woman who has accused former Southern Charm star Thomas Ravenel of sexual assault has filed a civil lawsuit against him.

Ravenel's former nanny Dawn Ledwell is suing for 'assault, slander and libel' People reports.

She also claims Bravo, NBC Universal and Comcast along with production company Haymaker, are responsible as well because they 'created, permitted, and encouraged Southern Charm plot lines that focus on alcohol, sexual encounters, and the concept that male cast members, including Defendent Ravenel, suffer from 'Peter Pan Syndrome'.

It comes as Ravenel awaits trial over the charges. Last month he was ordered by a judge in South Carolina to stand trial for the alleged assault of his children's nanny.

The 56-year-old reality star was arrested in September after Ledwell claimed she was in his Charleston, South Carolina home in January 2015 when he allegedly took off her pants and fondled her.
She used to be a Real Housewife Of Orange County.

But Gretchen Rossi was showing a bit of support to a Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills on Friday, stopping off at Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant Villa Blanca.

Gretchen, 40, who recently announced her pregnancy, was spotted heading to the swank Los Angeles establishment with her fiance Slade Smiley.

Stepping out: Gretchen Rossi, who recently announced her pregnancy, was spotted heading to Lisa Vanderpump's Villa Blanca in Los Angeles with her fiance Slade Smiley on Friday

The erstwhile reality star wore her wavy blonde hair down and shielded her face from the California rays with a wide-brimmed off-white hat.

Her beige knit turtleneck sweater looked thick enough to ward off the wintry chill, and she added a splash of personality to the look with scarlet nail polish.

Gretchen matched a pair of nude thigh-high high-heeled boots to her leather handbag, emphasizing her shapely legs in a pair of skintight jeans.

It's in his kiss: Slade pulled his dapper sunglasses up over his head on his Villa Blanca outing - and at one point was seen smooching his fiancee with his hand at her midriff

Glamour queen: The erstwhile reality star wore her wavy blonde hair down and shielded her face from the California rays with a wide-brimmed off-white hat

Meanwhile, her longtime husband-to-be threw a massive print scarf over his black turtleneck, rounding off the look with jeans and matching blue shoes.

He pulled his dapper sunglasses up over his head on his Villa Blanca outing - and at one point was seen kissing his fiancee with his hand at her midriff.

Gretchen was a main cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County from season four, which started in 2008, till season eight, which ended in 2013.

Chic to the hilt: Her beige knit turtleneck sweater looked thick enough to ward off the wintry chill, and she added a splash of personality to the look with scarlet nail polish

The TV blonde, who was also a guest last year on the 12th season of the program, announced their pregnancy this week on The Doctors.

They spent four years trying to get around their fertility issues, and eventually the successful strategy for them was embryo implantation.

'Its been such an emotional journey for us. Because of that, its brought us so much closer together,' Gretchen revealed on the syndicated TV series.
She and Offset reunited for a holiday to Puerto Rico this Friday.

But by Saturday, Cardi B's whirlwind getaway had come to a close, and she posted on her Insta Stories that she was leaving the 'amazing island' that day.

The 26-year-old danced up a storm on her private plane while modeling a slinky blue cocktail dress that played up her enviably endowed cleavage.

In transit: By Saturday, Cardi B's Puerto Rican getaway with Offset had come to a close, and she posted on her Insta Stories that she was leaving the 'amazing island' that day

Her flight look also included an eye-popping blue hairdo and a dazzling jeweled necklace, emphasizing her glamour queen image.

'Llegue yo,' she wrote in the Instagram caption - the first word being Spanish for 'I arrived' - and she also included the Puerto Rican flag emoji.

The rap superstar also treated her 37.9 million Instagram followers to a view out the window of her aircraft as she flew over the beach away from Puerto Rico.

Traveling in style: The 26-year-old danced up a storm on her private plane while modeling a slinky blue cocktail dress that played up her enviably endowed cleavage

Smashing: Her flight look also included an eye-popping blue hairdo and a dazzling jeweled necklace, emphasizing her glamour queen image

Gorgeous: 'Llegue yo,' she wrote in the Instagram caption - the first word being Spanish for 'I arrived' - and she also included the Puerto Rican flag emoji

Meanwhile, Offset has hinted he will 'change his ways' following his vacation in Puerto Rico with estranged wife.

Cardi announced the couple's split a few weeks ago, and since then the Migos rapper has been determined to win back the Bodak Yellow hitmaker, evening turning up onstage at one of her concerts to beg for her forgiveness.

And although Cardi seemed adamant that they wouldnt get back together, the pair were spotted enjoying some sun on the back of a jet ski in the Caribbean island this weekend.

Off she goes: The rap superstar also treated her 37.9 million Instagram followers to a view out the window of her aircraft as she flew over the beach away from Puerto Rico

Empty you glass: Cardi later uploaded a video of herself singing some VERY NSFW lyrics

Language!The green sequinned dress and blue hair were not the only colorful things in the clip

Now, Offset has taken to Instagram to share a picture of himself from his 27th birthday last weekend - in which he wore a $11,000, custom-made Laurel Dewitt Swarovski crystal ski mask and matching jacket - and quoted lyrics from the late Michael Jacksons hit Man in the Mirror.

He wrote: 'I M S E A R C H I N G F O R T H E M A N I N T H E M I R R O R I M T E L L I N G H I M T O C H A N G E H I S W A Y S (sic)'.

As of the time of writing, its unknown whether Offsets lyrical reference had anything to do with his ongoing marital problems.

She looks fabulous: Cardi, who gave birth to her and Offset's daughter Kulture over the summer, showed off her incredible post-baby body whilst on holiday

Taking to the seas: Offset offered a glimpse on his Insta Stories of the jet ski trip he and Cardi enjoyed off the Puerto Rican coastline

Meanwhile, Cardi had reportedly been planning spend Christmas with Offset for the sake of their daughter Kulture.

A source told E! News recently: 'Cardi B wants Offset to be a part of Kulture's life and wants him to spend Christmas with his daughter.'

Continued the insider: 'It's Kulture's first Christmas and it means a lot to Cardi to have the family together....She plans to spend time and celebrate the holiday [in the Dominican Republic].'
Call The Midwife's Victoria Yeates married musician Paul Housden at a 13th century chateau in the Pyrenees, France, in June, it was revealed on Saturday.

The actress, 35, wed her beau in a picturesque ceremony, where they were joined by Victoria's co-stars Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, Helen George and Cliff Parisi.

The cast watched the ceremony in between filming the show's Christmas special, in which Victoria had shot her final scenes in the role of Sister Winifred.

Here comes the bride: Call The Midwife's Victoria Yeates WED her musician beau Paul Housden in a picturesque French wedding in June, it was revealed on Saturday

Speaking to the publication about the big day, Victoria gushed: 'Loads of the cast came and nipped over between filming.

'After the ceremony we all ate outside by this river on the grounds. It was quite hippy, simple and all very chilled out.'

Paul proposed to Victoria in 2016 in South Africa as she was filming the show's Christmas special, after dating for four years.

Getting ready: Actress Victoria is seen preparing for her big day at a 13th century chateau in the Pyrenees

Supportive: The actress, 35, wed her beau in a picturesque ceremony, where they were joined by Victoria's co-stars Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt (R), Helen George and Cliff Parisi

In January the actress revealed she would rather adopt than have her own children as she said it was her lifelong dream to give children in need a home.

Victoria also admitted that she 'didn't feel broody' being around her co-star Helen George's newborn daughter, but added that if she were to fall pregnant they 'would keep the baby.'

The Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald star told The Mirror: 'If we do, we might adopt. There are so many kids that need homes.'

The star also revealed she was thinking about adopting ever since she was a little girl, saying she was 'worried about children not having anywhere to go.'

Victoria takes on the role of Sister Winifred in the BBC drama, a forward-thinking nun who tries to convince Poplars population to try out new things.

Speaking about the show with Mail Online, she said the best thing about the show is the women she works with.

The actress admitted: They have all their priorities right. They dont take the fame thing seriously. There is no competition and we look out for each other and stand up for each other.
Karl Stefanivoc and Jasmine Yarbrough couldn't hide their smiles on Sunday.

The newlyweds were photographed walking their German shepherd, Chance the Yapper, near their Mosman mansion while looking carefree ahead of Christmas.

Despite being axed from the Today show on Wednesday, Karl, 44, did not show any sign of strain while accompanied by his shoe designer wife, 34.

What career crisis? Newlyweds Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough appear joyful and carefree as they walk their dog after his Today axing

The TV personality, who is best recognised presenting breakfast television in a fitted suit, sported a youthful ensemble of a Pink Floyd T-shirt, white trucker style hat, blue shorts and Nike trainers.

His plain wedding band also glistened in the sunshine.

Meanwhile, a makeup-free Jasmine oozed natural beauty in activewear, with her blonde hair tied back showing her flawless complexion.

Sunday stroll! The newlyweds were photographed walking their German shepherd, Chance the Yapper, near their Mosman mansion looking carefree ahead of Christmas

He's all good! Despite being axed from the Today show on Wednesday, Karl, 44, did not show any sign of strain while accompanied by his shoe designer wife, 34

Having recent returned from their lavish Aspen honeymoon, the pair looked thoroughly relaxed as they enjoyed their first festive season as husband and wife.

Karl's smile may also be inspired by a rumoured radio career which could be on the horizon.

Following his axing from the Nine program, after 14 years in the role, it has been claimed he is keen to 'branch out' and land a breakfast radio show.

Lazy day! The TV personality sported a Pink Floyd t-shirt, white trucker style hat, shorts and Nike trainers, with Jasmine opting for active-wear and a velor jacket

The Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Sunday that Karl's 'ideal' would be 'something primetime in TV and radio at breakfast.'

'He loves broadcasting,' a source close to Karl allegedly told the publication.

'The next stop is for [Karl] to branch out into radio and move into a new phase of his TV career.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Karl's representative for comment.

Wake up with Karl! Following his axing from the Nine program, after 14 years in the role, it has been claimed the star is keen to 'branch out' and land a breakfast radio show

Despite the controversy surrounding Karl's exit from Today, it was confirmed on Wednesday that he will remain at Nine.

Darren Wick, director of news and current affairs at Nine, issued a statement on Wednesday about his future at the network.

'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.

After returning to Australia with wife Jasmine Yarbrough on Friday following their honeymoon, 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.
Khloe Kardashian found herself on the defensive on Friday after fans accused her of forgetting her brother.

The 34-year-old had posted a sweet social media tribute to her mom Kris, praising the job she did of raising all her daughters  and some wondered why she never mentioned her son too.

'You are a Queen who has raised multiple mini Queens still trying to be as strong and fabulous as you are!' Khloe captioned the black-and-white photo. 'I will love you more and more everyday Until the end of time.'

Queens and kings: Khloe Kardashian found herself on the defensive on Friday after fans accused her of forgetting her brother

Some followers called her out for skipping over Rob: 'Ummm.no mention of her sonRob?!?!' one commented, as reported Us Weekly.

'Its a shame Rob Kardashian is a member of the family and he is NEVER mentioned.' another wrote.

But Khloe shot back: 'My brother is my entire world! He is definitely a king it is a shame that you can[t] respect us for respecting his privacy. You should not comment if you truly arent informed on our family.'

When another fan wrote: 'Dont forget about Rob,' Khloe's tone was a little calmer.

Don't forget Rob! The 34-year-old had posted a sweet social media tribute to her mom Kris, praising the job she did of raising all her daughters  and some wondered why she never mentioned her son too (pictured in Las Vegas May 2016)

'Of course! He has always been a King since the minute he was born! My mom and my dad did an amazing job with him!! He is my [heart].'

Kris's 'mini queens' include Kourtney, 39, Kim, 38, and Khloe, whom she shared with the late Robert Kardashian Sr.

Kendall, 23, and Kylie, 21, she shares with Caitlyn Jenner.

Unlike his ubiquitous sisters, Rob has largely kept out of the public eye since his split from Blac Chyna in February of last year.

Their short relationship catapulted the video vixen's profile, and also produced a daughter  Dream  the only one of Kris's nine grandchildren to carry the invaluable Kardashian name.
Dominic West has made a call for there to be a transgender James Bond in the future.

The actor, 49, reckons Daniel Craig's replacement as the eponymous secret agent in the long-running film franchise could be Hannah Graf, 31, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the British Army.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Dominic said: 'She's a beautiful girl who could be Bond.

Future: Dominic West, 49, reckons Daniel Craig's replacement as the eponymous secret agent in the long-running film franchise could be Hannah Graf, 31, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the British Army (pictured in November 2017)

'That's actually a brilliant idea. They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army.'

Dominic and Hannah met previously, when the actor starred alongside Hannah's husband Jake, 40, who is a transgender man, in the film Colette.

When asked what she thought of Dominic's suggestion, Hannah, who serves as captain in the Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers, admitted she was 'flattered'.

Idea: Dominic said: 'That's actually a brilliant idea. They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army'

Meeting: Dominic and Hannah met previously, when the actor starred alongside Hannah's husband Jake, 40, who is a transgender man, in the film Colette

She said: 'I'm very flattered that Dominic thought of me.

'I don't think I'm going to become an actress anytime soon, but there's no reason why there shouldn't be a transgender Bond.'

'We've seen too many men in hero-type roles and women playing second fiddle.'

The army veteran added that it would be inspirational for young girls to see a female playing 007.

Not for her: Hannah said: 'I don't think I'm going to become an actress anytime soon, but there's no reason why there shouldn't be a transgender Bond'

Couple: Hannah and actor Jake Graf married in March of 2018 after first getting together in 2015

Hannah and Jake married in March of 2018 after first getting together in 2015.

There have been calls for a female James Bond in the past.

One person who has disagreed, however, is Daniel Craig's wife Rachel Weisz.

Change: There have been calls for a female James Bond in the past

Thoughts: Daniel Craig's wife Rachel Weisz disagreed, saying: 'Women are really fascinating and interesting, and should get their own stories' (pictured in November)

In an interview with The Telegraph, the actress expressed that the character had been created by novelist Ian Fleming, who spent a lot of time creating a character who is 'particularly male' and relates to women in a certain way.

She said: 'Why not create your own story rather than jumping onto the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?

'Women are really fascinating and interesting, and should get their own stories.'

Craig will begin work on his fifth and final Bond role in March.

Actors considered to be the top contenders to replace him include Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy.
By Trend





Azerbaijan is now a recognized and important player on a global stage, Rob Sobhani, director general of the Caspian Group Holdings, told Trend.

He noted that the first few words that come to mind when one thinks of Azerbaijan's achievements in the last several years are "Consequential", "Historic", "Amazing", and "Ground-breaking."

The statistics speak for themselves: for example, GDP has increased by an average of 7 percent each year for the past several years, poverty levels have dramatically dropped according to World Bank numbers, and the middle class in Azerbaijan is growing, said the US expert, adding that these are remarkable achievements for a young nation.

In addition, Azerbaijan is now a recognized and important player on the global stage. The foreign policy of President Aliyev which is grounded in having friendly relations with all countries is a key to preserving the independence of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, President Aliyev has put Azerbaijan firmly on the map of energy exporters, said Sobhani.

He recalled that indeed, during the recent visit of US National Security Advisor John Bolton to Baku he emphasized the role of Azerbaijan as an important transport hub.

Sobhani pointed out that a free market economy is the key to success for any nation.

One can argue that the reason why the Soviet Union collapsed was its centralized economic system, yet the United States with only 240 years of history has the world's largest economy. Therefore, Azerbaijan is on the correct path for sustainable economic development, because its economy is free, but not free of government oversight, which is absolutely necessary. Take for example the 22 percent debt to GDP ratio - this is a major achievement for the government of Azerbaijan, because it means that it does not live beyond its means and its borrowing from multi-lateral institutions is prudent, said the US expert.

What is also important to note, according to Sobhani, is that the leadership of President Aliyev has allowed the Azerbaijan middle class to grow by creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

A job is a human right because it provides dignity to a human being and allows that person to be a productive member of society. I believe that by reducing poverty and providing jobs for its citizens Azerbaijan is upholding human rights, said Sobhani.

Further, talking about the important energy projects, which are being implemented by Azerbaijan, Sobhani noted that Azerbaijan will play a critical role in western energy security in the coming years.

As Europe continues to find ways to diversify its sources of imports, the role of Azerbaijan will increase. Furthermore, to the extent that Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Aliyev is stable, customers will opt to buy gas from Azerbaijan as opposed to some other countries that may play politics with their gas exports, noted Sobhani.

He also hailed the atmosphere of tolerance in Azerbaijan, saying that the fundamental commitment of Azerbaijan to religious and cultural tolerance is unique not only among Muslim countries but also on the global stage.

When the leading Jewish leader in Azerbaijan makes the statement that "if any Jew anywhere in the world is afraid of persecution they should come live in Azerbaijan" it is proof that religious tolerance is a way of life in Azerbaijan. And while members of the Bahai Faith are persecuted in other countries, this community is allowed to practice its faith free of any interference in Azerbaijan, he said.

Sobhani went on to add that religious freedom is the bedrock of human rights and one can argue that by allowing all Azerbaijanis to practice their faith freely, Azerbaijan is promoting the human rights of its citizens.

It is however very important for all Azerbaijanis to play a role as ambassadors for the promotion of this positive image to the world. Through social media, radio and television the fact that Azerbaijan's religious tolerance is ingrained into the fabric of society must be promoted even more, he added.
Pretty Little Liars star Tammin Sursok, 35, has been left heartbroken after losing her pet dog following an attack by a coyote.

The star shared a snap of herself holding her beloved pet named Tiger on Saturday, before sharing her grief in an emotional post shared to Instagram.

'Rest well my angel, I will always love you' Tammin captioned a throwback snap of herself with the pet pooch.

Scroll down for video

'Rest well my angel': Tammin Sursok, 35, has shared her grief at the heartbreaking loss of her pet dog Tiger after he was attacked by a coyote on Friday night

She continued: '13 years together. My first born. Hug the ones you love tightly tonight. It's all so fleeting.'

Tammin was distraught earlier in the night when she told fans about how a coyote had savaged her beloved pet, on Instagram Stories.

'My dog was taken by a coyote tonight. When we got to him he was gone. But by some grace of god when we got him to the hospital he was breathing,' she wrote.

Shaken: 'My dad found our dog lifeless, no vitals, eyes open, legs ripped - did mouth to mouth and he was completely gone no vitals,' she wrote, describing how she found her pet dog

'He is in hospital and is in surgery,' the actress added.

The South African-born actress was clearly shaken about what happened, giving her fans updates via the social media site.

'My dad found our dog lifeless, no vitals, eyes open, legs ripped - did mouth to mouth and he was completely gone no vitals,' she wrote.

Frantic: Tammin gave fans details of the attack earlier in the night, describing how her pet dog was set upon by the coyote

She continued: 'By the grace of god we were able to get a heartbeat of 20 (critical is 90) and he was rushed into surgery.

The actress gave graphic details, saying they were forced to take out half of the dog's liver and a kidney, asking fans to pray with her.

Finally, she sent a heartbreaking message letting fans know the adorable puppy wasn't able to sustain the attack.

Raw: Tammin said her young family were still reeling from the pain of the loss

'He fought so hard, vut he didn't make it' she said.

It was a shock to the heavily pregnant star who is expecting her second child with husband Sean McEwen.

Earlier this week she shared a short clip showing a sonogram of her baby's foot to her Instagram account.

'It's our first baby foot! It's such a big baby foot,' Tammin said with a laugh, adding: 'Hi baby.'
Karl Stefanovic wore his new wedding band with pride on Sunday morning.

After returning from his Aspen honeymoon with wife Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, on Friday, the former Today host, 44, displayed his sparkler on a morning stroll.

The ring glistened in the morning sun, as the newlyweds appeared the picture of marital bliss by their Sydney mansion in Mosman.

He put a ring on it! Karl Stefanovic shows off new wedding band with pride alongside wife Jasmine Yarbrough

The fine piece of jewellery appeared firmly fixed on Karl's ring finger.

It is believed that the wedding band is gold, but appeared more silver in colour while reflecting the nearby monochrome concrete walls in the photograph.

The ring appeared to be a snug fit for Karl, possibly as a result of hand swelling which is a common side-effect of flying.

Snug: The fine piece of jewelry appeared firmly fixed on his ring finger

Following their Mexican wedding on December 08, Karl and Jasmine flew to LA for a brief stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel before a short honeymoon in Aspen.

Karl's ring finger has fueled many headlines over the last two years.

When it was first reported that his 21 year marriage to ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn was over in September 2016, Today viewers noticed his finger was now bare.

Back to reality! Jasmine and Karl said 'I Do' on December 08 in a lavish Mexican ceremony, and then enjoyed a brief honeymoon break in both Beverley Hills and Aspen

Media analysts also credit this moment, when Karl first removed his previous ring, as to when the Nine breakfast show's ratings first started to slide.

Despite the controversy currently surrounding the couple, they appeared carefree while enjoying their walk on Sunday morning.

As they strolled the streets surrounding their Mosman home, they were joined by German shepherd, Chance the Yapper.

The TV personality showed no sign of strain after losing his position on Today on Wednesday, after 14 years in the role.

After returning to Australia with wife Jasmine Yarbrough on Friday following their honeymoon, 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.
They spent the morning on a romantic hike together.

So Kristen Stewart and her rumored new girlfriend Sara Dinkin treated themselves to a post-walk pampering on Saturday.

The duo were spotted heading to a spa and nail salon in Los Angeles, shortly after bringing Stewart's dogs through the trails of Los Feliz.

Spending time together: Kristen Stewart and her rumored new girlfriend Sara Dinkin treated themselves to a post-hike pampering on Saturday

The Twilight star rocked white jeans with white Adidas flat soles with a black tee.

She wore a padlock pendant and shades, wearing her short blonde hair in a messy do.

Stylist Sara meanwhile opted for distressed denim cutoffs and slides.

She tied a white sweater around her waist, but still managed to flash a bit of her midriff under her cropped white tee.

Stylish: The Twilight star rocked white jeans with white Adidas flat soles with a black tee

News of Kristen's split from model Stella Maxwell made headlines Friday; since then Kristen and Sara have been spending a lot of time together, and have even been sharing clothes.

Stewart and Maxwell  who had been romantically linked since 2016  broke up around one month ago, according to Us Weekly's insiders.

The site claimed that Kristen and Stella drifted apart in recent months.

Accessorize: She wore a padlock pendant and shades, wearing her short blonde hair in a messy do

'They stopped seeing eye to eye and were living very different lives,' said an insider.

They were last seen together in October at an airport in Amsterdam.

The former couple had been notoriously secretive about their relationship over the years, both refraining from mentioning one another to the media.
She famously modeled a skintight catsuit in the Underworld films.

And Kate Beckinsale was back in figure-hugging black when she was spotted out in Los Angeles on Thursday, possibly for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

The 45-year-old Chiswick native showed off her knockout legs in black PVC pants, slipping into a pair of black knee-high stiletto boots.

Paging Selene: Kate Beckinsale was back in figure-hugging black when she was spotted out in Los Angeles on Thursday, possibly for some last-minute Christmas shopping

Kate swept her dark hair back into a ponytail, throwing on a black and white print tee and modeling a grey checked blazer on her outing.

The Love And Friendship actress accentuated her screen siren features with makeup and accessorized with a black pair of butterfly sunglasses.

Kate has been open about her impressively svelte figure, which she has crammed into an unforgiving black catsuit for all the Underworld movies.

Sleek and chic: The 45-year-old Chiswick native showed off her knockout legs in black PVC pants, slipping into a pair of black knee-high stiletto boots

The figure-hugging ensemble, though, actually requires her up her food intake, she revealed in an interview given near the end of 2016.

'Nobody,' the brunette bombshell told The Sun On Sunday, 'wants to be terribly skinny with a catsuit hanging off them.'

The Van Helsing and Serendipity actress shared: 'I eat more when Im in catsuit-mode or Id never get through the gym sessions.'

So stylish: Kate swept her dark hair back into a ponytail, throwing on a black and white print tee and modeling a grey checked blazer on her outing

Said she: 'Theres always the fear Ill overdo it, though, and its a bit like putting on your wedding dress every five years or so. Does it still fit or am I fat?'

Kate has the title role on the upcoming thriller series The Widow, which also features Charles Dance and will be released via ITV and Amazon.

The series also stars Babs Olusanmokun, Luiana Bonfim, Jacky Ido, Alex Kingston, Bart Fouche, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Reginal Kudiwu.
She started off her Instagram story Saturday night with a mysterious call to guess her travel destination.

But Olivia Culpo didn't wait long to reveal that she was on her way to Boston to throw a bachelorette party for her sister Aurora.

The 26-year-old former Miss Rhode Island apparently planned the entire shindig, including some very risque props and decorations.

Reunion! Olivia Culpo traveled to Boston on Saturday to throw a bachelorette party for her sister Aurora

In fact, things got off to a somewhat rough start, with Olivia reporting quite early on that her plans may have to be changed, as her sister Aurora announced that she was bringing her baby son Remi to the festivities.

A solution was soon found however, consisting of the bride-to-be and her son being locked in the bedroom of the hotel suite.

Meanwhile, Olivia and the rest of the girls got to work preparing the decorations.

Among the streamers and balloons, one woman hung up a sizable message which read 'same penis forever' on a wall.

Putting in the effort! The 26-year-old former Miss Rhode Island apparently planned the entire shindig, including some very risque props and decorations

Later it seemed as though Olivia was miffed once again when Aurora decided to breastfeed her son rather than begin partying.

The I Feel Pretty star posted 'not your typical bachelorette party' with an unhappy emoji over a picture of the mother and son.

But the swimsuit model soon couldn't help but swoon over the painfully adorable Remi, who was sporting a crimson onesie for the occasion.

The hard truth: Among the streamers and balloons, one woman hung up a sizable message which read 'same penis forever' on a wall

Roadblock: Later it seemed as though Olivia was miffed once again when Aurora decided to breastfeed her son rather than begin partying

Those eyes! But the swimsuit model soon couldn't help but swoon over the painfully adorable Remi, who was sporting a crimson onesie for the occasion

Say cheese! Her newly cheery mood soon led to a fun group selfie in the bathroom, which included Olivia, Aurora, Remi and their other sister Sophia

Her newly cheery mood soon led to a fun group selfie in the bathroom, which included Olivia, Aurora, Remi and their other sister Sophia.

Finally, the main event began, with Olivia and the others crowding around a box which contained what was revealed to be a giant penis ice luge.

Of course an ice luge provides a fun and innovative way of imbibing large amounts of alcohol very quickly.

Cool! Finally, the main event began, with Olivia and the others crowding around a box which contained what was revealed to be a giant penis ice luge

Popping it out! Olivia then gets quite hands on, as she takes charge of unwrapping the prop from it's plastic sheath

Creative! Of course an ice luge provides a fun and innovative way of imbibing large amounts of alcohol very quickly

Olivia then gets quite hands on, as she takes charge of unwrapping the prop from it's plastic sheath.

Remi departs the party, and just in time, because the revelers are more than ready to try out their racy liquor luge.

The evening ended with an opulent looking meal and a dance party at a hopping club.
The Victoria's Secret model married DJ Ruckus in April this year.

And Shanina Shaik and her husband - real name Gregory Andrews - are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas together as a married couple.

The US-based pair appear to be back in Australia for the festive season, with Shanina documenting their shopping trip to Melbourne's Chadstone Westfield on Friday.

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'Let's get excited!' Shanina Shaik celebrates her first Christmas as a wife to husband DJ Ruckus as the pair go shopping for presents in Melbourne

Taking to her Instagram story, the brunette stunner shared footage of the couple in the car with Shanina's family.

While shopping she pondered buying a pair of $1290 Balenciaga sneakers - perhaps a hint for a present she would like to unwrap from her husband.

However, it was when the couple got to the shopping centre where the fun really began.

Chadstone is home to the first fully-equipped Victoria' Secret store, as previous stores have not featured lingerie items.

Christmas wish-list? While shopping she pondered buying a pair of $1290 Balenciaga sneakers - perhaps a hint for a present she would like to unwrap from her husband

Runway queen! Shanina's role in the 23rd annual fashion show for Victoria's Secret marks her fifth appearance on the coveted catwalk

The store features an extra large television where the runway show plays, with Shanina excited to see herself on display.

'Ah, look! First Victoria's Secret show in Melbourne, Australia, guys,' she said as she walked up to the shop.

She then filmed herself outside the store as her on-screen self strutted down the runway for the label.

'There you go, Nina,' a family member said to her as her larger-than-life self appeared.

Who's that girl? Chadstone Westfield, where Shanina visited on Friday, is home to the first fully-equipped Victoria' Secret store, as previous stores have not featured lingerie items

'There you go, Nina': She then filmed herself outside the store as her on-screen self strutted down the runway for the label

Shanina's role in the 23rd annual fashion show for Victoria's Secret marks her fifth appearance on the coveted catwalk.

Shanina and her husband were married in the Bahamas in April this year.

Three years beforehand, Gregory proposed to the 27-year-old in the Bahamas and so they wanted to get married.

The model told Vogue Australia that he had asked if she wanted to meet his cousin before she left on her flight.

First Christmas! Shanina and DJ Ruckus headed to Chadstone Westfield in Melbourne on Friday to shop for the festive season

'When we arrived to his family's beach she wasn't there, which I found odd,' she said, before adding while they waited they went for a swim.

He then excused himself and went to check his phone, but he actually went to get the ring.

She said he returned to the water and said he wanted to her about something.

'I looked down and saw a box, and I knew from that moment what was about to happen,' Shanina said of the moment.

'It was very special moment that I will never forget.'
Australian male model Jordan Barrett has gained a 'bad boy' reputation in recent years.

And on Saturday, the hunk seemingly risked disaster as he precariously photographed US model and actress Emily Ratajkowski in a bathtub full of water.

The 22-year-old shirtless star was seen framing up his friend for the perfect shot, as Emily pouted for the camera with bubbles covering her lithe frame.

Don't try this at home! Fashion 'bad boy' Jordan Barrett (right) risks disaster as he appears to shoot model Emily Ratajkowski (left) in a bathtub full of water

'The prelude. No scenes,' Jordan captioned the image as he tagged the Blurred Lines model.

The scantily-clad brunette was seen pulling a sultry pose in the bubble bath as Jordan straddled the marble bath whilst holding the film camera.

What's more both of the camera cables were seen dangling dangerously close to the water in the shot.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, Jordan confirmed the device was not an electricity-powered camera.

Did Jordan snap this beauty? Emily pictured posing in the same marble bathtub

Genetically-blessed duo: Jordan and Emily (pictured) have forged a close bond in recent times and regularly collaborate for impromptu photoshoots

Jordan and Emily have forged a close bond in recent times and regularly collaborate with each other to shoot vintage-styled snaps for social media.

The genetically-blessed duo often share their photographs with their legions of Instagram followers.

Rebel: Earlier this month, Jordan (pictured) courted attention once again after he packed on the PDA with Jasmine Stefanovic's (nee Yarbrough) topless sister Jade

Earlier this month, Jordan courted attention once again after he packed on the PDA with Jasmine Stefanovic's (nee Yarbrough) topless sister Jade.

The pair were seen relaxing and kissing on the balcony of a Sydney home.

Jordan was unable to keep his hands off the interior stylist, affectionately placing a hand on Jade's back and kissing her as they lazed in the sun.

The Byron Bay native was first scouted at 13 when he was skipping class and trying to steal matches from a local supermarket.

Luckily caught by a talent manager and not security, the scout gave him his business card before he scurried off.

'He was asking me all these questions about my mum and stuff I didn't understand. I thought he was security, and I sort of scampered away,' Jordan previously told Vanity Fair.
She is never one to shy away from flaunting her model frame on social media.

And leaving little to the imagination in her latest upload, Irina Shayk looked sensational as she slipped into a scarlet red lacy all-in-one to ring in the festive break.

The runway star, 32, set pulses racing in her lingerie, that made sure to tease a look at her assets and washboard stomach, as she provocatively posed.

Setting pulses racing: Irina Shayk looked sensational as she slipped into a scarlet red lacy all-in-one to ring in the festive break on Instagram

Irina caught the eye in her scanty attire, that came complete with a plunging neckline to frame her bust and racy cut-out detailing across the stomach.

Perching on a dressing table, the beauty showcased her modelling credentials, along with her catwalk-worthy pins, as she sported the sultry Intimissimi design.

Wearing her brunette tresses in a tousled swept back style, Irina opted for a stunning yet minimal make-up look - enhancing her natural features with defined brows and a nude lip.

Irina's collaboration Intimissimi won her international recognition back in 2007, when she first became the face of the lingerie brand. Since then, she has modelled for a number of fashion power houses including the likes of Victoria's Secret, Versace, Moschino, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs.

Stunning: Irina's collaboration Intimissimi won her international recognition back in 2007, when she first became the face of the lingerie brand

Catwalk star: The beauty has modelled for a number of fashion power houses including the likes of Victoria's Secret, Versace, Moschino, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs

The Russian-born beauty's modelling success has won her a firm place in the spotlight, but Irina admits she didn't chase a career in the fashion industry for fame.

Speaking to Evening Standard, she explained: 'I didn't become a model because I wanted to be famous. I worked specifically to get the money. And it happened that I had success because I worked really hard.'

Irina is in a relationship with Hollywood star Bradley Cooper and the pair share daughter Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper, two.

But despite both herself and Bradley being in the public eye, Irina is keen to keep their romance private.

Romance: Irina is in a relationship with Hollywood star Bradley Cooper and the pair share daughter Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper, two

She said: 'That's why it's called a personal life, because it's mine. I am really protective of it. I don't feel like I have to talk about it or promote it.

'Outside of my job, I am a normal person and I want to walk outside of my house like a normal person. I don't want somebody sticking their nose in my stuff.'

She and Bradley first began dating in May 2015 - a month after the A Star Is Born actor split from ex-girlfriend Suki Waterhouse and two months after Irina's five-year relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo ended.
Former Big Brother star Skye Wheatley appears to be in the early stages of labour.

The 24-year-old who is currently 40 weeks pregnant revealed she's 'definitely got to be in labour' during a video she shared to her Instagram story on Sunday night.

The blonde star, who is expecting her first child with her boyfriend-of-one-year Lachlan Waugh, posted a series of clips documenting her contractions.

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'I'm having contractions!' Heavily pregnant Skye Wheatley (R) shows signs of early labour and promises to vlog the experience as she prepares to give birth to her first child with partner Lachlan Waugh (R)

'I'm having contractions!' Skye announced in the clip as she filmed her blond beau as they prepared to welcome their baby boy.

'I don't believe you!' Lachlan remarked before she reiterated: 'I'm having contractions!'

Lachlan, who has been subjected to a number of Skye's pranks over the years continued to probe his girlfriend, asking: 'Why do you laugh every time you say you're having one?'

'Because, it's exciting! He's coming! He's coming,' she exclaimed.

'OMG this is so exciting. I'm getting them (contractions) regularly!' she said in the clip as she practiced deep-breathing exercises

'He thinks I'm f**king with him!' Skye captioned the video, clearly referencing her boyfriend.

In the next video, Skye revealed she is experiencing contractions more 'regularly.'

'OMG this is so exciting. I'm getting them (contractions) regularly!' she said in the clip as she practiced deep-breathing exercises.

'He's coming!' The blonde star (right) who is expecting her first child with her boyfriend-of-one-year Lachlan Waugh (left) posted a series of clips documenting her contractions

'Loving the pain!' she captioned the same clip.

Seconds later, the social media influencer shared another clip to her story and insisted she's 'definitely' in labour.

'I've definitely got to be in labour! So I just called the hospital,' she explained in a piece-to-camera before adding: 'LOL I can't believe I'm on Instagram right now! I'm just really excited!'

'Today's the day come on': Skye Wheatley pleaded with her baby to pop as she flaunted jher burgeoning belly in this orange bikini at 40 weeks pregnant

'So I called the hospital and I have to go in if my contractions are five minutes apart and they're getting worse. At the moment they're 10-15, maybe 20 minutes apart.

'So fingers crossed they don't stop and we're having a baby tonight!' she concluded.

In the final clip, Skye said she promises to video blog parts of her childbirth, sharing: 'Alright I'm signing off. I'm going to vlog for you guys but fingers crossed, pray for me that tonight is the night!'

'Mummy will be sad if you have to share your birthday with Jesus,' she wrote. Pictured in another Instagram post

Earlier this week, Skye admitted to trying a rather unconventional method to induce her labour, involving sex.

Enlisting boyfriend Lachlan to help her out by having sex with her the night before her due date, Skye used colourful language to describe the act.

'Lachy and I did have sex last night, but he didn't [ejaculate inside my vagina], and that's what induces the labour, the semen, the man's semen, apparently,' she said.

She added that she planned to repeat the experiment again, saying: 'I'll get his assistance tonight.'

'We will still make it special for you little man but seriously hurry the f**k up,' Skye concluding, penning the hashtags: '#overdue, #cookedAF, #burntbaby'. Pictured in another Instagram post

Graphic: As Skye is days overdue, she recently admitted that she is trying a rather unconventional method to induce her labour, involving a graphic sex act

Skye and her boyfriend Lachlan, 30, celebrated their one-year anniversary in October, the same month they revealed their child's gender as a baby boy.

Skye rose to fame back in 2014 as a bubbly and outspoken contestant on Big Brother Australia.

Following Skye's television exposure, she launched a career as a social media influencer.
She recently revealed she's split from her fiance Andrew Brady following an on-off nine month romance.

And Caroline Flack is reportedly set to ditch alcohol in a bid to focus on her West End role as Roxie Hart in Chicago.

According to The Sun, the 39-year-old presenter's New Year's resolution will help her maintain a 'clear head' following her tumultuous love life with the Apprentice star, 28.

New year, new me: Caroline Flack is reportedly set to ditch alcohol in a bid to focus on her West End role as Roxie Hart in Chicago

A source told the publication: 'Caroline is on a mission for a new year, new start. She wants everyone to get back to talking about her for all the right reasons, rather than her rollercoaster love-life.

'Shes staying completely sober so she can focus on her leading role as Roxy in West End show Chicago, which comes shortly after she filmed the Strictly Christmas Special. It means that she can have a clear head and put perspective on everything', they added.

MailOnline has contacted Caroline's representatives for further comment.

Out with the old: The 39-year-old recently revealed she's split from her fiance Andrew Brady following an on-off nine month romance

Moving on: According to The Sun , the Love Island host's New Year's resolution will help her maintain a 'clear head' following her tumultuous love life with the Apprentice star, 28

The TV star made her West End debut earlier this month at the Phoenix Theatre in London, just two weeks after announcing she had taken on the lead role of Roxie, replacing Alexandra Burke in the role.

She is performing alongside American YouTube star Todrick Hall until the musical's close on January 5.

Meanwhile, Caroline recently insisted she 'won't go back' to former beau Andrew as she confirmed that they no longer live together after officially ending their volatile romance.

Impressive: The TV star made her West End debut earlier this month at the Phoenix Theatre in London

Last week, she told The Sun: 'I'm on my own now. So I'm sorting myself out, I'm doing what I want to do. I'm putting my head into this, into work and focusing on acting.

After confirming that they are now living apart, Caroline confessed that, although the split necessary, she is still fond of her ex, and indeed wouldn't be drawn into bad-mouthing him.

Caroline also insisted that their relationship is over for good. When asked if she will go back to her ex, she simply responded: 'I'm not going to.'

It's over! The pair split at the beginning of December, just as the Love Island host made her West End debut

Heartbreak: Last week, Caroline told The Sun: 'I'm on my own now. So I'm sorting myself out, I'm doing what I want to do. I'm putting my head into this, into work and focusing on acting

This is quite a bold statement from the presenter, who said just weeks ago that she and Andrew had a 'raw love' and needed to be happy in themselves 'before we can be together'.

As the news broke of her decision to end her relationship with Andrew once and for all, Caroline took to Instagram and shared a reflective post to reveal that she would be taking time off after her stint in Chicago.

Posting a photograph of herself wearing a 'Choose Love' jumper, she captioned the snap: 'Its been a crazy old year.... Ive had some of the best moments of my life in 2018 ... and I wont forget it in a heartbeat...

'But as we get nearer to the new year its a time for reflection and change..... so gonna take me some time off after Chicago ... Have a lovely Christmas and a happy new year ... and remember to Choose Love.'

The end: After confirming that they are living apart, Caroline confessed that, although the split necessary, she is still fond of her ex, and indeed wouldn't be drawn into bad-mouthing him

Not going back: Caroline also insisted that their relationship is over for good. When asked if she will go back to her ex, she simply responded: 'I'm not going to'

The tempestuous couple endured a strained relationship with a string of high-profile bust ups.

Caroline first got together with the reality star in January, and but split in March for the first time, amid claims Andrew was unfaithful and fears he was using the presenter for her fame.

Soon reconciling, Caroline even had his initials tattooed on her inner wrist just weeks after the duo had met.

Following a whirlwind romance, the pair then became engaged in April (after just three months together) and broke the news on their respective Instagram accounts.

Looking back: Caroline first got together with Andrew in January, and but split in March for the first time, amid claims Andrew was unfaithful and fears he was using her for her fame

Inked-up love: Soon reconciling, Caroline even had his initials tattooed on her inner wrist just weeks after the duo had met

Shock engagement: Following a whirlwind romance, the pair became engaged in April (after just three months together) and broke the news on their respective Instagram accounts

Dramatic: However, just one month later, in May, the showbiz couple broke things off again, but reunited days later

However, just one month later, in May, the showbiz couple broke things off again, but reunited days later.

In June, the pair adopted an adorable French Bulldog puppy named Ruby, but in early July Caroline announced their next break-up in a statement on social media.

It read: 'I'm sad to announce that Andrew and I have decided to part ways. Unfortunately it was not to be. I wish him all the best. At least there's a Villa waiting for me. It's back to the ol' grafting.'

Despite her amicable public statement, sources close to Flack said that a 'fame hungry' Brady was 'full of lies' and used her to 'increase his status.'

Cute! In June, the pair adopted an adorable French Bulldog puppy named Ruby, but in early July Caroline announced their next break-up in a statement on social media

Just two days after their split Andrew Brady took to Twitter to confess he had met with Celebs Go Dating producers a day after his split from fiancee Caroline Flack.

It was reported before that Caroline was left 'in utter shock' after discovering her ex-fiance was secretly planning to appear on the show before they had even announced their split.

According to The Sun, the TV presenter confessed to friends that she believes he was cheating, and added: 'I really tried to help him and support him, but I feel he just used me. He's fame hungry.'

Amid claims of a 'messy' break-up, due to his alleged infidelities and 'fame-hungry' nature, Andrew shared a lengthy statement about the split on Twitter in July - claiming he was 'not perfect'.

At the end of July it was reported that the television presenter had flown back from filming Love Island in Majorca to kick Andrew out of her home after their split.

But soon afterwards, Caroline and Andrew rekindled the flames of their romance when they were spotted kissing during a pizza date after a cosy 'make-or-break' getaway to Ibiza in August.

In early September Andrew moved his things back into the presenter's London home, and Caroline returned to wearing her sparkling engagement ring.

The Sun reported in October that Caroline had begun to question their future following a drunken rant he allegedly made during their holiday in Portugal.

According to the publication, the reality star had been booted out of a juice retreat for bringing in alcohol before launching into an 'abusive' shouting fest at the Love Island host.

Dramatic: At the end of July it was reported that the television presenter had flown back from filming Love Island in Majorca to kick Andrew out of her home after their split

Can't keep up: But soon afterwards, Caroline and Andrew rekindled their romance when they were spotted kissing during a pizza date after a 'make-or-break' getaway to Ibiza in August

Caroline was said to be 'devastated' by his behaviour which led fellow guests at the resort to complain, as management chose to evict Andrew for the incident.

But as well as a their heated argument on holiday in Portugal in the autumn, last month the pair had a row which resulted in Andrew prank-calling an ambulance.

It was claimed business entrepreneur Andrew made the call to the emergency services vindictively, insiders shared with MailOnline.

A source told MailOnline the episode as a 'non-event and an attempt by Brady 'to embarrass Caroline. Which it seems he has successfully achieved.'

'This is not the first time he has attempted something like this by any means,' they added.
By Trend





The major event of the passing 2018 for Azerbaijan was the presidential election, when the people once again elected Ilham Aliyev as President with a very high level of confidence, First Deputy Director General of TASS, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation Mikhail Gusman told Trend.

He said that the people, who voted for the president, felt the positive changes in the country over the past 15 years, during which President Ilham Aliyev has been in power.

Ilham Aliyev has taken the lead of the country, which his great father, National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev with his incredible political efforts and with incredible willpower managed to save from falling into the abyss, breakup and crumbling, Gusman said.

He pointed out that Heydar Aliyev was the Savior of modern Azerbaijan, and Ilham Aliyev has proven himself as the Builder of the country over the past 15 years.

The success of modern Azerbaijan not only rejoice, but also amaze, causing undisguised envy of enemies and the sincere joy of friends. The plans, outlined by the president of Azerbaijan, which he has repeatedly voiced, encompass development of the economy, social sphere, culture of Azerbaijan, as well as army building. Those plans clearly demonstrate that in the coming year, Azerbaijan will again be able to progressively move towards building a state that is even more modern, even more powerful and even more integrated into the global political system, the TASS deputy director general believes.

Gusman highlighted the important role of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in supporting the implementation of the strategic state development plans, outlined by Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev.

Gusman noted that the future of Azerbaijan under the leadership of Builder of the country, President Ilham Aliyev seems to be very bright.
Rebel Wilson celebrated Christmas a little early and she had good reason.

The 39-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to reveal she was enjoying a holiday reunion with her Pitch Perfect co-stars.

In a photo shared to social media, Adam Devine and Brittany Snow joined the Australian actress around a decorated Christmas tree.

'Merry Christmas Pitches!' Rebel Wilson (right) enjoys a yuletide reunion with her Pitch Perfect co-stars Adam Devine (left) and Brittany Snow (centre)

The Bridesmaids actress looked cozy in a dark blue jumper and black pants, matched with black boots.

American actor Adam was also casually outfitted in a black shirt and blue jeans with a fetching floral cap.

The pair's co-star Brittany was festively dressed in an appropriately dressed red and white jumper emblazoned with the words: 'Tequila kills'.

Rebel captioned a black and white version of the photo: 'Merry Christmas Pitches x (also Tequila Kills!)'

Cute! In a photo shared to social media, Adam Devine and Brittany Snow joined the Australian actress around a decorated Christmas tree

Brittany shared a similar photo of the trio in colour, writing emotionally: 'Family Christmas photo from @andybovine @rebelwilson and me. We love you'.

It comes after another reunion between Rebel and co-star Adam, who also co-stars in the blonde star's new film, Isn't It Romantic.

The Australian actress recently posted a sweet selfie of the pair with Liam Hemsworth, who also co-stars in the film, from the set of a promotional shoot.

Claim to fame: Rebel made her name in Hollywood staring in the Pitch Perfect franchise

It comes after another reunion between Rebel and co-star Adam: Liam Hemsworth (L), Rebel Wilson (center), and Adam DeVine (R) posed for selfies promoting new film Isn't It Romantic

In the photo, both Rebel and Adam playfully stick their tongues out while Liam flashes a pearly white smile.

In the film, Rebel stars as Natalie, a woman who grew up idolising the 1990 film Pretty Woman, only to be told by her mother she is 'no Julia Roberts'.

But when she's mugged on the NYC subway system, she runs into a pole while trying to escape her attacker and knocks herself out.

When she finally comes to, Natalie finds herself living in one of the romantic comedies she grew up watching.
Christmas is upon us and the Irwin family are celebrating in style.

On Sunday, Bindi Irwin's boyfriend Chandler Powell and brother Robert Irwin took to Instagram to show off the family tree.

Robert, 15, took to Instagram Stories to share a short clip showing a well-decorated pine tree inside the family home.

A very Irwin Christmas! Bindi's boyfriend Chandler Powell and her brother Robert give fans glimpses inside the famous conservationist family's yuletide celebrations. Pictured left to right: Chandler Powell, Bindi Irwin, Robert Irwin, Terri Irwin

Neatly decorated, it featured silver and blue baubles, tinsel and flashing fairy lights.

Underneath the tree sat dozens of gifts nicely wrapped, with some placed in a woven basket.

Chandler, 22, also posted a photo to Instagram which showed the same tree, which stands in front of a window and beside a mirror.

Cute! Robert, 15, took to Instagram Stories to share a short clip showing a well-decorated pine tree inside the family home

Nice! Chandler, 22, also posted a photo to Instagram which showed the same tree, which stands in front of a window and beside a mirror

Gifts in bright red wrapping sit on the floor and blue heart-shaped decorations are seen hanging off the tree.

Chandler captioned the photo: 'Christmas ready! Hope everyone has a great holidays'.

It comes after Bindi set straight the engagement rumours that have followed her and Chandler for months.

Family time! It appears that American-born Chandler is spending the holidays with girlfriend Bindi and her family. Pictured left to right: Robert Irwin, Terri Irwin, Bindi Irwin

On a recent episode of The Sunday Project, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin set said the couple are in no rush to wed.

'One day [we'll get engaged]. One day, I'll say I'm engaged. This is it,' Bindi said on-air.

American-born Chandler added: 'We will eventually.'

The lovebirds first met in November 2013, when Bindi gave Chandler a tour of Australia Zoo.
Una Healy has publicly revealed that she is in a new relationship, five months after separating from husband of six years Ben Foden.

The former Saturdays star shared a photo of Irish hurler David Breen with Instagram followers on Sunday, confirming she will end 2018 on a positive note following her painful split with the Northampton Saints and England rugby international.

Standing alongside Breen, who captains the Limerick senior team, Una, 37, looks stunning in an appropriately festive crimson dress as they pose next to an enormous Christmas tree.

Great news: Una Healy has publicly revealed that she is in a new relationship with Irish hurler David Breen, five months after separating from husband of six years Ben Foden

Captioning the shot, she wrote: 'I have tried to hide him but hes too tall.'

Una and Ben, 33, married in Ireland in 2012 after four years of dating. They welcomed daughter Aoife shortly before they got married, and son Tadhg in 2015.

However the couple confirmed their separation after six years of marriage in July following his alleged affair with PR girl Becky Milne.

Stylish: Una looked stunning in an appropriately festive crimson dress as she posed for a series of pictures

A spokeswoman for Healy said: 'I can confirm Una and Ben have separated and she's in Ireland with her mum and kids, but there will be no further comment to make.'

Ben later confirmed they were officially ending their marriage after signing up to dating app Bumble, where he described himself as 'getting divorced' and looking for someone who isn't 'uptight or bossy.'

His full bio read: 'Heading Stateside in December. Never believe in making plans, lets just see what happens and how things go. If youre uptight and bossy Im not for you. Getting divorced. 2 little people who are my world.'

All over: Una and Ben confirmed their separation after six years of marriage in July following his alleged affair with PR girl Becky Milne

Speaking to Hello! magazine in September, Una revealed that she's 'taking each day as it comes' as she pressed on with life following their separation.

She told the publication: 'My life has been turned upside down and I'm trying to figure it out. I'm taking each day as it comes and just being there for my children.'

'I never feel lonely or alone. Theyre lovely company and have brought joy into my life. The most important job for me is to be the best parent I can and to provide and look after them. Theyre my priority.

'You have to be strong for your children as theyre dependent on you. But with that responsibility comes great satisfaction. I'm looking forward to all the milestones in their lives that well share.'

Una added that she has also benefited from having supportive friends and relatives around her.

'They've been rallying around when times are tough,' she explained. 'I've been sent letters that are really supportive too, said the redhead beauty, who added: 'Life is tough, but you've got to keep a positive attitude.'
Jonathan Ross was pictured jetting back to the UK at Heathrow Airport on Saturday, just in time for Christmas, after a family holiday to Florida and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The presenter, 58, was joined by his screenwriter wife Jane Goldman and their two daughters, Betty, 27, and Honey, 21, their son, Harvey, 24, couldn't be seen with the group.

Jonathan cut a casual figure for the airport visit in a black tracksuit with blue and white stripes on the side.

Flying home for Christmas: Jonathan Ross was pictured jetting back to the UK at Heathrow Airport on Saturday, just in time for Christmas, after a family holiday to Florida and the Turks and Caicos Islands

He completed his look with a pair of grey Converse trainers, a rucksack and a black shiny wheelie case.

Meanwhile, his screenwriter wife Jane, 48, also travelled in comfort as she wore a pair of high-waisted beige trousers with a rope fastening on the waist.

She teamed the item of clothing with an off-the-shoulder loose fitting white cropped top.

Family time: The presenter, 58, was joined by his screenwriter wife Jane Goldman and their two daughters, Betty, 27, (pictured) and Honey, 21, their son, Harvey, 24, couldn't be seen with the group

Travelling in comfort: Jonathan cut a casual figure for the airport visit in a black tracksuit with blue and white stripes on the side

Relax: He completed his look with a pair of grey Converse trainers, a rucksack and a black shiny wheelie case

Jane completed her look with a nude rucksack, matching coloured boat shoes and a soft peach coloured cardigan which she tied onto the accessory.

The Kingsman movie series writer styled her curly blonde locks into a relaxed hairdo of two plaits, she added a slick of make-up.

Meanwhile, Jonathan's eldest daughter, Betty, 27, also cut a casual figure in a beige pair of tracksuit bottoms and a cropped bralette with a zip down the middle.

Getaway: Meanwhile, his screenwriter wife Jane, 48, also travelled in comfort as she wore a pair of high-waisted beige trousers with a rope fastening on the waist

Chic: She teamed the item of clothing with an off-the-shoulder loose fitting white cropped top

Daughters: Jonathan looked every inch the doting dad as he waited with his daughters Betty (far left) and Honey (far right) in the airport queue

Keeping it casual: Jonathan's eldest daughter, Betty, 27, also cut a casual figure in a beige pair of tracksuit bottoms and a cropped bralette with a zip down the middle (pictured with mum Jane)

Navigating: She completed her look with a taupe coloured hoodie tied around her waist, white Nike trainers and a teal patterned suitcase

She completed her look with a taupe coloured hoodie tied around her waist, white Nike trainers and a teal patterned suitcase.

Betty styled her mint dyed locks into a low ponytail, she appeared to go make-up free as she added a pair of black glasses.

Jonathan's youngest daughter, Honey, 21, wore a 90s-inspired ensemble of grey chequered trousers with a black crinkled crop top.

Relaxed: Betty styled her mint dyed locks into a low ponytail, she appeared to go make-up free as she added a pair of black glasses

Feeling festive: Jonathan appeared to have been doing some duty free Christmas shopping as he carried a large blue carrier bag

Glamorous: Jane styled her curly blonde locks into a relaxed hairdo of two plaits, she added a slick of make-up

She carried an oversized orange jumper and black rucksack as she joined her family in the airport.

Honey styled her fiery orange dyed locks into a loose hairdo, which she swept away from her face with a black headband.

The family appeared animated as they made their way through the airport pointing at signs and calling out to each other.

In charge: Betty appeared to be leading the family through the airport as her father Jonathan followed behind her

Home time: The family appeared animated as they made their way through the building pointing at signs and calling out to each other

Jonathan appeared to have been doing some duty free Christmas shopping as he carried a large blue carrier bag.

The comic and his wife Jane have been married for 30 years after tying the knot in 1988.

The family had relaxing break in Florida and then going on to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Actress Debby Ryan is officially off the market, with her boyfriend, Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun proposing in New Zealand on Saturday.

'I said yes! Well technically I said 'NO WAY' twice but I meant yes,' Disney alum Ryan, 25, said on Twitter, while sharing photos of the big moment.

Dun, 30, also shared the engagement on his Instagram, stating, 'I found a tree house in the woods in New Zealand and proposed to my girl. She my dude for life. I love you Debby.'

Engaged: Debby Ryan reveals on Twitter that she is now engaged to her boyfriend, Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun

Ryan and Dun first started dating in May 2013, but they split in September 2014, although they got back together earlier this year.

Ryan also revealed in a 2015 interview with Teen Vogue that while her relationship with Dun was 'good,' she had been in an abusive relationship with someone else.

'It was such to the point where it became physical,' Ryan said. 'The second someone puts their hand on you, a boundary has been crossed.'

Off the market: Ryan and Dun first started dating in May 2013, but they split in September 2014, although they got back together earlier this year

Ryan also shared more details on her Instagram story, revealing that Dun had flown her, 'brother and sis-in-law to surprise me at our engagement dinner.'

She also shared several reactions from friends wishing them well after Dun popped the question.

A number of friends congratulated them using an amalgam of both names, calling them either 'Jeb' or 'Jebby.'

Engagement dinner: Ryan also shared more details on her Instagram story, revealing that Dun had flown her, 'brother and sis-in-law to surprise me at our engagement dinner'

Ryan started acting in her teens, starring on the hit Disney Channel series The Suite Life on Deck.

She then starred as the title character on another hit Disney Channel series, Jessie, which ran from 2011 to 2015.

Ryan most recently starred on the Netflix series Insatiable and in the indie film Grace.

Relationship: Ryan also revealed in a 2015 interview with Teen Vogue that while her relationship with Dun was 'good,' she had been in an abusive relationship with someone else

Dun was formerly the drummer for House of Heroes, stepping in for Colin Rigsby who left to spend more time with his family.

He has been a part of the duo Twenty One Pilots for several years, with the group releasing five studio albums.

Their most recent album, Trench, was released in October.

Acting: Ryan started acting in her teens, starring on the hit Disney Channel series The Suite Life on Deck

Drummer Dun: Dun was formerly the drummer for House of Heroes, stepping in for Colin Rigsby who left to spend more time with his family
He used to be known for his hard partying ways on the original seasons of Jersey Shore.

But Mike 'The Situation 'Sorrentino was celebrating three years of sobriety on Saturday, sharing the news online.

'Big daddy Sitch celebrating 3 years of sobriety & teaming up with @discoveryinstitute_nj to bring a holiday meal to Phoenix Recovery House in Eatontown NJ for Christmas' he wrote with a picture of himself and a group of ladies from the recovery center.

Strong: Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino celebrated three years of sobriety by volunteering for a substance abuse recovery house on Saturday

The reality star's milestone comes ahead of serving his eight month prison sentence for tax evasion.

He was ordered to surrender himself to Bureau of Prisons on or after January 15, 2019.

He was sentenced in October to eight months in custody, in addition to two years of supervised probation, 500 hours of community service, and a $10,000 penalty in connection with his guilty plea.

Sorrentino's brother Marc Sorrentino was sentenced to two years in custody in connection with aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return.

Cheers: Mike, above in 2011, used to be known for his hard partying ways

Sorrentino is enjoying his time ahead of the new year.

The Situation was wed to longtime love Lauren Pesce on November 1 at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

The Situation's Jersey Shore castmates - Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, 31, Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 32, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 33, Deena Cortese, 31, Angela Pivarnick, 32, and Paul 'Pauly D' DelVecchio, 38 - were in attendance at the luxe affair.

Enjoying life: Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, 36, shared a shot from his honeymoon with new wife Lauren Pesce, 33, on social media Monday

Talking about returing to Jersey Shore sober in an earlier Instagram, Mike admitted: 'I was actually a bit insecure.'

'I was known to be one of the bigger partiers on Jersey Shore. I told myself, I'm going to have to continue to challenge myself in my recovery.'

Jersey Shore Family Vacation is available to stream now.
She's been making the most of the annual Cowell Christmas trip to Barbados now the latest series of The X Factor has wrapped for the year.

And all eyes were on Lauren Silverman as she enjoyed another beach day on the Caribbean island with adorable son Eric, four, on Sunday.

The mother-of-two, 41, looked stunning in a gorgeous black swimsuit, which featured cut-out details to showcase her slender frame.

Turning heads: All eyes were on Lauren Silverman as she enjoyed another beach day on the Caribbean island with adorable son Eric, four, on Sunday

She accessorised the one-piece a large pair of sunglasses and delicate gold earrings, which she teamed with a watch, bracelet and choker.

Lauren swept her brunette tresses back into a loose bun, so as not to get her mane wet while she made a splash in the sea with her son.

Simon Cowell's partner later covered up on the shore in a vibrant white frock, which she wore around her delicate shoulders.

Festive traditions: She's been making the most of the annual Cowell Christmas trip to Barbados now the latest series of The X Factor has wrapped for the year

Wow! The mother-of-two, 41, looked stunning in a gorgeous black swimsuit, which featured cut-out details to showcase her slender frame

All in the details: She accessorised the one-piece a large pair of sunglasses and delicate gold earrings, which she teamed with a watch, bracelet and choker

Evidently in high spirits, Lauren beamed as she splashed around in the surf during a rare outing without music mogul Simon.

Lauren was on hand to keep a watchful eye over boisterous Eric, who wore a pair of swimming goggles as they ventured into the shallow water.

Simon and Lauren have been dating for six years, with Lauren also mum to son Adam, 12, from a previous relationship.

Beauty: Lauren swept her brunette tresses back into a loose bun, so as not to get her mane wet while she made a splash in the sea with her son

Laughter: Evidently in high spirits, Lauren beamed as she splashed around in the surf during a rare outing without music mogul Simon

Romance: Simon and Lauren have been dating for six years, with Lauren also mum to son Adam, 12, from a previous relationship

Drama: In 2013, it was revealed the television honcho had been in a relationship with his then-best friend Andrew Silverman's wife, after pictures emerged of them kissing on a yacht

In 2013, it was revealed the television honcho had been in a relationship with his then-best friend Andrew Silverman's wife, after pictures emerged of them kissing on a yacht.

The pair then welcomed their son Eric in February 2014. They named him after Simon's late father, who died in 1999.

Simon's family's appearance out in Barbados comes after he revealed he is hoping son Eric will take over his music empire as he gets older.

Legacy: The pair then welcomed their son Eric in February 2014. They named him after Simon's late father, who died in 1999

Radiant: Simon Cowell's partner later covered up on the shore in a vibrant white frock, which she wore around her delicate shoulders

Family affair: Simon's family's appearance out in Barbados comes after he revealed he is hoping son Eric will take over his music empire as he gets older

Good times: Lauren was on hand to keep a watchful eye over boisterous Eric, who wore a pair of swimming goggles as they ventured into the shallow water

Glam: Lauren looked sensational as she enjoyed the fun family day at the beach

Fans were delighted to see Eric appear on the judging panel on The X Factor, with Simon joking during an interview on This Morning: 'I'm getting him ready to do my job.'

Simon also touched on whether he had 'left it too late' to become a father - he welcomed son Eric when he was aged 55 - and admitted he no longer dwells on that thought.

'If you have asked me earlier I would have said I might have left it a little too late,' said Simon, before quickly adding: 'Whatever happens happens.'

Relaxed: The New York native seemed at ease during the family day out on the sands

Bronzed: Lauren showcased her gorgeous tanned look after enjoying the first few days of their sun-soaked holiday

Soaking up the sun: Lauren and Eric were in full relaxation mode as they relaxed at the resort

Off they go: The pair enjoyed a scenic stroll along the sandy shores of the Caribbean
Tom Hanks' reputation as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood is in no danger of being tarnished, especially after a weekend trip to a Fontana, California In-N-Out.

The 62-year-old actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, stopped by In-N-Out, taking pictures with fans and paying for everyone's lunch.

A number of photos have surfaced on social media, including some from Instagram user Megan, a.k.a. bookcauldron13, who sat across from the actor and his wife.

Nice guy: Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson stop by a Fontana, California In-N-Out where they took pics with fans and paid for everyone's lunch

'Tom Hanks is at In and Out sitting across from us Im star struck!!,' Megan said in the caption of her photo of Hanks and Wilson.

She added more photos of Hanks taking pics with fans, stating, 'He is such a nice guy taking pictures with everyone....he told us Merry Christmas.'

'And I went over and talked to his wife Rita while Tom took pictures with everyone!,' she added.

A Twitter user named BlackwatchCosplay also shared selfies he took with both Hanks and Wilson.

Grateful selfies: A Twitter user named BlackwatchCosplay also shared selfies he took with both Hanks and Wilson.

Selfie time: 'Tom Hanks is at In and Out sitting across from us Im star struck!!,' Megan said in the caption of her photo of Hanks and Wilson

'I had the absolute honor of meeting the one and only Tom Hanks and his beautiful wife Rita Wilson!,' he said.

'The coolest people I've ever met!,' he added, along with the hashtags #tomhanks #ritawilson @tomhanks @RitaWilson

The Oak Park Elementary Twitter account added another photo of Hanks and a number of fans outside the fast food restaurant.

'Look who visited Fontana In N Out! Woody himself, Tom Hanks, and he bought lunch for everyone! Nice!

Hanks at In-N-Out: A number of Facebook users also shared photos and videos of Hanks taking pics with the In-N-Out employees

A number of Facebook users also shared photos and videos of Hanks taking pics with the In-N-Out employees.

While Hanks didn't have any movies released in 2018, he will likely have quite the big year in 2019.

Hanks returns to voice Woody in Toy Story 4, which hits theaters this coming June, and he also stars in Greyhound, which he also wrote the script for based on C.S. Forester's novel.

He has also signed on to stars as Geppetto in a new version of Pinocchio and as Fred Rogers in an untitled biopic about the Mister Rogers Neighborhood star.
She's finally reached a conclusion in her bitter divorce proceedings with Brad Pitt.

And Angelina Jolie got set for Christmas as she went shopping with son Pax on Saturday.

The 43-year-old actress strolled around the stores in Santa Monica, California with the 15-year-old - who reported recently stayed overnight with his father for the first time since the former power duo split in 2016.

Retail therapy: Angelina Jolie got set for Christmas as she went shopping with son Pax on Saturday

Pax, who wore a white hooded NASA top, was reportedly told by his mother that Brad 'never wanted to adopt him,' according to an Us Weekly source, in one of the darkest twists of their divorce.

The Oscar-winner also reportedly told the boy during the fallout that Brad 'was angry' she had proceeded with the adoption.

'It's harmed his and Brad's relationship, though Brad denied having said that specifically,' the insider claimed.

Big bags: The 43-year-old actress strolled around the stores in Santa Monica, California

The source claimed that Brad was instead concerned about adopting a three-year-old who didn't speak English less than a year after they welcomed Shiloh, in what was a 'very difficult time for the couple'.

Pax was adopted by Angelina in March 2007 from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, two years after she met Brad on the film set of Mr & Mrs Smith.

Angelina allegedly told him at the time: 'Pax needs me more than Shiloh.'

'They almost ended the relationship, but Brad stayed,' the source added.

Awkward: Pax, who wore a white hooded NASA top, was reportedly told by his mother that Brad 'never wanted to adopt him'

Brad and Angelina settled their custody agreement just one month ago and he recently had five of their six children stay overnight for the first time.

After a hard fought battle, Angelina reportedly claimed that her ex got what he wanted in the deal.

Originally, The Lara Croft star wanted full legal and physical custody of their six children while Brad wanted to share.

He will also be able to 'regularly have his children overnight at his house for the first time since the divorce proceedings began.'

The pair share Maddox, 17, Pax, 15, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 10.

Pax recently wished his dad happy birthday with this post, writing: 'Happy Birthday to this stud Love you so much! Cant wait to see you later'

'Brad had the kids overnight  all but [eldest] Maddox  which was incredibly significant because it was the first time since the custody deal was recently reached,' a source told Us.

'The overnight was monitored as part of the custody agreement, as Brad's visits with the children have been since this slog began two years ago' an insider told Us Weekly.

Adding: 'The kids have a routine at Brad's house, with a very strict bedtime and limited screen time, including iPads.'

Brad and his 43-year-old Oscar winning ex-wife settled their 'The visits will continue to be monitored, including the overnights until the therapists agree that it's no longer needed,' the source told Us. 'This is a transition time for the entire family, and it's being done with a lot of input from the therapists.'

Pitt and Jolie finally confirmed they were in a relationship in 2006 when she became pregnant with Shiloh, after meeting on Mr and Mrs Smith when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston.

The couple married in August 2014 but split in September 2016.
At 37, she's still as stunning as can be.

And Alessandra Ambrosio made that much clear while relaxing on the beaches of Florianopolis, Brazil on Sunday.

The Victoria's Secret alum turned heads in a tiny red and white striped bikini as she enjoyed sipping on a young coconut during her day at the beach.

Striped stunner: Alessandra Ambrosio wowed in stripes while on a holiday family vacation to the beaches of Florianopolis, Brazil on Sunday

Turning around the starlet offered up a peachy view of her world-class backside.

Covering up a bit, Alessandra added a sand-colored cardigan while carrying her phone on a crossbody strap.

She carried her sandals in her hand and kept away from the sun's glare with a pair of round, retro shades.

The Brazilian beauty topped things off with a straw hat and a few glittering necklaces.

Later the star was joined by a friend who looked great in green.

Back in action: Turning around the starlet offered up a peachy view of her world-class backside

Loose layers: Covering up a bit, Alessandra added a sand-colored cardigan

Paling around: Later the star was joined by a friend who looked great in green

Sunny day: She carried her sandals in her hand and kept away from the sun's glare with a pair of round, retro shades

On Tuesday, Alessandra was certainly in the Christmas spirit, as she shared a snap to Instagram of herself and her two children.

The pretty brunette took son Noah, six, and daughter Anja, 10, for pictures with Santa.

'Its the most wonderful time of the year,' she wrote.

Going coco-nuts! The star was happy to sip on the refreshing young coconut

Walking and talking: The ladies had a good chat as they strolled along the sand

Happy family: On Tuesday, Alessandra was certainly in the Christmas spirit, as she shared a snap to Instagram of herself and her two children

Hanging with her love: On Wednesday, the beauty snapped a selfie with her daughter

Alessandra shares her two children with ex-fiance, Jamie Mazur.

The supermodel and businessman dated for 10 years, before calling it quits in March.

The cover star has since moved on to entrepreneur Nicolo Oddi.

Celebration: Alessandra enjoyed a Christmas party with her pals
By Trend





The export of goods from Iran's Kermanshah province to Iraqi Kurdistan has increased by 51 percent over eight months of this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture of Kermanshah Province Keyvan Kashifi said.

The trade turnover between Iran and Iraq is increasing, Trend reports refering to IRNA.

Relations are being intensified despite the US sanctions, he added.

Many important and strategic issues are expected to be solved. Transit between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq should be developed. At the same time, Iran and Iraq have a big joint market called Syria. This market is of great importance for Iran, Kashifi said.

Presently, Iran is interested in sending its products to Syria via Iraq because now this route passes through Turkey and requires additional time and extra costs. Iran hopes that transport and visa issues will be solved within the next few months, he added.

Two million people live in the province. The non-oil products worth over $2 billion are exported from the province a year. Kermanshah province has a 371-kilometer-border with Iraq.
It may be wintertime in her hemisphere.

But Emily Ratajkowski was sunning her swimsuit body at the beach when she fired up her Instagram story the day before Christmas Eve.

The 27-year-old model and actress flashed her sculpted figure in a barely-there black two-piece from her brand Inamorata Swim.

Smashing: Emily Ratajkowski was sunning her swimsuit body at the beach when she fired up her Instagram story the day before Christmas Eve

'Feliz Navidad,' captioned Emily, who on Tuesday will ring in her first Christmas as a married woman after tying the knot with producer Sebastian Bear-McClard.

Her Insta Stories played host to footage of her shadow looming over the sands as she gazed out over the seas on her sun-drenched holiday.

Emily, who has a penchant for showing off her figure on red carpets and social media, told the June issue of Marie Claire her breasts are 'a key to my sexuality.'

The Gone Girl supporting player told the magazine: 'Boobs are funny. They hurt sometimes, and sometimes theyre the thing that makes me feel the most powerful.'

Having a ball: Her Insta Stories played host to footage of her shadow looming over the sands as she gazed out over the seas on her sun-drenched holiday

'I remember there was some article like: "Emily Ratajkowski Is the Mozart of Breasts." What was so bad is someone sent it to my dad, who sent it to me,' she recalled.

'My dad still sees me as a little kid. I love my boobs. I love other peoples boobs. Boobs are kind of great,' rhapsodized the I Feel Pretty actress.

The actress, who while showing Vogue around her vast apartment in 2015 said she was for a platform to 'redistribute wealth in this country,' married in February.

Emily made a splash with her surprise courthouse marriage to producer Sebastian in New York, wearing a $200 Zara trouser suit.

Lap of luxury: Her 21 million followers on the social media platform were treated to the sight of boats gliding across the sun-dappled waters just off the coastline

Though they only became a couple weeks before the wedding, a source told Us Weekly that 'Emily has known Sebastian for years.'

The London-born model and actress recalled to Marie Claire: "People came after my marriage, like: "Wow. I give it three weeks." Im like: "What?"'

Emily groused: 'No one can take women seriously on any choices that they make, especially if theyre unique to them and they dont play into the way we think women should get married. It's a constant writing-off.'
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Christmastime sure does bring families together, and that's just what Scott Disick did this year.

Disick, 35, headed off to holiday to Cancun this weekend with his three children, their mother Kourtney Kardashian, 39 - and his girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20.

Kourtney and Sofia seemed to be enjoying each other's company - at one point, as they lounged side by side on deck chairs, the younger woman leaned over and smiled at something on Kourtney's phone.

Despite having the on-again-off-again relationship status this year, it appears Scott and Sofia are stronger than ever and becoming a blended family.

Kourtneys sister Khloe took to Twitter to praise the trio for their co-parenting, tweeting: Beyond proud of all of them!!!! This is LOVE!! Your children before anything else!! All amazing adults right right!!!

What a group: Scott Disick headed off to holiday with Mexico this weekend with his three children, their mother Kourtney Kardashian - and his girlfriend Sofia Richie

Quality time: Kourtney and Sofia seemed to be enjoying each other's company - at one point, as they lounged side by side on deck chairs, the younger woman leaned over and smiled at something on Kourtney's phone

Kourtneys sister Khloe took to Twitter to praise the trio for their co-parenting

Scott hid his beach body in a flowing oversize black T-shirt and a pair of saucy leopard print swim trunks as he walked across the beach with the two women.

When the Hollywood heartthrob occasionally went topless, he draped a towel around his shoulders, possibly staving off the possibility of a nasty sunburn.

Sofia and Kourtney sizzled in their barely-there two-pieces, showing off their enviably taut midriffs as they stretched themselves out beside each other on their deck chairs.

Kourtney, who was already of voting age when Sofia was born, opted for a sleek black bathing suit from Fae, that complemented her sleek double-bridge shades.

Meanwhile, Sofia, the daughter of musical icon Lionel Richie and half-sister of reality TV legend Nicole Richie, opted for a sizzling burnt-orange number that played up her chiseled frame.

Earlier in the vacation, on Saturday, the unlikely trio were spotted out to dinner together.

A place in the sun: Sofia and Kourtney sizzled in their barely-there two-pieces, showing off their enviably taut midriffs as they took in the sunshine on the Yucatan Peninsula

Meanwhile: Sofia, the daughter of musical icon Lionel Richie and half-sister of reality TV legend Nicole Richie, opted for a sizzling burnt-orange number that played up her chiseled frame

What a hunk: Scott hid his beach body in a flowing oversize black T-shirt and a pair of saucy leopard print swim trunks as he walked across the beach with the two women

Beefcake: When the Hollywood heartthrob occasionally went topless, he draped a towel around his shoulders, possibly staving off the possibility of a nasty sunburn

It appears much of the drama is behind them after a year of break ups and make ups between Scott and Sofia.

In February, Kourntey's supermodel sister Kendall gave disapproving remarks when she commented 'Awww Scott and his kids' on a photo of Scott and Sofia driving with daughter Penelope.

Kourtney and Scott's two elder children - Mason, eight, and Penelope, six - had their births documented on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Feel the heat: Kourtney showed off her statuesque legs in a tiny denim skirt she pulled over her bathing suit

Mother and daughter: Kourtney and Scott's two elder children - Mason, eight, and Penelope, six - had their births documented on Keeping Up With The Kardashians

History: However, their youngest child, a son called Reign who celebrated his fourth birthday about a week ago, was born away from the cameras

Staying refreshed: Kourtney was seen heading down a set of stone steps while lovingly cradling the baby of the family, who was himself holding a little bottle of milk to nourish himself during his beach day

When you got it: Sofia's swimsuit threw her curves into relief as was seen when she got up off her deck chair

Seaside delights: Kourtney had clearly taken a dip in the water, as she was drenched at one point when she was spotted reaching from one deck chair to another

Staying hydrated: With all that fun in the sun, Kourtney had evidently worked up a bit of thirst, which she slaked with some mineral water

However, their youngest child, a son called Reign who celebrated his fourth birthday about a week ago, was born away from the cameras.

Kourtney was seen heading down a set of stone steps while lovingly cradling the baby of the family, who was himself holding a little bottle of milk to nourish himself during his beach day.

Lionel gave an interview to Sydney's Daily Telegraph earlier this year and suggested that his daughter's relationship with a much older man was just a youthful fancy.

Hear no evil: Lionel gave an interview to Sydney's Daily Telegraph earlier this year and suggested that his daughter's relationship with a much older man was just a youthful fancy

Asking the tough questions: 'Shes 19,' Lionel told the Telegraph according to People , explaining of Sofia: 'When youre 19 you know everything,' and adding: 'Is it going to be for life? I dont know'

Relaxed tactics: Of his own parenting strategy for this situation, Lionel said: 'But for right now its just a phase and Im going to stand real still in the corner, get me a good drink and not make too much noise'

Between the two of them: Sofia was clearly fascinated by whatever was on Kourtney's phone, as she repeatedly lifted her sunglasses to have a look at it

Mirror images: Fans online have in the past noticed a striking similarity between Scott's current girlfriend and his used-to-be

Remember when: Christmastime can be a season for drama for Kourtney, as seen on the latest season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians when the family were trying to arrange a holiday card shoot for last year

Earlier on in the vacation, on Saturday night, Kourtney, Scott and Sofia were spotted enjoying dinner out together

The unlikely trio were joined by at least one of Kourtney and Scott's children, which appears to be their eldest child Mason

Despite the potential awkwardness of the situation, Kourtney appeared to be having fun with her ex and his new girlfriend

Kourney showed her son something on her phone while Scott and Sofia chatted at the other side of the table

Adorable: Kourtney shared a snap of their lavish movie night on the beach, with her children's names etched into the sand

'Shes 19,' he told the Telegraph according to People, explaining of his remark: 'When youre 19 you know everything. Is it going to be for life? I dont know.'

Of his own parenting strategy for this situation, he said: 'But for right now its just a phase and Im going to stand real still in the corner, get me a good drink and not make too much noise.'

He dished: 'Now I know what my parents meant when I came through the door with my Afro and my girlfriend and said: "Dad, Im in love" and [he] looked at me and said: "Okay, were going to leave you alone for a minute and youll figure it out." My daughter is getting me back for my Afro days!'

Fireworks: A scheduling conflict between Kourtney and her younger sister Kim Kardashian exploded into a huge argument that saw Kim viciously dismiss her eldest sister as 'the least exciting to look at' in the family

Who all will be included?: In response to a recent fan question on Twitter, Kourtney and Kim's younger sister Khloe intimated that this year's family Christmas card would 'be coming very shortly'

Still making it work: Although Scott and Kourtney last ended their romantic relationship in June of 2015 - after having been introduced nine years earlier - they have remained amicable co-parents

Heartwarming: He has also maintained close relations with Kourtney's family, and was in fact recently seen stepping out to lunch with Kourtney's mother Kris Jenner and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell

Bit of distance: In one evocative snapshot, Kourtney was seen standing by her deck chair and looking down toward Sofia, who was relaxing in the sun and gazing off into the distance

Christmastime can be a season for drama for Kourtney, as seen on the latest season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians when the family were trying to arrange a holiday card shoot for last year.

A scheduling conflict between Kourtney and her younger sister Kim Kardashian exploded into a huge argument that saw Kim viciously dismiss her eldest sister as 'the least exciting to look at' in the family.

In response to a recent fan question on Twitter, Kourtney and Kim's younger sister Khloe intimated that this year's family Christmas card would 'be coming very shortly.'

Although Scott and Kourtney last ended their romantic relationship in June of 2015 - after having been introduced nine years earlier - they have remained amicable co-parents.

He has also maintained close relations with Kourtney's family, and was in fact recently seen stepping out to lunch with Kourtney's mother Kris Jenner and grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Campbell.

Showing what he's got: As Scott lifted his shirt over his head, his back muscles rippled and his elegant watch flashed in the sunlight

All getting along: The blended family enjoyed the beach time together

Sharing is caring: Scott also shared the complex family moment to his Instagram, writing, 'What more can a guy ask for'

Social: Sofia made sure to share her sexy look to her social media
She confirmed her romance with her Strictly dance partner a day after the show final, following weeks of speculation.

And Dianne Buswell has paid a playful tribute to her new beau Joe Sugg as she returned home to Australia to visit her family during the festive season.

Posting to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, the stunning dancer, 29, shared a cheeky photograph next to a doll, in which she pointed out had the 'same eyes as Joe'.

Funny: Posting to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, Dianne Buswell, 29, shared a cheeky photograph next to a doll, in which she pointed out it had the 'same eyes as Joe'

Cute: Dianne has been sharing some sizzling snaps from Down Under after she returned home to Australia to visit her family during the festive season

Posing next to the cartoon statue with blue irises in a striped cami top and denim shorts, Dianne playfully captioned her post: 'He has the same eyes as Joe'.

The professional Strictly star also gave her 510,000 followers a glimpse into her fun times on the beach, as she donned a gorgeous lilac swimsuit.

The gorgeous redhead could be seen posing up a storm in the idyllic water as she belted out classic Disney tunes and compared herself to Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

Playful: The professional Strictly star also gave her 510,000 followers a glimpse into her fun times on the beach, as she donned a gorgeous lilac swimsuit

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.

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.'

Sweet: Following on from the Strictly final last week, Joe and Dianne appeared to confirm many fans' speculation that they were dating

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.

'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.
Below Deck star Ross Inia spent the night in jail, after being arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Inia was charged with, 'one count of battery on an officer, firefighter, EMT, etc., one count of disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance, and crimes against person harming a public servant or family,' according to In Touch Weekly.

The reality persona's bond was set at $15,500 and he was still being detained as of Saturday afternoon.

Mugshot: Below Deck star Ross Inia was arrested for disorderly intoxication over the weekend. Above is his mugshot

Inia was hanging out with his fellow Below Deck star Joao Franco.

Earlier the evening both of them shared videos from their night out on their Instagram stories, video which included drinking at a local bar.

In the now-deleted videos they were seen singing Prince's song Kiss while another clip captured them bobbing their heads to the music.

Then Franco posted another now-deleted update to his Instagram story, revealing, 'Ross is in jailand we've been looking for him four hours and counting.'

Promo shot: Inia was hanging out with his fellow Below Deck star Joao Franco, with both of them sharing videos from their night out on their Instagram stories, which included drinking at a local bar

Franco also posted another now-deleted video, where he confirms that he went to the jail to look for him.

'So we are at what jail,' Franco said, asking his friend what jail they're at. 'The West Palm Beach police department,' they both say.

'And uh, we've been told we cannot find Ross,' Franco says.

'Yep,' the friend says. 'Apparently it's going to take between five to 10 hours just to process him.' Franco also posted, before sharing why Ross was arrested.

Arrested: Then Franco posted another now-deleted update to his Instagram story, revealing, 'Ross is in jailand we've been looking for him four hours and counting'

'Looking for @Ross_Inia. Ross grabbed me as a mate, the police grabbed us and handcuffed us. Ross 'resisted' arrest. F**k the police. Find the real criminals,' Franco said.

Earlier this month, Franco shared another photo with him and Inia, showing how much respect he has for his co-star.

'Mad respect for how genuine this fella is... the below deck cast all have one thing in common and it brings us closer, no matter where we come from or where we're going,' he said.

Buddies: Earlier this month, Franco shared another photo with him and Inia, showing how much respect he has for his co-star

'It's a roller coaster ride for us all, in one way or another, and you can choose let it get to you or you can choose to roll with it,' Franco said.

'Let the good times roll buddy the biggest challenge is to stay humble! And humble you are,' Franco concluded.

Interestingly enough, another Bravo reality star was recently arrested on very similar charges around this time last year, Luann de Lesseps from The Real Housewives of New York City, who was arrested for assaulting a police officer.
She's set for an eventful 2019, hitting the milestone birthday of 40 in April.

And Kourtney Kardashian showed off her impossibly youthful appearance as she joined her ex-beau Scott Disick, 35, and his new girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20, for a festive getaway in Cancun, Mexico.

Showing off her age-defying curves in a tiny black Fae bikini, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star looked every inch the siren as she hit the beach with her children.

In the festive spirit: Kourtney Kardashian,40, showed off her impossibly youthful appearance as she joined her ex-beau Scott Disick, 35, and his new girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20, for a festive getaway in Cancun, Mexico

Wearing her raven tresses loose, Kourtney was a total beach babe in the skimpy ensemble as she switched between sunbathing and dipping in the water.

The eldest of the Kardashian clan sizzled in her barely-there two-piece, showing off her enviably taut midriff as she stretched herself out beside Sofia.

The star, who was already of voting age when Sofia was born, opted for a sleek black bathing suit that complemented her sleek double-bridge shades.

Getting on: Wearing her raven tresses loose, Kourtney was a total beach babe in the skimpy ensemble as she switched between sunbathing and dipping in the water.

Age-defying: The star, who was already of voting age when Sofia was born, opted for a sleek black bathing suit that complemented her sleek double-bridge shades

Ever the natural beauty, the mother-of-three opted for a make-up free look, as she played with her kids of the idyllic waterfront.

Meanwhile, Sophia, the daughter of musical icon Lionel Richie and half-sister of reality TV legend Nicole Richie, opted for a sizzling burnt-orange number that played up her chiseled frame.

Kourtney and Scott's two elder children - Mason, eight, and Penelope, six - had their births documented on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Kourtney and Sofia seemed to be enjoying each other's company - at one point, as they lounged side by side on deck chairs, the younger woman leaned over and smiled at something on Kourtney's phone.

Kardashian bum! Kourtney showed off what her family are famous for as she leaned over the sunbed

However, their youngest child, a son called Reign who celebrated his fourth birthday about a week ago, was born away from the cameras amid family drama over his father's drinking.

The trip to Mexico comes after Sofia was said to be 'uncomfortable' after Kourtney shared a photo of Scott and their kids to Instagram.

'But she has been trying not to let it get to her,' added the source to US Weekly.

Awkward: The outing came after Sofia was said to be 'uncomfortable' after Kourtney shared a photo of Scott and their kids to Instagram

All the attention Kourtney is showering on family could be creating a rift for Sofia and Scott.

'Sofia is beginning to fight feelings of jealousy as Scott and Kourtney continue to spend more time together,' a source told Hollywood Life.

'Sofia did her best to be cool with Scotts relationship with Kourtney for a while She wanted to be the cool girlfriend, which was easier to do when Kourt had a boyfriend,' the insider added.

The eldest of the Kardashian clan sizzled in her barely-there two-piece, showing off her enviably taut midriff as she stretched herself out beside Sofia

'But now that Kourtney is single and dating again, Sofia struggles with the time Kourtney spends alone with Scott and the kids.'

'Scott is looking really good lately and it stings when Sofia wants to see her sexy man him but cant because he is busy with Kourtney,' the source dished.

Kourtney and Scott split in 2015 after nearly 10 years together and both have been playing the field since then.

Safety first! The oldest of the Kar-Jenner picked up some water to keep hydrated in the Mexican heat

Keeping up: Kourtney and Scott split in 2015 after nearly 10 years together and both have been playing the field since then

Since they called it quits, Kourtney has been linked to 20-year-old model Luka Sabbat and French-born boxer and model Younes Bendjima, 25, - but is currently single.

It's thought Kourtney will be heading back to Calabassas for Christmas day, after decorating her lavish mansion in festive ornaments.

The reality starlet shared a series of videos on Instagram earlier in the month, that showcased her impressive interior design while also ensuring all eyes were on the dozens of wrapped presents that couldn't fit under the trees.

Single: Since they called it quits, Kourtney has been linked to 20-year-old model Luka Sabbat and French-born boxer and model Younes Bendjima, 25, - but is currently single

Friendly exes: Scott and Kourtney are known to co-parent their children, and get on well despite being broken up

Mini- break? It's thought Kourtney will be heading back to Calabassas for Christmas, after decorating her lavish mansion in festive ornaments

Friendly: Kourtney and Sofia are rarely pictured together but seem to get on despite unusual circumstances

Speaking to Vogue in December 2016, the beauty said it's a special tradition they get more than one tree and home-make decorations.

'We all go to a lot together and have the kids pick out their own trees for their bedrooms, they decorate them however they want,' she said.

'It's a perfect spot for homemade decorations and allows them to be creative and have fun with it and do something all together as a family.'

Crafty: Speaking to Vogue in December 2016, the beauty said it's a special tradition they get more than one tree and home-make decorations

And while Kourtney keeps the DIY projects to the kid's rooms, the main entrance and living areas are given some extra love by celebrity floral mogul, Jeff Leatham and his team.

She also added to the publication that she's in charge of Christmas for the whole family from the minute they wake.

'Christmas morning takes place at my house and my entire family comes here, so I also have the responsibility to make it special for all of them, and I love doing it!'

Stripping off! Kourtney looked sensational as she pulled off her shorts showing off the very famous Kardashian bottom

Family first! 'Christmas morning takes place at my house and my entire family comes here, so I also have the responsibility to make it special for all of them, and I love doing it!' Kourtney said

And while it's unsure how many trees Kourtney has put up this year, celebrity interior entrepreneur Martha Stewart recently revealed to Ellen DeGeneres that she had 'about 40' - after she put about 'five in every room' in 2017.

It's also been revealed that this year's annual Kar-Jenner family Christmas Eve party will be hosted by Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West.

Family first! Scott, Kourtney and Sofia looked like a very modern family unit on the beach

Twist on tradition: It's also been revealed that this year's annual Kar-Jenner family Christmas Eve party will be hosted by Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West

Posing: The young model posed up a storm as she stretched out across her lounge chair

Social: Sofia made sure to share her sexy look to her social media
Watership Down (BBC1)

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Under The Christmas Sky (BBC2)

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Gather round, you younguns. You wont believe it but, when I were a little lad, we had power cuts all winter.

Suet pudding was a rare treat. And our favourite bedtime story was all about refugee rabbits fighting to the death.

Anyone who doesnt remember the Seventies will struggle to understand how Watership Down (BBC1) could be based on a childrens bestseller.

Most children who snuggled up to watch Watership Down with their parents, as it began on Saturday evening, will surely have given up long before the end of the first 100-minute episode

Gloomy, gothic, often slow and portentous, this pseudo-religious parable erupted repeatedly in explosive violence.

Rabbits were shot, maimed and scarred in vividly animated detail. They had their eyes pecked by ravens in graveyards. Cats and foxes tore at their throats.

And all through the second half, a mad, half-blind, fascist dictator (given demented voice by Sir Ben Kingsley) was urging his storm-trooper rodents on to more death and destruction.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

Most children who snuggled up to watch Watership Down with their parents, as it began on Saturday evening, will surely have given up long before the end of the first 100-minute episode.

Any person who makes it through the full three-hour special over two days deserve medals, and probably therapy.

Anyone who doesnt remember the Seventies will struggle to understand how Watership Down (BBC1) could be based on a childrens bestseller

It wasnt just the relentless bloodshed, or psychic rabbit Fivers nightmare visions, though those will leave their mark on impressionable youngsters.

It was the sheer pretentious weight of it  all those made-up words in guttural rabbit language (Frith, Efrafa, Hrairoo, Flayrah)  and the layers of pagan myth and Christian imagery.

That brand of arrant nonsense was fashionable in 1972, when civil servant Richard Adams published his first novel. This was the era of prog rock and platform boots, after all.

But just as you shouldnt force small children to listen to Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes, the Beebs decision to devote two solid evenings to Watership Down immediately before Christmas seems bizarre.

All the stuff about death and rebirth would be better suited to Easter. Much of the dialogue (You will all be dead by sunset!) belonged in the medieval slaughter-fest Game Of Thrones.

But what any child in 2018 will make of it is hard to guess. The Gruffalo this was not

This adaptation did feature an exceptional cast of voices, including James McAvoy, Olivia Colman and Daniel Kaluuya.

And the computer graphics were stunning, a celebration of the beauty of Britains countryside. Creative touches included Victorian shadow puppets and a flashback that seemed to be filmed on Super-8 cine film.

A year passed in moments, as a falling leaf became a snowflake and then a butterfly. It all combined as a faithful evocation of a classic book.

But what any child in 2018 will make of it is hard to guess. The Gruffalo this was not.

Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan stayed closer to traditional festive motifs in Under The Christmas Sky (BBC2), as their jaunt in search of reindeer and Bethlehem stars turned into a bout of competitive camping.

In Jordan, Chris spent a miserable night after his tent blew down. The following day, he attempted to ride a camel with all the grace of a sack of spuds on a rollercoaster.

Michaela mocked him mercilessly and was still laughing about it when I interviewed her earlier this month.

In Jordan, Chris spent a miserable night after his tent blew down. The following day, he attempted to ride a camel with all the grace of a sack of spuds on a rollercoaster

Chris hates camping, she told me. He didnt get any sleep, he got up grumpy, and I thought it was so funny. But I was fair, not cruel. I took the Mickey, to an appropriate degree.

Not surprising, then, that when Michaela overturned her dog-sled in Lapland, Chris laughed so much that he crashed, too.

If you thought their friendly rivalry on Springwatch was just an act for the cameras, think again.
More than two million Yemenis have been displaced by the conflict between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels

For many families in Yemen, the war has not only stripped them of their livelihoods, homes and belongings but something far more valuable: their dignity.

"It was humiliating, and now that we are here in this refugee camp, it is even more humiliating," said Ali Mohammed Mustbani in a makeshift tent, his eyes sunken and posture stooped.

Mustbani fled with his wife and six children from their hometown in northwestern Hajja province to the Al-Khudeish camp in the same governorate after heavy air strikes.

They are among the more than two million people displaced by a conflict between the government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.

"Our situation has gone from bad to worse, and we have not received any assistance," he said.

-'Fled on foot' -

Food is scarce in Al-Khudeish, where children -- some barefoot -- roam and struggle to occupy themselves.

Many displaced Yemenis say the war has stripped them of their dignity

A little girl combs her younger sister's hair, while another young girl cares for a baby.

What little food the camp residents can get their hands on is cooked or baked in a pit.

On the floor, a young girl cuts up okra with the edge of a metal cup to mix with mallow, a popular salad green that grows wild in Yemen.

Life in the Al-Khudeish camp is not easy.

Yehya Kaloum's family sits on the floor of a tent, in silence.

They have lost several family members, who were among dozens killed in an air strike in March 2015 at the Al-Mazrak camp for the displaced, also in Hajja province.

Kaloum's family moved repeatedly to escape air strikes, before eventually reaching this camp.

"We fled on foot with only the clothes on our backs," he told AFP.

"We are suffering. We have no water, we have no food, and we don't have health facilities to take care of the children".

- 'We saw people killed' -

About 300 kilometres (185 miles) south of Hajja, Yemenis in a camp in Khokha, Hodeida province, have fled a different threat.

The World Health Organization says the war in Yemen has killed an estimated 10,000 people, mostly civilians, but other groups say the toll is much higher

But they face the same day-to-day struggles as those in Al-Khudeish.

"We left because of the fierce... shelling by the rebels both at night and during the day," Mohammed Ghaleb told AFP.

He said Huthi snipers were dispersed throughout his hometown of Hays, some 30 kilometres from Khokha, which is itself around 100 kilometres south of the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.

The shelling forced many to flee Hays.

Neighbourhoods there lie abandoned, and bullet-marked shops have closed their doors.

The warring sides reached a truce accord for Hodeida province during talks in Sweden this month, but the hard-won ceasefire has been followed by repeated skirmishes.

Mohammed Saleh Oseili and his extended family of more than 100 people left Hays almost a year ago.

He used to be a truck driver but is now jobless.

"I have lost my licence, I have lost my identity card," Oseili told AFP. "We saw people killed by the Huthi missiles, snipers were above us (on rooftops) everywhere -- we preferred to leave."

Much like those in Al-Khudeish, Oseili's family in Khokha do not know where their next meal is coming from.

Ishraq Mohammed Saleh, who likewise fled Hays to Khokha, urged humanitarian agencies to better care for the displaced.

"We are not teaching our children. We hope that an organisation can help educate them," she told AFP.

"Before, we were content, living in our homes with pride and dignity."

The conflict triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with nearly 14 million Yemenis at risk of famine due to violence, poverty, disease and blockades.

Both parties stand accused of acts that could amount to war crimes, in hostilities that escalated when Saudi Arabia intervened in favour of the internationally recognised government in 2015.

The World Health Organization says the war has killed an estimated 10,000 people, mostly civilians, but other groups say the toll is much higher.
Hip-hop artist Chama "Pilato" Fumba, pictured at the demonstration in September

A Zambian court on Friday acquitted six activists, including a popular hip-hop musician, who were arrested for protesting against corruption in President Edgar Lungus government.

The six activists, including hip-hop star Chama Fumba also known as Pilato, were arrested in September for picketing over the procurement of 42 fire engines at a cost of $1 million (880,000 euros) each, seen as emblematic of corruption fostered by Lungu.

"The demonstrators were peaceful, no property was damaged, traffic flow was not disturbed and parliamentary proceedings were not disturbed. I accordingly acquit all the accused persons," Magistrate Mwaka Mikalile said.

The activists had staged a demonstration outside parliament while then finance minister Felix Mutati was presenting the 2018 budget.

Charged for the offence of failing to obey a lawful order, they pleaded not guilty.

"The conveners were within their rights to protest but the police failed to do what was within the law," the judge said adding that it was in fact the police that violated the constitution by stopping the protest.

In court the activists celebrated the acquittal by hugging each other and the scores of sympathisers that attended the court session.

Speaking to journalists after the acquittal, one of the activists Laura Miti said that they would continue to protest against corruption in government as that was their constitutional right.

"We will continue to protest peacefully and lawfully. As civil society organisations we have the right to protest peacefully as has been pronounced by the court," she told reporters.

Pilato described the acquital as a "victory for democracy and the people of Zambia".

He was arrested in May when he returned from South Africa, where he had fled after his hit song, "Koswe Mumpoto" (Rat in the Pot), drew angry reactions from supporters of Zambia's ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party.

Zambia's opposition has accused Lungu of increasingly authoritarian behaviour.
Burundi is the second biggest contributor to the African peace force in Somalia

The Burundi army on Sunday said it opposed a request by the African Union that it withdraw 1,000 soldiers serving in an African peacekeeping force in Somalia by February 28.

Burundi army spokesman Colonel Floribert Biyereke said in a statement that the military would ask the government to argue for a proportionate number of troops be withdrawn from each AU member country, rather than solely Burundian soldiers.

Burundi is the second biggest contributor to the 21,500-strong peacekeeping force with 5,400 soldiers, behind Uganda with 6,200 but ahead of Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia.

The African Union is gradually scaling back its AMISOM force as Somalia's nascent armed forces are trained and deployed to replace them.

AMISOM was first deployed in 2007 to support Somalia's fragile internationally-backed government and fight Al-Shabaab jihadists blamed for scores of bloody attacks.

The African Union request, made through a diplomatic document called a note verbale, came amid recent tension between Burundi and the AU.

The AU has called on Burundi -- criticised abroad for its record on human rights -- to ease its hardline stance on dissent and talk with its exiled opposition.

A key consequence of an eventual troop drawdown is financial.

Participation in AMISOM is a valuable source of hard currency, and the scaleback is likely to have a big impact on Burundi -- every quarter, the AU pays it around $18 million (15.7 million euros).

That represents a major source of foreign currency for Burundi, which has seen funding from the European Union suspended over human rights issues.

Burundi soldiers also earn much less once they return from serving with AMISOM, and an AU official who asked not to be named said they were poorly equipped, and thus logical candidates for the first phase of departures.
Ever since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran, Irans Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who is responsible for setting the directions of the nations security and foreign policy, has repeatedly advised the government against relying on European powers to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Earlier this year, asking the Iranian government to avoid dependence on foreign countries, the leader argued that in foreign policy, top priorities for us, today, include preferring the East to the West, preferring the neighbouring countries to the far reached locations, preferring nations and countries that share in our goals.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has advised the Iranian government to avoid dependence on the West. (Photo: Reuters/File)

Irans Look to the East policy seeks to reconcile pragmatic ends as well as ideological goals of the country. It allows Iran to benefit from its integration into the world economy, while avoiding dependence on the West.

The renewed emphasis on deepening relations with the East stems from the Iranian leaderships view of the international system as undergoing an era of transition, in which the pole of economic power  and along with it, political power  is gradually shifting from the West to the East.

Maintaining its obligations under JCPOA and fighting off the unilateral American sanctions, Iran is trying to rehabilitate its relations with the international community.

In doing so, it is focussing on strengthening relations with Asian powers willing to cooperate with Iran, while circumventing American sanctions. At a time when the economic rise of China and India has redefined economic integration in terms of continent-wide connectivity projects and energy corridors, a key component of Irans Look to the East Policy 2.0 is to find synergies with these projects.

Connect Central Asia through Chabahar

For India, connecting with Central Asia is important not only from the point of view of energy and resource security, but also for utilising the regions transit potential to connect with Europe and Russia.

Countries in the region, on their part, are seeking to multiply their source of infrastructure investment, diversify routes and create an integrated and seamless transport space. They are also hoping that connecting with global supply chains will boost business activity in their own countries.

Under the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, a number of transport corridors are connecting landlocked Central Asian countries to ports on Chinas eastern seacoast.

Chabahar is a deep water port capable of handling big-cargo ships. (Photo: Reuters/File)

But Irans Persian Gulf is the shortest gateway to the ocean for these countries. For Afghanistan, it provides a secure and alternate route to the sea, reducing its dependence on Pakistan.

For India, Iran is a crucial escape out of its post-partition geopolitical entrapment, with Pakistan blocking Indias access to Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Iran is a crucial node in Indias bilateral, sub-regional and transcontinental connectivity projects, important not only for their geo-economic potential, but also in the geopolitical sense for ameliorating Indias extended neighbourhoods dependence on China.

Chabahar, a deep water port capable of handling big-cargo ships, is being developed as transhipment to Afghanistan and Central Asia, freeing Bandar Abbas mainly for trade with Russia and Europe. Four months after sanctions were lifted from Iran in January 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a tripartite Chabahar agreement, calling for joint investments to develop Chabahar as a regional trading hub.

The first phase of the Chabahar port was inaugurated last year, but the return of American sanctions on Irans banking sector, and the absence of payment mechanism for India to pay the Iranian company it had hired to manage its commercial operations at Chabahar, delayed the operationalisation of the port.

Underscoring Chabahars importance to Indias developmental partnership in Afghanistan, as the port would provide the war-torn country with a secure trade and transit route with India and the world, it was granted waiver from the US sanctions on Iran.

Subsequently, in a major boost for trade logistics between the two countries, Afghanistan announced its decision to establish the Afghan shipping sector, with private ships flying Afghan flags between Chabahar and India.

To operationalise the potential of Chabhar for boosting Indias trade with the region, in January this year, India acceded to the Asghabat Agreement for facilitation of transportation and transit of goods between the landlocked Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and Persian Gulf littoral countries of Iran, Oman.

India has invested massively in connecting Chabahar with Zaranj-Delaram road in Afghanistan and a railway link between Chabahar and Zahedan, on the Iran-Afghan border. The railway link would be extended to Mashhad in eastern Iran and thereon to Central Asia.

During Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's visit to India in September, the two countries decided to route their trade through Chabahar. (Photo: Twitter/@PIB_India)

In a testimony to the growing significance of Chabahar for Indias trade with the region, when Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited New Delhi in September this year, the two countries, while setting a bilateral trade target of $1billion to be achieved within two years, decided to route their trade through Chabahar.

Iran is the linchpin of INSTC

Bandar Abbas on the entrance of the Persian Gulf and Bandar-e Anzali on Irans Caspian Sea coast are two key transit ports of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal network of sea and railway route providing more efficient connectivity between Indias Eastern seaboard and Eurasia. Compared with the traditional route linking India to Northern Europe and Russia via the Suez Canal, the INSTC is expected to cut the time and cost of delivering goods by 30% to 40%.

With last years trade turnover reaching $1billion, Kazakhstan is Indias largest trade partner in the region, but much more potential remains untapped.

India is seeking to reach Kazakhstan and Russia through an Eastern branch of the INSTC, linking Gujarats Mundra Port with Bandar Abbas and thereon to Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railway network. Last month in New Delhi, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and India held a quadrilateral meet on cross-border connectivity. The idea was to attract Indian businesses and investments to Eurasia, while informing them about the logistical capabilities of the route.

As INSTC brings down the logistics cost, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will boost regional trade by reducing custom duties and eliminating non-tariff barriers between member states. Once both India and Iran have signed free trade agreements with WAEU, they will not only have a preferential access to the integrated Eurasian economic space, but would also help reduce the market dominance of China, which has a non-preferential agreement with EAEU.

Iran is a crucial player in the Pipeline Geopolitics of the region

Iran is also crucial for Indias long-term strategy of securing reliable and diversified energy supplies. As oil is on the frontline of the economic confrontation between the United States and Iran, the latter is trying to capitalise its gas reserves  second biggest in the world  with the help of Russia and China.

When five more phases of the supergiant South Pars gas field come online by March, 2019, Iran would have added 84 million cubic meters to the 560 mcm of daily gas recovery from the field. Phase 11 of the South Pars, to be developed by CNPC  which now holds the majority share after it assumed 50.1% stake of French Total when the latter failed to get a US waiver  is supposed to increase capacity by 56mcm/day.

Even as the Chinese track-record in Irans gas sector has not been very good, China has been one of the few countries investing in the Iranian oil and gas sector despite international sanctions on Iran.

India needs to carefully think about seeking a licence to develop the Farzad b gas field it discovered about a decade ago. (Photo: Reuters/file)

After repeated delays in fulfilling its contractual obligations, in 2014, Iran had cancelled CNPCs contract to develop North Azadegan field. As western companies flee from Iran, it would seek to avoid dependence on China, and therefore, India needs to carefully think about seeking a licence to develop the Farzad b gas field it discovered about a decade ago.

Given that the Iranian population is concentrated in the northern part of the country while its active gas fields are located along the south-west coast, the logic of internal logistics for Iran and the Russian desire to export gas to South Asia anchor the emerging energy cooperation between the two countries.

In a north-south energy corridor, Russia would use Azerbaijans pipeline system to transport gas to North Iran, while Iran can supply to Russian customers in Persian Gulf and potentially South Asia.

Last year in November, Iran and Russia signed a MoU envisaging support for construction of a 1,200 km long pipe line from Iran to India, with a branch pipeline going to Pakistan. In June, India received its first LNG ship as part of a long-term deal, under which Russia would supply India LNG worth $25 billion over the next 20 years.

For India, undersea gas pipelines to major gas producers Russia and Iran would not only be economical, but also provide a way out of the geopolitical uncertainties paralysing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline. As TAPI remains a pipedream, Iran, sharing a long border with Turkmenistan, is eager to participate in gas swap, delivering Turkmen gas to South Asia.

Irans look to the East policy presents India with a strategic opportunity to utilise Iran as the crucial land-bridge connecting India with Eurasia. But as the two countries closely cooperate on energy and connectivity, they must not only work to multidimesionalise their relations, but also immunise their ties against third-party influence. And there are no prizes for guessing who that influential third party is.

Also read: China's dam-building rage is threatening the whole of Asia, and India has the most to lose
The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Apicorp), a multilateral development bank, has announced a $100 million-investment as part of a consortium of international and regional banks to finance the construction of Omans Duqm Refinery.



Situated within the Duqm Special Economic Zone, the refinery is a joint venture between Kuwait Petroleum International and Oman Oil Company.



Duqm Refinery is a milestone project which will contribute to the transformation of Omans economy.



Apicorp's contribution to the refinery project includes $50 million as sharia-compliant finance, while the other $50 million is in conventional tranche.



Todays announcement continues the Arab multilateral bank's collaboration with Kuwait, a 17 per cent shareholder in Apicorp, with a continued partnership in the financing of foreign investments in petrochemical projects such as MEGlobal in Canada and the Netherlands, and for Equipolymers in Switzerland, as well as the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical plant in Vietnam.



This is also a demonstration of Apicorps commitment to Oman with over $380 million currently committed to the energy sector in country, said a top official.



"We are delighted to be working with Kuwait Petroleum International and Oman Oil Company on this prestigious project - Duqm Refinery. As the Arab energy sectors most trusted financial partner, we look forward to further strengthening our existing partnerships with the governments of Kuwait and Oman," remarked Apicorp CEO Dr Ahmed Ali Attiga.



"Once operational, the refinery will play a significant role in boosting Omans exports and will be a key driver for the growth of the region providing investment opportunities for new related projects," he stated.



Nabil Bourisli, the president of Kuwait Petroleum International and chairman of Duqm Refinery, expressed delight at tthe collaboration with Apicorp on Duqm Refinery.



"This reflects the trust and confidence of local, regional and international financial institutions in our economic ties that are deeply rooted in history. Our vision is aiming at maximising the value of our natural resources and driving the two countries towards expanding their economic potential, leading to balanced economic growth," he added.



Duqm Refinery is located at Al Duqm in the South East Al Wusta Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman.



A strategic maritime location providing immediate access to international shipping lanes in both the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, it helps the process of transport in and out of the region and gives the project a significant competitive advantage.



Duqm Refinery recently celebrated the laying of the foundation stone and the commencement of the $5.75 billion construction work for the project, said the statement.



Once the refinery is completed, it will have the capacity to process around 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Its primary products will be diesel, jet fuel, naphtha and LPG, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
One could write a heart-warming fairy tale about the turbulent events in the island nation in the past two months. But the story is never really over. The fairy tale will be preferred whenever possible

You could write a heart-warming fairy tale about the turbulent events in the island nation of Sri Lanka in the past two months. It would involve a conniving President, who abruptly and illegally dismisses the elected Prime Minister, and replaces him with a corrupt and blood-soaked former despot who was the Presidents old boss. The despot, now claiming to be the real Prime Minister, tries to strengthen his position by offering Members of Parliament jobs as Ministers in his new Government. If enough accept, he would have a majority in the Parliament and could claim to be sort of legitimate. But most of the MPs turn down the political bribes on offer, and Parliament twice votes to reject his claims.

Finally, after 50 days of chaos, the judges of the Supreme Court say that the President has acted illegally and the ex-despot cant claim that he is the Prime Minister. At this point, the despot resigns and the President grudgingly re-appoints the legitimate Prime Minister. Virtue triumphs, and joy is unconfined. Maybe they even live happily ever after. Its an engaging tale, and the basic outlines are true, but in the real world, the historical and social context that surrounds the events changes the tone of everything.

Sri Lanka is only 10 years away from the end of a brutal civil war that lasted for a quarter-century, and the despot is the man who won it by being more brutal than anybody else. His name is Mahinda Rajapaksa. The war was about race and religion. Most of Sri Lankas people speak the Sinhalese language and identify with the Buddhist religion. A minority several million strong, concentrated in the north and east, speak Tamil and are mostly Hindu in religion (with a significant Christian minority). Tamils have been in Sri Lanka for at least 2,000 years, but the Buddhist majority tends to see them as alien and even as newcomers.

The Tamils did well under British colonial rule, when most Buddhist Sinhalese refused to collaborate with their new political masters. There was revenge-taking after independence, when Buddhist-dominated Governments removed the official status of the Tamil language and imposed restrictions on higher education for Tamils. There were even anti-Tamil pogroms. Buddhist intolerance towards non-Buddhist minorities is not unique to Sri Lanka, as the Rohingya minority in Burma can readily attest, but in Sri Lanka, the Tamil minority was big enough to fight back. It did so, starting in 1987, in a guerrilla and terrorist war that sought an independent Tamil state in the north and east of the island.

Up to 100,000 people died in the war, which ended with an orgy of killing (40,000) in the final five months of battles in 2009. Mahinda Rajapaksa was the President who directed those battles, in which Tamils trying to surrender were often killed, and he emerged from the war as a national hero. With his populist, nationalist style making him a favourite with the Sinhalese masses, he seemed set for a very long run in power. His Government continued to torture and make opponents disappear and his family grew rich from corrupt deals. But in 2015, one of his Cabinet ministers, Maithripila Sirisena, defected from the Government, ran against him for the presidency  and won. To his credit, Rajapaksa accepted his defeat. Sirisena found a new ally in Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose business-friendly United National Party had won a majority in Parliament, and appointed him as the Prime Minister. However, the new allies had little in common and estrangement between them grew.

The key issue that broke the alliance was trade: Sirisena preferred to make deals with China, Wickremesinghe with nearby India. On October 25, 2018, Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe (illegally) and appointed Rajapaksa as Prime Minister instead. Wickremesinghe pointed out that Sirisena didnt have the power to do that and barricaded himself into Temple Trees, the Prime Ministers official residence. Rajapaksa couldnt get enough members of Parliament to switch sides. They voted twice to remove Rajapaksa, so Sirisena dismissed Parliament and called for new elections.

That was illegal, too, and the struggle continued until December 13, 2018, when the Supreme Court ruled that Sirisena could not dissolve Parliament. At that point Rajapaksa resigned, and later, an angry Sirisena grudgingly swore Wickremesinghe back in as the Prime Minister. An encouraging outcome, in which Parliament, the courts and the general public behaved better than anybody expected, but of course the story is never really over. Sirisena can Constitutionally dismiss Parliament 15 months from now, and Rajapaksa may well win the next election. Meanwhile, Wickremesinghes Government may be almost paralysed because relations between Sirisena and him are poisonous. The fairy-tale is to be preferred whenever possible.

(The writer is an independent journalist)
With just four days left for the culmination of the first phase of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage, a group of 11 women of menstruating age on Sunday made an unsuccessful bid to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine as they were forced to return by protesting devotees.

Accompanied by police personnel, the members of Chennai-based women empowerment outfit Manithi could barely move 100 metres through the traditional forest path towards the temple when hundreds of devotees rushed down to the valley to chase them away.

The women and the police had to virtually run from the scene to the safety of a nearby guardroom, abandoning the trekking plan.

Defying prohibitory orders, hundreds of devotees thronged the forest path here blocking the way of the women, who reached in the early hours from Chennai. Police tried to remove the protesters by force as they were not ready to budge despite their repeated announcements to disperse leading to the arrest of some of the protesting devotees.

Before returning, Selvi, the co-coordinator of the outfit, told reporters here that the police had forced them to abandon their plan to visit the hill shrine and return.

However, rejecting the charge, the police said that the activists had came back on their own due to security issues, adding that two cases were registered against the protesters based on the complaint lodged by Manithi members.

Earlier, braving several protests on their way, the 11-member team, all belonging to the traditionally-barred age group, reached here by 3.30 am through the Idukki-Kambamedu route on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Of the 11, six carried the traditional irumudikettu which is mandatory to climb the pathinettam padi (holy steps leading to sanctum sanctorum). But, the women could not move forward and had to wait at the entry of the forest path for over six hours following namajapa (chanting sacred hymns) protests staged by hundreds of devotees.

The BJP and other right-wing activists too staged namajapa protests across the State including before the Cliff House, the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananrhapuram.

Kerala-based Dalit activist, Ammini, who announced to trek to Sabarimala, returned after reaching Erumely, over 50 km from here.

The polices attempt to take Manithi members to the shrine also triggered a political row with the Opposition Congress and the BJP lashing out at the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front.

BJP State president PS Sreedharan Pillai said the Left Government was trying to turn the hill top shrine into a war zone and alleged that there were no devotees among the Manithi members who attempted to trek to the shrine.

He also sought a probe into the matter by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and announced that his party will observe a daylong protest in the state on Monday.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan Government was attempting to destroy the Ayyappa temple. Joining the attack, the Pandalam royal family, attached to the Ayyappa temple, accused the left government of taking activist women to the hill shrine with police escort .

However, refuting the charges, senior Minister EP Jayarajan told reporters that the Government is committed to protect the belief of devotees. We want peace at Sabaraimala.

Meanwhile, heavy rush of devotees continued to pour in at the Sabarimala temple with the auspicious Mandalapuja being just four days away. The first phase of the 41-day long annual pilgrim season at the Lord Ayyappa temple would culminate on December 27 with the puja.

Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the apex court verdict on September 28 permitting women of all age groups into the shrine. Over a dozen women including a journalist and an activist of menstruating age had earlier tried to trek to the shrine, nestled in the Western Ghats forests, but could not make it due to protests by devotees and right-wing activists.
Despite Indias advantageous geographical position in Doklam and its infrastructure push post its standoff with China, Beijing still holds an edge in terms of connectivity.

While many Indian roads cannot withstand the pressure of military traffic even 46 years after China took advantage of it in the 1962 war, a number of important sectors continue to be dependent on single access routes that could be risky in times of conflict.

A parliamentary panel that took a first-hand stock of the ground situation in Doklam has strongly pitched for enhancing the level of priority to border roads.

The panel, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, said it was perturbedthat despite a marked progress in recent years, the border road infrastructure on the India-China border is grossly inadequate, as confirmed by its own observations from its visits.

In several important sectors, India is dependent on single access routes, a risky proposition in times of conflict. Worse, many roads are not built to withstand military traffic. China had specifically taken advantage of this in the 1962 war and therefore we ought to draw lessons from the past on this matter, it added.

During their visit, the panel members realised only some of the border posts are connected by all weather roads. The panel members were shown pictures of infrastructure developed on both the sides of the border and major discrepancies were clearly visible. The sorry situation has accumulated over the year. Some roads in Guwahati, Tawang and Gangtok were constructed under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).

These roads are being used for military purposes. These roads are inadequate for military purposes but they can definitely be envisaged as a back up access route in times of exigencies it is imperative for national security that we should not be dependent on single point access, it said.

In its report on India-China ties, Parliaments standing committee on external affairs referred to inadequate infrastructure including roads along the border and said there is a distinct feeling that BRO as an organisation with antiquated rules of delegation needs a thorough overhaul.

It was pointed out that one of the main reasons for weak border infrastructure is lack of implementation of projects and thereby unused funds. The other issue is the bureaucratic clearances that are required for infrastructure development in the border areas including inter-ministerial clearances. There is also the problem of lack of monitoring of the implementation of projects.

The main reasons attributed to the delay as stated by the Ministry of Defence is difficult terrain, delay in getting environment clearances, inadequate infrastructure with Border Road Organisation (BRO), the panel added.

The BRO, which draws its officers and personnel from the Army, is responsible for building and maintaining roads in border regions. The committee recommended the BRO should work to achieve full connectivity and Government should significantly enhance the level of priority it gives to border roads in view of last years standoff with Chinese troops at Doklam.

A decision to improve infrastructure along the China border was made in 2005-06 but progress had been very slow. Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju had recently told Parliament that the Government has undertaken construction of 73 roads of operational significance along Indo-China border. Out of 73 roads, 48 roads are being constructed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and 25 roads by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Out of 73 roads, 34 roads have been completed, Rijiju had said.

The panel suggested that Ministry of Defence should coordinate with the respective State Governments along the India-China border to suitably enhance the design and standard specifications of the PMGSY.

According to officials, in the absence of motorable roads connecting borders to important military establishments, around 120 soldiers had to walk for 19 hours to reach the spot and then they took positions against the Chinese.
The 134 battalion of CRPF here at GLA college ground today celebrated its maiden Kissan Sammelan cum Beej Vitran function to mark the National Farmers Day. A gathering of 60 farmers attended this simple but impressive function of the CRPF here.

Stating this Commandant of the 134 battalion of CRPF AD Sharma said, Our IG CRPF Sanjay Anand Lathkar is the driving force behind this interaction and interfacing of CRPF with the farmers of Palamu. The IG asked us to sit with the farmers. We did the same here today. We heard each other.

Back in our six camps where CRPF companies have been deployed like Dagra, Chak, Manatu, Taal, Kooh Kooh Kalan and Harihurganj, our jawans there are doing shramdan with farmers in their fields and doing works like weeding out non palatable grasses in the field or are leveling the fields as part of their shramdan, said Sharma.

With this shramdan, we want to convey that security forces toil as hard as the farmers and both can do a lot for our country he added.

Sharma said, This function is under civic action plan for the year 2018-19. This is first of its kind. Farmers have never so descended on this battalion ground here in the past as they did today. It makes us repeat our most trusted slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan.

One farmer participant Saryu Pd Yadav of Chak said, I just never believed CRPF would be so standing with us like this. It is drought time. My paddy is wasted. But this care and concern of CRPF helps me to stand in this hour of distress with this feeling that there is CRPF standing for us now.

We have five components of this farmers gathering here. First is the workshop on farming. An agro scientist Dr Ashok K Singh of BAUs Zonal Research Centre in Daltonganjs Chiyanki has been roped in to conduct a two hour workshop on farming with this gathering of the farmers.

Our second component is distribution of seeds among the farmers. There are seeds of numerous vegetables like ladys finger, gourd, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, brinjal, carrot, maithee etc. The seeds are of high quality. It was given all free to the farmers here today. Seeds are in various weights from 20 gram to one and a half kilogram also Sharma said.

This CRPF commandant has this interesting piece to share when he said, These farmers who have come here today in our head quarter Daltonganj GLA college are of places where our camps are located. These farmers will grow vegetables and other items with our seeds. Once ready to use these vegetables our camps will buy them from these farmers at the market price. There will be no bargaining. This will further cement our bond with the farmers.

134 battalion of CRPF has given 5,000 in cash to farmers of Dagra village to grow veggies also for their own consumption and for commercial output of it by way of its sale in our Dagra camp, said he.

About the third component Sharma said Farmers have been shown films and videos of advanced agro activities. It will help them to tap more natural resources for their own agro income Commandant added.

Fourth and fifth components are soil testing and shramdan. Farmers attending this meet here have brought with them a sample of their soil. CRPF here has arranged soil testing facility. It will enable them to find out what kind of crop the soil is suited for.

Believe it our cops at our 6 camps have even worked with spade. One who used to carry gun across the shoulder used spade. Is this not a sign for more solidarity with the farmers who are the spine of the country? he said.

The second in command of 134 battalion of CRPF Arvind Tripathy and his team conducted the whole function. CRPF hosted lunch for the farmers in their traditional manner that is no buffet but plate and bowl full of eateries before each of the farmers.
Three students of Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya Manpur Mhow school ran from school premises due to the atrocities and beating which they were getting from school principal and teachers. One of the students has given a written complaint to the police station Manpur that they are leaving Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalya school due to the misbehave of school principal and teachers.

Police started the search operation and by their mobile tower location traced them in different cities of MP. Diwakar son of Harishankar (15) resident of sidhnagar Indore, Yash son of Sachhinand 15 resident of Bhavani Nagar Sanwer road Indore and Sachin Singare son of Vardaan Singh resident of Golkheda escaped from school.

Sachin has given a written complaint to the police in which he has written that principal O P Sharma, teacher Sunil Rai and Ashutosh Agrawal beat him brutally for without any reason. According to sources the principal O P Sharma often misbehaves with students and he was posted as vice principal few years back in this school and during that time due to mismanagement he was posted to other Navodaya Vidyalaya but due to his high official link with senior officers of Jawahar Navaoday Vidyalaya and his political link he again got himself transferred back to the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Manpur now as a principal.

Though the Navodaya Vidyalaya is a central government institutions and there are several Navodaya Vidayalaya in the country where he could have been posted.

TI Manpur Hitendra Rathod told The Pioneer that we have traced the students and presented them to the Mhow court where the students have given their statements and at present the students are handed over to their guardian.
Whereas Delhi witnessed seasons second highest pollution level on Sunday while Delhi Government claimed to have taken many steps to deal with the alarming pollution in the city which has resulted in 10-20 per cent reduction in pollution level.

A senior Government official said that it is observed that air pollution levels are rising again during this extreme cold winters primarily due to adverse climatic conditions but role of local sources cannot be denied.

To address this problem, Chief Secretary, Delhi has created a Whatsapp Group of the officers including top officials and field official to monitor identified hot spots in the city and keep a continuous vigil on violations. Chief Secretaryfurther warned all officers that the responsibility would be fixed, if any laxity is detected on any ones part, said the senior police official.

The official further said that in order to mitigate air pollution in Delhi, mechanised sweeper were used, roads were sprinkled with water, paving-/greening of unpaved portion of road done at a large scale.
Director General of Police (DGP) D M Awasthi has issued an order for termination of attachment of all the police personnel working with other government departments.

The order has been issued to all the Inspector General of Police and Superintendents of Police of the state.

The DGP said that police officers and employees working on attachments was affecting normal policing in the state.

Keeping this in view, all the attachments have been terminated with immediate effect and personnel have been asked to return to their original place of posting.
Former Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh alleged that fertiliser crisis in created due to non-cooperation by Modi Government.

He said that after the formation of Government by Congress in Madhya Pradesh central government has changed behavior towards state.

Congress would not allow the violation of rights of farmers and would get at every cost.

The BJPs actions are frustration from defeat and feeling of revenge. This has lead to the distribution of quota of Urea of Madhya Pradesh to other states.

Singh said that whatever action Modi government would take Congress is committed to protect rights of the farmers.

Government would work to fill shortfall of fertilizers which would be answer to Modi governments inspired action of revenge.

Taking cognizance of the matter CM Kamalnath continuous communication has been maintained with Railways and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Later on Thursday CM Kamalnath held a meeting with senior officials and reviewed the availability of fertilizers and efforts paid as state would soon receive 12 racks of fertilizers.
Former Minister GS Bali on Sunday accused the Himachal Government of misusing the official machinery for arranging people to attend the proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dharamshala on December 27.

The Prime Minister will address the rally there to mark the first anniversary of the Jai Ram Thakur Government in Himachal.

Senior Congress leader GS Bali, while talking to the mediapersons in Kangra alleged that the State Government is misusing the official machinery for gathering crowd for the proposed rally.

He claimed that all sub-divisional magistrates in the state have been asked to ensure a large gathering of people to attend the rally. The officials have been asked to identify beneficiaries of various government schemes and arrange for their to-and-fro travel to the rally site from all nooks and corners of the state, he said.

The Congress leader also claimed that even school teachers have been ordered to bring school children in civil dress to the rally site.

The former Minister added, "We too organised many rallies for Prime Ministers in the past, but never used such tactics.

The Chief Minister should ask the Education Departments not to shut down schools on the rally day. They should bring general public and not the school children or government employees to attend the rally, he said.

Administration had earlier announced its decision to keep the schools and colleges closed on December 27 to avoid inconveniences to the students on the day due to possible traffic snarls due to security arrangement for the Prime Minister's rally.
clerk nabbed red handed accepting bribe

Ujjain: Special Establishment of Police- Lokayukta Ujjain nabbed a clerk at Ujjain Housing Board department accepting a bribe of Rs 4500 for renewal of lease from the victim.

The accused Anand Sharma was caught while accepting Rs 4500 as bribe for renewal of lease and free hold of the land.

The victim claimed that when he contacted the department for renewal of lease clerk Anand Sharma demanded Rs 4500 for the work.

The accused demanded bribe and later victim lodged complaint with Lokayukta and provided the recording of demand of bribe by the accused. On Saturday when the accused accepted bribe Lokayukta police nabbed the accused.

National handloom week begins

Bhopal: National handloom week began in LNCT School from Friday. Under the handloom week celebrations, students are being provided with the information of Indias ancient art and how beautiful handicrafts are created out of them by their teachers. Teachers also taught their students about how to mash up the ancient art techniques with the modern art techniques to create unique and beautiful handicrafts.

On the very first day of the handloom week students were taught how to create craft out of bamboo and wool. Students in their classroom itself created house decorating crafts with the help of wool, beads, and plastic bottles. On this occasion the director of LNCT group Pooja Chouksey boosted confidence of the students. It is appreciable that during this week students will be familiarised with the handicraft art of different sates and culture.

letter of appreciation to Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a letter of appreciation to Madhya Pradesh for best poster presentation in routine immunization. Madhya Pradesh had given a poster presentation of Concrete Monitoring through RI Monitors in Routine Immunisation in the 5th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Care System held at Kaziranga of Assam from October 30 to November 1, 2018.

Central government, World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNDP have also lauded the efforts made by Madhya Pradesh in this direction. An innovation was made for improvements in immunization in Madhya Pradesh, in which 160 out of 500 BSc pass MPW (Male Health Workers) were selected after written and oral examination.

This experiment is one of its kind in the country. These MPWs were given GPS based high-tech training, which led to a big jump of 26 per cent in immunizations in the state. The MPWs were also sent to other villages for selection of Panchayat award in immunisation.

Dist admin reviews mandu utsav preparations

Bhopal: The district administration reviewed the preparations being made for the Mandu Utsav to be held in the famous tourist spot Mandav of the district at Dhar district headquarters. Collector Shri Deepak Singh reviewed the arrangements for electricity, road levelling, lighting around the venue, cleanliness, clean drinking water, toilets, lodging and safety of artists and other necessary arrangements for the Mandu Utsav. The Collector instructed the authorities to ensure timely arrangements.

Collector Singh issued instructions for LED and tent arrangement, food zone, dispensary for health facilities and availability of adequate life saving medicines. Singh told to ensure adequate transport facility for students participating in the Mandu Utsav.

specially designed Customer Awareness Prog

Bhopal: Exide Life Insurance on Saturday organised a specially designed Customer Awareness Program for the citizens of Bhopal, to educate them on the basics of financial preparation for their long and happy life.

Since the programmes 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 specially designed Customer Awareness Programme comprises of interactive sessions using audio-visual aids and paper-pencil exercises. Audience get to understand the concept of Human Life Value, which in turn helps them understand their future financial needs and hence the importance of being adequately insured. Through this initiative, Exide Life Insurance aims to contribute to the larger goal of making Indians financially independent and self-sustaining.
Kleindienst Group, the UAEs largest European property developer, has announced that it has sold 85 per cent of the second homes scheduled for Phase One of its Dh1.5-billion ($408 million) mega development, The Heart of Europe, located 4 km off the coast of Dubai.



The Heart of Europe is pioneering the second home market and an unrivalled, innovative, world-class tourist destination on six coral-rich islands in The World, sustainably bringing the best of European culture to Dubai, stated the developer.



Kleindienst Group has worked on properties on Sweden Island, Germany Island and 78 floating seahorses situated in a Maldivian setting at honeymoon Island, St Petersburg.



Handover of Phase One started in 2018 and is fully on track for completion in 2019, said the developer.



The demand from investors, predominantly UAE (40 per cent) and GCC nationals (30 per cent) has been positive, demonstrating an understanding of the new second home concept in this region and the strong opportunity for favourable returns on investment, it stated.



Currently on The Heart of Europe, Kleindienst has built a fully functioning transportation hub to and from the mainland as well as a construction hub including barges, boats and a batching plant.



Over 1,700 workers now reside, eat and work on the six islands, an increase of 60 per cent since the beginning of the year. As more projects start construction in 2019, this number will grow again to maintain the momentum of delivery.



With the infrastructure in place to support such a large workforce from kitchens producing organic food to housing, power, IT and sewage treatment - adhering to the zero discharge policy  The Heart of Europe is equipped to welcome owners in 2019 and tourists later in the year too.



Founder and Group Chairman Josef Kleindienst said: "After a highly successful 2018, The Heart of Europe is on track in Phase One with 85 per cent of the second homes sold."



"We are passionate about building the impossible and the innovative world firsts excite our investors as well as 100 per cent guaranteed return on investment after 12 years, attractive rental yields and strong capital appreciation," he noted.



As the only developer to increase our prices more than 50 per cent due to strong demand for the second home market, a new concept in this region, we are confident that we will witness continued success year on year sales increase during 2019, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Over 5.44 lakh quintals sugar produced

Chandigarh: The cooperative sugar mills in Haryana have so far produced over 5.44 lakh quintals of sugar by crushing 66.12 lakh quintals of sugarcane during the current crushing season. A spokesman said that the Cooperative Sugar Mill, Shahabad has produced a maximum of over 1.03 lakh quintals of sugar by crushing 11.94 lakh quintals of sugarcane. Cooperative Sugar Mill, Rohtak has produced 97,400 quintals of sugar by crushing 12.17 lakh quintals of sugarcane, followed by Cooperative Sugar Mill, Karnal, which has produced 65,550 quintals of sugar by crushing 7.56 lakh quintals of sugarcane. He said that so far, average rate of sugar recovery by the cooperative sugar mills has been registered as 8.96 per cent.

Field Epidemiology training program begins

Chandigarh: A 12-day Field Epidemiology Training Programme will start on December 24 at School of Public Health, PGIMER. About 25 field epidemiologists and medical officers from all over India will participate in the programme. The programme is sponsored by National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi. The workshop will help them to understand the basic concepts of epidemiology and biostatistics through practical exercises. Further, it will help the field epidemiologists to apply epidemiological principals as a tool to understand disease processes and utilize biostatistics to provide valid foundation for support of arguments.

70 attend free orthopedics, urology camp

Chandigarh: As many as 70 people attended a free orthopedics and urology camp at Singh Sabha Mariwala Town, Manimajra on Sunday. The camp was organised by Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula. During the camp, free consultation was provided by Dr Dalvir Chauhan and Dr Rajiv Goyal, senior consultant-Orthopedics and senior consultant-Urology at Alchemist Hospital respectively. During the camp, free blood sugar tests were also provided. Dr Dalvir said that bones are strong in young age but after 30 years, one start losing bone density. This happens to everyone, but some people develop osteoporosis and lose bone density much faster than normal. This means they're at greater risk of a fracture.

Soon more reforms in approval handbook process

Mohali: Expressing serious concern over dying technical unaided colleges in the country, the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) on Sunday urged the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi, to introduce a series of reforms in the approval process handbook in 2019-20, without compromising the quality of education and to save unaided colleges, to revive the education sector in the country. PUCA suggested fresh reforms to boost up the colleges, laying more emphasis on digital technology than other resources, uniformity in AICTE, among a few.

Faculty development programme held

Ludhiana: Panjab Universitys Regional Centres University Business School on Sunday organised a faculty development program  one day workshop on Capacity Building for Faculty Members or Researchers. Senior Lecturer from RMIT University, Australia, Dr Mahesh Joshi was the resource person, whose passion for curriculum innovations for teaching and research is aimed at delivering industry relevant learning experiences to students. Dr Joshi emphasized that nowadays, teachers aim is not only to enhance students learning experience but to also make their assessment more relevant that is in-line with the industries requirement.

Former PEC Dir Prof Arora appoints BMUs VC

Chandigarh: BML Munjal University (BMU) on Saturday announced Prof Manoj Kumar Arora, the Punjab Engineering Colleges former Director, as its new Vice-Chancellor. Known for brining several administrative and academic reforms in PEC, Prof Arora has 30 years of experience as a teacher, researcher, administrator and a leader in academic institutions in India, UK and USA. I am honoured to join BML Munjal University, Gurgaon, an institute destined to make a difference through innovative teaching, learning and research, said Prof Arora.

CME  Matters of the heart organized

Chandigarh: ACE Heart & Vascular Institute, Mohali hosted its 7th Annual CME - Matters of the Heart- 2018 in association with IMA at JW Marriott which was aimed to evolve new principles of patient care. Dr Puneet K Verma, Director, ACE said, this meeting provided a platform for the cardiac experts from government and private sector to deliberate on a wide array of diseases of heart and blood vessels. CME was inaugurated by GK Sapra, DC, Mohali, and Dr Rita Bhardwaj, Civil Surgeon, Mohali. This edition of CME was focused on structural heart diseases and interventions.

Alok Kumar wins bronze in Snooker tourney

Chandigarh: International Billiards and Snooker star Alok Kumar from Chandigarh added another feather in his cap by winning a bronze medal in IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship being held at Marsa Alam in Egypt. Alok aged 50 was competing with players who were much younger to him. On his way to semi-finals, Alok, an Arjuna Awardee, defeated his compatriot Anuj Uppal in quarter finals and Abdelrahman of Egypt in pre quarter finals.

Reekrit Serai bags Indian Achievers Award

Panchkula: Reekrit Serai, Dean, Satluj Group of Schools has been awarded for outstanding professional achievement and inspiring social contributions at 46th national summit on startups held recently in New Delhi by the Indian Achievers Forum. He was conferred an award at the India Habitat Centre by senior leaders, Subramaniam Swamy, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Manoj Tiwari, Delhi BJP President. The award was bestowed upon Serai for outstanding professional achievement and inspiring social contributions.
A team of district police busted a gang of mafia operating from various places and supplying coal to Bihar, UP and other parts of the country following raids on Bengabad on NH and on NH-2 (GT Road). Over 150 tonnes of coal being carried in four trucks, one 709 truck and 30 bullock carts were seized in the six-hour operation and 10 persons were arrested.

SDPO, Giridih, Jit Wahan Oraon, who led the raiding team, said the gang was transporting the coal to Varanasi in UP and Dehri-on-Sone in Bihar through fake challans. "Although on previous occasion, a large number of trucks carrying illegal coal being transported on fake documents were seized, this time in a swift operation we have succeeded in catching 10 people who were responsible for the movement of coal through transport."

After seizing the five trucks including 709 truck and 30 bullock cart loaded with more than 150 tonnes of coal, police have located an office of the racketeers at Bengabad, about 5 kms away from same police station on Dhanbad-Bengabad road, and seized papers, transport challans and loading advices from coalfields with the hologram of BCCL and CCL from there.

"On verification, police found all the papers were forged and through these, the consignment of coal was dispatched to various parts of the country illegally, forcing the State to incur huge revenue loss amounting to several hundred crores of rupees," said Giridih SP, Surendra Kumar Jha.

Police also seized various fake papers and arrested 10 persons of whom six belonged to different villages in Giridih and some from Bihar. The arrested men were identified as Mahesh Yadav,Chhote Lal Yadav,Vijay Yadav,Pramod Verma,Sanichar Rawut,Lal Deo Yadav and four others.

The SP said the quality of papers of fake challans, in which the official hologram of CCL and BCCL were embossed was so good that no one could doubt about the credibility of the documents. "This was the biggest-ever operation against the coal mafia in this belt in which police have not only exposed the modus operandi of the illegal miners but have also sent a signal to other racketeers of the country who were minting crores of rupees from the illegal trading of coal supplied from the Dhanbad coal belt of BCCL in West Bengal which had no other route but had to pass through the police stations located in Giridih District, he said.
Uttar Pradesh Sugarcane and Sugar Development Minister Suresh Rana has also written a letter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, for hiking the floor ex-factory sugar price from Rs 2,900 per quintal to Rs 3,250 per quintal and increasing the monthly sugar sale quota of sugar mills in the state to 11 lakh metric tons.

Official sources said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also likely to write a letter to the Prime Ministers Office this week for expediting relief in this matter.

The sugarcane sector directly impacts 40 lakh farmers and generates direct economy worth almost Rs 50,000 crore through sugar, jaggery, ethanol, bagasse, and cogeneration of power.

Earlier, Sugarcane Commissioner Sanjay Bhoosreddy had written a similar letter to the Union Food Secretary in this regard.

In the letter to the Union minister, Rana said the issue needed immediate attention as it could aggravate the payment crisis in the current crushing season.

He pointed out that at present, the state mills had unsold inventory of 96,000 MT of 2017-18 season when UP had produced over 1.2 crore MT of sugar. He said during the current season, the UP mills were expected to produce 1.25 crore MT of sugar, of which the export quota was pegged at 1.75 lakh MT.

In this way, the availability of sugar with UP mills is estimated at 1.17 crore MT after adding fresh production (1.25 crore MT) and carryover stock (96,000 tonnes), while deducing the export quota (1.75 MT), he said, adding that UP would need monthly sugar sale quota of 11 lakh MT to clear the stocks and facilitate prompt payments to cane growers.
Khajuri police rescued a 21-year-old woman from Betul who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted from Bhainskhedi village of Bhopal district on December 17 from her house late in the night.

Police said that the victim was kidnapped at around December 17 from her house by the accused identified as Nasir Shehzad.

After the parents found the victim missing they lodged a complaint with the Khajuri police against Nasir. Police swung into action and started search for the accused who escaped the city after kidnapping the girl.

Based on the mobile phone location of the accused Khajuri tracked him and rescued the victim who was later brought to the state capital. The accused was nabbed by the police and details of the mobile phone which he used to blackmail the victim would be investigated.

The victim was held captive for three days and sexually assaulted by the accused. Victim in her complaint stated that accused used to visit her house frequently and became friend. He accompanied her to few places where he took photographs of the victim which the accused used to blackmail her and pressurize her to develop physical relationship with him but the victim refused and on December 17 accused kidnapped her and took her to Betul where he kept her in a room for three days and sexually assaulted her.

The police have registered a case under sections 363, 366 and 376 of the IPC and section 3 (2) (N) and 3 (1) (W) (I) of the Prevention of Atrocities SC/ST Act. Further investigation has been started.
Two days after Bharatiya Janata Party lawmakers from Bundelkhand raised a demand for creation of a separate state in the just concluded winter session of the state legislature, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh ruled out further division of Uttar Pradesh saying it was not required.

There is no need to further divide Uttar Pradesh into separate states. This state has no dearth of resources. It can take care of its needs, Singh said at the Gaurav Samman function here on Sunday.

Some people say that if UP is divided into four parts it can progress better. I question them as tomorrow they might come up with an argument that divide the country into different parts and it will progress better. Should we accept that? the Union Home Minister said.

A unified Uttar Pradesh has strength within itself. This state has no dearth of resources. The state has potential to generate employment and lead India to a better future, he said, adding that the population of Uttar Pradesh was its real strength and the need was to find technology to utilise it.

On Friday, all the BJP legislators from Bundelkhand had demanded creation of a separate state, creating a flutter in the state assembly. The legislators said that the region was deprived of basic facilities and unless a separate state was carved out it would not progress.

The demand, however, was rejected by the government and subsequently by Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit.

Rajnath Singh, who represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha, said there was no need for carving out a state of Bundelkhand from Uttar Pradesh. The local legislators might have raised this issue in the state assembly but there is no need to get alarmed by this demand, he said.

Incidentally, when Rajnath Singh was the Chief Minister of UP in 2000, Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh.

At the same time, two more states, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, were created.

The BJP has always advocated creation of smaller states, saying it is easier to govern smaller states.

There is a demand for dividing Uttar Pradesh into Harit Pradesh (western UP), Poorvanchal (eastern UP), Bundelkhand and Awadh. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has supported this demand.

Earlier, Singh honoured prominent personalities of the state in the Gaurav Samman Sammelan held here. He said these awards were true recognition of the work these prominent personalities had done for the welfare of society.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said the country's education system needs to be reoriented to reflect the tradition of quest for knowledge and also acquiring life skills.

The present school education 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.
The ruling BJP comfortably won the bypoll from Jasdan Assembly seat in Gujarat Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100.

BJP candidate Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot which he had won as Congress candidate in 2017.

With this, the BJP now has 100 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76. The saffron outfit had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress 77.

At the end of the counting of votes, Bavaliya secured a total 90,262 votes as against Nakiya's 70,283, the officials said.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said.

Polling for the Jasdan Assembly seat was held on December 20 and a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent was recorded.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and also the assembly, and joined the BJP.

Bavaliya, who quit as an assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

As the Congress candidate in 2017, Bavaliya had won over BJP's Bharat Boghara by a margin of 9,277 votes.
Sealing the seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections with Bihar allies, BJP president Amit Shah Sunday announced that his party and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) will contest 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP will fight on the remaining six.

Paswan will be sent to the Rajya Sabha at the earliest opportunity, he told reporters here, following a brief meeting with Kumar and the Lok Janshakti Party chief, who is also a Cabinet minister in the Modi government.

Shah asserted that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win more than 31 seats it had in 2014 and expressed confidence that it will come back to power in 2019. The state has 40 Lok Sabha seats.

The deal suggests a victory of sorts for the LJP, which had adopted an aggressive stand seeking a better bargain from the BJP after the exit of Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP from the ruling alliance.

Kumar too has managed to underline his importance for the saffron party, which will now contest on fewer number of seats than it had contested in 2014 and won 22 of them. The BJP will now have to let go of at least five of its winning seats.

The JD(U), which had fought the 2014 polls independently, and the LJP, which was a BJP ally, had won two and six seats respectively.

Shah said all allies will soon decide on distribution of Lok Sabha constituencies among them for fielding their candidates in 2019.

Paswan, whose son Chirag had created a flutter with his comments seen as critical of the BJP and the central government, claimed Sunday there was never a problem in the alliance as he has nurtures the "NDA tree" for five years under Modi's leadership.

A government under Modi will be formed again, he said.

The Dalit leader also thanked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who played a role in brokering peace between his party and the BJP.

In his comments, the Bihar chief minister, who enjoys good equations with Paswan, noted that the NDA had won 32 of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2009 even though results across the country had gone against it.

"This time we will do better than that," he said.

He was a BJP ally in 2009 before parting ways with it in 2013. He joined the NDA again in 2017.

Commenting on the decision to send Paswan, presently a Lok Sabha member from Hajipur in Bihar, to Rajya Sabha, Kumar said it is a recognition to his long service to the country and also thanked the BJP for the decision.

Paswan is a nine-term member of the Lok Sabha and the decision means that the 72-year-old leader is unlikely to contest any more popular election and will be handing over the reins of the party to his son, who was also present during the announcement, in the near future.
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Saudi Telecom Company (STC), a leading player in the regional telecom services sector, has joined hands with UK-based London Internet Exchange (Linx) to launch the JED-IX driven by Linx - an Internet exchange in Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia.



STC said the move comes as part of its initiative to deliver on its mandate to establish Saudi Arabia as the key hub for telecoms connectivity, in the Mena region, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.



As per the deal, Linx, one of the world's largest internet exchanges, based in London, is providing the expertise and will support the operation of JED-IX driven by Linx going forward.



JED-IX is a neutral Internet traffic exchange platform that interconnects global networks and, above all, network operators and content providers in the GCC region, said a statement from the organisation.



It is built on a fully redundant switching platform located in a neutral secure STC datacentre in Jeddah.



Alan Whelan, VP of STC Wholesale, said: "Our ambition is to develop JED-IX into the leading internet and data hub in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region."



In Linx we have a global leading IX partner who will help accelerate the delivery of this ambition and create a thriving interconnection eco system in the kingdom, he added.



Linx CEO John Souter pointed out that JED-IX driven by Linx was a real step forward for the Internet community in Saudi and the GCC as a whole.



The exchange will allow networks to stop 'tromboning' traffic to London and back again, and will help increase resilience by creating a new centre for interconnection in Saudi Arabia, he stated.



Kurt Erik Lindqvist, chief marketing officer, Linx, said: The new partnership between STC and us forms an exciting milestone in the expansion of our companys global presence and builds on our aim of Working for the Good of the Internet globally.- TradeArabia News Service
Bayhorse Silver Inc., a junior natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural resource properties. It explores for silver, gold, zinc, copper, antimony, and other metals. The company holds a 100% interest in the Bayhorse Silver Mine Property located in Baker County, Oregon. It also holds an option agreement to acquire an 80% interest in the Brandywine project located in British Colombia. The company was formerly known as Kent Exploration Inc. and changed its name to Bayhorse Silver Inc. in December 2013. Bayhorse Silver Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada.

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Begbies Traynor Group plc provides various professional services to businesses, professional advisors, large corporations, and financial institutions in the United Kingdom. The company operates in two segments, Business Recovery and Financial Advisory Services, and Property Services. It offers business rescue, closure, and personal insolvency solutions; advise for corporate and commercial finance, restructuring and turnaround, financial consulting and options, forensic accounting and technology, investigations, and corporate solutions; and red flag alert services, as well as personal insolvency solutions comprising individual voluntary arrangement, bankruptcy, debt arrangement scheme, sequestration, and trust deed services. The company also provides property services, such as property auctions, building and project consultancy, machinery and business assets, valuations, property management, rating, insurance broking and valuations, and lease advice, as well as occupier and vacant property compliance services. It offers its services to accountants, asset based lenders, banks, creditors, and solicitors, as well as directors and business owners. Begbies Traynor Group plc was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Manchester, the United Kingdom.

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There is not enough analysis data for Chinook Energy.

4.8 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Chinook Energy has received 294 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

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MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Chinook Energy and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CKE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CKE 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 Curzon Energy.

4.7 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Curzon Energy has received 36 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Curzon Energy has received 16 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Curzon Energy has received 69.23% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Curzon Energy and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CZN will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CZN will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Daimler AG, together its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures passenger cars, trucks, vans, and buses in Germany and internationally. It operates through Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans, Daimler Trucks and Buses, and Daimler Mobility segments. The Mercedes-Benz Cars segment offers premium and luxury vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz brand, including the Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and Mercedes-EQ brands; small cars under the smart brand name; and ecosystem of Mercedes-Benz under the Mercedes me brand, as well as vans and related services under the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands. Daimler Trucks and Buses segment offers its trucks and special vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, FUSO, and BharatBenz brands; and buses under the Mercedes-Benz, Setra, Thomas Built Buses, and FU brands, as well as bus chassis. The Daimler Mobility segment provides financing and leasing packages for end-customers and dealers; and automotive insurance brokerage, banking, investment, and fleet management services under the Athlon brand. It also sells vehicle related spare parts and accessories. Daimler AG was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany

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Oman's budget carrier SalamAir has signed a five-year contract with Swissport, a leading provider of ground and air cargo services, for hub handling at Muscat International Airport.



As of January 1, 2019, the Swiss Aviation Services company will provide the Omani carrier with a full range of services, from passenger services to ramp operations.



At the Omani capital, Swissport will handle the low-cost carriers flights to currently three domestic and 11 international destinations in nine countries. The carrier is currently operating four Airbus A320 aircraft from its hub in Muscat, with five additional aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2019. In addition to the hub services at Muscat International Airport, Swissport has already started to handle SalamAirs daily flights at the private airport of Mukhaizna (UKH) in the Omani desert.



We are delighted that SalamAir has chosen Swissport to serve its valued customers at Muscat International, said Nils Knudsen, chief commercial officer of Swissport International AG. In 2017, when we started up in Muscat, Oman was a greenfield site for us. We are proud of how quickly we established the Swissport operating standards, delivering the quality services our clients trust.



Adding SalamAir to its growing portfolio of high-profile customers in Oman is another milestone for Swissport since starting up operations in the Middle East. The agreement underlines the companys position as a high-quality service provider and supports its own growth ambitions in the region.



We are proud to provide hub handling services to this fast-growing airline in the sultanate of Oman, said Mark Skinner, Swissports senior vice president Middle East & Africa. Swissport is committed to fulfil and surpass SalamAirs high expectations regarding on-time performance and quality.



Swissport entered the Omani market in April 2017 together with its joint venture partner Al Jarwani Group, which holds 30 per cent of the shares. Swissport Oman rapidly grew its customer portfolio, which today includes flydubai, Air Arabia, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Air New Zealand and now SalamAir. - TradeArabia News Service
EP Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, engages in the acquisition and development of unconventional onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Its assets are located primarily in three areas, such as the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas; Northeastern Utah in the Uinta basin; and the Permian basin in West Texas. As of December 31, 2018, EP Energy Corporation had proved reserves of 324.5 million barrels of oil equivalent; and had average net daily production of 80,654 barrel of oil equivalent per day. The company primarily sells its oil and natural gas production to third parties. EP Energy Corporation was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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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..
Keane Group Inc (NYSE:FRAC) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October, 31st. The company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $558.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $545.56 million. Keane Group had a net margin of 0.53% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 7.21%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.04 EPS.

View Keane Group's earnings history.
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US-based Pratt & Whitney, a leading aerospace manufacturer with global service operations, said it has signed an EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement with Spanish airline Binter Canarias.



The agreement will cover Binter Canarias' fleet of three Embraer E195-E2 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) PW1900G engines.



It also includes the purchase of one PW1900G spare engine, said a statement from Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp.



Pedro Agustin Del Castillo, chief executive officer, Binter Canarias, said: We will be able to manage our fleet more efficiently through Pratt & Whitney's EngineWise services portfolio.



With our new GTF-powered E195-E2 aircraft, we look forward to maintaining a strong, long-standing relationship with Pratt & Whitney, he added.



Binter Canarias is a current operator of ATR 72-500 and ATR 72-600 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW100 turboprop engines and will begin operation of the Embraer E195-E2 in the second half of 2019.



Rick Deurloo, senior vice president - sales, marketing and customer support, Pratt & Whitney, said: We appreciate Binter Canarias' confidence in our companys products and services.



EngineWise encompasses all the initiatives we have to help customers optimise engine performance and keep their fleets running smoothly. We look forward to guiding Binter through their transition to the GTF, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
iShares MSCI India ETF's stock was trading at $28.76 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, INDA stock has increased by 68.8% and is now trading at $48.56.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Boursa Kuwait signed the agreement as part of its ongoing commitment to provide a secure, robust and cost-effective market place infrastructure, which ensures the continuity of the operations key services in the case of disasters.



The deal was signed by Khaled Abdulrazzaq Al Khaled, chief executive officer, Boursa Kuwait and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, chief executive officer at Ooredoo Kuwait in the presence of senior officials at the Boursa Kuwait headquarters.



Boursa Kuwaits datacentre provides a highly available hosting space that enables Boursa to remotely run and manage enterprise applications from a controlled and secure environment.



This will help Boursa in safeguarding mission critical data with the highest level of security and operational reliability by offering services in-line with the highest industry standards, said a statement from the stock exchange.



The scope of services for the new system includes secured colocation area, high-speed connectivity between main and DR site, high available Internet connectivity, and high available market participant connections.



Boursa Kuwait will also have multi-redundant links that will ensure an uninterrupted connectivity between main and DR site in case of a main circuits failure.



Al Khaled said: In line with our vision of creating and sustaining a robust and resilient stock market where companies and investors can thrive, we have been investing our time and efforts to adopt the best practices across all aspects of our operations.



The new DR datacentre will further strengthen our IT DR Infrastructure and improve business continuity within the organisation at a lower cost with higher service standards. We are optimistic that our partnership with Ooredoo will bring further value to all our participants, he added.



Al Thani said: Our company is pleased to host Boursa Kuwait DR solution in its world-class hosting datacentre located in Kuwait.



We meet Boursas mission critical application requirements and provide premium quality hosting and managed services. Our datacentre network platform and facilities meet the security requirements and provides high availability and reliability that address the needs of Boursa, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF's stock was trading at $38.50 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EFV stock has increased by 29.0% and is now trading at $49.67.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
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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Netherlands-based Intero Integrity Services, a leading inspection and industrial services specialist, has announced the successful deployment of the OTIS500 robot, during a low flash point in-service tank inspection for Dutch tank storage firm Vopak.



The Atex approved tank inspection robot is specially developed for live deployment, eliminating the need to take the tank offline, saving man-hours and tank downtime, said a statement from the company.



Additionally, using an unmanned solution for tank inspection means that there are less health and safety concerns regarding the procedure and a reduction in the emission of hydrocarbon vapours and waste water, it said.



Tan Soo Koong, managing director, Vopak Terminals, said: As we drive the digital and innovative transformation of the tank storage industry, our partnership with Intero allows us to leverage on technology such as inspection robotics and big data analytics to create a safer, sustainable and more productive workplace.



This collaborative work was awarded the Sprint Robotics Award at the 1st World Conference for Inspection & Maintenance Robotics, which recently took place in Galveston, Texas, US, it added.



The award recognises the important work by Intero to help establish robotic on-stream inspection of storage tanks, it said.



Tjibbe Bouma, chairman of The Sprint Robotics Collaborative, said: The work performed for this successful project is a shining example of how close collaboration can accelerate breakthroughs in industry practices.



The award recognises the important work by Intero and their project partners to help establish robotic on-stream inspection of storage tanks as a preferred standard solution to be considered for the majority of storage tanks around the world, Bouma added.



Rienk de Vries chief executive officer, Intero, said: We are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate closely with Vopak for the worlds first in-service robot inspection in a low flashpoint product storage tank and honoured for our work to be acknowledged by The Sprint Robotics Collaborative.



This project is a great demonstration of how close collaboration can accelerate breakthroughs in industry practices, he said.



We are hoping that the successful completion of this project with Vopak and the subsequent award win for the robot will stimulate the use of this ground breaking inspection approach within the industry, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Harsco: 21st Century Environmental Management of NV LLC, 21st Century Environmental Management of RI LLC, AERC Acquisition Corporation, AES Asset Acquisition Corporation, Accelerated Remediation Kinetics LLC, Advanced Remediation & Disposal Technologies of Delaware LLC, Allied Environmental Group LLC, Allworth LLC, Altek, Altek Europe Holdings Ltd., Altek Europe Limited, Altek LLC, Altek Melting Solutions Limited, AluServ Middle East W.L.L., Alusalt Limited, Assessment & Remedial Design Technologies Inc, Ballagio S.a.r.l., Burlington Environmental LLC, CEHI Acquisition LLC, CEI Holding LLC, Calrissian Holdings LLC, Carteret Asphalt Corporation, Chemical Pollution Control of Florida LLC, Chemical Pollution Control of New York LLC, Chemical Reclamation Services LLC, Clean Earth Dredging Technologies LLC, Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Solutions Inc., Clean Earth Holdings LLC, Clean Earth Inc., Clean Earth LLC, Clean Earth Mobile Services LLC, Clean Earth Specialty Waste Solutions Inc., Clean Earth of Carteret LLC, Clean Earth of Georgia LLC, Clean Earth of Greater Washington LLC, Clean Earth of Maryland LLC, Clean Earth of Michigan LLC, Clean Earth of New Castle LLC, Clean Earth of North Jersey Inc., Clean Earth of Philadelphia LLC, Clean Earth of Puerto Rico LLC, Clean Earth of Southeast Pennsylvania LLC, Clean Earth of Southern Florida LLC, Clean Earth of West Virginia LLC, Clean Earth of Williamsport LLC, Clean Rock Properties Ltd, Czech Slag- Nova Hut s.r.o., ESOL TOPCO LLC, Environmental Soil Management Inc, Environmental Soil Management of New York LLC, Environmental Solutions (ESOL) Business, Excell Africa Holdings Ltd., Excell Americas Holdings Ltd S.a.r.L., Faber Prest Limited, Gardner Road Oil LLC, GasServ (Netherlands) VII B.V., General Environmental Management of Rancho Cordova LLC, HLWKH 517 Limited, Harsco (Australia) Pty. Limited, Harsco (Beijing) Fertiliser Co. Ltd, Harsco (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Harsco (Mexico) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Peru) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - GuYe Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - Leting Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Renewable Resources Development Co. Ltd, Harsco (U.K.) Limited, Harsco (UK) Group Ltd, Harsco (York Place) Limited, Harsco APAC Rail Machinery (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Harsco Americas Investments S.a.r.l., Harsco Belgium SRL, Harsco Brazil Investments SRL, Harsco Canada Corporation Societe Harsco Canada, Harsco Canada General Partner Limited, Harsco Canada Limited Partnership, Harsco Chile Investments SRL, Harsco China Holding Company Limited, Harsco Defense Holding LLC, Harsco Environmental S.R.L., Harsco Europa B.V., Harsco Fairways Partnership, Harsco Finance B.V., Harsco Financial Holdings Inc., Harsco France S.A.S., Harsco Holdings Inc., Harsco India Metals Private Limited, Harsco India Private Ltd., Harsco India Services Private Ltd., Harsco Industrial Grating China Holding Co. Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure B.V., Harsco Infrastructure CZ s.r.o, Harsco Infrastructure Construction Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Group Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure Holdings Inc., Harsco Infrastructure Hong Kong Ltd, Harsco Infrastructure Industrial Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Services Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco International Finance S.a.r.l., Harsco Investment Ltd., Harsco Investments Europe B.V., Harsco Leatherhead Limited, Harsco Luxembourg S.a.r.l, Harsco Metals (Ningbo) Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals (Thailand) Company Ltd., Harsco Metals 373 Ltd, Harsco Metals 385 Ltd, Harsco Metals Argentina S.A., Harsco Metals Australia Holding Investment Co. Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Australia Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Belgium S.A., Harsco Metals CTS Prestacao de Servicos Tecnicos e Aluguer de Equipamentos LDA Unipessoal, Harsco Metals CZ s.r.o, Harsco Metals Chile S.A., Harsco Metals D.O.O. Smederevo, Harsco Metals Egypt L.L.C., Harsco Metals Emirates Partnership, Harsco Metals Germany GmbH, Harsco Metals Gesmafesa S.A., Harsco Metals Group Limited, Harsco Metals Guatemala S.A., Harsco Metals Holding LLC, Harsco Metals Holdings Limited, Harsco Metals Holland B.V., Harsco Metals Ilanga Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Intermetal LLC, Harsco Metals Investment LLC, Harsco Metals Limitada, Harsco Metals Luxembourg S.A., Harsco Metals Luxequip S.A., Harsco Metals Lycrete S.A., Harsco Metals Middle East FZE, Harsco Metals Norway A.S., Harsco Metals Oostelijk Staal International B.V., Harsco Metals Operations LLC, Harsco Metals Peru S.A., Harsco Metals Polska SP Z.O.O., Harsco Metals RSA Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Reclamet S.A., Harsco Metals SRH Mill Services (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SRI LLC, Harsco Metals Saudi Arabia Ltd., Harsco Metals Slovensko s.r.o., Harsco Metals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SteelServ (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Sweden A.B., Harsco Metals Transport B.V., Harsco Metals Turkey Celik Limited Sirkety, Harsco Metals VB LLC, Harsco Metals Zhejiang Co. Ltd., Harsco Metals and Minerals France S.A.S., Harsco Metals de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harsco Metro Rail LLC, Harsco Mexico Holdings S.A. de C.V., Harsco Minerais Limitada, Harsco Minerali d.o.o., Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC (FZC), Harsco Minerals Deutschland GmbH, Harsco Minerals Europe B.V., Harsco Minerals Technologies LLC, Harsco Minnesota Finance Inc., Harsco Minnesota LLC, Harsco Mole Valley Limited, Harsco Nederland Slag B.V., Harsco Nova Scotia Holding Corporation, Harsco Rail Emirates Maatschap/Societe de Droit Commun, Harsco Rail Europe GmbH, Harsco Rail LLC, Harsco Rail Limited, Harsco Rail Ltda, Harsco Rail Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harsco Rail Pty. Ltd., Harsco Rail Switzerland GMBH, Harsco Steel Mill Trading Arabia LLC, Harsco Sun Demiryolu Ekipmanlari Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Harsco Switzerland Holding GmbH, Harsco Technologies LLC, Harsco Technology China Co. Ltd., Harsco Track Machines and Services Private Limited, Heckett Bahna Co. For Industrial Operations S.A.E., Heckett Comercio de Rejeitos Industriais Importacao e Exportacao Ltda, Heckett MultiServ (FS) Pty Ltd, Heckett MultiServ Bahna S.A.E., Heckett MultiServ China B.V., Heckett MultiServ Far East B.V., Heckett Multiserv MV & MS CA, Hunnebeck Group GmbH, Iductelec Limited, Ilserv S.R.L., Luntz Acquisition (Delaware) LLC, MKC Acquisition Corporation, Mastclimbers Ltd, Metal Reclamation SPV (Pty.) Ltd., Minerval Metallurgic Additives B.V., MultiServ (Sweden) AB, MultiServ Finance B.V., MultiServ International B.V., MultiServ Limited, MultiServ Logistics Limited, MultiServ Oy, MultiServ Technologies (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Nortal Limited, Northland Environmental LLC, Nortru LLC, PSC Environmental Services LLC, PSC Recovery Systems LLC, Phillip Reclamation Services Houston LLC, Protran Technology LLC, Real Property Acquisition LLC, Republic Environmental Recycling (New Jersey) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (PA) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (Transportation Group) LLC, Rho-Chem LLC, SGB Holdings Limited, SGB Investments Ltd., SGB Scafform Limited, Shanxi TISCO-Harsco Technology Co. Ltd., Short Brothers (Plant) Ltd., Slag Processing Company Egypt (SLAR) S.A.E., Slag Reductie (Pacific) B.V., Slag Reductie Nederland B.V., Solvent Recovery LLC, Tosyali Harsco Geri Kazanim Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi, and United Retek of Connecticut LLC.
Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands.

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Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group recently signed a contract with Gerd Stensen AS from Norway for the delivery of a Damen Stan Tug 1606. The new vessel is set to be used by the Norwegian company for its dredging operations.



Gerd Stensen, like Damen, is a family company. Their dredging work includes but is not limited to the extraction of coral sand for the French agricultural industry. They have previously operated a Damen Stan Tug 1, still going strong after 36 years and recently sold to a vessel operator in the Baltics, it said.



The order for the new Stan Tug 1606 came about when the client received a new contract for a dredging operation in the north of Norway.



The tug will provide support to the dredging operation, manoeuvring a pontoon in the Norwegian fjords, it added.



The contract required that Gerd Stensen was able to begin work quickly. Thanks to Damens practice of building standardised vessels for stock, the tug was quickly available.



Asgeir Stensen, one of the owners of Gerd Stensen AS, visited Damens headquarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands to see and try out the tug late September. Satisfied with the vessels performance, they signed a letter of intent the same day, it added.



Since then Damen has been putting the finishing touches to the tug and adapting it to the clients needs. This has included fitting the vessel with a towing winch in order tow and manoeuver the pontoon and an additional heating system to deal with the northern climate. Upon completion, the tug will be transported on the deck of a liner vessel from the Port of Rotterdam for delivery in Norway.



Eirik Eide, sales manager  Norway, Damen, said: This is yet another example of how beneficial standardised stock building is for the maritime industry.



Not only will the client receive a product that has proven itself in operations many times already, but the vessel is ready built for the fastest possibly delivery. In this way, Damen supports its clients of all sizes and all locations, throughout the world, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC.
Embraer SA engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and its parts for commercial, defense, and executive aviation sectors. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Aviation, Defense and Security, Executive Jet Business, Service & Support and Others. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production, and sale of commercial jets; and the provision of support services to regional aviation and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security segment engages in research, development, production, modification, and support for defense and security aircrafts, as well as other integrated products and solutions including satellites and information and communication systems. The Executive Jet Business segment deals with the development, manufacture, and sale of executive jets. The Service & Support segment provides after-service solutions and support to its customers through a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure operational efficiency of products manufactured by Embraer and by other aircraft manufacturers, extending the useful life of commercial, executive and defense aircraft. The Others segment refers to

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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..
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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VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF's stock was trading at $33.46 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, GDXJ stock has increased by 21.3% and is now trading at $40.60.

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Jordan's Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed the first Queen Bilqis Airways from Yemen, underscoring efforts to grow the airport's airline network.



Upon arrival, the aircraft received the customary water arch salute in the presence of representatives from Airport International Group, Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and Petra Travel and Tourism Company, the General Sales Agent of Queen Bilqis Airways in Jordan.



We are glad to have Queen Bilqis Airways join our network as we seek to offer passengers diverse travel options by cooperating with various airlines from across the globe. This collaboration brings us one step closer to fulfilling our mission of further solidifying QAIAs standing as Jordans prime gateway to the world, while stimulating the local tourism sector and economy, said Kjeld Binger, CEO of Airport International Group - the Jordanian company responsible for the expansion and operation of QAIA.



The Yemeni carrier will operate three flights per week, connecting QAIA with Aden International Airport. - TradeArabia News Service


Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

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The Hershey Co. engages in the manufacture and market of chocolate and sugar confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America; and International and Other. The North America segment is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. The International and Other segment is the combination of all other operating segments which are not individually material, including those geographic regions where the company operates outside of North America. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, and Kisses. The company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 and is headquartered in Hershey, PA.

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Hertz Global's quiet period expires on Monday, December 20th. Hertz Global had issued 44,520,000 shares in its initial public offering on November 9th. The total size of the offering was $1,291,080,000 based on an initial share price of $29.00. During the company's quiet period, underwriters and any insiders that worked on the IPO are restricted from issuing any research reports or earnings estimates for the company because of regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the end of the company's quiet period, the brokerages that served as underwriters will likely initiate research coverage on the company.
There is not enough analysis data for Hudson's Bay.

4.3 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 521 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 295 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Hudson's Bay has received 63.85% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hudson's Bay and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HBC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HBC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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iShares Edge MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF's stock was trading at $85.85 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, QUAL shares have increased by 64.2% and is now trading at $140.98.

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Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.
Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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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.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed the need to return to joint formulas to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Following talks on Friday in Moscow with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, he ruled out the possibility of reaching an agreement without the important role of the United States. Lavrov underlined, however, that Washington will not succeed alone in resolving the crisis, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

The Russian minister appeared to be commenting on Palestinian calls for a new initiative to bring the situation in the Middle East out of the current stalemate because of recent US decisions and Israeli belligerency, according to Arab diplomatic sources in Moscow.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinian side hoped that Russia would employ the momentum it gathered during the recent period by strengthening its presence in the region to present new ideas or initiatives to advance a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The diplomat said that Moscow does not want to rush to put forward ideas before clarifying the essence of the American vision, referring to what has become known as the deal of the century. The Russians repeatedly said they have not been informed of the content or the preparations by Washington in this regard.

During a news conference with Maliki, Lavrov said: We raised the issue of the US stance, which has long wanted to show the result of its sole intermediary mission to the global community in the form of some deal of the century.

No one has seen this deal yet, he stressed, adding: It is clear that an agreement cannot be reached without the United States, but the US will not reach an agreement unilaterally either.

So, it is necessary to return to collective formats and the quartet of international intermediaries [Russia, the US, the UN and the European Union] in close coordination with the League of Arab States, the Russian foreign minister affirmed.

Maliki, for his part, emphasized that the Palestinians rejected any monopolized role by the United States in the political process because of its full bias towards Israel, pointing to the importance of the formation of a multilateral framework to activate the peace process.

He said that his talks with Lavrov dealt with the issue of restoring the unity of the Palestinian ranks and welcomed all Russian efforts to convince Hamas to abide by the October 2017 agreement and to implement it in order to end the internal Palestinian division and prepare for the presidential and legislative elections.
There is not enough analysis data for Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2.

4.5 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2 has received 59 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2 has received 28 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2 has received 67.82% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund 2 and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe NCB will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe NCB will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
There is not enough analysis data for MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund.

5.0 Community Rank

Outperform Votes MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 79 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 25 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 75.96% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MMD will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MMD will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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International Christmas equestrian show Olympia was first held in London in 1972, and there were big problems with the audience - just 300 tickets were sold. It's been said that organizers went outside and invited passers-by to the pavilions. Today, Olympia attracts tens of thousands of visitors who want to see a show featuring best horses and riders.

This year Olympia's pavilions are especially crowded - Karabakh horses perform there. Riders of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan and dance ensemble take part in the "Land of Fires - Azerbaijan and the Karabakh Horses" program. The Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation says that main goal of this performance is to show cultural heritage of their country to international audience.

London understood greatness of the Karabakh horses as far as in 1956, when the Queen received stallion named Zaman as a gift. More than half a century later, in 2012, when the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation participated in the Windsor horse show for the first time, riders were invited to the royal palace. Karabakh horses galloped in London in 2016, and in May of this year they participated in events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Royal Windsor Horse Show and birthday of Elizabeth II.

At that time, representatives of the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation presented a bronze statue of the Karabakh racehorse named Alkhan to Queen Elizabeth II. This morning, sculpture was installed in London. The ceremony was attended by president of the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation, head of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, colonel-general Elchin Guliyev, head of the Royal Palace Office, Lord Vestey, head of the Queen's Equestrian Center, Toby Browne, director of the Windsor Equestrian Show, Simon Brooks Ward.

Lord Vestey thanked Azerbaijan for supporting organization of Olympia in 2012, 2016 and 2018, and stressed that Queen Elizabeth II was so pleased with sculpture of the Karabakh horse, she personally chose where to install it.

In turn, Elchin Guliyev noted that thanks to efforts of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, fame of the Karabakh horses in the world contrinues to grow, and growing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Great Britain helps development of the equestrian sport.
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF's stock was trading at $35.66 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWL stock has increased by 38.8% and is now trading at $49.50.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
There is not enough analysis data for Supremex.

4.7 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Supremex has received 134 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Supremex has received 60 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Supremex has received 69.07% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Supremex and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe SXP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe SXP will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Systemax Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a direct marketer of brand name and private label industrial and business equipment and supplies in North America. It sells a range of maintenance, repair, and operation products, including storage and shelving, material handling, janitorial and maintenance products, furniture and office products, workbenches and shop desks, HVAC/R and fans, safety and security products, outdoor and grounds maintenance products, tools and instruments, and office and school supplies. The company also sells plumbing products and pumps, packaging products and supplies, electrical and lighting products, food service products and appliances, raw materials and building supplies, motors and power transmission products, pneumatics and hydraulics, medical and laboratory equipment, metalworking and cutting tools, vehicle maintenance products, and fasteners and hardware. It offers its products under the Global, GlobalIndustrial.com, Nexel Paramount, and Interion brand names. The company offers its products to businesses, educational organizations, and government entities through relationship marketers, catalogs, and e-commerce sites. Systemax Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Port Washington, New York.

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Texas Pacific Land Corp. operates as a landowner in the State of Texas. Its surface and royalty ownership allow revenue generation through the entire value chain of oil and gas development, including through fixed fee payments for use of the firm's land, revenue for sales of materials used in the construction of infrastructure, providing sourced water and treated produced water, revenue from its oil and gas royalty interests, and revenues related to saltwater disposal on land. The company also generates revenue from pipeline, power line and utility easements, commercial leases, material sales and seismic and temporary permits related to a variety of land uses including midstream infrastructure projects and hydrocarbon processing facilities. The company operates through following segment: Land and Resource Management and Water Services and Operations. The Land and Resource Management segment focuses on managing oil and gas royalty interest and surface. The Water Services and Operations segment offers operators an unparalleled breadth of service across the majority of the Permian Basin. The company was founded in April 2020 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Tel Aviv's commitment to counter Iran in Syria despite the US withdrawal from the region, Sputnik reported citing The Jerusalem Post.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US troops from Syria will not change our consistent policy: We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish military bases in Syria", he said.
SAF-Holland SE manufactures and supplies chassis-related systems and components for trucks, trailers, semi-trailers, and buses. It offers axle and suspension systems, fifth wheels, coupling systems, kingpins, and landing gears, as well as ball races, braking and EBS systems, lighting systems, disc brakes. The company markets its products under the SAF, Holland, Neway, KLL, V.Orlandi, and York brands. It serves original equipment manufacturers. The company has operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and China. SAF-Holland SE was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Bessenbach, Germany.

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Rayonier, Inc. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in investment in timberlands. It operates through the following business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate, Timber Funds and Trading. The Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber and New Zealand Timber segments reflect all activities related to the harvesting of timber and other value-added activities, such as recreational licenses, within each respective geography. The Real Estate segment reflects all U.S. land sales, which are reported in the following sales categories: Improved Development, Unimproved Development, Rural, Non-Strategic and Timberlands, and Large Dispositions. The Timber Funds segment represents operations of the three private equity timber funds included in the Pope Resources transaction. The Trading segment reflects the log trading activities that support New Zealand operations. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Wild light, FL.

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Chairman of the Russian State Duma's International Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky has slammed the UN General Assemblys resolution on alleged human rights violations in Crimea as biased.

"The UNGA again passed a Ukrainian resolution on alleged human rights violations in Crimea," Slutsky said, noting that although five fewer countries voted in favor of the document this year, it was still backed by the anti-Russian majority led by the United States.

"Again a biased approach and double standards prevailed at the UN platform, and cheap politics and Russophobic hysteria were victorious against the truth," the lawmaker told reporters on Sunday, TASS reports.

Slutsky rejected the allegations about oppression against Crimean citizens after the peninsula rejoined Russia in 2014. "This does not correspond to reality. Before agreeing with allegations that the human rights situation has deteriorated in Russia, I believe the UN representatives should better visit the peninsula and look at how its citizens live and talk to ordinary citizens as many European delegations have done. Then they could develop an objective stance on the real life of Crimeans and no such question would ever arise," he said.

The lawmaker noted that for his part he was "ready to provide any kind of assistance to the UN mission for visiting the peninsula."
The United Kingdom is nudging Ukraine into new military provocations by deploying a Royal Navy ship to the Black Sea, the Russian Embassy in London said, UrduPoint reported.

On Friday, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that the United Kingdom had deployed HMS Echo multi-role reconnaissance ship to the Black Sea in order to show "solidarity" with Ukrainein the wake of the incident in the Kerch Strait, and send a signal to Russia. Earlier, media reported that the ship would stay in the port city of Odessa for several days and then conduct a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Ukrainian Navy flagship.

"Having failed to effectively neutralize drones over the Gatwick Airport, [UK Defense Secretary Gavin] Williamson has engaged in a more reliable activity to incite Ukraine to new military provocations. Russia has really received a signal: whatever irresponsible steps the Kiev regime takes, the UK conservative government will always provide it with political and military support. This is how London is trying to 'contribute' to the settlement of the internal Ukrainian conflict," the embassy's spokesperson told reporters.

The diplomat added that Williamson's Friday visit to Odessa was particularly telling against the backdrop of Kiev's "preparations for a military action on December 24-25" with a view to extending martial law in the country.
The UN General Assembly adopted the Ukrainian resolution on human rights violations in Crimea. A total of 65 countries voted for the adoption of the document, 27 countries voted against, while 70 others abstained, Sputnik reports.

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, which is responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural issues, adopted on November 15 a draft of this resolution, with 67 countries voting in favor, 26 voting against and 82 abstained. In 2016 and 2017, 70 countries voted for the resolution, 26 voted against, while 77 and 76 countries abstained respectively.

The majority of European countries and the United States are traditionally among those, who support the Ukrainian initiative.

A spokesperson for the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations said that the UN General Assembly economic committee had refused to allocate funds for implementation of the Ukrainian draft resolution.

"I would like to express special gratitude to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which a few hours ago refused to allocate funds from the regular budget for the implementation of this resolution," the spokesperson said at the UN General Assembly session.
It is with great sadness that we report Judy Chaffin, the Pumpkin Lady passed away Friday, December 21st.

Judy earned the name "Pumpkin Lady" by starting the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow. In 1984 Judy placed 30 carved pumpkins on the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church hill that faces Stoddard Avenue. Over the years friends and neighbors chipped in, carving, staging, and lighting hundreds of pumpkins.

Judy was sick and unable to hold the pumpkin glow in 2016, then in 2017 the Grafton Hill Historic District took charge of the event that Daytonians had come to love. Just as it was for Judy, the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow is a labor of love for the Grafton Hill community and their supporters.

The Stoddard Ave Pumpkin Glow featured 1,000 pumpkins and was enjoyed by nearly 10,000 guests this year. Thank you Judy for the delightful legacy.

Visitation will be held Thursday, December 27, 2018, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 1001 Harvard Blvd, Dayton, Ohio, 45406.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting Judith Joyce Chaffin
A total of 7,93,441 challans were issued by the Rachakonda traffic police in 2018. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Rachakonda traffic police has booked a total of 11 lakh cases under various Motor Vehicle Act violations. As many as 5,692 drinking and drive cases were book in 2018 under Rachakonda and imposed a fine of Rs 93 lakh and courts have awarded imprisonment to 897 offenders. Cops also conducted counselling sessions through professionals.

Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat introduced a new instrument named body worn light which can be visible upto one kilometre. It has 360 degrees visibility. It would be helpful for cops at night.

If any government employee is caught drinking and driving, I am writing letters to the concerned department. It is the same for private employees and students too. I write letters to the company or college concerned stating they have been caught drinking and driving, said Mr Bhagwat.

We have also conducted 230 traffic awareness programmes in various places like educationational institutes, RTC depots, autorickshaw stands and others. During these programmes 38,304 school children and 6,189 drivers were educated, added the official.

A total of 7,93,441 challans were issued by the Rachakonda traffic police in 2018. If a person has more than three challans during his vehicle would be seized during routine checks.

There are around 1,19,933 overspeeding cases booked in Rachakonda.

If a vehicle crosses the speed limit, we are issuing an e-challans. Most speeding cases are in ORR. We also plan to introduce integrated traffic management system combining all three commissionerates. Through CCTV cameras, we can detect the violations and issue a challan, the official added.
Hyderabad: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for a revamp of the school education system to ensure that children enjoy schooling and become life-long learners.

Addressing students of Jubilee Hills Public School, Hyderabad, at their annual day function, the Mr Naidu said the school curriculum should be oriented to make students think rationally, independently and express cogently.

The education system needs to focus on making a child curious, creative, caring, communicative, confident and capable, he said.

Pointing out that education was the foundation for all efforts to improve the quality of our lives, Mr Naidu said, Our life is multi-faceted and so must education be.
Children and elderly passengers were found sitting with their luggage at the boarding gates, after the Qatar Airways to Doha which was scheduled to leave at 3.10 am on Saturday was rescheduled to leave at 3.10 am on Sunday.

Hyderabad: A Qatar Airways flight to Doha was delayed by 24 hours, stranding nearly 130 passengers including senior citizens and children.

Flight QR 501, flying from Hyderabad to Doha, was originally scheduled to leave at 3.10 am on Saturday. It developed technical snags and could not be repaired throughout the day. The airline rescheduled the departure to 3.10 am Sunday, marking a delay of 24 hours.

As late as 7 am on Saturday, passengers were found inquiring with the Qatar Airways staff about the rescheduled departure timing. Children and elderly passengers were found sitting with their luggage at the boarding gates, many of them having gone to sleep.

Sources told this newspaper that the airline staff anticipated the snag and had set about making arrangements for the passengers to stay.

The ground staff knew about the condition of the aeroplane and were able to make arrangements for accommodation well in advance. Passengers were moved out of the airport after 7 am, said the source.

The passengers were finally moved out of the airport to a nearby hotel after 7 am. Style Photos

A passenger flying in the economy class fumed, Knowing about the problem with the aircraft, the Qatar Airways should have arranged another flight. Instead, they delayed the flight by a day. I can understand if the flight was delayed by a few hours.

He said the flight would now reach Doha on Sunday morning, local time, if it took off at the rescheduled time of 3.30 am on Sunday. We have missed an entire day, he said. According to the policy of Qatar Airways, the passengers can claim up to 600 riyals as compensation for flight delay or cancellation subject to certain conditions.
The idol, which weighs nearly 3.5 kg was about to be sold to for Rs. 1 crore and it was kept at a lathe at Ekkattuthangal in Guindy here.

CHENNAI: Drawing flak from various quarters for not doing much in recovering the idols stolen from the ancient temples, the idol wing police on Saturday thwarted an attempt to sell a Panchaloha idol of Lord Murugan, said to be stolen from a temple in Nemili village near Arakkonam, and arrested a man from Guindy.

The idol, which weighs nearly 3.5 kg was about to be sold to for Rs. 1 crore and it was kept at a lathe at Ekkattuthangal in Guindy here. Following a tip off, at around 2 pm, Idol Wing Special Officer IG Pon Manickavel, ASP Rajaram, DSP Sundaram, Head constables: Venkatesan, Natarajan, Samiyappan, Arul moses and constables Praveen Mohan and Karthik raided the workshop at Ekkattuthangal and recovered the idol of lord Muruga.

Sivakumar, the lathe owner who was arrested, would be taken to Kumbakonam to be produced before the special court for idol theft cases.

Preliminary inquiries reveal that the idol could have been stolen from a temple in Nemili village near Arakkonam about two years ago. About three persons were planning to sell the idol for Rs. 1 crore but the idol wing sleuths thwarted the attempt.


The Congress chief had recently said he would not let Prime Minister Narendra Modi sleep until loans of all farmers are waived in the country. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: On the occasion of 'Kisan Diwas', Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised the farmers that he will make all efforts to secure their future.

The 'Kisan Diwas' or National Farmers Day is observed across the country on this day to celebrate the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister of India.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said he will make every effort to secure the future of the farmers. "This is not just a promise but also my duty. I salute the farmers of the country on the occasion of 'Kisan Divas'. We are because you are," he tweeted in Hindi, with the hashtag 'Thank you, farmers'.

Gandhi has been raising farmers' issues alleging that there is continued agrarian distress under the current government, a charge the Centre has denied.

Last week, he said the party delivered on its pre-election promise to waive farmers' loans in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh within 10 days of assuming charge.

"We asked for 10 days, we did it in two," he had said, referring to the announcement of loan waivers in the three Congress-ruled states.

The Congress chief had recently said he would not let Prime Minister Narendra Modi sleep until loans of all farmers are waived in the country.

Gandhi had earlier highlighted the problems of farmers and sought to share their plight by meeting them wherever they have launched a stir, including in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, where a few farmers died last year in police firing during an agitation.
Members of the Manithi group return from Pamba after protests erupted against their visit to Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala on Sunday. (Photo: Rajeev Prasad)

Thiruvananthapuram/Pamba: Sabarimala witnessed high voltage tension for nearly eight hours on Sunday as 11 women from Tamil Nadu aged below 50 tried to trek the hills to worship at the Ayyappa shrine facing stiff resistance.

After resisting the mounting protest from a large posse of male pilgrims at Pamba for nearly eight hours, they literally ran into the police guard room to escape from a violent mob. They subsequently dropped their plans, and the police escorted them back to Tamil Nadu.

While Selvi, leader of the Chennai-based outfit, Manithi, who led the group, alleged that they were forced by the police to return, SP Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, who was the police controller of Pamba, claimed that they decided to return given the tense situation.

Ms Selvi also said that they would approach the court and would try to visit again.

Manithi had announced its plans to lead a group of about 50 women to Sabarimala about a week back and had also sent a request to the chief ministers office seeking protection. They also received an assurance to provide security, she had said.

By Saturday evening they reached Kumily and were escorted by the police till Pamba on a minibus. Given protests at many places, the cops even reportedly took odd routes to reach Pamba.

While all vehicles with devotees used to be allo-wed only up to NIlakkal, the minibus with the women was allowed to go up to Pamba considering their security. By around 4 am, they reached Pamba and went to the Pamba Ganapathi temple for preparing the Irumud-ikettu (offerings to Lord Ayyappa that has to be carried on the head while trekking). But the priests refused to do it. Hence they themselves prepared the Irumudikettu and proceeded towards the hills.

But about 50 meters ahead of the trekking patch, a large group of about 100 male pilgrims blocked their way, sat on the ground raising Ayyappa chants.

The women also squatted, determined not to go back and raised counter chants. As time passed by, the number of protesters increased.

Though police officers on the spot held a couple of deliberations with Ms Selvi, they were adamant on their plan. With no end in sight, by around 11 am, the police started removing the protestors one by one forcibly. In the meantime, another police party tried to take the women group
Hyderabad: The Congress which is worried about the recent merger of the Congress Legislature Party in Council into the TRS body is all set to approach the High Court to direct Upper House chairman A. Swamy Goud to withdraw his approval of the move.

Four Congress MLCs had defected to the TRS on Friday and requested the merger. The state Congress leaders rushed to Mr Goud and objected to the move. The Chairman allowed the merger on Friday evening. The next day, the Congress, left with two MLCs in the 40-member House, lost its Opposition status.

The Congress has now prepared a petition to file in the High Court. The legal department of the TPCC and Congress leader Shabbir Ali drafted the petition over the last couple of days.

The Congress argument is that Mr Goud does not have any right to merge two parties which, they contended, is the duty of the Election Commission.

The Congress is also planning to inform the court that the disqualification petitions it had given against defectors previously were kept aside for the last two years and the latest merger was immediately taken up. The Congress wants to take the stand that Friday's merger was not possible as the petitions of disqualification were pending on two out of four MLCs who submitted a letter requesting the merger.

The Congress had submitted a request to Mr Goud in 2016 and 2017 to disqualify Mr M.S. Prabhakar Rao and Mr K. Damodar Reddy respectively when they joined the TRS. Now, both of them signed the request for Friday's merger. The Congress line of argument is: Can the Chairman take a decision on the merger when the disqualification petition by the Congress has not been addressed?

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Shabbir Ali said, We will be filing the petition in the High Court in a day or two. This is really unfair. How can the Chairman take the decision on the merger? This is in the hands of the Election Commission.

The Chairman did not take up the petitions that were given to disqualify our MLCs and kept it pending for the last two years. But, he has immediately taken up the merger petition that was given by the defectors from the Congress. All these questions will be raised in the court.
Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress and its allies for attempting to form a grand alliance against his BJP. He said these parties are coming together as Mahagathbandhan only for their personal survival.

Their alliance is not based on ideology but is unholy and opportunistic alliance with the Congress, Mr. Modi said during his third interaction with his partys Karyakarthas in Tamil Nadu, on Sunday.

Many political leaders today are talking about a grand alliance or the Mahagathbandhan. Let me tell you that this alliance is for personal survival, not ideological support. This alliance is for power, not for people. This alliance is for personal ambitions and not for peoples aspirations, Mr. Modi said while interacting with the Karyakarthas in Chennai Central.

He was responding to a question from a party member on whether the Congress and its allies will save themselves from their past sins.

The Prime Minister interacted with BJP booth Karyakarthas from Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchy besides Tiruvallur districts on the occasion through video conferencing.

Several of these parties and their leaders are deeply inspired by Dr. Lohia, who was deeply opposed to the Congress, its ideology and the way Congress did politics.

What sort of a tribute are they paying to Dr. Lohia by forming an unholy and opportunist alliance with the Congress? Dr. Lohia always said the Congress is a compromised party, which had made compromises on many ideological issues, Mr. Modi further said.

Dr. Lohia had said the Congress was responsible for the caste and inequality in the country and he was pained that the Congress, after 1947 was not the Congress of Mahatma Gandhi, but it had leaders who got used to power and luxury. The top leadership of several parties who are now aiming for a seat in the Mahagathbandhan were arrested and tortured during the emergency.

Sadly today these parties and Congress have become oxygen for each other. But people know very well the real nature of these parties. Whenever they are in power, the State is complete breakdown of law and order, corrupt and criminal elements are supreme when these parties govern, Mr. Modi said.

Averring that it is common knowledge how the Congress harassed Mulayam Singh with cases, the PM sought to know if these parties did justice to the ideals of Dr. Lohia.

He said, The answer is a resounding no, no, no. Congress and its ecosystem spare no one. Even the great MGR, the stalwart who worked for the poor and the downtrodden was targeted. In 1980 his elected government was dismissed. He had the support of the Assembly and the House of the People but Congress had the Raj Bhavan. Fresh elections were called and MGR won. Indira Gandhi never forgave MGR for that.

None can forget where the Congress and the DMK stood on the Jain commission. Congress said either it is the DMK or it is Congress then. But today they want to be together. If not opportunism, what explains their alliance? In Andhra Pradesh, it was NTR who faced the anger and highhandedness of the Congress. He formed a party for the pride and respect of the Telugus when the Congress humiliated the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Yet today the party of NTR wants to align with the Congress. How can the people of AP accept this? Mr. Modi said and also hit out at the Left parties for singing praises of the Congress now, after passing resolutions calling Congress pro-imperialist and responsible for the price rise.

He blamed the Congress for the irrigation scam and suicides of farmers in Maharashtra and said the truth behind the so-called grand alliance is they are a club of rich dynasties with only promise for family rule. India wants democracy but the alliance wants dynasty. India wants growth for all, but alliance wants growth only for their families, he added.

To another question he replied that elections were not won by leaders but by BJPs hardworking karyakartas. The more the karyakartas are filled with respect and pride for our Motherland, the more they are connected to the people, and the more sensitive they are towards the poor, the easier will be our victory, he said.
Anuradha and Laxman got married in an Arya Samaj ceremony in Hyderabad on December 3.

Mancherial: Proving yet again the curse of caste, the parents of 22-year-old Anuradha killed her for falling in love with and marrying a man from another caste, Laxman, 25. The two were married in an Arya Samaj ceremony in Hyderabad on December 3.

Anuradhas parents Pindi Sathanna and Laxmi and their relatives thrashed the couple when they came to the village. They then took an injured Anuradha into their house and killed her.

Anuradha was training to be a teacher and Laxman was studying for a BTech degree in Hyderabad. He belongs to the Padmashali community and Anuradha to the Yadava community. Both were adults who could lawfully marry anyone they chose.

The newly married couple had sought the protection of the Jannaram police on December 22. They came to Jannaram from Hyderabad before going to their native village Kalamadugu in Dandepalli mandal in Mancherial.

The family tried to eliminate any trace of the murder by burning the body and throwing the ashes into a river.

Laxman lodged a complaint with the police on Sunday. Police started an investigation which led to the parents being accused of the barbarous act of murdering their own daughter because she had married a man from another caste.

Meanwhile, a video which purportedly shows Anuradha saying that she wanted to live with Laxman, and that her parents will be responsible if anything happens to him or her, has gone viral.

It may be recalled that a murder for similar reasons had occurred in Nalgonda earlier this year when Amrutha was killed for marrying Pranay from another caste.

Mancherial Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Gouse Baba and DCP Venugopala Rao, CI Srinivas and SI Thahasoddin visited the village of Kalamadugu and personally inspected the site of the murder and took the accused into custody.

This is the second instance in recent times of caste-related killings within the Backward Classes community. Anuradha belonged to the Yadava community and Laxman to the Padmashali community. It highlights that communities within the BC grouping are not willing to inter-marry between the castes.

A senior BC leader of Adilabad said the incident exposed the lack of ideological base among the BC communities and posed a challenge to community representatives who talk about unity among the BCs to achieve political power.

It is clear that before BCs achieve political power, they have to achieve social unity, he said.
Officials said that following the announcement by the TRS, applicants were unwilling to give up land to build group housing but were preferring to take the grant and build their own houses.

Hyderabad: The TRS poll promise of providing Rs 5 lakh grant to people who wish to construct houses on land owned by them in the city is creating confusion among beneficiaries and officials, and could change the very face of the programme. While officials are awaiting orders, the beneficiaries have begun petitioning mandal revenue offices in the GHMC limits to avail the grants.

Officials said that following the announcement by the TRS, applicants were unwilling to give up land to build group housing but were preferring to take the grant and build their own houses.

Despite this, officials said, they would go ahead with the construction of houses where more than half the work is over. A decision on the remaining projects will be taken after governments official orders on the issue.

As per data, the GHMC has identified 40 locations to construct 9,837 houses in slums. Work has started at 38 locations and has been halted at some other places due to legal disputes. More than 50 per cent of the work has been completed only at 10 locations.

There are land disputes over the 2BHK sites at Annanagar near Rasoolpura and Ramakrishnanagar near Madinaguda. The corporation has decided to construct 404 houses in the two locations.

Sources said beneficiaries in slums began resisting the construction on 2BHK houses which were still in the excavation stage. The beneficiaries believed that their structure in the slum would be regularised, and that they could construct a house of their own with the Rs 5 lakh grant to be given by the state government.

Officials said this situation would not have risen if the government had released funds for the project in time in the first term.

A senior GHMC official said the corporation would go ahead with the work at locations where work order had been given and construction was nearing completion, The official said dues worth about Rs 500 crore was pending with the government due to which the work in about more than 20 in-situ slums was going on at a slow pace. In most of these locations, the work was mostly in the initial stages.

Once the GO pertaining to Rs 5 lakh grant is released by the government, it might be a herculean task to construct 2BHK houses in in-situ slums as the corporation is already facing resistance from the beneficiaries, he added.

On the other hand, beneficiaries are flocking to mandal revenue offices to apply for 2BHK houses. Luring them, several middlemen have been collecting large amounts promising a house allotment immediately after completion of work.

Collectorate authorities have asked beneficiaries not to believe middlemen and not to visit the mandal revenue offices but rather apply online at MeeSeva centres.
Patna: Amid speculation that he may be denied a BJP ticket for Lok Sabha polls and join the RJD, actor-turn-ed-politician Shatrughan Sinha has kept all sides guessing by saying that people should instead speculate whether he would contest on a BJP ticket or not.

Mr. Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP for two consecutive terms, said his remarks on various issues which have not been liked by some party leaders, were meant to show the mirror to the BJP and cannot be termed as anti-party.

Instead of guessing whether they (BJP leaders) will give me ticket or not speculation should be whether I will take the ticket or not, he said.

The BJP leader met jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Saturday. Though he said the meeting with Mr. Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences was personal, the timing of the meeting assumes significance.

Speculation is rife that Sinha, whose attack on his party has sharpened in recent times, may enter into fray from Patna Sahib from Prasad's party if he is denied a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls.

Sinha, popularly known as Bihari Babu, has on several occasions made it clear that the place (constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes. He said loss of power in three states the situation is not good in the NDA.
Chennai: A 24-year-old youth, a suspect in a theft case and detained at the Esplanade police station, reportedly died in the station, late on Friday night.

The death of a suspect inside the police station has triggered a furore in the city with human rights activists accusing the police of using harsh to extract a confession from a suspect.

On their part, police sources said, they were questioning Jayakumar, when he developed a seizure and collapsed inside the Esplanade police station premises. The police then took him to the Rajiv Gandhi government hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Recalling the incident, sources said, sleuths of the crime wing of Esplanade police station took M. Jayakumar, a platform dweller into custody, in connection with a theft case. He was detained in the police station and was being questioned. During questioning, Jayakumar suffered a seizure and collapsed. Esplanade police station personnel informed their seniors about the incident.

The Esplanade police registered a case after his parents filed a complaint after his death. Police said Jayakumar was partially physically-challenged. A case under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section 176 (Enquiry by Magistrate into cause of death) has been forwarded to the court to probe into the cause of death. The body has been sent for postmortem. Further investigations are on.

Preliminary investigations revealed that two men, Ajith and Vicky, both chain snatching suspects, were nabbed by police, and based on their information, police had taken Jayakumar also for enquiry. Police claim that Jayakumar had reportedly admitted to the crime and took them to Kasimedu, where he had hidden the stolen items.

However, inspector of the police station, Gunasekharan, was transferred to the control room following this incident. George Town magistrate, Ananth, visited Rajiv Gandhi hospital and interrogated about the case. It is a clear case of custodial death, claim activists.
The police suspect that the woman might have poisoned the food given to the child with toilet cleaner.

Chennai: A woman poisoned an infant and killed herself on Saturday. According to sources, the woman identified as Rakshitha, 35, was found along with her one-year-old son, Rudru, presumably dead at their residence at Vadapalani.

Dineshkumar, womans husband, a researcher at the Union governments research institute, returned home from work on Saturday evening and found their house at Bharathishwarar colony in Kodambakkam locked from inside.

When he peeked through the window he found his wife lying unconscious. Dinesh enetered the house by breaking the window and found his son dead. The Vadapalani police rushed to the spot when they were apprised of the situation and the bodies were sent for post-mortem to the Royapettah Government Hospital. A case has been registered.

According to police sources, the woman had been depressed for some time and was being treated in Haryana, their hometown. The police suspect that the woman might have poisoned the food given to the child with toilet cleaner. Further investigations are ongoing.

Cases, where parents are poisoning themselves and their children, have been on the rise lately. Most of these cases seem to be extreme cases of depression, say experts.
Hyderabad: The MLCs who defected to the TRS blamed it on the mistakes done by Congress leadership. MLCs Akula Lalitha, M.S. Prabhakar Rao, R. Damodar Reddy and Santosh Kumar said they were not against the Congress. They said they would not criticise the Congress but would take on the leaders.

The four MLCs shared their views with this newspaper. I went with the people: Lalitha

Ms Lalitha joined the TRS because the people were with the it, which was was proved in the recent elections. Though an MLC, Ms Lalitha contested from the Armoor constituency in Nizamabad district on a Congress ticket and lost to Mr Jeevan Reddy of the TRS.

Ms Lalitha said, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao asked me to join the TRS. He said, In the Council you are the only member from the Congress. People are with the TRS, you cannot to do anything for the people while in the Congress. If you join in TRS you can serve the people.

Ms Lalitha said these words from Mr Rao made her join the TRS. Incidentally, TRS MP D. Srinivas is Ms Lalithas political guru. Incidentally, Mr Srinivas had asked the TRS leadership to suspend him from the party before the Assembly elections.

Ms Lalitha had contested the 2014 Assembly elections as a Congress candidate. Asked why she did not join the TRS then, Ms Lalitha said she thought that the people may change their mind in 2018. The results showed that the people are still with the TRS, she said. Any leader would go along with people but not political parties, said Ms Lalitha who has about two and a half years of her term left.

Not against Cong: Prabhakar

MLC M.S. Prabhakar Rao said that though he had joined the TRS he was not against the Congress, only its leadership. He said the TRS government was implementing welfare schemes for various sections.

He claimed that he had faced insults while in the Congress and the leaders had ignored him. Mr Prabhakar Rao said that when he complained to the AICC leaders about this when they came to Hyderabad but they had lunch and dinner with the same leaders.

The Congress had taken up welfare schemes but they did not reach the people. With the TRS government, every scheme is reaching the people, Mr Prabhakar Rao said. His term ends in May.

Not for strong leaders: Damodar

MLC K. Damodar Reddy said strong leaders had no place in the Congress. I was in the Congress for 36 years, I lost financially by contesting the elections. In spite of that I worked hard to strengthen the party, he said. He was irked because the Congress admitted Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who fought against the party for decades, without consulting him.

He said when Dr Janardhan Reddy was given a ticket, some Congress cadres decided to join the TRS. To protect his cadre he had joined the TRS. He alleged that after former minister S. Jaipal Reddy started involving himself in Mahbubnagar district affairs, the party started weakening. He has three years left in the Council.

Wanted to save colleagues: Santosh Kumar

MLC Santosh Kumar said that in order to protect his colleague Damodar Reddy and others he had joined the TRS. Mr Kumar said that he was told that Mr Damodar Reddy and the others may be disqualified if the Congress lodged a complaint with Legislative Council Chairman A. Swamy Goud. If four MLCs gave a resolution on merging the CLP in Council with the TRS they would be saved from disqualification. He followed them to protect them. He said he had not asked for any position. When Kiran Kumar Reddy was Chief Minister he made me MLC without asking, he said. Mr Kumars term expires in May.
Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samiti legislators, to be inducted into the Cabinet have become anxious about the muhurthams for their swearing-in, as only four days are left before the inauspicious period begins. Party supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will return to the state capital on December 27 and by December 31, the swearing-in should take place as the auspicious period ends.

The four days leading to Amvasya on January 5 are considered inauspicious. Then, the inauspecious period, Pushya Masam, sets in from January 6 to February 6.

Mr Rao is a staunch believer in astrology and numerology, and relies heavily on the advice of astrologers and priests. He will not disregard the auspicious period. If the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers is not done in the next four or five days, it will have to be done after February 6, which sources close to the Chief Minister say, is quite likely.

Mr T. Kumar Shashtri, an astrologer in the city, said the auspicious days will end on December 31 and Pushya Masam will begin from January 6. The five days from December 31 to January 6, are considered inauspicious in view of the commencement of Amavasya.

Pushya Masam is considered a Shoonya Masam (zero month). This is the month when the Saptarishis give all their focus and attention to spiritual activities hence since time immemorial humans have also kept aside all material pursuits and focused on spiritual pursuits throughout this month. This is the reason no marriages or business ventures are taken up in this period, thus allowing the individuals to focus on their spiritual growth, Mr Shastri said.

City astrologer Dr Veeramaneni Venugopal Rao says the good Muhurathams are from December 12 to December 30. The good days that remain now are December 26, 28, 29 and 30; there are no auspicious Muhurathas in January 2019.

The Chief Minister is away visiting various states to garner support for his Federal Front, an alliance of opposition parties, except the Congress. He will be in Delhi for a few days from December 25. Senior leaders of the TRS said Mr Rao has announced his action plan ready for implementation and he would reveal the Federal Front concept when he reaches New Delhi. They say they cannot rule out the possibility of the CM announcing the names of the parties forming the Federal Front during his stay in Delhi as December 28, 29 and 30 are auspicious days for making such an announcement.
Hyderabad: TRS supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who is working towards forming a Federal Front, on Sunday said there was a dire need for unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 elections.

Mr Rao met his Odisha counterpart and BJD president Naveen Patnaik for 20 minutes after which they briefed the media. Mr Rao and Mr Patnaik said they would take their friendship further. He will next meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Replying to a question with regard to the outcome of the talks, Mr Rao said, Its certain that the country needs a change. We are making our efforts. Nothing concrete has emerged so far. I think something will emerge.

Stressing the need to bring about a qualitative change in national politics by uniting regional parties, Mr Rao said that the TRS was working towards that target.

Mr Rao said, I can say certainly that there is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

Mr Patnaik said, We are indeed regional parties. We discussed several things, including further friendship among like-minded parties.

Reminding that the Congress was terming the TRS the B team of the BJP while BJP president Amit Shah alleged that the party was the B team of the Congress, Mr Rao said, We dont have any B team, we have our own team.

Replying to a question if the BJD and TRS would have an understanding for the 2019 polls, Mr Patnaik said, For the Parliament elections, we have not thought that far.

Mr Rao arrived at 6.05 pm at Naveen Niwas, the Odishas CMs residence. The two Chief Ministers had a detailed discussion on national issues including the need for better friendship among the regional parties.

After the meeting with Mr Patnaik, Mr Rao left for the Trident Hotel where he will stay. He will visit Sun Temple at Konark and Jagannath temple at Puri with his family on Monday.

From Puri, Mr Rao will travel to Kolkata where he will offer prayers at Kali Matha temple and then meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. From Kolkata, he will fly to New Delhi on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other political leaders.
In this season of giving, Prime Minister Modi has taken the lead in bringing down the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the favourite items of the upper and the aspirational middle classes. It was disappointing, however, that he was not able to reduce the number of tax slabs from the present four to, say, just two. Understandably it cannot be one as, he said, milk and Mercedes cannot be taxed at the same rate. Fair enough. But in the interest of simplicity, Mr Modi could have rationalised the GST as it has been in existence for over a year and has already seen about 200 tweaks according to one report. Even the World Bank has commented that India has one of the most complex tax systems in the world where 115 countries have a unified tax system and 49 countries have just one slab. It also has the second highest rate of tax. Saturday saw the fifth round and still there seems to be much more that needs to be tweaked or rationalised. For instance, how does paan masala and personal aircraft and yachts come in the same bracket of 28 per cent. Since when is paan masala a luxury or sin item? Tobacco one can understand, since it can cause cancer, but paan masala is second nature to a large number of Indians as chewing gum is to Americans. It would be interesting if the bureaucrats or whoever designs the GST and does the tweaking could explain why some taxes are reduced and others are not.

Mr Modi obviously has his eye on the 2019 elections that are barely four months way as he seeks to woo the middle class. This is specially important considering the drubbing that the party got at the recent polls, specially in a major state like Madhya Pradesh.

The government is expected to forego Rs 50,000 crore annually because of these cuts and it has yet to disclose how it expects to fill this gaping hole. Its finances are in a precarious condition and this was reflected in its unsuccessful attempt to dip into the huge reserves of the Reserve Bank of India. That it has denied this is immaterial. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley is confident that with this reduction there would be more tax compliance. So far this has not happened. Earlier Mr Jaitey had said demonetisation had helped to bring more people into the tax net. But results showed that the increase could have been achieved without demonetisation that wrecked colossal damage on the economy. Time will show if this present tweaking is merited. The Central government has to compensate the states for the full year so one does not know where these funds will come from. Perhaps the government feels it will be the headache for the next government.
More than 90 percent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China.

China called the US arrogant and selfish on Friday after two Chinese citizens were charged with stealing American trade secrets and other sensitive information on behalf of Beijings main intelligence agency.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, the Chinese government has never participated in or supported anyone in stealing trade secrets in any way.

She accused the US of undermining the development of other countries in order to defend its own hegemony.

The US is a world superpower, and its quite arrogant and selfish, she said during a regular press briefing.

The US Justice Department announced Thursday the indictment of Chinese nationals Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong for allegedly carrying out an extensive cyberespionage campaign against government agencies and major corporations.

Besides the alleged US infiltration, Zhu and Hua are also accused of breaching computers linked to companies in at least 11 other countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom and India.

More than 90 per cent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country.

Chinas state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage, FBI Director Chris Wray said in announcing the case. While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating.

Hua, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said: They believe that a lie repeated a thousand times will become the truth, but I want to tell them that a lie is still a lie even after it has been repeated ten thousand times.

In a written statement issued earlier Friday, she said the US was fabricating facts.

The whereabouts of Zhu and Zhang are unclear. China does not have an extradition treaty with the US

There is some cooperation under the framework of Interpol, but if the Chinese government doesnt agree with the US charges, there is no way to extradite the accused, said Li Fangping, a Beijing-based criminal lawyer.

Li said that if Zhu and Zhang travel to other countries that have signed treaties with the US, they could be detained for possible extradition, as was the case with Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhous recent arrest in Canada.

The indictment says the pair worked for the Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company in Tianjin and acted in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Securitys bureau in the northeastern port city.

A public company registry says that Huaying Haitais work includes the development of computer software, consulting and business related to a variety of technical equipment.

Among the cyberespionage manoeuvres detailed in the indictment is the alleged use of a phishing technique which sent emails that appeared to be coming from legitimate email addresses but were in fact from members of Advanced Persistent Threat 10, the China-based hacking group to which Zhu and Zhang purportedly belong.

James Gong, a cybersecurity senior associate at the Herbert Smith Freehills law firm in Beijing, said the mere announcement of charges is likely to affect public perception of China.

The allegation itself will give rise to some suspicion, at least, among the international public, that these hacking activities are actually supported by the Chinese state, he said.

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It is the third partial government shutdown of the year, even though Trump's own Republican Party still controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats will take control of the House on January 3. (Photo: File)

Washington: White House budget director Mick Mulvaney on Sunday said the partial government shutdown gridlocking Washington could extend into the new year and the next Congress.

"It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mulvaney told "Fox News Sunday" of the impasse over funding for President Donald Trump's wall on the US-Mexico border.

It is the third partial government shutdown of the year, even though Trump's own Republican Party still controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats will take control of the House on January 3.

A budget deal to end the shutdown -- which forced several key US agencies to cease operations at 12:01 am (0501 GMT) Saturday -- appears a distant prospect as Congress adjourned for the weekend ahead of Christmas.

Trump, who canceled his holiday vacation to Florida due to the budget wrangling, has dug in on his demand for $5 billion to build the border wall, a signature campaign promise and part of his effort to reduce illegal immigration.

Democrats are staunchly opposed, and in the absence of a deal, federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed.

"This is what Washington looks like when you have a president who refuses to go along to get along," Mulvaney told Fox.
Addressing an event in Lahore, Imran Khan asserted that his govet is taking steps to ensure that religious minorities in Pakistan get their due rights. (Photo: File | ANI)

Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amid 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.

Khan said that 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.

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.
Islamabad: A Pakistani accountability court is set to announce a much-awaited verdict in two corruption cases against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has prepared its next political strategy ahead of the verdict that could send Mr Sharif back to jail.

The court had reserved the verdict in the Al Azizia and Flagship cases on December 19. Accountability Judge Mohammed Arshad Malik will pronounce the verdict which he reserved on December 19 after both defence and prosecution sides completed their final arguments in the cases.

Mr Sharif is expected to hear the verdict to be announced by Judge Arshad Malik in the courtroom while his partys members of the National Assembly and workers are instructed to move to the court in Islamabad.

In an expected power show to be staged by PML-N, other senior leaders of the party would join the elder Sharif. Besides, PML-Ns Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Anjum Aqeel are given responsibilities of coordinating with local leaders and municipal representatives for motorcade and expression of unity amongst their leaders.

Other leaders including Chaudhry Tanvir Ahmed and Malik Ibrar would display their political force from Rawalpindi alongside their supporters.

While hearing the former premiers plea for submission of some documents related to the Sharif familys UK properties on December 11, the judge rejected the verbal request to defer pronouncement of the judgment for a couple of days.

A total of 22 witnesses recorded their statements in the Al-Azizia reference, while 16 witnesses recorded their depositions in the Flagship reference.

Mr Sharif opted not to present any defence in both cases. However, his lawyer Khawaja Haris presented a rebuttal to allegations levelled by the prosecution against his client.

Over the course of the trial, the PML-N supreme leader defended the accusation of being real owner and beneficiary of the offshore properties, which he maintained belongs to his sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz.

He said the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), tasked to probe his wealth, had declared him as the real owner of Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, but he was not the owner nor was he benamidaar (nameless owner) of both the properties.

He added that the NAB failed to present any evidence to prove that he owned both the businesses.

The Supreme Court extended the deadline for conclusion of both the references for the eight times earlier this month with a caution that if the trial court didnt wrap up proceedings and announce its verdict by Dec 24, it would have to come up with a satisfactory explanation.

Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law Mohammed Safdar were released from jail after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended their prison terms.

The former premier, his daughter and her spouse were convicted by an accountability court in the Avenfield reference, one of the three references filed against members of the Sharif family, on July 6.

He was awarded 10 years in prison, while his daughter Maryam and her spouse Mohammed Safdar were handed seven years and one years prison terms, respectively. The former premier was arrested on July 13 along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz when the duo returned to the country from London.

Sharif along with his sons-Hussain and Hassan  had been named in three references filed by the anti-graft watchdog, while his daughter and son-in-law were nominated in a reference with regard to the Sharif familys London-based Avenfield properties. The references were filed in compliance with the Supreme Courts July 28 verdict last year.
Two middle-aged people were being held Saturday over the suspected "criminal use of drones" at London's Gatwick Airport, where flights were returning to normal after three days of pre-Christmas disruption affecting 140,000 passengers.

Police swooped on a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from town of Crawley, which neighbours Britain's second-busiest airport.

A Gatwick spokesman said the airport planned to run a full schedule of 757 flights carrying 124,484 passengers on Saturday.

But he warned that passengers should expect some delays and cancellations "as we continue to recover our operations".

"We are grateful for passengers' continued patience as we work to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas," the spokesman said.

Drones were first sighted buzzing around Gatwick on Wednesday then reappeared more than 50 times, forcing the government to bring in specialist military resources to help counter the threat.

The dangers posed by drones include the possibility of a device smashing into a passenger plane or being sucked up into an engine where its highly flammable lithium battery could cause a catastrophe.

The two people arrested late Friday were being held on suspicion of "disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons".

"Our investigations are still on-going, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones, by deploying a range of tactics," said Sussex Police superintendent James Collis.

The army was called in on Thursday to offer support, with the defence ministry deploying what was described only as specialist equipment.

Government officials held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Under recently-introduced laws in Britain, drones cannot be flown near aircraft or within a kilometre (about half a mile) of an airport, or at an altitude of over 400 feet (122 metres).

Violators face up to five years in prison for endangering an aircraft.

The Times newspaper reported Saturday that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling had shelved plans earlier this year to introduce laws regulating drone use despite being warned about the risk they posed to airports.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Next year further laws will come into effect to ensure drone users must be registered and pass safety tests.

"We are continuing to introduce further measures and recently consulted on extending police powers to deal with people who misuse drones, as well working on the development of counter-drone technology to ensure incidents like this can't happen again."

Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, described the cat-and-mouse hunt for the drone operators.

"Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield the drone reappears," he said Thursday.

Darcis, 32, who was supposed to arrive from Milan on Thursday and had to sleep at the airport, said: "I cannot understand why such a small thing can cause an international airport like Gatwick (to close). They should be ready for these things. I really don't understand what we can do."

Gatwick, around 30 miles (50 kilometres) south of the British capital, is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and sits behind Mumbai as the world's busiest single-runway air hub.
When people get accused of crimes, it makes the front page of the newspaper. Photographers run out with their cameras to snap a photo of the alleged offender (along with his house, his kids and his pets,) witnesses crawl out of the woodwork to give their impression of the situation, and people like me, who write stories, hit the veritable goldmine and have enough to keep us occupied for days, weeks or months. When the story is particularly salacious or dramatic, the facts often get buried in a sea of she said this, he said that and who gives a damn about the truth, this is better than reality TV!

Its human nature to be obsessed with this stuff, and its been going on since the story of Eve and the Apple made the headlines of the Daily Figleaf.

That said, Ive always been troubled by the fact that while the initial announcement of a pseudo-scandal gets a huge amount of publicity, the resolution rarely does. This is particularly so when the person you thought was guilty end up being acquitted, or the accusations are withdrawn. What fun is it to find out that the fascinating drama that kept you transfixed for months or years was built on nothing but innuendo and supposition? What a letdown.

But its important for us to be consistent. If we are going to pay attention to the beginning of a story and salivate over the nasty little details, we need to have at least enough integrity to acknowledge that our initial assumptions might have been, and most likely were, wrong.

Thats why Im writing about Nick Miccarelli this week. Ive written about him before in this paper, and its no secret that I strongly supported his claims of innocence. Its not necessary to rehash the whole sordid history here, but suffice it to say that the former state legislator from Ridley Township was accused of sexual harassment and abuse by two former girlfriends. One of them, State Rep. Tara Toohill, entered into a negotiated settlement with Miccarelli, premised upon the fact that he admitted no wrongdoing. There was, in fact, no finding of wrongdoing.

The second accuser who has to this day demanded anonymity was a political consultant who alleged that Miccarelli raped her. Because of the severity of the allegations, and because the alleged attack occurred in the jurisdiction of the Dauphin County District Attorneys Office, the chief prosecutor of that district, Fran Chardo, initiated an investigation.

On Friday, that office issued a statement confirming that it would not pursue charges against Miccarelli.

According to that statement, the political consultant who alleged that she was a rape victim asked the prosecutors office to close the investigation because she had moved on with her life and does not want to see Miccarelli again in any context.

And my response to that is, not so fast.

Its all well and good for the investigation to be closed. In fact, given the evidence that I have been privy to, some of which was made available to me by Miccarellis attorneys, I have a hard time seeing how any prosecutor could make a solid case of rape or sexual assault against the former state legislator and Iraq War veteran. In the criminal context you need to prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt, not beyond the type of doubt that the #Metoo movement has tried to substitute for actual due process. Everything that I saw showed that the relationship between the parties appeared to be consensual.

But some people in Delco didnt want to believe that, especially the type of people who are ready to use someones personal tragedy for their own political gain. I wont name them again, but some of the incoming state representatives from Delco exploited Nick Miccarellis dilemma in television ads and in print media. And it worked, because we all know that dirty politics, involving innuendo and misrepresentation, is quite effective. Just ask Willie Horton.

But thats water under the political bridge. Now we have to focus on what matters, and that is the fact that Nick Miccarelli was convicted of nothing, has been proven guilty of nothing, has admitted to no misconduct, and is not the subject of an investigation. The Dauphin County District Attorney might find it appropriate to say that the accuser doesnt want his office to pursue the case, but thats irrelevant. If there was evidence of a crime, the prosecutor would have been obligated to pursue it regardless of the wishes of the victim. As someone who deals with abuse victims, I know that a prosecutor can and usually does go ahead with charges even when the complaining witness retracts her accusations, as long as there is enough evidence to proceed.

So the fact that Fran Chardo decided not to go ahead and prosecute Nick Miccarelli should be taken as strong, incontrovertible proof that Nick Miccarelli did not rape or harass or abuse this former girlfriend. Period.

End of story. Unless a photographer wants to come and take a nice photo of an innocent man.
Its almost time to Ho, Ho, Ho!

Actually, voters in Pennsylvania did their own version Santas greeting, showing a number of incumbent legislators the door back in November. Here in Delaware County, 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. That would be Donald Trump.

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 dialog and less strident, partisan standoff.

Dont say it cant be done. Sen. Tom Killion, R-9 of Middletown, proved that when he 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. Thats right, the Keystone State had zero women in our Congressional delegation.

That was not by accident. 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 continues to fund 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 here 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.
For many of us, the flu is a seasonal nuisance that emerges each year as the days grow shorter and people huddle indoors  annoying but not truly threatening.

A century ago, however, the flu was much more than a minor inconvenience. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, which infected half a billion people (one-third of the world's population at the time) and killed at least 50 million.

This pandemic was so lethal that it took more lives than all the combined military deaths of World War I and World War II, and life expectancy in the United States fell by about 12 years from 1917 to 1918.

Where did the Spanish flu come from?

A century later, we know much more about influenza pathology and prevention. But scientists are still trying to pin down exactly where the 1918 flu pandemic started and why mortality rates were so high.

Although it was called the Spanish flu, experts believe it didn't start in Spain. This nickname was likely a side effect of World War I, which was also afflicting the globe at the time. Most major countries engaged in battle suppressed reports of influenza's devastation to avoid appearing as weakened targets to their enemies.

But neutral Spain had no reason to hide the effects of the virus, creating the false impression that its population suffered from the pandemic earlier and more intensely than the rest of the world.

In reality, the pandemic ravaged nearly every area on Earth  from Japan to Australia to South Africa  though some countries fared better than others. China, while affected, experienced significantly lower mortality rates than the United States and Britain. Yet an estimated 17 million died in India while 14 percent of the population died in the Fiji Islands in only 16 days.

Experts don't yet agree where the first outbreak occurred. Many studies point to an origin in the United States, yet other scientists suggest China and some France. But there is general consensus that the H1N1 virus that caused the pandemic likely emerged from a bird virus.

Spanish flu in Utah

Like the rest of the world, Utah could not escape the 1918 influenza. Globally, the pandemic occurred in three major waves during the spring, fall and winter of 1918, with the third wave finally subsiding by the summer of 1919. The first signs of outbreak in Utah were reported in the beginning of October 1918.

According to historian Leonard Arrington, Utah state health officer Dr. T.B. Beatty acted quickly on Oct. 10, issuing a ban on all public gatherings, including church meetings and theater shows, and directing schools to close (which they did, with most remaining closed until January 1919).

Despite these measures, the virus tore through Salt Lake City, likely due to its larger population and frequent visitors, Arrington notes. By early November, more than 1,500 cases were documented there and 117 people had died.

Most other communities throughout Utah also felt the pandemic's impact. In Ogden, 2,626 influenza cases and 73 deaths were reported by Oct. 26. An Oct. 30 Desert Evening News headline stated that "Every county now reports influenza," though the article insisted health officials remained optimistic so long as Utahns adhered to the board of health's guidelines.

Prevention and treatment

In addition to Beatty's ban on public gatherings, the Utah State Board of Health took out an advertisement in the Deseret News urging Utahns to avoid public transportation, crowded places and "common towels." They also advised frequent handwashing, plenty of rest and staying home as soon as any illness struck, no matter how slight.

Utahns were also instructed to wear gauze masks in public and around those who were sick. Homes with influenza victims had to display quarantine signs. Park City and Ogden tried to keep the disease out by requiring people who entered the cities to present signed doctor's certificates indicating they weren't infected.

Moreover, stores weren't allowed to hold sales and funeral services were limited to a half hour (and later 15 minutes). The November 1918 funeral of Joseph Fielding Smith, Latter-day Saint church president, was restricted to only a few close family members.

At this time, very little was known about what caused the influenza virus and how it spread.

"There were no vaccines to protect against flu virus infection, no antiviral drugs to treat flu illness, and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections like pneumonia," according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientists and doctors also had very little understanding about what made the 1918 virus so virulent. Not only did it spread quickly, it also  quite alarmingly  often killed otherwise healthy young adults. Typically, small children and older adults are the groups most likely to die from influenza.

Today, scientists theorize that the inflammatory immune response the Spanish flu triggered in the lungs was likely more robust in healthy young people, leading to more fluid buildup and a higher likelihood of deadly pneumonia for this age group.

Because the virus affected both the upper respiratory tract and deep within the lungs, coughing and congestion were common side effects, along with more severe (and often fatal) symptoms. These included blue-tinged faces from lack of oxygen accompanied by lung hemorrhages and infections that literally caused victims to drown in their own fluids.

Lacking modern medicine, doctors prescribed liquids, hot compresses to ease chest congestion and alcohol (even in dry Utah). With so many infected, hospitals quickly filled and staff ran short. To keep up with growing demand, impromptu infirmaries were set up in Utah church buildings and teachers whose schools were closed served as volunteer nurses.

A sobering toll

After many long months, the number of reported influenza cases eventually began to ease up. Though a massive Salt Lake City Armistice Day celebration on Nov. 11, 1918, led to a predictable outbreak, by December many public spaces in the state began reopening. The epidemic greatly diminished in the spring and summer of 1919 and by the spring of 1920, the last of the Spanish flu finally left Utah.

After the pandemic had run its course, at least 91,799 Utahns had been infected and 2,915 had died, though Arrington points out that these reported numbers likely grossly underestimate the true breadth of the disease.

Experts aren't sure what caused the Spanish flu's end, though many speculate the virus eventually mutated into a less lethal strain.

Could a deadly influenza pandemic happen again? It's certainly possible, scientists say. A new influenza virus could emerge that humans have no previous resistance to, which is likely what happened in 1918.

Fortunately, we are better equipped to face a deadly virus than we were 100 years ago and could possibly develop a vaccine quickly enough to stave off a pandemic. But there is still so much about the 1918 flu and influenza in general we don't yet understand.

As Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a seminar on the Spanish flu, "We have many more tools than we had before, but they are imperfect tools."
Very soon, end-of-year festivities will be put aside in favor of New Year's resolutions. Before we reach the rush of a new year, I would like to reflect on the progress over the previous one.

Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett, Rural Development has made major strides in its work to create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in rural America.

As state director for USDA Rural Development in Utah, I have the privilege of celebrating our rural communities every day.

Over 2018, Rural Development invested more than $505 million in Utah in the areas of broadband, business, health care, emergency services, housing and infrastructure.

Our business and cooperative program area invested nearly $15 million through a variety of programs to help rural communities create jobs and enjoy healthy local economies.

Visitors to our great state will appreciate the $14 million invested in new hotels and private campgrounds. These renovated and newly built properties will keep visitors comfortable as they recreate at and travel in between our great national parks or other points of interest.

We know housing affordability in Utah is a top concern among urban and rural families alike. Were happy to report 1,879 families and individuals became homeowners using our single-family housing programs. These programs are designed to provide an affordable homebuying experience. More than $39 million in direct home loans and more than $354 million in guaranteed mortgages were made this past year, which helps to alleviate some of the housing shortages in our rural communities.

Rural Developments Community Facilities Program, or CF, invested heavily in rural communities, with $64.5 million going to help provide essential community facilities and services. Topping the list is the expansion of Uintah Basin Medical Center, which is planning to build a new surgical center and construct additional improvements to better serve patients in the Basin.

The CF program this year has placed a major emphasis in fighting the opioid epidemic in rural Utah. As co-chairman of Utahs Rural Opioid Work Group, I am proud that USDA has funded projects that are making a difference: Four Corners Community Behavioral Health is purchasing new vehicles to transport clients to and from critical services and will secure transitional housing to aid in recovery. In addition, East Carbon City and Sevier County will each buy new ambulances equipped to respond to emergencies specific to the opioid epidemic.

Our water and environmental programs provided more than $15 million in support of water and wastewater infrastructure. Sewer and water systems will be built out and improved, including source springs and wells that have been shuttered due to extensive drought periods. Some of the water systems were looking to recover are long overdue for upgrades and require extensive work to bring them up to safety standards. Were pleased we can play a part in such important work.

The USDA has made good on its promise to place an emphasis on connecting our rural communities. This past year we provided $3.3 million to boost broadbands reach in the southeast portion of the state, an important partner with the states Rural On-Line Initiative and job creation. Our Distance Learning and Telemedicine program has also been well-utilized, with more than $1 million awarded to connect doctors with patients and teachers with students. In this effort were pleased to partner with Utah State University, the San Juan County School District and Utah Navajo Health Systems.

The USDA would not be able to make such investments in Utah if not for the hard work and dedication of truly professional staff. I commend their incredible work.

Looking ahead to 2019, Rural Development is determined to remove regulatory barriers and provide the resources rural America needs to build prosperous communities. Customer service remains a top priority as USDA is dedicated to serving our rural customers in the most effective way possible.

A new e-connectivity infrastructure program has been announced, which positions USDA Rural Development to support the further expansion of high-speed internet into rural areas, and we anticipate more resources will also be available to address opioid misuse.
SALT LAKE CITY  Rashelle Hobbs says she knows there are some who view her as a "Barbie doll."

She's 5 feet 10 inches tall and a blue-eyed blonde. She likes to wear high heels and nice clothes. She and her husband Lance, a chemical engineer, live in a big, custom-built house.

And yet, Hobbs  a 42-year-old Democrat who recently beat the Republican incumbent to become Salt Lake County's next recorder  says there's much more to her than her appearance and her nice house.

Nonetheless, Hobbs expects to be judged for her looks or her clothes because that's just part of being a woman in politics, she said.

"Once you get to know me, I'm not a Barbie doll," she said. "I'm not into labels. I don't like labels for really anyone.  I don't have pigment in my hair and I am a female, and I do like to look nice, but it certainly does not define me."

Instead, Hobbs said she and her husband built their lives from the ground up. He was raised by a single mother and "nothing was handed to him." She spent 15 years working her way up in the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office, first as a seasonal employee in the elections division, then up to chief deputy.

She's a mom of 9-year-old Landon and 5-year-old Rebekah. She has a master's degree in professional communication from Westminster College.

In a recent interview with the Deseret News at her Salt Lake City home, Hobbs joked that when it came down to paying for their new home's lawn or running for office this year, she opted to deal with a muddy yard until next spring.

"My son said, 'Mom, why don't we have grass?' And I said, 'Son, we have a billboard,'" Hobbs said, laughing.

Hobbs' decision to run for elected office was new territory for her  although it was in her blood.

As a child, Hobbs said she'd go to honk-and-waves for her grandfather, George Diehl, when he'd run to be Tooele mayor. He held the seat for 11 years, from 1983 to 1994.

She remembers the excitement of the election and remembers thinking, "I really need my grandpa to win."

"But I did see running for office comes with criticism," Hobbs said. "Sometimes the nastiest elections can be the local mayoral runs."

Little did she know, despite the nastiness, her grandfather's public service would inspire her later in life to enter politics. She called her grandfather her most "significant mentor."

"I remember him saying, 'People are always going to have an opinion about you, so why not do the right thing?'" Hobbs said.

Plus, she said she wanted to challenge herself.

"I wanted to see what I was capable of," she said. "I felt like this was the time to go out on my own and do it my way. I ran based on who I am, and I think there is something to be said about authenticity. And I won."

'Thick skin'

Hobbs, sitting in her living room, was animated as she spoke  making hand gestures, laughing, leaning forward in her seat. But when she spoke again of her grandfather, who died at the age of 99 just before he got his by-mail ballot in the mail, Hobbs tucked her chin and looked at the floor.

"He was hoping to stick around long enough to vote for me," Hobbs said. But knowing he was "struggling," she said she told him she would be OK, win or lose, and he could "let go."

"It wasn't soon after that that he passed," Hobbs said.

But before he did, she said he told her: "I'm not worried about you winning. I'm worried about what comes next."

In other words, "politics is a blood sport, and you've got to have thick skin," Hobbs said.

But thanks to watching her grandfather  and growing up with three brothers  Hobbs said she feels her skin is plenty thick.

So whether it's those skeptical of her abilities because of her blond hair, or whether it's stepping into an office with political baggage, Hobbs said she's well-equipped to handle her new role as Salt Lake County recorder  an office she'll officially take over in January.

And the recorder's office has plenty of baggage.

"It's not lost upon me what this staff has been through," Hobbs said.

Past scandal

Hobbs will be the fourth new boss in the Salt Lake County Recorder's Office since the summer of 2017. Her election comes after the Deseret News revealed the office's longtime recorder, Gary Ott, was still collecting a large taxpayer salary while county employees questioned his mental faculties.

Ott, amid his fifth term in office, won re-election in 2014 even though he had been diagnosed with dementia a year before his final campaign. Had attorneys not reached a resignation agreement with his family in July of 2017, he could have stayed in office through 2020. He died in October of 2017.

County employees accused Ott's top staffers, Julie Dole and Karmen Sanone, of hiding Ott's condition so he could keep his high-paying position and so they could keep their jobs. Both women denied those accusations repeatedly while citing efforts to keep Ott's health private.

After Ott's resignation deal was struck, Dole, Ott's deputy, was automatically sworn in. She stayed in the position for 18 days until another Republican, Adam Gardiner, beat her in the county GOP special election after he campaigned to give the recorder's office a fresh start.

But after 15 months in office, Gardiner lost his bid to keep the seat to Hobbs during November's general election.

Hobbs said what happened to Ott was "a huge injustice," and instead of being remembered for the "kindhearted person that he was," people just read about the "scandal."

Looking ahead

Now, Hobbs' first priority is bringing "certainty and stability" to the staff of the recorder's office.

"I've been giving a lot of thought of how I would feel if I was in that office and having that kind of turmoil and change and scandal," Hobbs said. "They were reading about the office they work in in the paper."

Hobbs said her aunt worked in the recorder's office for 35 years. She retired in 2015, right before the concerns around Ott came to light. Hobbs said her aunt later told her about the issues in the office after she "kept her head down and just did her job and tried to make the best of a difficult situation."

"(The staff) deserve a leader who leads from the front and respects them and wants them to be happy and wants to provide an environment where they're proud to be a part of," Hobbs said. "That's my mission."

However, Hobbs  who has kept her distance from the office until Gardiner wraps up his term  said she understands some employees, wary of new leadership, may be wondering what kind of boss she's going to be.

"I'm sure (they're) thinking, 'Who's this Rashelle? What's she like? We see her wearing fancy clothes, we heard she lives in a big house,'" Hobbs said.

Hobbs said she's going to focus on creating a warm, inclusive environment in the recorder's office, with no "cozy inner circles."

"I know it's the people who work in the office that make the department great," she said.

Hobbs plans to use her experience in the clerk's office  including overseeing "high-stakes" services needed for elections, passports and marriage certificates  to increase transparency and improve customer access.

She said she'll look into possibly increasing flexibility for the office's regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

She also hopes to surround herself with the right people to help keep the office on the cutting-edge of technology.

Overall, Hobbs said her vision is to "lead with integrity" and "transparency."
This is the seventh of nine winners in the Deseret News annual Christmas writing contest, "Christmas I Remember Best."

My dad was born in 1914 in an Adobe home in northwestern New Mexico. My grandfather was in possession of a land grant given to our ancestors for their help in establishing the New Mexico territories.

My great-grandfather and his seven sons built their homes on a bluff overlooking the Brazos River. Although they had all this property, they had no means to do anything with the property. They worked on farms and herded sheep to make a living. At age 10, my dad went to work in a local lumber mill for a wage of 15 cents an hour. His earnings went directly to my grandmother for the needs of the family in that two-room Adobe house, which consisted of three sisters and one brother.

From the time Dad was 10 years old, he was always helping his family. Grandfather was a shepherd and was gone for months at a time, so Dad subsidized the family income. Through all the years Dad was always helping others. I can remember him helping neighbors and family with all kinds of chores, carpentry, painting, electrical work and fixing other people's cars. He never asked for pay or accepted pay. He loved to help others.

For all the many things he did for others he never really had anything for himself. In 1955 when I was 10 years old, our family consisted of three girls and six boys. My dad worked in the coal mine as a brick mason. It was not easy back in those days to raise a large family with mine wages. To supplement our income, Dad would gather scrap metal, copper, and brass and sell to the recycle center. To save money he would go to the mine tipple where they loaded coal in train cars, and pick up chunks of coal for our coal burning stove.

On this year as Christmas approached, mother proposed that we get Dad something special  not the traditional New shirt and the things we made at school. We would ask Dad, "What would you like for Christmas?" His answer: "I want you kids and your mom to be happy." That's Dad for you. Always thinking of others.

All who could pitched in and we scrimped and saved  mostly Mother did. As Christmas drew near, we wondered what Mom would get him. We children got really excited about this Christmas. We were more excited for Dad then we were for ourselves. Gosh! We were happy to lay under the Christmas tree and look up at the lights, especially the ones that made bubbles.

One day Mother announced that she was going to Price, Utah, to get Dad's present. We wondered what it would be. Dad would be overjoyed for sure. When Mom got home we asked, "What is it? What is it?" Mom calmly said, "Wait till Christmas." Well, we could not wait, but we did. This made us more excited and Christmas could not come soon enough.

Dad never asked for anything ever, so we thought of all kinds of things he might like. Finally, Christmas arrived. That morning, all of us kids were up waking up Mom and Dad. We wanted to see that gift  that special gift for Dad, the man who always gave, was about to receive.

The excitement mounted. "Dad, hurry open this. Hurry Dad, open this." Mom handed him the present. Slowly, he pulled the wrapper and a blue box appeared. We yelled, "What is it? What is it?"

I looked up at Dad as he opened the little blue box. His eyes narrowed, a tear formed and his lips quivered. He could not say a word!

I will never forget that look on Dad's face. Finally, he said, "Muchas gracias, familia" and gave us all a hug and a kiss.

I cannot remember what we children got that Christmas, but the beautiful gold Elgin wristwatch was something we talked about for years. Dad loved that watch!

Dad passed in March 1989 and that watch is still ticking, during the Christmas season every year I get Dad's watch out and wear it and think of the Christmas I remember best.
SALT LAKE CITY  The Utah tech community's reign of accolades continue with the release this week of a new Milken Institute report ranking the state No. 5 in the country for the power of its science and technology pipeline.

Local industry experts welcomed the latest news but highlighted challenges that, unmet, could lead to derailment of Utah's booming tech success.

Milken's biennial 2018 State Technology and Science Index lauded Utah for its improvements. It was the only new state in the top 5, moving up from the eighth spot and trailed only Massachusetts, Colorado, Maryland and California.

Among highlights noted in the report are Utah's nation-leading 4.3 percent tech job growth rate, the state's 46-rank jump in business starts, the University of Utah's ranking as the top school in the country for technology commercialization and the Utah Pathways program that leverages public-private partnerships to address tech industry workforce needs.

Kevin Klowden, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics, said states that earned top rankings in the report show a propensity for policy actions that help nurture and grow their respective tech sectors.

The success stories of states profiled in this year's index reflect sustained efforts to not only build but to maintain their ecosystem, Klowden said in a statement. Making the changes that are necessary to perform well on the State Technology and Science Index can contribute to stronger long-term economic performance.

Juliette Tennert, director of economic and public policy research at the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, said her team is currently working on a comprehensive economic impact study of the state's tech and innovation industry, which will be the first analysis of its kind. Tennert noted many factors have helped drive Utah's tech successes, as reflected in the Milken report, but some are less obvious than others.

"We're the youngest state in the nation ... that means that relative to our entire population, we've got more digital natives in our labor force to support the industry," Tennert said. "We've always been a place of entrepreneurship and innovation  Adobe, Novell, Evans and Sutherland, Pixar  all have some tie to Utah.

"And, we have incredible lifestyle amenities that attract tech companies and talent."

Tennert cautioned, however, that in spite of Milken's findings indicating that Utah has the highest number of science/engineering grads per 1,000 workers, the average tech wages in the state lag behind other innovation centers. And that could become a bigger factor as Utah's cost of living, already on the rise, continues to increase.

"Wages are a major factor in labor recruitment and retention," Tennert said. "To the extent that our cost of living is favorable to other places, we might expect wages here to be a little softer.

"But increases in that cost of living, especially on the housing affordability front, will increase the pressure for higher wages in order for Utah to remain competitive in attracting and keeping skilled labor."

Workforce issues figure largely into Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance CEO Derek Miller's concerns about keeping the state's innovation mojo rising, though he was also pleased to see Utah's high marks on the Milken report.

"Our tech industry is growing faster than any other state in the nation," Miller said. "Thats the good news. But if we want to continue to have a sustainable knowledge-based, innovation economy were going to need to continue to focus on workforce development.

Yes, our tech sector is growing, but there are currently 5,000 unfilled tech jobs in Utah."

Miller said the chamber is working to keep the tech tide rising, praising recent work by the Utah Legislature and vowing to help keep the collective foot on the gas of one of the state's leading economic drivers.

"To help close this workforce gap, the Salt Lake Chamber is continuing our efforts to ensure Utah is attracting, developing and retaining the best and brightest for our economy," Miller said. "Last legislative session, the business community worked hard to see the passage of a bill that offers debt relief to local college graduates who stay in Utah and work in identified high-demand, high-wage jobs. This upcoming legislative session, the Salt Lake Chamber is going to be supporting efforts to ensure all students have access to computer science classes.

"By working with our business community and elected officials to create a sustainable workforce development strategy, Utah will continue to see high-skills job creation and broad economic growth.

Keith Marmer, executive director of the University of Utah's Center for Technology and Venture Commercialization, has helped oversee one of the most successful programs of its kind in the country, a point noted in the Milken assessment. While appreciating the latest Utah tech sector laudatory, he would like to see more support of the state's deep tech efforts, like life sciences and biotech.

"The rankings are fabulous," Marmer said. "Utah's tech sector is booming and our Silicon Slopes' companies are thriving ... with the big Qualtrics deal just the latest evidence of that.

"There are key clusters we're still working hard to build capital interest in. High rankings are great, but I worry they could instill a false sense of security that we have all the capital we need ... and we don't."

Marmer also noted that it's critical to take a wide-angle view of the state's tech pipeline, particularly as some top homegrown talent continues to be lured away by higher wages and bigger markets at the more mature coastal innovation cities.

"From the U., we're spinning out a lot of early-stage companies and there's a ton of great entrepreneurs here," Marmer said. "But when you drill down, you want to know where the next great entrepreneurs are coming from. We want to know that our bench strength is growing.

"If people are getting pulled out of Utah, where is that next wave of talent coming from? We have a strong base but we cant get complacent about it."
The story pitch came first from Deseret News photojournalist Laura Seitz: We should go find Maria in Guatemala and discover what is motivating her to send her children back to the United States.

Maria Santiago, a mother of four U.S.-born children, fled violence in Guatemala nearly 14 years ago, crossed the border, applied for asylum, then got lost in events that would lead to her deportation. She left Salt Lake International Airport with her children on Christmas day last year, the result of choices she made and the tangled immigration and work policies of our country.

Understanding what became of her family is at the heart of the story from Deseret News journalists Gillian Friedman and Laura Seitz, who teamed up to provide a compelling, nuanced account that takes us from Salt Lake City to a small town in Guatemala and back again. It's a face of immigration not often seen. The story, appearing first online Thursday and Sunday in the print edition, brought strong reaction which is itself indicative of where we are as a country on immigration.

Can compassion and rule of law be balanced? Can a solution be found that keeps families together progressing toward a happy future? Keeping families together is a position the overwhelming majority of Americans say they believe in, but getting there and providing opportunities for individuals is among the nation's most vexing problems.

It's difficult to report week after week on immigration and keep the public's interest. It's a constant effort to report on the apparent tug-and-pull of varying immigration policies, particularly when there are Republicans and Democrats in government who are often more concerned about gaining political advantage than actually finding a solution to immigration problems.

Maria's story was an opportunity for us to understand what is at stake in this debate. It's about people, not policy. Real people are crossing the border. Real people seek asylum. Real people make mistakes and struggle to overcome them. Real people are being deported. Children are being pulled in many directions as their parents try to give them a better future.

In other words, the process is messy because life is messy. We wanted to tell an authentic story  warts and all  about Maria Santiago, who as a young woman in Guatemala witnessed horrible crime, who sought a better life in America, who began the asylum process but then was never informed of her hearing, who wanted to support herself so she used a Social Security card that wasn't her own, and who began raising a family of six in Utah, only to have that unit separated.

Are you heartbroken for her? Are you sympathetic to the plight of this family? Are you angry? Are you satisfied that this woman broke the law and got what she deserved? Are you disgusted with the Deseret News for writing about this at all?

We've had every one of these reactions from our readers. Perhaps that shows just where we are as a country on the immigration debate.

"When you're covering immigration it's so important to see the effects of what's happening on the ground," reporter Friedman said. "When looking at these policy decisions you have to ask what is the human cost going to be. With this story  this family being divided  you have to ask is this a better outcome now that the mom is in Guatemala, the father is here, and the children (are living with) and are financially supported by two public school teachers. Is that an ideal situation?"

I reject the labels of liberal and conservative. They do nothing to solve problems and they are a distraction from reality. What we actually did was tell a compelling story, including in it the decisions Maria made, the decisions that politicians made, and we took a look at the differences between life in Utah and life in Guatemala. Don't put a label on it. Help look for a solution.

Today Maria is in Guatemala and can't apply to return for nine more years. Her husband is in Utah, but is undocumented and working to send money to Guatemala and is therefore unable to care for the children. The children are being raised in separate households by two good and caring teachers who are trying to give them a better future.

That's the messy reality. You can blame the family. You can blame the government. Or you can not blame anyone and try to find a solution that provides direction and motivation that will not result in a family divided.

In the Deseret News American Family Survey released last month more than 80 percent of respondents said they believe members of migrant families who cross the border without a visa to seek asylum should be kept together, though there are partisan differences in where these families should be kept and what kind of processes should be imposed.

But even if people endeavor to do that, is there room for any compassion for those who take a misstep? Is there a way to prioritize keeping families together above administrative or legal failings, particularly when the children  in this case four children  are U.S. citizens?

The children spent last Christmas in an airport. They are not there this year, but they're also not at home. As a mother, Maria made a choice to keep the two youngest with her in Guatemala and let the older two return to America. She just wishes there was a better choice to make.
NORTH OGDEN  Authorities are crediting a 13-year-old boy with potentially saving his friend's life from a house fire Friday.

Northview Fire District Deputy Fire Chief Jeremiah Jones said 13-year-old Hayden Eldridge came upon a house fire at 958 E. 2600 North in North Ogden shortly before fire crews arrived, when he saw his friend of about the same age in distress near a sliding glass door that exits to the home's backyard.

Hayden acted quickly by hurrying into the house and pulling his friend out, Jones said.

Hayden "probably saved his life, because he had taken in some smoke," Jones said. "I don't know what (could have) happened if he hadn't gone in there."

Jones cautioned there is a "fine line" dictating when it is prudent to enter a burning home, but said "in this instance he could see (his friend) close to the doorway."

The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage and the home is considered a total loss, but the residents are safe, according to Jones. The fire is believed to have started in the front room of the house, but its cause is still under investigation.

Robyn Buatte, who lived in the home, said, "At the end of the day, I'm just glad my kids are OK and all of that."

She added that "at one point, you've just got to get up and put one foot in front of the other."

"You can't dwell on it too much because then you'll become depressed and no good to anybody," Buatte said.

Neighbors are busy making efforts to sustain Buatte and her family through the crushing experience of losing a home right before Christmas, having filled in with food, cash, and favors.

"Luckily, their Christmas is taken care of, but it's the needs that are going to come long term. They're good on toilet paper, probably for the rest of their lives," quipped neighbor Marci Barker, who organized donations using a community Facebook page. "But the cash or even gift cards (are) for the kids to do fun things to get their minds off of everything that's going on."

Buatte said she is "completely overwhelmed and appreciative" for all the help her family has received. "It just means a lot. Like, people I've never even met coming up and saying a prayer and giving us money and just wishing us well," she said. "It makes me feel good that people want to do that but then I know there's people out there worse off than I am. I'm just hoping I can repay the favor."

Brent Chugg, mayor of North Ogden, praised the community's response, saying "the people here are very gracious."

"They're charitable and they've very much ready to help at any time," Chugg said.

Donations on behalf of the Buatte family may be dropped off at the house next door to the east. A donation fund in the Buatte family's name has also been arranged at America First Credit Union.
MOSCOW  Three astronauts returned to Earth Thursday after more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

A Russian Soyuz capsule with NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergey Prokopyev and German astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency landed on the snow-covered steppes in Kazakhstan, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. They touched down a minute ahead of schedule at 11:02 a.m. local time (0502 GMT; 12:02 a.m. EST).

The crew radioed that they were feeling fine. Russian rescue teams in helicopters and all-terrain vehicles rushed to the landing site to extract the astronauts from the capsule charred by a fiery ride through atmosphere.

The trio has spent 197 days in space. It was the first mission for Aunon-Chancellor and Prokopyev, while Gerst flew his second to a total of 362 days in orbit, setting the ESA's flight duration record.

The rescue crews helped the crew in their balky space suits leave the capsule and conducted an initial medical examination. The astronauts will be taken to Dzhezkazgan for a brief welcome ceremony before being flown to their respective countries for more thorough check-ups.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Russian Oleg Kononenko and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, who have arrived at the station earlier this month, are set to remain in orbit until June.
https://www.aish.com/jw/me/Tunnels-in-Northern-Israel-What-You-Need-to-Know.html

Aish.com spotlights the Hezbollah tunnels threatening soldiers and civilians in the north of the country.

Over the past three weeks Israel has launched a major operation to expose and destroy a network of underground attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah along its northern border. Heres the lowdown.

How many tunnels are there and where are they?

The IDF has so far discovered four complete attack tunnels made by Hezbollah, with an additional shaft belonging to a fifth. These tunnels threaten the lives of thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers. The first announcement was made on December 6 near the Israeli town of Metula, with the revelation of a first tunnel stretching 600 feet from Southern Lebanon, which began underneath a civilian building, stretching into northern Israel 130 feet. By December 16, Israel had located four tunnels crossing into Israel with the likelihood of more.

What has Israel done about this?

Israel has launched Operation Northern Shield with the expressed aim of exposing and destroying these attack tunnels. The operation has three stages. Firstly tunnels are exposed, then rigged with explosives to make unusable and then lastly, destroyed by use of controlled explosions. See below a video of the IDF destroying the first tunnel, including a warning to residents over the border ahead of time to vacate the area for their own safety.

Iran's annual funding of Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack Israel: 1 billion dollars.



Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnel: A few million dollars.



Destroying this attack tunnel and protecting Israeli civilians: Priceless.



 @Mastercard pic.twitter.com/hgxiOedn1o  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 21, 2018

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah, the Party of God, is an Iranian-backed Shia islamist proxy based in Southern Lebanon. It was created in the 1980s and is headed by Hannan Nasrallah who has openly called for the destruction of Israel. Hezbollah is officially listed as a terrorist organization by US, Canada, the UK and the EU among others and is estimated to have an arsenal of over 100,000 rockets and missiles with ranges that can reach hundreds of kilometers into Israel.

What is inside the tunnels?

While investigating one of the tunnels, a robot placed inside the tunnel by an IDF combat engineering corps filmed two Hezbollah members inside, one of whom was identified by Israel as Dr. Imad "Azaladin" Fahs, an Iranian born commander for the Hezbollah observation unit on the border with Israel. As Fahs approached to take a closer look at the robot, it set off a small explosion causing him to flee back into the tunnel. Watch the video below.

When did the IDF know about these tunnels?

The IDF Spokesperson has said as early as 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, the IDF became aware of networks of tunnels dug deep inside southern Lebanon, enabling terrorists to fire rockets into Israel and quickly retreat underground for cover. But it wasnt until 2012 that the IDF became aware that Hezbollah had decided on a plan to dig attack under Israeli territory. In 2014, when Israel exposed tunnels in the south stretching from the Hamas controlled Gaza strip into Israeli territory, it created a technological intelligence taskforce to focus on the underground threat posed by Hezbollah.

What challenges does the IDF face?

Even though the IDF has been uncovering and destroying tunnels dug by Hamas into the sand dunes on the Gaza border since 2014, the terrain in the north is far more challenging to dig through. A year ago, a dozen combat engineering troops were sent overseas to Europe to learn techniques in thick rock excavation. A variety of seismic sensors and radar systems have been used to locate the tunnels. There is a threat of soldiers being shot at as they destroy the tunnels or of the tunnels being booby trapped.The IDF is working very carefully to avoid risk both to its own soldiers and to civilians both sides of the border.

IDF at work in the North

Isnt there supposed to be a UN patrol monitoring the border?

UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force on the border between Israel and Lebanon has confirmed the existence of the four tunnels and said that they are a violation of UN resolution 1701 (ending the Second Lebanon War) which called for all armed groups in Lebanon besides the countrys military to remain north of the Litani River.

Has there been an international response?

Israel called on the international community to condemn the tunnels which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as an act of war. Despite Israels Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon warning that Hezbollah planned to use the tunnels to carry out a five-point attack on Israeli civilians in the Galilee, the U.N did not issue a condemnation of the tunnels. The Arab states condemned Israeli aggression instead. Israel and the US refrained from tabling an official resolution for fear it would be vetoed by Russia .

Is Hamas helping Hezbollah with these tunnels?

According to the IDF, Hamas provided Hezbollah with the technical assistance, based on its extensive experience digging attack tunnels from the Strip into southern Israel. In 2006 Hamas used a 300 meter tunnel in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit dragging him through the tunnel to Gaza where he was held captive for over 5 years until he was released in a prisoner exchange in return for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, mostly members of terrorists groups. Since then Hamas has spent millions of dollars digging tunnels into Israel. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Israel destroyed 32 terror tunnels, 14 of which penetrated Israeli territory. Israel estimates, instead of developing the Gaza economy, Hamas has invested around $150 million and 600,000 tons of concrete into the creation of dozens of tunnels built to attack Israel.

Hamas tunnels

You can follow updates on Operation Northern Shield via the IDFs website www.idf.il/en/ or by twitter on https://twitter.com/idf
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SOUTH SALT LAKE  It is never too difficult to tell quite how 22-month-old Penelope "Peep" Anderson is feeling, her mother says.

"She's very expressive. She's a happy girl. She definitely will let you know what she does and does not want, with just her facial expressions, (which are) are just very intense," Alanna Harley says of her daughter.

"She uses her whole face. And why wouldn't you, if that's what you can control the most?"

Control  that is the essence of what Peep suddenly lost when she was just 7 months old, and has been steadily trying to regain ever since with the loving help of her family and a wide-ranging team of doctors.

On what was otherwise a typical day on Oct. 20, 2017, Harley, of South Salt Lake, had just returned home from running some errands when she turned her attention to Peep and did a double take. Her daughter's face was drooping  in fact, her whole body seemed lethargic.

"I let her arms go, and they just fell, and her legs did the same thing," Harley said.

Following Peep's emergency helicopter ride to Primary Children's Hospital, doctors determined within about 36 hours that she had been stricken with a rare disease mostly affecting children called acute flaccid myelitis, which can come on suddenly and can cause total paralyzation from the neck down.

As they grappled with the crushing news, Peep's family turned their attention over the following weeks to simply surviving. In the most literal sense, and out of necessity, so did Peep and her doctors.

"We spent a month up at Primary getting her stable and getting ready to come home," Harley said.

Accute flaccid myelitis, sometimes called AFM, is a condition affecting "the area of the spinal cord called gray matter," which causes a person's muscles and reflexes throughout their body to weaken, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fortunately for Peep, in most cases improvements can be made in terms of restoring a degree of movement and strength, though the window in which that can happen is relatively limited  usually about one year at the most.

"Almost all kids improve from where they are at their worst, for the next six months to a year," said Dr. Gary Nelson, a clinical assistant professor of child neurology for the University of Utah and Primary Children's Hospital. A total recovery is rarer, he said.

Nelson is one of several doctors to have worked with Peep as she has undergone intensive physical therapy on her arduous journey to recapture some degree of movement in her arms and legs.

"She has made amazing strides in therapy, but she has also had a lot against her. She doesn't talk, which is a big hurdle for us  she gets very frustrated because we can't communicate with her," Harley said. "We have an amazing group of therapists that work with us in our home."

That includes both physical therapists and occupational therapists, who have helped Peep regain movement in her left shoulder and her left and right elbows  as well as a little "pointer finger" she can now use, her mom says.

Peep's work with therapists is in addition to the stretches her mother helps her complete twice per day.

"It is a constant battle," Harley said.

Although the regaining movement typically becomes less feasible after a year, Peep's body has proven resilient and "we have seen very much differently" in the several weeks since she hit her 12 month mark, according to Harley.

"She continues to make improvements in her strength and (movement)," she said.

Nelson said he is "very impressed to see the degree of recovery (Penelope) has made, especially in her upper extremities."

In addition to her acute flaccid myelitis, Peep has dealt with several severe health complications, respiratory problems and scoliosis in her young life. She has also had serious heart problems, which doctors still haven't been able to "clearly relate to what happened to her spinal cord," Nelson said.

During one hospitalization in February due to a respiratory infection, Peep hovered near death, Harley said.

The list of Peep's complications is "very very long" and is "kind of explained by the AFM and kind of not," Harley said.

In light of everything Peep has experienced, Nelson said he is happy to have witnessed her resilience  not just physically, but emotionally.

"She's continued to develop  to be a very happy interactive little girl," he said.

For those as young as Peep trying to regain strength bit by bit, the process day after day requires mental and physical endurance under duress, Nelson said.

"It's very taxing on the kids because you're basically trying to push them to use muscles that are not working very well," he said.

The CDC says more than 90 percent of acute flaccid myelitis patients are children, with a median age of 4 years old.

The cause?

Precisely what causes acute flaccid myelitis is still a matter of study, though the illness is believed to have links to certain types of the enterovirus and coxsackievirus, and the CDC says more than 90 percent of patients "had a mild respiratory illness or fever consistent with a viral infection before they developed AFM."

"Viral infections such as from enteroviruses are common, especially in children, and most people recover. We don't know why a small number of people develop AFM, while most others recover," the agency says. "We are continuing to investigate this."

In 2014, federal authorities asked states to begin more closely tracking cases of acute flaccid myelitis after noticing an uptick in diagnoses, Nelson said. From August to December 2014  the first three months of which are considered peak season for such cases  there were 120 confirmed cases reported nationwide.

In 2015, the number of cases fell to 22, but soared in 2016 to 149. In 2017, there were just 35 instances of acute flaccid myelitis, but cases have spiked again in 2018, with 165 reported nationwide as of mid-December.

Recent growth in the number of acute flaccid myelitis cases in the United States has caused alarm among medical professionals, including at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, which has called the trend "concerning."

"I think the entire medical community is involved, is sharing information and wants to find out an answer as soon as possible," Dr. Kenneth Mack, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, recently told that health care system's internal news service, speaking about the unknowns related to the disease's cause and uptick in prevalence.

"Unfortunately, it's going to take us more time."

Nelson agrees that it is worrisome that "we can't say for sure how to prevent it from happening." He said there is also no known way to treat the cause  only the symptoms  and it is unknown whether its prevalence could continue to rise.

"We don't know how much this pattern is going to continue  if we're going to continue to see more cases over time," he said.

Resource for others

For those who have become part of acute flaccid myelitis' growing statistics, "it is a change in your world," Harley readily admits.

She says the increase in the number of cases this year is "scary" and makes her want to reach out to other families as they joins the ranks of those touched by the illness. It can help significantly, she said, "just to talk to that one specific group about your life experience."

Harley has become involved with a Facebook page where affected families share stories and important information, she said.

She has also shared Peep's progress on a GoFundMe site set up to address her daughter's medical costs, and she has started drumming up donation support among her friends for the Transverse Myelitis Association, a nonprofit which supports patients of acute flaccid myelitis and several similar conditions.

Harley's goal, she said, is to "raise awareness about AFM so other parents don't have to find everything on their own."

"When we were handed the diagnosis, it (felt) like we were the only ones," she said, and she wants others to know "there are people to just meet for coffee and just meet with you."
SPRINGVILLE  Parents often don't have options when it comes to child care, but with help from Utah venture capital companies, a local startup is expanding further to help in more neighborhoods and communities.

Momni, Inc., which launched its care-sharing app earlier this year, has received $1.75 million in funding to expand.

The application links moms for babysitting services, allowing them to buy and spend credits based on their own needs.

"Few things are as socially significant as what Momni is focused on," said Nate McBride, a partner at Tamarack Capital, which provided support to Momni in the latest round of funding. He said the female-led startup is "making a difference for families worldwide by harnessing technology to both improve the quality and accessibility of childcare in our communities  all while allowing moms an additional source of income to improve their own lives."

Fewer startups by women gain traction as quickly as Momni has, as female entrepreneurs got 2.2 percent of all venture capital funding last year, according to a June article in Fortune magazine. The article states that female-led startups, however, provide for larger investment returns in the long-run.

A recent article in the Deseret News also notes that women business owners, in particular, face significant prejudice, or bias, in the venture capital world.

Tamarack, however, looked past that for Momni execs, and McBride said they were "impressed with the Momni team, their product and the impressive traction they've generated so quickly."

"They are a very talented team working on a significant challenge, and we are proud to work with them in solving it for good," he said.

Karmel Larson, founder and CEO of Momni, as well as a mother to eight children, said she, too, has struggled with finding care when she needed it.

"I think there's a lot of moms who rarely, if ever, get a true break," she told the Deseret News in August.

Her idea of care-sharing extends far beyond the close-knit families and well-networked neighborhoods within Utah. Momni exists for moms in developing nations, as well. In 2017, Larson heard stories of mothers tying their children down or drugging them so that the moms could work and earn a living for the family.

The Momni app digitally connects people who either need child care or can give it, making it easy for parents to schedule things for their family. Membership requires a background check and users set their own rates.

Larson said she is grateful for all the support the company has received so far.

"I'm encouraged by the overwhelming interest we've received to help moms worldwide support one another with a cutting-edge and network-based child care platform," she said.

Other recent Momni investors include Utah venture service firm RevRoad and angel investors.
Tiffany Palacios, 14, plays violin in the frosty air in front of Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Sunday. Temperatures hovered in the 30s in Salt Lake City on Sunday, under cloudy gray skies. Snowfall is expected to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley in time for Christmas Eve on Monday, but may give way to rain later in the day. Northern Utah could also see a few light snow showers on Christmas Day. According to the National Weather Service, 54 percent of Salt Lake City's Christmases have been "white," with 1 inch or more on the ground, from 1928 to 2017.

See the world through the eyes of award-winning photojournalists. Click through the gallery above to view the unique images our visual storytellers captured today. Follow the official Deseret News Instagram account for more photographs and videos from the staff.
Analysts are predicting that Apple could down the orders for all three iPhone models even further for the March quarter

Jun Zhang, an analyst at Rosenblatt has issued an investor note in which he outlines that Apple is likely to further reduce the production of its 2018 iPhone lineup, with the iPhone XR slated to take the biggest hit. Zhang attributes the second reduction in the iPhone production to the arrest of Huawei CFO.

Canadian authorities had earlier detained Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou at the behest of American authorities. This had prompted the Chinese authorities to issue a stern warning to the Canadians to release the CFO, or face consequences. The warning came in the face of the U.S. filing for the extradition of Meng. While the politicians resort to their own methods of settling the matter, companies in China are offering incentives to those employees who choose to buy Huawei smartphones instead of iPhones. It was inevitable that the trade war between the United States and China would come to impact Apple, which has its biggest manufacturing unit in China, not to mention, one of the most lucrative markets.

Zhang predicts that Apple will cut the production of the iPhone XR by some 2.5 million units for the March quarter while the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max production could be reduced by 1 million and 500,000 units respectively.

Wall Street Journal had last month reported that Apple had cut down on the orders for both the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max as the company struggled to predict the demand for its most expensive iPhone lineup yet.

The trade war between the US and China isnt the only reason for Apple to be taking a hit on their stock right now. The 2018 lineup is the most expensive iPhone lineup yet, with the highest end smartphone costing as much as a down-payment on a car. The iPhone XR offered a mixed-bag of features, in some ways, feeling like a huge step backwards even in comparison to the iPhone 8 or the iPhone 8 Plus. With the iPhone XR costing as much as an iPhone 8 Plus, the phone doesnt even offer a dual camera setup.
The patch note for the December Security update states that the camera capture performance on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL has been improved. Google didnt state the bug has been fixed explicitly though. In fact, the company is yet

Highlights:

The camera bug that caused in-camera features of third-party to stop working has reportedly been fixed.

While Google still hasn't acknowledged the issue, but some users are reporting the problem has been solved

The Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL phones have been experiencing an annoying camera bug that cause the phone camera to stop working for third-party apps. Everytime one tried to use the camera within a third-party app like Instagram or Snapchat, the camera would show an error message and only a reboot would make it work again. The December update for Pixel 3 fixed the issue, according to a few affected users. Although, some claim that even after the update, the issue persists.

The patch note for the December Security update states that the camera capture performance on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL has been improved. Google didnt state the bug has been fixed explicitly though. In fact, the company is yet to acknowledge the bug officially or even announce an update will be pushed to fix it.

The bug was first reported back in November when several users took to Google forums and Reddit to report the bug. Booting the phone in safe mode or doing a factory reset didnt help either.

The pesky camera bug isnt the only problem the Pixel 3 phones have though. Users have reported the phone sometimes doesnt save images if the HDR mode was on. That bug was eventually recognised by Google and the company stated a fix was coming. Furthermore, some Pixel 3 XL users reported the phone grew a second notch , as if that one big horrifying notch wasnt enough.

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Xiaomi Mi Play is set to launch tomorrow and before the official reveal, Xiaomi president has given us a first look at the new smartphone

Xiaomis next smartphone teased to be aimed at the younger population has finally been revealed in official images by the company. The phone is set to launch in China tomorrow and is said to come with a water-drop shaped notch. While there are no images of the front, the water drop notch was leaked through TENAA listing of the phone.

Just a day ahead of the launch, Xiaomi President Lin Bin has shared official images of the Xiaomi Play, revealing the gradient treatment of the phones. In the images shared, only the Dream Blue and Dawn Gold have been revealed, but there are rumours of a black coloured variant as well. The images dont show off the front of the device or reveal any other design features, except the presence of dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint sensor.

The Xiaomi Mi Play smartphone is expected to come with a 5.84-inch display with a full HD+ resolution. We are not sure what processor the phone will run, but it would be safe to assume that it will be an octa-core chip. The phone could come with a 2,900mAh battery. In terms of imaging, there is a 12-megapixel primary sensor with a secondary camera only for depth sensing. The selfie camera which is embedded in the water-drop notch will have an 8-megapixel sensor. Rumours suggest the phone would be launched in 4GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/128GB storage variants.

While the phone is set to launch tomorrow, there is no word on pricing or whether the phone would be released in international markets. There were rumours that the Xiaomi Mi Play might be launched as the Xiaomi Note 7 Pro internationally, but there is no confirmation on this yet either.
Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday Wishes
A father who has strong Donegal affiliations has urged people to remember that organ donation cards do not have age limits and can save lives.

Mairtin MacGabhann's toddler Daithi, 2, has an extremely rare and life-threatening congenital heart defect.

The Belfast toddler had his first open heart surgery when he was a mere five days old.

Daithi almost died as a result of the operation. However, the inspirational infant battled on and continues to fight for life to this very day.

Daithi's only hope now is a heart transplant.

Mairtin, 28, and Seph, Daithi's parents, met when they were teachers at Colaiste Mhuire, Loch an Iuir, in June 2015.

Daithi has visited Loch an Iuir where his parents first met and Mairtin hopes that they will return to the Gaeltacht village in the near future: We feel at home in Donegal," he said.

Speaking ahead of Christmas, which is an emotional time for many, Mairtin said: Christmas is a time for family and for being together.

The thought that Daithi might not be around next Christmas, or the next, is unthinkable, even the thought of it is heartbreaking.

Mairtin, Seph and inspirational toddler, Daithi



I don't remember what life was like without him, he said.

Mairtin said that everything that has happened has made him appreciate the difference that organ donation cards can make: It is the difference between life and death, he said.

I have spoken to parents who have had children pass away and who have found comfort in that their baby has gone on to save eight or nine lives and their memory lives on.

There is comfort in it although it is scary to think about it, he said.

He said the response from people has been phenominal.

The response has been fantastic. Daithi has a donor card now, Mairtin said.

"Life without Daithi in it is unimaginable and we're asking everyone out there to please sign up to the donor register."
Trumps shutdown is costing our economy $6 billion a week to extort us into buying a $5 billion monument to his cruelty

Donald Trump has never had a real job.

Donald Trumps wealth, whatever it is, is built on outright fraud of American taxpayers.

Donald Trump owes his election, at least in some part, to a foreign power determined to see our country divided and in constant chaos.

This government shutdown is the inevitable result of all these factors, multiplied by Trumps inability to empathize with anyone who has to work for a living, pay taxes and feel some sense of unity around the holidays.

Lets take a quick look at some of the completely unnecessary damage this stunt, which could cost our economy $6.5 billion a week, according to S&P Global, unleashes on American workers, who mostly live paycheck to paycheck:

The #TrumpShutdown by the numbers:

420,000 federal workers forced to work without pay

380,000 federal workers will be sent home without pay

80% of all federal employees live outside of DC/Maryland/Virginia https://t.co/dOMPw4BDeO  American Progress (@amprog) December 22, 2018

Theres also the slowdown to federal government grants and aid which provide states 30 percent of their funding.

Food inspection will be delayed. Social Security cards made impossible to get. Grants for essential health research stopped. Oh yeah, the Violence Against Women Act is also expired.

And why?

Because Trumps base is all he has left and for many of them, the cruelty is the point. And this wall, as useless as it is to everyone else, would be a monument to cruelty.

Racism, pretending to be strong to stir people who feel weak, and defrauding taxpayers are all Trump has. And thats enough for most of the right, as this president commits crimes on an almost daily basis that would have seen every other chief executive removed.

For some thinking conservatives, only the resignation of the rabid James Mattis, their dream Secretary of Defense, makes it almost impossible to contain their shame. Because they know their policies have made the empowerment of soulless rich kids with no regard for the their fellow Americans not just possibly but inevitable. But as soon as Trump goes back to implementing their dream Mike Pence/Paul Ryan/Mitch McConnell policies, theyll forget their convenient compunctions.

We can no longer ignore that theres nothing in Trumps history that suggests hell ever get any better at this unless he is checked thoroughly.

Trump is a man whose dad was still bailing his casinos out until Donald was 44. His shamelessness made him a star. Foreign oligarchs and mobsters kept him afloat when American banks wouldnt loan him enough to buy a condo.

There was nothing in his life that suggested any true patriotism or concern for public service, except a foundation that was just another way to commit fraud and avoid taxes.

Trump is the living realization of the conservative dream of using barely veiled racism to execute a government of, by, and for overgrown rich kids.

But now its obvious that this sort of polity will inevitably only serve the whims of one overgrown rich kid at a time  something the Founders figured out 242 years ago.

[Image by BruceEmmerling | Creative Commons]
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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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Finally! In an unusual display of BIPARTISANSHIP, on December 20, the House passed the Senate prison reform bill called The First Step Act. It sailed through the Senate by a vote of 87 to 12 and the House by a vote of 358 to 36. The bill is one of its last acts before Congress adjourns for the Christmas holidays and a new Congress begins its term in January.

The announcement of the bill's passage was largely lost in the hysteria over the government shutdown, the President's announced pullout of troops from Syria and potentially from Afghanistan, the nose dive of the stock market, and liberal hype about the Mueller probe. But it's important to recognize this historic Congressional achievement which President Trump, a long-time backer of the bill, signed the very next day. The President called it "an incredible success for our country." Then, he went on to say "When both parties work together we can keep our country safer." President Trump had previously endorsed the bill as offering "reasonable sentencing reforms while keeping dangerous and violent criminals off our streets." It has been called the most far-reaching overhaul of the criminal justice system in a generation.

The bipartisan passage of this bill is an achievement that criminal justice expert Paul Brakke, the author of two books on the prisons -- The Costly U.S. Prison System and Crime in America -- has long advocated. "It's wonderful to see the members of Congress finally put aside their differences to support a bill that the vast majority of Americans also support."

This widespread support has been reflected in various public opinion polls, such as one by the Benenson Strategy Group in October 2017, in which 70-72% of the respondents indicated it was important to reduce the prison population. They also stated that they were more likely to vote for an elected official who supported eliminating mandatory minimum laws, or who agreed that incarceration is often counterproductive to public safety. More recently a poll by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation found widespread public support for rehabilitation efforts in local criminal justice systems. For example, 71% of the respondents said rehabilitation or treatment is the most important consideration in sentencing someone convicted of a nonviolent crime and has a mental illness, while 84% of respondents said local governments should devote resources to providing substance abuse treatment to drug abusers, as reported by Kathryn Casteel in a February 13, 2018 article on the FiveThirtyEight website.

Brakke also stated that "We may not agree on many things these days in our divisive political environment, but at least the vast majority of us can agree on the need to give prisoners convicted of serious non-violent crimes a second chance at life outside prison. And while this fact isn't often mentioned, by increasing rehabilitation, this bill will reduce recidivism and help to cut down prison costs. That's because these prisoners will be less likely to turn to crime due to improved job skills. Plus this legislation will help bring together and support families fractured due to a family member being in prison. And finally, this bill got signed. They got it done. Bravo to all."

According to Brakke, the bill includes some much needed changes in the federal sentencing law that can provide a model for the states, who have many more prisoners, to follow in reforming their own sentencing practices. The same holds true for those held in jails run by local municipalities. As Brakke points out, the major advantages of the bill are that it shortens sentences for deserving prisoners and provides for increased rehabilitation efforts. As a result, prisoners are better able to find jobs and live productive lives when they return to their communities. And they are more likely to return to intact families, too.

Among other things, the bill provides these major changes:

- Three-strikes prisoners will no longer face automatic life sentences; instead they will only face 25 years.

- Drug offenders who would automatically receive 20 year sentences will now face only 15 years.

- Well-behaved low-risk prisoners will get credit for participating in job-training programs and will have more opportunities to participate in early release programs.

- Corrections officers will get de-escalation training to help them better respond to inmates with mental illnesses or cognitive impairment.

As Brakke points out, the bill has received extensive support across the political spectrum, including on the left by the American Civil Liberties Union and on the right by the American Conservative Union, the Fraternal Order of the Police, and the Faith and Freedom Coalition. A key reason for this widespread support is that the bill both gives non-violent, low-risk offenders a chance for a fresh start as productive members of society, and at the same time it keeps dangerous and violent prisoners behind bars, making communities safer.

Besides being a long-time supporter of this reform bill, Brakke has long favored many other criminal reforms as the publisher of American Leadership Books, which specializes in books on crime and criminal justice. These books include The Costly U.S. Prison System, and a chapter on prisons in his latest book Crime in America: Conservatives' Approaches toward Criminals, Police, Criminal Justice, and the Opioid Crisis.

Now since this bill has been signed into law, Brakke hopes to see other recommendations he has made for all phases of the criminal justice process turned into legislation. For instance, he has encouraged legislation to enable judges to exercise more discretion in sentencing nonviolent offenders to reduced sentences, especially for drug offenses. As Brakke has emphasized in his books, reduced incarceration results in lower levels of recidivism, because shorter sentences helps to keep the families of felons and ex-felons together. Then, too, ex- felons are better able to find jobs and become productive citizens, so they have less incentive to return to crime.

Brakke's books on The Costly U.S. Prison System and Crime in America are part of the series of books on crime, criminal justice, and American society from American Leadership Books. In Crime in America, which provide an overview of crime patterns and how the criminal justice system works -- or doesn't, Brakke offers suggestions for improving the system. For instance, he has long advocated finding ways to reduce the prison population, since the U.S. has the highest percentage of its population in prison in the world with about 2.2 million people behind bars as of 2016 -- a nationwide incarceration rate of 860 prison or jail inmates for every 100,000 adults ages 18 and older, according to Bureau of Justice statistics.

To learn more, you can now get a free review copy of Crime in America, which is available for preorder, too, on Amazon. Brakke is offering these books for free to anyone who wants to review and comment on the book -- just go to www.crimeinamericathebook.com to get a copy. Also, copies are available for government officials who might turn some of Brakke's other suggestions for reducing crime and fixing the criminal justice system into legislation. Members of the media are invited to request copies of the book, too.

To help draw attention to the suggested fixes in the book, Brakke has additionally launched a video and social media campaign with five new videos each day. The first 10 are featured on his American Leadership Books' YouTube channel. Among the most recent videos is "Want to Know More about U.S. Crime and Prisons?" https://youtu.be/87fLsRId3Is

Brakke's next books -- Fractured America and Prisons in America -- will be out in the next few months.

For media copies of the book, along with additional information on American Leadership Books and Paul Brakke, and to set up interviews, please contact:

Jana Collins

Jones & O'Malley

Toluca Lake, California

jana@jonesomalley.com

(818) 762-8353
What are you getting your favorite young person for Christmas? You know they actually prefer just money, right? But that would not be in the spirit of teaching a child to fish rather than just handing them a freshly caught salmon.

Instead of money - which is the thing they really want - youll probably feel happier giving the gift of financial literacy to your favorite youngster.

With 2-day shipping still possible, consider the following three financial literacy books, targeting readers from teenagers down to Pre-K.

Rob Pivnick first wrote What All Kids Should Know About Saving & Investing as part of his mission to address financial illiteracy. His book targets ages up to and including teenagers.

Pivnick works as a corporate lawyer for a real-estate investment firm in Dallas, and also serves as a board member for the Texas Council for Economic Education. The group provides resources to schools to improve financial literacy.

Pivnick told me a new publishing group will be revising and re-releasing What All Kids soon. It was first published in 2014 in both hard copy and electronic versions.

The electronic version I have is just 38 pages, full of colorful illustrations, and is fully absorbable within an hour. Pivnick covers a wide range of personal-financial knowledge, including savings, budgeting and investing for the long run.

He told me he partly wrote his book for his own son, now a sophomore in high school. He also said, Parents need to talk about this every day. At the grocery store. When planning vacations. When going school shopping. Kids should be investing when they are 12. They should know the difference between their bank account at 0.1 percent interest and a money market and actual securities. I totally agree.

Another person who also totally agrees with Pivnick is author Maya Peterson, who wrote her first book for young people, Early Bird: The Power Of Investing Young, in 2017.

Echoing Pivnick, Peterson told me parents should make investing feel like a normal family thing. When you are at the dinner table telling everyone your highs and lows from the day, have everyone share a new stock they found, too.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention one teensy detail: Peterson is 14 years old. Her target reader is her same age  teenagers just starting to think about investing. Early Bird does not address the entire spectrum of literacy topics like Pivnicks book, but rather guides and encourages teens specifically to begin investing.

Peterson writes firmly in the intellectual investment tradition of Berkshire Hathaway founders Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, emphasizing the importance of researching known companies that you admire, thinking like an owner, looking for companies with strong competitive positions and compounding your money over long periods of time.

Early Birds format is built on a series of interviews Peterson conducted with finance professionals, asking them about their investment philosophies and how they got started in finance or with investing.

Peterson herself began investing at age 9. She began writing her blog Compounding Snowballs at age 13. She said she wrote Early Bird because there simply was not anything for young people or investing beginners to help them understand the concepts and vocabulary.

So, you know, like any 13 year old would do, she went out and wrote and published a book on investing. Totally normal.

While Pivnick and Peterson are not professional writers - hes a corporate lawyer and shes a high school student - Ric Edelman is one of the countrys best-known financial writers and investment advisors.

Last month, Edelman and his wife, Jean Edelman, published their first book for young people, The Squirrel Manifesto.

The beautifully illustrated, large-format hardcover book is the kind you would read to a very young child at bedtime, all the while stealthily building their financial competence, possibly before they can even read.

Birds ands squirrels are the guide as the Edelmans book dances along in rhyming meter. The wisest squirrel, Olde Walden, explains an approach to building up resources that may appeal to a young child.

Olde Walden delivers the ultimate Squirrel Manifesto in the end.

Care for the world you live in, and act.

Save a little. Spend a little.

And always give back!

Thats a fine Christmas message for a 4 year old about money.

Heck, I know a few 40- and 80 year olds who could use the refresher.

Merry Christmas!
Bond-rating agency Fitch got the big headline Wednesday for downgrading the city of San Antonios general obligation bonds from AAA to AA+.

The agency called out the referendum that passed Nov. 6 regarding firefighter pay negotiations.

First things first: Dont panic.

Sure, theres political fallout from the downgrade. After Fitchs announcement, for example, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and City Councilmember Greg Brockhouse  who are expected to compete in the May city election  each attempted to land uppercuts via social media over the passage of Proposition C.

The proposition empowers firefighters to force binding arbitration in their contract negotiations, weakening the citys bargaining position for controlling employee costs in the future. Firefighter costs currently make up 25 percent of general fund costs, so its a big part of the city budget.

In terms of actual financial impact, however, the ratings downgrade was largely symbolic. Councilman Rey Saldanas statement to the Express-News that basic infrastructure like fire stations, streets, drainage, parks and police equipment will cost more tomorrow than it did before the November vote simply isnt, literally, true.

To understand the real financial impact, without the overheated rhetoric or political fisticuffs, we need to unpack how ratings agencies interact with the real world.

First, theres the role rating agencies play in driving bond pricing, which affects the citys cost of borrowing - the interest it will pay on the bonds. Next, theres the specific role of Fitch in the bond-rating agency hierarchy. Finally, theres the magnitude of Fitchs move compared to San Antonios starting position, which was frankly excellent.

Bond ratings do not directly drive bond yields, and the cost of borrowing in an immediate cause-and-effect way, for a few reasons. First, costs only rise when the borrower goes back to the market for additional debt. Theres no impact until then.

San Antonio will refinance $24.5 million in bonds in January. Contradicting statements Wednesday that borrowing costs are immediately going up, the refinancing is intended to lower interest costs. Rating agency Moodys estimates total savings from the January sales of around 2.7 percent. In other words, they anticipate savings from the refinancing next month of about $661,500.

In frequently traded bonds, the ratings agencies are generally lagging indicators, meaning they are typically slower to react than investors. The United States lost its top AAA rating, when S&P Global downgraded it to AA+, in 2011. In response, U.S. bond yields actually moved downward, in the opposite direction than expected, effectively lowering the United States cost to borrow. While this doesnt appear logical, it reflects the simple fact that markets and investors -- especially in the short run - can, and often do, disregard rating agencies moves.

Although the headlines Wednesday emphasized Fitchs rating cut, arguably more important to future municipal bond investors was the fact that both S&P Global and Moodys -- Fitchs competitors -- affirmed San Antonios top bond rating of AAA and Aaa respectively. S&P Global specifically noted in its report that San Antonio ranks higher in their ratings than the United States.

Also, its Fitch. This is a bit mean to Fitch, but S&P Global and Moodys are the top two rating agencies, leaving Fitch a distinct third. In the rating-agency world, Fitch is really Wendys, up against McDonalds and Burger King. Fitch is the Dr. Pepper soda compared to the Coke and Pepsi juggernauts. I take no pleasure in saying this because the folks writing my check, Hearst Corp., own Fitch. (Note my clever back-handing and disclosure at the same time.)

Finally, theres the context of where San Antonio starts credit-wise. S&P Global notes the city ran a budget surplus of 2.2 percent across all funds in 2017, and is on track for a moderate surplus in 2018 as well. San Antonio is still a sterling AAA credit, and Fitchs move doesnt really change that. Both Moodys and S&P Global provided a stable outlook to their top AAA and Aaa ratings, respectively, meaning they dont anticipate any rating changes in the next two years.

If San Antonio were a high school kid, the city currently has the equivalent of a 3.95 grade point average. The Fitch downgrade this week is a single quiz score of 89, leaving the city still on track for a 3.93 GPA. San Antonios credit rating is still top-notch, and its still getting into a top college next year.

A wise friend with children told me once that with parenting, its best to remember: Dont bleed before youre shot  meaning, we can anticipate the worst, but sometimes the worst doesnt come true. The same is true for bond ratings.

The Fitch downgrade is not in itself the pain. The pain comes when the city tries to maintain fiscal discipline and control employee costs in the years ahead  despite Prop C. Thats the thing to worry about in the long run. In that sense, the Fitch ratings move is a useful warning. And its really a multiyear warning, the consequences of which are iffy. Many more bad things would have to happen before the city suffers actual fiscal damage.

So, stay vigilant, but dont overreact.
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
President Donald Trump, who aides said has been seething about news coverage of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' pointed resignation letter, abruptly announced Sunday that he was removing Mattis two months before his planned departure and installing Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary.

The move brings fresh instability to the Pentagon as it manages Trump's sudden decisions to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who has been Mattis' deputy at the Pentagon, will assume the top job on an acting capacity beginning Jan. 1. But a senior administration official said Trump plans to conduct a wide-ranging search for a permanent replacement and is interested in candidates from outside the administration.

Trump decided hastily to remove Mattis in reaction to negative news coverage, according to senior administration officials, one of whom said the president was eager to retaliate against Mattis and show up the widely respected former general. Another official said Trump and other advisers suspected Mattis of being part of a campaign to stoke negative coverage about the president.

After canceling his Christmas trip to Florida in view of the partial government shutdown, Trump was marooned this weekend at the White House, watching hours of cable television news shows. Advisers said he stewed over commentary hailing Mattis as heroic - a human guardrail against the president's impulses.

Trump was so angry with Mattis that on Sunday morning he directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to inform the defense secretary that he was being removed from office two months early, according to a senior administration official. Trump himself has not spoken to Mattis since last Thursday, when the secretary resigned.

Mattis resigned in protest after Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria over the strong objections of Mattis and others on the national security team. Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group, also resigned in protest over Trump's Syria decision.

In his resignation letter, Mattis delivered a sharp rebuke of Trump's worldview and cast the president's foreign policy positions as a threat to the nation. Mattis said in the letter that he would leave his post on Feb. 28, to allow for a smooth transition to the next defense secretary. But Trump decided to hasten the process, announcing Sunday on Twitter that Shanahan would replace Mattis imminently.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump wrote. "Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"

Trump's Syria decision has emerged as a flash point in Washington, with some prominent Republican lawmakers continuing to plead with the president to change his mind.

Trump has shown no willingness to reconsider. He tweeted that he had a "long and productive" call Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the conflict in Syria and Trump's plans for a "slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area."

Trump's advisers have persuaded the president to remove the troops more slowly than he would like, White House aides said, because withdrawing too quickly could jeopardize their safety. Aides also are trying to keep Trump from publicly announcing the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in hopes that they might moderate his decision and develop a plan.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., warned Sunday that Trump was making "devastating decisions" and speculated that the Syria withdrawal could hobble his presidency.

"I think he knows he's made a mistake, I do," Corker said on CNN's "State of the Union." He added, "I think this next three months could well determine whether he decides to run again or not. I think it's going to be very important for our country that the United States Senate really dig in and make sure we don't make other colossal mistakes as it relates to foreign policy."

Trump attacked Corker on Twitter a few hours later, reviving a long-running feud between the two men.

Trump found Republican support from Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., a libertarian-leaning critic of military intervention whose position represents a minority in the party.

"I think the president is doing the best thing," Paul said on CNN. "He said, we weren't going to be for nation-building. We're not going to go create a nation out of that chaos of Syria or Afghanistan. We're going to take care of things we have got here at home. And I think, actually, the people are with him."

With Trump's elevation of Shanahan, the list of senior officials serving on a temporary basis grows. The White House chief of staff, attorney general and Environmental Protection Agency administrator are serving in an "acting" capacity.

Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has not served in the military and has little foreign policy or government experience. Shanahan worked for decades at Boeing, handling the aviation behemoth's commercial aircraft and missile defense programs. Trump, who had complained to aides that Mattis did not share his enthusiasm for negotiating defense contracts, he admires Shanahan for taking a special interest in such matters, according to a senior administration official.

Since his arrival at the Pentagon, Shanahan has emphasized making the department more efficient and business-friendly - and has won plaudits at the White House by pushing through Trump's vision for a space force, against the wishes of many of the military's uniformed brass.

Trump's announcement Sunday caught top officials at the Pentagon off guard.

Shanahan was traveling away from Washington when Trump tweeted his decision. A spokesman for Shanahan, Army Lt. Col. Joseph Buccino, said Sunday that Shanahan would continue to serve as directed by the president.

A spokeswoman for Mattis, Dana White, said that the outgoing secretary will focus over the next week on ensuring a smooth transition and that the Pentagon remains focused on the defense of the nation.

Mattis was due to give testimony on Capitol Hill regarding the new national security strategy, which probably would have resulted in tense questions about his resignation and differences with Trump. While Mattis still could end up testifying after leaving the Pentagon, his early dismissal by Trump reduces that chance.

The abrupt nature of Mattis' departure raises questions about who else may leave the Pentagon in coming weeks, thrusting the department further into chaos.

Army Secretary Mark Esper, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Navy Secretary Richard Spencer have characterized their relationships with Mattis as close, and Wilson has said she chose to serve in the administration specifically at the request of Mattis.

In his tweet last week announcing Mattis' departure, Trump initially praised the secretary for serving "with distinction" and achieving "tremendous progress." But as he consumed media coverage in the hours and days that followed, Trump vented to advisers about the narrative that took hold of the revered four-star Marine Corps general and military intellectual walking out on Trump because he believed the president's erratic decisions were threatening the world order.

In recent days, Trump went so far as to tell White House aides that he does not need Mattis and that his defense secretary was not as important a figure as others believed, a senior administration official said.

Trump was not shy about sharing his frustrations publicly. On Saturday, he complained on Twitter that he was not getting enough credit for the Syria withdrawal: "If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!"

Then the president took a shot directly at Mattis, with a bit of revisionist history. When he picked Mattis to be defense secretary before the start of his presidency, Trump showered praise on him, reveling in the general's battlefield valor, calling him by his nickname "Mad Dog" and comparing him to the decorated World War II Army general George Patton.

"He is one of the most effective generals that we've had in many, many decades, an extraordinary leader of our time who has committed his life to his love for our country," Trump said in a Dec. 6, 2016, speech announcing the nomination. "General Mattis is the living embodiment of the Marine Corps motto, 'semper fidelis,' always faithful."

But on Saturday night, Trump wrote on Twitter, "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."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an informal Trump adviser, argued Sunday on ABC News' "This Week" that nobody should be surprised by Trump's actions because he is doing what he campaigned on. Christie, who this month took himself out of the running to be White House chief of staff, likened Trump to a "72-year-old relative" who is stubborn.

"When people get older, they become more and more convinced of the fact that what they're doing is the right thing," Christie said, "and it becomes harder to convince them otherwise."

- - -

The Washington Post's David Weigel, Paul Sonne and Missy Ryan contributed to this report.

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Video: President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.(Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)

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Video: President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.(Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)

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Henry Cisneros makes a point of saying that ConnectSA is proposing a mobility plan, not a transportation solution.

The distinction is more than semantic.

Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor and U.S. housing secretary, currently serves as a tri-chair for ConnectSA, the nonprofit formed early this year by Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff to address the transit needs of a community expected to grow by roughly a million people over the next two decades.

ConnectSA isnt trying to wow us with the initial draft of its proposal, which the nonprofit unveiled this week.

Its offering a patchwork plan, an all-you-can-ride buffet of relatively small-scale options that, if fully integrated, could deliver a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Its a multimodal strategy for an emerging era in which people employ smart technology to piece together a combination of transit options  ride share, electric scooters, etc.  to reach their destinations each day.

The approach is a recognition of both fiscal limitations and political realities in a city that shot down an ambitious streetcar project four years ago and is undeniably hostile to the concept of toll roads.

By far the biggest piece of the ConnectSA puzzle is the creation of an advanced rapid transit bus system running along dedicated lanes, outside the flow of street traffic. This network would begin with a route from Loop 1604 all the way down to the southern tip of the Mission Reach at Loop 410 South.

The ConnectSA plan (which targets 25 potential projects for implementation by 2025) also includes the construction of 40 miles of protected lanes for bicycles/scooters, 200 miles of sidewalks, a universal app to pay for all transportation fares, adaptive street signal timing and the construction of more electric-vehicle charging stations.

What I like about the plan is that its adaptive to changing circumstances  such as unpredictable population growth patterns and the emergence of new technologies  and that its patchwork nature means that components of it can be implemented even if future funding falls short of expectations.

Cisneros makes the case that San Antonio might have dodged a fiscal bullet by holding off on a rail solution  in the same way that 1990s home video shoppers might have considered themselves fortunate to hold off on VHS players before DVDs came on the scene.

New technology now makes it possible, Cisneros told the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, to put buses in train fashion, if you will, multiple cars strung together, on rubber tires, on dedicated lanes, with the ability to change the lights at intersections so that it can move through traffic and actually hit stations on time. Which is very important to professionals.

Nirenberg agreed, describing the proposed rapid transit system as rail on wheels.

Nonetheless, its clear that ConnectSAs self-imposed avoidance of rail projects was informed by nontechnological considerations  namely the 2014 implosion of the downtown streetcar plan after five years of elaborate planning.

That was just a starter line, whose effect on this citys congestion problems would have been so limited that even its defenders took to referring to it as an economic development, rather than a transportation, plan.

On the other hand, the positive thing about rail is that it can transform personal transportation habits; it can get people out of their cars and make them like it.

For the advanced rapid transit system to really do its job, San Antonians will need to be persuaded that it will be fast, efficient and an appealing transportation experience. That means theyll need to be convinced its a fundamentally different proposition than the bus experience theyve come to know.

Cisneros describes ConnectSAs series of proposals as a plan that meets our budget as a city, one thats tailored to San Antonios pocketbook.

Even so, the first two phases of the plan, which would take us to 2030, carry $2.7 billion in unfunded projects. That funding looks to be attainable but will carry hard choices, such as whether San Antonians want to redirect an Edwards Aquifer protection sales tax or dedicate a substantial chunk of future bond money to ConnectSA.

The ConnectSA plan will face considerable public discussion over the next few months and wont reach voters until next November, at the earliest.

I dont have a doubt that most, if not all, of its recommended programs are necessary. The only question for me is whether theyll be sufficient.

When I posed that question to Cisneros, he said this:

I think the transportation planners believe that doing these things, on the present trajectory of growth, keeps us about where we are, in terms of levels of congestion. Not doing these things, congestion massively grows.

That means inaction is the one unacceptable option.

Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
A caravan of more than 7,000 men, women and children has reached the end of a 2,500-mile journey through Mexico to the U.S. border in Tijuana. Many of them may be legitimate asylum-seekers who have been denied the human right to seek refuge.

(On Thursday, the administration announced a deal with Mexico that asylum-seekers would remain in Mexico while they await processing amid concerns of their safety there).

The unprecedented exodus of children and families fleeing Central America is the result of a humanitarian crisis. However, President Donald Trumps administration views it as a security-related threat and deployed thousands of active-duty troops to the border as the caravan approached.

By attacking human dignity and denying the right to apply for protection at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Trump administration has abused the human rights of the members of the caravan, who are seeking asylum.

Three of Trumps core security and immigration policies warrant particular criticism from human rights advocates.

First, the Trump administration made drastic cuts to the number of refugees allowed into the United States, dropping the number from 53,716 in 2017 (total refugees admitted by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Admissions-Refugee Processing Center) to 45,000 in 2018 and 30,000 for 2019. This number is the lowest since the refugee program was created in 1980, below the 67,000-person limit set by President Ronald Reagan.

Second, migrant families have been inhumanely separated. In early 2018 when then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy along the border, he bluntly affirmed at a law enforcement event in Scottsdale, Ariz., If you are smuggling a child then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law.  If you dont like that, then dont smuggle children over our border.

Third, the erection of a border wall was a central campaign promise. While the president requested $25 billion for construction of the wall, the Government Accountability Office questioned his figures due to missing information. Since costs can vary depending on topography or land ownership, further analysis of the costs is required.

To understand the human rights violations committed against asylum-seekers, it is important to comprehend the difference between refugees and economic migrants. When individuals of each group arrive at borders, they do not undergo the same screening.

Economic migrants are individuals who decide to leave their home willingly. They have determined their destination and looked at the opportunities that may be presented to them if they leave.

Refugees, on the other hand, are forced to leave. They are persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, gender or political opinion. As defined under the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees are entitled to basic rights under international law. One of those rights guards against immediate deportation back into a threatening situation.

Moreover, Article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states, Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

To further guarantee the protection of refugees, in 1950 the United Nations created the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure their eventual integration within either their country of origin or another country.

Despite efforts to protect refugees, the international community has had difficulties defining who is a refugee under international law. As a result, states do not take into account modern realities and evade responsibility when it suits them.

Of course, there could be no way at the founding of the international refugee treatment agreements to anticipate the impact of gang violence and the dangers they pose to Central Americans within weak states.

Seeking asylum is a human right that must be protected and enforced by each member of the international community, including the United States. Realpolitik policies cannot take advantage of weaknesses in the international refugee agreements to serve their own interests.

Claudia Donoso, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of graduate international relations at St. Marys University and an expert on human security in border zones. The views are those of the author and do not represent the views of St. Marys University.
File / Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  The deadline to apply to any of the five magnet programs in the Greenwich Public Schools is Feb. 8, and each school will be hosting an open house so families can learn more about each program.

Open houses begin Jan. 9 and run through Jan. 31, and Spanish translation services are available. The Magnet School Application Guidelines Packet is available online at www.greenwichschools.org/magnetschools.
Contributed Photo / Google Maps / Contributed Photo

ESSEX  A town man was killed less than a quarter of a mile from his residence Saturday afternoon after crashing into a tree.

William Demars, 58, of Harbor View Drive, was pronounced dead at the Shoreline Clinic after a crash on Gates Road, according to a Connecticut State Police accident report.
Michael Sauvageau was tired of his corporate job and looking to start a business when he attended an events industry expo in New York City. While there, he noticed every vendor was enticing people to their booth with free chocolates.

A few days earlier, a friend had talked to him about lasers.

These two concepts quickly merged in Sauvageaus mind and he contemplated starting a company that would use a laser to engrave messages and images on high-quality chocolates.

He got home and mentioned the idea to his wife, Jennifer. That sounds sort of crazy. Lets do it, she said.

They began working on the idea a few months later at the Danbury Hackerspace for entrepreneurs. We didnt know anything about chocolates or lasers when we started, Michael said.

That was in early 2016, and today the couple is expanding the product line at Noteworthy Chocolates, having moved the business to a second-floor location in downtown Bethel, their hometown.

People love it when they see their name or their companys name in chocolate, he said.

They raised $28,500 in a Kickstarter campaign to help them formally launch the company two years ago. Their original research showed no one else was producing engraved chocolates, perhaps because it was so hard to do correctly. No one had ever thought of doing it as a business before, he said.

The key is making the personalized text and graphics easy to see without ruining the chocolate. Theyve gone through a learning process on what works best on chocolate, including type fonts, and been aided at times by an outside graphic designer.

Chocolate is temperamental, he said. If you do it wrong, you can burn the chocolate or not go deep enough so you cant read the impression.

They use a commercial-grade laser, with determining factors being the devices power, speed and pulse. They now hold three patents on how to properly engrave on chocolate.

Most customers are local businesses, who use the personalized chocolates as gifts. Sauvageau attends many business events to network and meet potential customers.

Theyve engraved company logos, a steering wheel image for a car dealer, and house designs for real estate agents. New employees at one large company are greeted by a Welcome  chocolate with their name on it, made by Noteworthy.

They also produce chocolates for individuals to give as gifts and for special events, such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and family reunions. Engraved chocolates have been provided for five marriage proposals. So far were 100%, he said.

Noteworthy Chocolates come in a gift box with a bow, and include a paper copy of the engraved message in a wax-sealed envelope and an extra, non-engraved piece of chocolate. The packaging is recyclable and bio-degradable.

Jennifer Sauvageau said they want receiving the chocolate to be a unique experience so people will think, Its for me!

While some people are so enamored they wont eat the personalized chocolate, the Sauvageaus recommend doing so on a timely basis to savor its freshness. People should take a picture and then let themselves enjoy it  its meant to be eaten, she said.

Noteworthy uses Guittard Chocolate from California, shipped to Bethel in wafer form. The Guittard family has been making small-batch, French-style chocolate for five generations and its free-trade certified and free of peanuts, gluten, soy, GMOs and tree nuts.

The wafers are melted and put in molds before being engraved and packaged. Noteworthy offers three flavors  milk chocolate, white chocolate and golden dark chocolate  and five different shapes from 4 to 9 ounces.

When first starting out, before having custom molds made, they used sandwich container lids and mason jar lids to shape the chocolate.

They are looking to grow the business, offering new products such as a bottle of wine with personalized chocolates, and hope to encourage more individuals to give customized chocolates as gifts, with prices starting at $35. They may try to franchise Noteworthy Chocolates in other locations.

The Sauvageaus are the companys only full-time employees. He is a 1988 Danbury High School graduate and Jennifer grew up in New York state. They are both 48 and have two children.

Its not their first time in business together. Hes a juggler and toy inventor, and for a dozen years they ran a company that sold unique toys targeted toward adults, often traveling to festivals, fairs and concerts. Their best toy ideas eventually were copied by larger businesses, they said, so he took a corporate job before starting the new chocolate business.

Theyve managed to avoid gaining a lot of weight since then. I eat a little every day, she said of chocolate.

He confessed to gaining about five pounds of chocolate weight at the beginning, but said the thrill of eating chocolate wears off when youre around it all day.

See noteworthychocolates.com or call 203-456-6894.

Brad Durrell is a freelance writer.
FAIRFIELD  The town of Fairfield recently received a check from the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, one of the towns insurance carriers, for Fairfields share of this years CIRMA Members Equity Distribution Program in the amount of $50,638. This brings the eight-year Members Equity Distribution total to $261,297, First Selectman Mike Tetreau said in a news release.

The 2018 distribution is the seventh and second-largest distribution made in the eight years of the program. CIRMA began its Members Equity Distribution Program in 2011, and has distributed a total of $25 Million to its member municipalities, public schools, and local public agencies. The program is an unrestricted distribution, which means that members can use the funds as they choose  to fund a risk management initiative, make property improvements, or support public programs and services.

First Selectman Tetreau said, The town is delighted that CIRMAs Members Equity Distribution Program will help members like us achieve our mission of providing vital public services at a most economical cost.

For more information about CIRMAs Members Equity Distribution Program, please visit www.CIRMA.org/About.
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF's stock was trading at $15.65 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWK stock has increased by 34.2% and is now trading at $21.01.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
McDermott International, Inc. provides engineering, procurement, construction and installation, and technology solutions to the energy industry worldwide. It operates through five segments: North, Central and South America; Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian; the Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Technology. It designs, engineers, and constructs upstream offshore oil and gas facilities, downstream oil and gas facilities, gas-fired power plants, liquefied natural gas import and export terminals, atmospheric and refrigerated storage vessels and terminals, water storage and treatment facilities, pipe and module fabrication, hydrocarbon processing facilities, pipe fabrication and manufacturing, and refining and petrochemical facilities. The company also provides gas processing, refining, petrochemical and coal gasification technologies, as well as a supplies catalysts, equipment, and related engineering services. It serves national, integrated, and other oil and gas companies, as well as producers of petrochemicals and electric power. McDermott International, Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Liberty Tax, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides tax preparation services in the United States and Canada. The company also facilitates refund-based tax settlement financial products, such as refund transfer products and personal income tax refund discounting, as well as provides an online digital Do-It-Yourself tax program in the United States. The company offers its products and services through a network of company-owned offices and franchised locations under the Liberty Tax, Liberty Tax Service, Liberty Income Tax, Liberty Canada, and SiempreTax+ brand names. The company was formerly known as JTH Holding, Inc. and changed its name to Liberty Tax, Inc. in July 2014. Liberty Tax, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Whirlpool: 1900 Holdings Corporation, ADC, Aeradriatica S.p.A., Airdun Limited, B. Blend Maquinas e Bebidas S.A., BUD Comercio de Eletrodomesticos Ltda., BWI Products Limited, Bauknecht AG, Bauknecht Hausgerate GmbH, Bauknecht Limited, Beijing Embraco Snowflake Compressor Company Limited, Bill Page Orchestra, Bill Page Orchestra Inc., Brasmotor S.A., Brunson Place Properties, Brunson Place Properties LLC, CNB Consultoria Ltda, Cannon Industries Ltd., Centro de Desarrollo Tecnologico e Innovacion WHM S. de R.L de C.V., Comercial Acros Whirlpool, Comercial Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Consumer Appliances Service Limited, Ealing Compania de Gestiones y Participaciones S.A., Elera Delaware, Elera Delaware Inc., Elera Holdings Corporation, Embraco Europe S.r.l., Embraco Eurosales S.r.l., Embraco Industria de Compressores e Solucoes em Refrigeracao Ltda., Embraco Luxembourg S.a r.l., Embraco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco Mexico Servicios, Embraco Mexico Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco North America, Embraco North America Inc., Embraco RUS LLC, Embraco Slovakia S.r.o., Everest Campus, Everest Campus LLC., General Domestic Appliances Holdings Ltd, General Domestic Appliances International Ltd., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd., Haceb Whirlpool Industrias S.A.S., Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric, Hefei Whirlpool Enterprise Management Service Co. Ltd., Hoover Comercial Limitada, IRE Beteiligungs GmbH, Indesit Argentina S.A., Indesit Company, Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Pazarlama A.S., Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Indesit Company Ceska S.r.o., Indesit Company Domestic Appliances Hellas Mepe, Indesit Company International Business S.A., Indesit Company Luxembourg S.A., Indesit Company Magyarorszag Kft, Indesit Company Nordics AB, Indesit Company Polska Sp. zo.o., Indesit Company Singapore Pte. Ltd., Indesit Company UK Holdings Ltd., Indesit IP S.r.l., Indesit International ZAO, Indesit Ireland Ltd., Indesit Middle East FZE, Indesit Ukraine LLC, Industrias Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Industrias Acros Whirlpool S.A. de C.V, Jackson Appliances Ltd., Joint-Stock Company Indesit International, KitchenAid, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd., KitchenAid Delaware Inc., KitchenAid Europa Inc., KitchenAid Global, KitchenAid Global Inc., KitchenAid Inc., KitchenAid Korea Limited, KitchenAid Promotions, KitchenAid Promotions LLC, KitchenAid Trading Co., KitchenAid Trading Co. Ltd., LAWSA S.A., MLOG Armazem Geral Ltda., Maytag Corporation, Maytag Limited, Maytag Properties, Maytag Properties LLC, Maytag Sales, Maytag Sales Inc., Maytag Worldwide N.V., Merloni Domestic Appliances Ltd., Nineteen Hundred Corporation, Polar S.A., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co. Ltd., South American Sales Partnership, THC Assets Corporation, Up Points Servicos Empresariais S.A., Vitromatic S.A. de C.V., WCGP Nova Scotia Co., WHirlpool EMEA Finanace S.a r.l., Whirlpool (Australia) Pty. Limited, Whirlpool (B.V.I.) Limited, Whirlpool (China) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co. Ltd, Whirlpool (Hong Kong) Limited, Whirlpool (Japan) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Thailand) Limited, Whirlpool ASEAN Co., Whirlpool America Holdings Corp., Whirlpool Argentina S.r.l., Whirlpool Asia B.V., Whirlpool Asia Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Asia Inc., Whirlpool Asia LLP, Whirlpool Belux N.V./S.A., Whirlpool Bermuda Euro Ltd., Whirlpool Beyaz Esya Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Bulgaria Ltd., Whirlpool CIS Ltd., Whirlpool CR, Whirlpool CR spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool CSA Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada Co., Whirlpool Canada Co. (post 9/1/05 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Holding Co, Whirlpool Canada Holding Co. (post 4/18/06 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada LP, Whirlpool Canada Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Chile Limitada, Whirlpool Colombia S.A.S., Whirlpool Comercial Ltda., Whirlpool Company Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Company Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool Croatia Ltd., Whirlpool EMEA S.p.A., Whirlpool Ecuador S.A., Whirlpool Eesti OU, Whirlpool El Salvador, Whirlpool El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Electrodomesticos S.A., Whirlpool Eletrodomesticos AM S.A., Whirlpool Enterprises, Whirlpool Enterprises LLC, Whirlpool Europe B.V., Whirlpool Europe Coordination Center, Whirlpool Europe Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Ev Aletleri Pazarlama Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Finance B.V., Whirlpool Finance Center Corp., Whirlpool Finance Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Finance Overseas Ltd., Whirlpool Financial Corporation, Whirlpool Financial Corporation International, Whirlpool Floor Care Corp., Whirlpool France Holdings SAS, Whirlpool France SAS, Whirlpool Germany GmbH, Whirlpool Global B.V., Whirlpool Global Investments B.V., Whirlpool Greater China Inc., Whirlpool Guatemala, Whirlpool Guatemala S.A., Whirlpool Hellas S.A., Whirlpool Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool Home Appliances B.V., Whirlpool Home Appliances Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool Hungarian Trading Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool India Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Insurance Company, Whirlpool Insurance Company Ltd., Whirlpool Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool International GmbH, Whirlpool International Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool International Manufacturing S.a r.l., Whirlpool Ireland Appliances Limited, Whirlpool Ireland Limited, Whirlpool Italia Holdings S.r.l., Whirlpool Italia S.r.l., Whirlpool Japan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Japan Inc., Whirlpool Kazakhstan LLP, Whirlpool Latin America Corporation, Whirlpool Latvia S.I.A., Whirlpool Lietuva UAB, Whirlpool Ltd Belgrade, Whirlpool Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Ventures S.a r.l., Whirlpool MEEA DMCC, Whirlpool Magyarorszag Kereskedelmi Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Whirlpool Management Services S.a.g.l., Whirlpool Maroc S. a r.l., Whirlpool Mauritius Limited, Whirlpool Mexico Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico Ventures LLC, Whirlpool Microwave Products Development Limited, Whirlpool NAAG Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool NAR Holdings, Whirlpool NAR Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Nederland B.V., Whirlpool Nordic, Whirlpool Nordic A/S, Whirlpool Nordic AB, Whirlpool Nordic AS, Whirlpool Nordic OY, Whirlpool Oceania Inc., Whirlpool Overseas Holdings, Whirlpool Overseas Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Overseas Hong Kong Limited, Whirlpool Overseas Manufacturing S.ar.l., Whirlpool Peru S.R.L., Whirlpool Polska Appliances Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Portugal, Whirlpool Portugal S.A., Whirlpool Product Development (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Whirlpool Properties, Whirlpool Properties Inc., Whirlpool Puntana S.A., Whirlpool R&D S.r.l., Whirlpool RUS LLC, Whirlpool Realty Corporation, Whirlpool Romania S.r.l., Whirlpool S.A., Whirlpool SSC Limited, Whirlpool Slovakia Home Appliances spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool Slovakia spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Whirlpool Southeast Asia Pte, Whirlpool Sweden Aktiebolag, Whirlpool Taiwan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Technologies LLC, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, Whirlpool UK Pension Scheme Trustee Limited, Whirlpool Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool WW Holdings B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Investements B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Ltda., Whirlpool of India Limited, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Xpelair, Xpelair Ltd., Yummly, Yummly Canada Ltd., and Yummly Inc..
Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities. The Well Intervention segment offers vessels and related equipment that are used to perform well intervention services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea regions. The Robotics segment involves four chartered vessels and also includes ROVs, trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services. The Production Facilities segment includes its investment in the Helix Producer I and Kommandor LLC. Helix Energy Solutions Group was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Laboratory Co. of America: 1957285 Ontario Inc. dba Quality Underwriting Services, 2089729 Ontario Inc., 2248848 Ontario Inc., 3065619 Nova Scotia Company, 3257959 Nova Scotia Company, 896988 Ontario Limited, 9279-3280 Quebec Inc., Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., Alpha Medical Laboratory LLC, Assets of Pathology Inc, Beacon LBS IPA Inc., Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Inc., CannAmm GP Inc., CannAmm Limited Partnership, Center for Disease Detection International, Center for Disease Detection LLC, Centrex Clinical Laboratories Inc., Chiltern, Clearstone Central Laboratories (U.S.) Inc., Clearstone Holdings (International) Ltd., Clipper Holdings Inc., Colorado Coagulation Consultants Inc., Colorado Laboratory Services LLC, Correlagen Diagnostics Inc., Covance Inc., Curalab Inc., Cytometry Associates Inc., Czura Thornton (Hong Kong) Limited, DCL Acquisition Inc., DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (DE), DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (FL), DCL Sub LLC, DIANON Systems Inc., DL Holdings Limited Partnership, Decision Diagnostics L.L.C. (aka DaVinici/Medicorp LLC), Diagnostic Services Inc., DynaLifeDX, Dynacare - Gamma Laboratory Partnership, Dynacare Company, Dynacare G.P. Inc., Dynacare Holdco LLC, Dynacare Laboratories Inc., Dynacare Laboratories Limited Partnership, Dynacare Northwest Inc., Dynacare Realty Inc., DynalifeDX Infrastructure Inc., Endocrine Sciences Inc., Esoterix Genetic Counseling LLC, Esoterix Genetic Laboratories LLC, Esoterix Inc., Execmed Health Services Inc., FirstSource Laboratory Solutions Inc., GDML Medical Laboratories Inc, Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratories GP Inc., Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratory Limited Partnership, HHLA Lab-In-An-Envelope LLC, Health Trans Services Inc., Home Healthcare Laboratory of America LLC, IDX Pathology Inc., Impact Genetics Corp, Impact Genetics Inc., Kaleida LabCorp LLC, Lab Delivery Service of New York City Inc., LabCorp BVBA, LabCorp Belgium Holdings Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Canada) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (China) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Singapore) Pte., LabCorp Development Company, LabCorp Employer Services Inc., LabCorp Health System Diagnostics LLC, LabCorp Indiana Inc., LabCorp Japan G.K., LabCorp Limited, LabCorp Michigan Inc., LabCorp Nebraska Inc., LabCorp Neon Ltd., LabCorp Neon Switzerland S.a.r.l., LabCorp Specialty Testing Billing Service Inc., LabCorp Specialty Testing Group Inc., LabCorp Staffing Solutions Inc., LabCorp Tennessee LLC, LabCorp UK Holdings Ltd., LabWest Inc., Laboratoire Bio-Medic Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, Lifecodes Corporation, LipoScience Inc., Litholink Corporation, MEDTOX Scientific Inc., MNG Laboratories, Medical Neurogenitics LLC, Medtox Diagnostics Inc., Medtox Laboratories Inc., Monogram Biosciences Inc., Monogram Biosciences UK Limited, Myriad Autoimmunes Vectra Testing Business, NWT Inc., National Genetics Institute, New Brighton Business Center LLC, New Imaging Diagnostics LLC, New Molecular Diagnostics Ventures LLC, Orchid Cellmark Ltd., Orchid Cellmark ULC, PA Labs Inc., Path Lab Incorporated, Pathology Associates Medical Lab LLC, Pee Dee Pathology Associates Inc., Persys Technology Inc., Pixel by LabCorp, Princeton Diagnostic Laboratories of America Inc., Protedyne Corporation, ReliaGene Technologies Inc., SW/DL LLC, Saint Josephs-PAML LLC, Sequenom Biosciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine LLC, Sequenom Inc, Sequenom Inc., Southern Idaho Regional Laboratory, Tandem Labs Inc., The LabCorp Charitable Foundation, Tri-Cities Laboratory LLC, Viro-Med Laboratories Inc., Visiun, and Yakima Medical Arts Inc..
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Versum Materials, Inc. develops, manufactures, transports, and handles specialty materials for the semiconductor and display industries in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Europe, and rest of Asia. The company operates through two segments, Materials, and Delivery Systems and Services (DS&S). The Materials segment provides specialty chemicals and materials used in semiconductors, as well as specialty gases used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, including high purity process materials for deposition, metallization, chamber cleaning, and etching; chemicals mechanical planarization slurries; organosilanes; organometallics and liquid dopants for thin film deposition; and formulated chemical products for post-etch cleaning primarily for the manufacture of silicon and compound semiconductors, and thin film transistor liquid crystal displays. The DS&S segment develops, designs, manufactures, and sells bulk gas, specialty gas, and specialty chemical cabinets and systems, which are used to manage the delivery of key materials into the semiconductor manufacturing process; and flow and temperature control systems and analytical systems to capture data. It is also involved in the project management for installation and startup of the gas and chemical delivery systems, and inventory management; and provision of spare parts, equipment upgrades, equipment maintenance, and training services. In addition, this segment offers on-site services to assist customers in managing the inventory of gases and chemicals comprising ordering, product changes and monitoring, quality assurance, operation of delivery systems, and managing the bulk gas and specialty gas operations. Versum Materials, Inc. was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

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This document describes the information gathering, use, and dissemination practices for Joint Ventures 1, Inc., and its affiliate and subsidiary companies ("JV1"), in connection with the Web site located at www.famoushookups.com and its related sites, including but not limited to www.famousbreakups.com, and www.breakupcentral.com (collectively, the "Sites"). This Privacy Statement addresses JV1's practices regarding information collected only directly through or from the Sites - it does not address or govern any information gathering, use, or dissemination practices related to information collected other than directly through or from the Sites, including, without limitation, from or via telephone, facsimile, postal mail, personal delivery, or other or additional offline means or media. JV1 can be contacted by mail at 7952 Lismore Cir, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347 or by e-mail at [email protected]. California and Canadian residents have the right to know how their information may be shared with third parties who engage in direct marketing activities and this Privacy Statement explains our practices and how you can opt-out of having your information shared for such purposes.

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by Sean Fitzpatrick | Rockets Correspondent | Sat, Dec 22nd 6:19pm EST

John Wall has been ruled out Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns due to an illness which is going around. Tomas Santoransky is the next man up and is looking at 25 plus minutes. (Fred Katz on Twitter)
A farming family have made a public plea for funds to rebuild their farm after losing it to a huge blaze.

The Burkinshaws, who live near Choppington, Northumberland, lost their farm to a devastating fire on Saturday (15 December).

Firefighters were called to the blaze at Whinney Hill Farm at 6.15pm on Saturday night to find a barn well alight.

Three larger barns were then caught on fire as the blaze then spread.

Sarah Burkinshaw said she will be haunted forever by the images of the blaze.

As most of you will be aware, we lost our farm last night in a devastating fire, she said.

A lifetime of hard work, memories and farm machinery gone in minutes.

We just got the cattle to safety in time before the fire spread. I am posting to ask for help from people in the agricultural community.

Ms Burkinshaw added: I appreciate hay, haylage and silage is in short supply this year but if everyone could let me buy a small amount I would be more than grateful.

A Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: The fire was scaled back through the night and we currently have one appliance in attendance, from Pegswood Fire Station.

Assessments are being made to ascertain whether to leave the site and make re-inspections, or to maintain a constant presence.

The scope of the damage is to 20,000 cubic metres of straw and there were also three agricultural vehicles destroyed. No animals were harmed in the fire.

An investigation into the circumstances around the fire is ongoing.

A GoFundMe page has been created since the incident and has already raised over 3,000.

Faye Scantlebury, the page creator, said: Please help the Burkinshaws rebuild their farm that's tragically been lost tonight 15/12/18 in a horrendous fire.

They are a local family that will go out of their way to help others but now its our turn to help them.

Let's see the community pull together in such a horrible situation.

The incident follows figures released by NFU Mutual which expose the extent of fire devastation caused by the hot summer and early harvest for UK farmers.
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
<< Microbiological Surveillance Sampling Main Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set out to collect and test hot peppers in 2015 under the agencys new proactive and preventive approach to deploying its sampling resources with the ultimate goal of keeping contaminated food from reaching consumers.

The new approach, detailed in the Background section of this report (page 5), centers on the testing of a large number of samples of targeted foods over a relatively short period, about 18 months, to ensure that enough data are available to inform decisions. This approach may help the agency determine if there are common factors  such as origin, variety or season  associated with pathogen findings.

The FDA issued the hot peppers assignment in November 2015 under its new sampling model. The agency collected 1,615 samples to test to determine the prevalence of select pathogens in the commodity. The agency collected about 80 percent of its samples from imported hot peppers and the rest from domestically produced hot peppers, comparable to their respective market shares at the outset of the assignment. The agency designed its sampling plan such that if contamination of one percent or greater was present in the commodity, the agency would be likely to detect it. The agency monitored the assignment closely to gather lessons learned and to make changes to its sampling procedures if needed to address trends or food safety issues.

For purposes of this assignment, the FDA targeted the fruit of the genus Capsicum (e.g., habanero, jalapeno and serrano peppers) and not the fruit of the genus Piper (e.g., black or green peppercorns), following an agency prioritization of foods to be sampled based on potential microbial risk and associated data gaps.

The FDA tested the hot pepper samples for Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, as well as for other types of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Based on the test results, the FDA found the overall prevalence of Salmonella in the samples collected to be 2.85 percent. The agency did not detect E. coli O157:H7 in any samples. The FDA detected a different STEC strain (i.e., non-O157) in one sample, but further testing determined that it was incapable of causing severe illness.

Among the agencys other findings, the prevalence of Salmonella in imported hot peppers was 3.48 percent (46 positive, out of 1,293 tested), and the prevalence of Salmonella in domestically grown hot peppers was 0.31 percent (one positive, out of 322 tested). A statistical test found the difference in prevalence to be significant. With respect to the imported product, the FDA found hot peppers grown in Mexico to have a Salmonella prevalence of 2.61 percent (29 positive, out of 1,112 tested), and hot peppers grown in the Dominican Republic to have a Salmonella prevalence of 8.33 percent (7 positive, out of 84 tested).

The initial findings for hot peppers grown in the Dominican Republic warranted further investigation, so the FDA conducted intensified screening (i.e., additional sampling) as a supplement to the agencys main assignment. The results of the intensified screening were consistent with the initial findings. The FDA placed two firms in the Dominican Republic and their product on Import Alert 99-23, Detention without Physical Examination of Produce Due to Contamination with Human Pathogens. Also, as the circumstances did not meet the agencys criteria for a countrywide import alert, the agency worked directly with the countrys Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The ministry instituted training sessions for growers, packers and transportation intermediaries. The ministry also conducted its own sampling of hot peppers in 2017 and did not detect Salmonella.

In response to the Salmonella-positive samples from Mexico, the National Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA), or state investigators acting on its behalf, conducted follow-up visits at the identified firms. The visits included sampling of water, food contact surfaces, non-food contact surfaces, hot peppers and other produce. The sampling did not detect Salmonella in the samples tested. Additionally, SENASICA carried out environmental investigations at nine firms having the highest incidence of positive findings by the FDA, where they identified practices to be corrected. The FDA placed seven firms in Mexico and their product on Import Alert 99-23.

The FDA addressed all the import samples that tested positive for Salmonella. Specifically, the agency refused entries of hot peppers in lots associated with positive samples and, where the criteria was met, placed the responsible firms and product on Import Alert 99-23. In all, the agency placed 10 firms on the import alert (seven in Mexico, two in the Dominican Republic, and one in Haiti). The FDA also worked with importers to conduct five voluntary recalls. To address the domestic sample that tested positive for Salmonella, the FDA worked with the firm that owned the affected hot peppers to conduct a voluntary recall.

The FDA will continue to evaluate methods to reduce microbial contamination of hot peppers. Such contamination remains a concern to the FDA given this assignments findings and the results of other research, even though the available consumption data indicate that hot peppers are frequently subjected to a kill step, such as cooking or pickling, prior to consumption. The agency advises growers, both domestic and foreign, to familiarize themselves with the agencys Produce Safety Rule[1], as applicable, since hot peppers are covered produce subject to the provisions of the Produce Safety Rule. Additionally, the findings underscore the need for hot pepper importers to comply with the agencys Foreign Supplier Verification Programs Rule[2] as applicable.

The agency will continue to sample hot peppers, including targeted surveillance sampling of imported product from countries of interest. As part of the targeted import sampling, the agency will use its PREDICT tool,[3] which assists entry reviewers in targeting higher-risk shipments to be examined. The FDA also may sample hot peppers using its longstanding approach to food sampling, which centers on (but is not limited to) the following criteria:

A firm has a previous history of unmitigated microbial contamination in the environment (e.g., human illness, recalled or seized product, previous inspectional history, or environmental pathogens without proper corrective actions by the facility), or

Inspectional observations that warrant collection of samples for microbiological analyses.

Employing the approaches described above, the FDA will sample hot peppers as warranted and take other steps consistent with its mission to protect consumers.

[1] The Produce Safety Rule establishes, for the first time, science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.

[2] The Foreign Supplier Verification Programs Rule requires that importers perform certain risk-based activities to verify that food imported into the United States has been produced in a manner that meets applicable U.S. safety standards.

[3] PREDICT improves import screening and targeting to prevent entry of adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise violative goods and expedites the entry of non-violative goods.
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The Nawabi Family Spotted At Airport Returning From Work-cation In South Africa

Taimur Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan return to Mumbai after a few days of holidaying in South Africa. Saif and Kareena also did a bit of work on the trip as they went there to shoot for an ad too. But the main reason for the family taking this trip was to ring in Taimur's second birthday, just the three of them. We hope they had a wonderful vacation.

Taimur Is 2 Years Old Now!

The doll of a boy rests on his papa's shoulders as they walk out of the airport. The family's pictures from their South African holiday sure got us longing for a vacation. We saw them soaking up the sun on the beaches of Cape Town, sending in early Christmas greetings, the three of them going horse riding, Saif and Kareena spending quality time together.

Looks Like They Had A Good Trip

Taimur is all smiles as he returns from his first trip to South Africa. The three of them were dressed comfortably for their long plane journey back home. Kareena was wearing an oversized dark grey hoodie and leggings, Saif looked smart in a tee, tracks and a hoodie tied around his waist, while Taimur looked too cute as he smiled in his light grey pajamas/track suit.

Taimur Is Excited To Meet The Familiar Paps

Later in the day, Taimur was being taken on an evening scroll, and he was chirpy and excited to see the paps who have become all too familiar to him now. We'll never get enough of his adorable antics.

Taimur Goes For An Evening Stroll

Taimur was wearing a navy blue polo t-shirt and a matching shorts in red, with white sneakers when he was going out for his evening stroll. Doesn't he look just a wee bit older? We are sure happy to see Tim-Tim back. Hope he had a fantastic second birthday!
An Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harassment case.

New Delhi: In a big development, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harassment case. "The GCM headed by a Lieutenant General-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 am on in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," sources told ANI.

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but the court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," they said. As per Army rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence. Advocate Anand Kumar, representing the Major General in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the "(GCM) court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and the decision has been passed in a haste."

The Major General was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under Army's Western Command for the disciplinary proceedings. Sources said the officer has denied the charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer. In a plea filed before the before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of the Army chief in that year. During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned. The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him with the documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter. The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years.

In 2007, a Major General had to quit Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.
Asaduddin Owaisi asked Imran Khan to borrow some leaves of wisdom from India, specifically about 'inclusive politics and minority rights'.

Hyderabad (Telangana): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday gave a piece of strong-worded advise to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan over former's recent comments on minority rights in India.

Owaisi asked Khan to borrow some leaves of wisdom from India, specifically about "inclusive politics and minority rights".

Taking to Twitter, Owaisi stated, "According to the Pakistani Constitution, only a Muslim is qualified to be President. India has seen multiple Presidents from oppressed communities. It's high time Khan Sahab learns something from us about inclusive politics and minority rights."

According to the Pakistani Constitution, only a Muslim is qualified to be President. India has seen multiple Presidents from oppressed communities. It's high time Khan sahab learns something from us about inclusive politics & minority rights.https://t.co/qarmZkqdhH  Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 23, 2018

Khan on Saturday has said that giving equal rights to the religious minorities is cornerstone of the vision of Pakistan's founding father and that the country will show the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi how to treat these groups, the Express Tribune reported.
Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das on Friday announced a Rs 2,250-crore scheme to help 22.76 lakh medium and marginal farmers of the state double their income by 2022.

Ranchi: Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das on Friday announced a Rs 2,250-crore scheme to help 22.76 lakh medium and marginal farmers of the state double their income by 2022.

The state government will give Rs 5,000 per acre to 22.76 lakh medium and marginal farmers from the next financial year, Das said at a press conference.

"Under the new Mukhya Mantri Krishi Yojana, Rs 2,250 crore will be spent. The scheme will start from the 2019-20 financial year," he said.

"Those farmers having less than one acre will also get Rs 5,000 and the upper limit is five acres," the chief minister said, adding that the beneficiaries will be given the money by way of cheque or through direct benefit transfer.

The new initiative has been taken to help farmers procure seeds, fertilisers and other requirements for agriculture purposes without depending on anybody, Das said, adding that beneficiaries can avail the money as per their choice of crop every year from the next fiscal.

The chief minister said the state government was already spending Rs 66 crore per annum for 14.85 lakh farmers under the Fasal Bima Yojana, besides providing farm loans at zero percent interest.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a goal to double the income of farmers of the country by 2022. And keeping that in mind, the Jharkhand government is also taking steps to help the farmers of the state achieve the goal," Das said.

He added that agriculture has the potential to generate employment and the state government is arranging markets for the farm produce.
Daily bulletin: Women from a Chennai-based organisation to make an attempt to enter Sabarimala today; NDA to announce seat sharing in Bihar during a joint press conference; day's top stories

Group of women to attempt to enter Sabarimala today

At least 11 women reached the Pamba base camp 5 kilometres from Kerala's Sabarimala temple on Sunday. Tension is high at the hill shrine as the women will make another attempt to enter the temple. Female activists and devotees have made a number of unsuccessful attempts to access the Sabarimala 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.

The women, supported by Chennai-based NGO Manithi, reached the Pamba base camp around 3.30 am. According to reports, the group is comprised of women from several states, including Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, and Kerala.

NDTV quoted a police officer as saying, "A total of 11 women have arrived. But only six of them want to trek to Sabarimala and the others say they came only to provide protection to them. We are awaiting instructions from senior officials."

Clad in the customary black dress, the women, led by the NGO's coordinator Selvi, insisted to the police that they want protection to offer prayers at the shrine. As the news spread, a large number of devotees thronged Pamba, about 5 kilometres from Sannidhanam, the Sabarimala temple complex. Police officials are now holding talks with the representatives of the outfit.

43 killed in Indonesia tsunami

At least 43 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured in a tsunami in Indonesia, officials said Sunday. "In the Sunda Strait, 40 people have died, 584 people were injured and two people are missing," national disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement. Another three people were killed in nearby Serang, he added.

Authorities say the tsunami may have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra.

Dozens of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit beaches without warning in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9.30 pm local time on Saturday, Nugroho had said.

NDA expected to announce Bihar seat-sharing decision today

The NDA is expected to announce its decision on seat-sharing among three parties in Bihar today. The joint press conference which was reportedly scheduled for Saturday was postponed to Sunday because of Ram Vilas Paswan's absence in Delhi.

The Times of India quoted a JD(U) leader as saying, "It has now been decided that BJP chief Amit Shah, JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and Ram Vilas Paswan (of the Lok Janshakti Party) will hold a joint press conference in Delhi at 11.30 am to announce the seat-sharing arrangement among the three allies in Bihar."

Lawsuit against Fortnite

Epic Games' Fortnite's ubiquitous dance "emotes" has now come under legal threat from the pop culture icons who claim to have created them. Earlier this year, Epic added 2 Millys signature dance to Fortnite Emotes called the Milly Rock.

While Epic never sold the dance directly for money, it included it as part of its season paid subscription service. 2 Milly began criticising Epic for not asking his permission or providing him any compensation. Now, Ferguson has followed through on threats to bring legal action against Epic with a lawsuit.

With inputs from agencies
Five children were killed in a bus accident in the Dang district of Gujarat on Saturday when a bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on the Mahal-Bardipada route.

As many as five children were killed in a bus accident in Gujarat's Dang district on Saturday, after a bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on the Mahal-Bardipada route. Police and local authorities rescued several students, all in the age group of 10 to 16 years. They were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Gujarat: Death toll reached to 5 in Dang bus accident. A bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on Mahal-Bardipada route in Dang district, yesterday. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/fPZqZTfdUD  ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

All the students are residents of Amroli in Surat. They had gone for a picnic to Dang, which was sponsored by their tuition class in Surat, PTI reported. The bus was returning from Shabri Dham, a religious and tourist destination in the Dang district, when the mishap occurred.

With inputs from agencies
Even 10 days on, around 15 miners are still trapped in a flooded 'rat hole' coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills districts.

Shillong: Coal miners in Meghalaya go down what's literally a rat hole. It was in one such flooded rat hole that around 15 miners have been trapped since 13 December.

With the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unable to pump out the water from the flooded mine even 10 days after the disaster, the miners, in all probability, literally drowned like rats in the illegal mine in the hills of East Jaintia district. Sayeb Ali, a 21-year-old from Panbari village in Assam's Chirang district  the sole survivor of the 13 December tragedy  said he earned more by entering these dangerous rat holes of Meghalaya than what he did in his village.

This mine has been closed for years, since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered a ban on all types of coal mining in Meghalaya on 17 April, 2014, based on an application filed by the All Dimasa Students' Union and the Dima Hasao District Committee from Assam. Their petition claimed that illegal rat-hole mining in the Jaintia Hills was polluting the Kopili river. While retaining the ban, the NGT has since allowed the transportation of coal already extracted, estimated in May to stand at around 1.76 lakh tonnes.

Meanwhile, at least five petitions by mine owners have challenged the NGT's ban on coal mining in Meghalaya and are pending in the Supreme Court.

Much of Meghalaya's coal production was through the now-banned method. Rat-hole mining involves digging pits ranging from 5 to 100 metres deep vertically into the ground, mostly on a hill side, like a narrow well, to reach the coal seam. These pits are so narrow that only one miner can enter at a time. A small room-sized area is dug out at the bottom. From this area, miners dig tunnels sideways to reach the coal seam and extract it. This sideways digging of the rat hole is done manually; it is completely haphazard and runs in all directions. The coal thus dug is then extracted through a horizontal tunnel. If the mine is near a river, or even below the level of a nearby river  as the mine that flooded on 13 December was  the slightest breach of the walls close to the river could cause catastrophic flooding, which NDRF personnel theorise is probably what happened.

Meghalaya has total coal reserves of 640 million tonnes, most of which is mined unscientifically by individuals and communities. As a result, the water sources of many rivers, especially in the Jaintia Hills district, have turned acidic. A majority of the mines are privately owned, and illegal coal mining is rampant. The NGT-appointed judicial commission under the chairmanship of BP Kakoti reported that satellite data that the North Eastern Space Applications Centre presented to the committee revealed that mining activities were on even after the ban.

Records of the Meghalaya Police available online reveal that from April 2014 to 7 November, 2018, there have been at least 477 reported violations of the NGT's orders. These violations include illegal coal mining, illegal transportation of coal and transportation of coal beyond the permissible limit. This year, there have been at least 40 reported cases, so far, that mainly concern illegal coal transportation. Truck drivers, handymen and coal mine labourers were arrested, while complaints against government officials for facilitating illegal coal transportation have gone nowhere. The reported cases are from the coal-rich belts and transit routes encompassing the districts of East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, and East, West and South Garo Hills.

Also, the Meghalaya government claims it has lost Rs 416 crore because of the mining ban, but it remains tight-lipped about the various reports alleging that politicians, bureaucrats and other government officials, including senior policemen, are engaged in coal mining.

The state government has also been mum about the fact that mine workers work in the most inhumane conditions. The NGT found that mine owners don't implement the rules of safe mineral exploration in rat-hole mining, despite the increase in the number of reported deaths of labourers. There has also been little effort by the government, NGOs or coal mine owners to spread awareness among workers, or give them any sort of training about safety requirements.

Also, non-implementation of the mineral policy and relevant labour laws has enabled mine owners to completely ignore miners' safety, all to make a quick buck. The miners  mostly poor migrant workers  are drawn to the possibility of earning up to Rs 2,000 per day to dig those life-threatening rat roles.

GK Srivastav, joint general secretary of the all India coal workers' federation, said the mines in Meghalaya are completely illegal and run by coal mafias. "Those who work in these mines are exposed to health hazards as there is no consultation with the Directorate General of Mines Safety, the Indian government regulatory agency for safety in mines and oil-fields," he pointed out, adding that the state government has also been negligent by not carrying out regular inspections and by putting the onus for this task on the central government.

Srivastava also spoke about the Standing Committee on Mine Safety being unable to put an end to illegal mining. "We have repeatedly told the government that in private mines, there is a violation of safety guidelines. But they do not allow any safety representatives to inspect these private mines. There are so many guidelines, but it is the responsibility of the administration to implement them. When the administration is patronising these coal mafias, who can save these workers?"

Just how unsafe these mines are were highlighted in a 'Citizens Report' to Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Colin Gonsalves: "A worker carries with him a pickaxe, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. As the cave is dark, he carries a torch If water has seeped into the cave, the worker can enter only after the water is pumped out. Workers usually enter the cave early in the morning and keep working till they are tired, or hungry, or when they feel they have earned enough money for the day."

But as survivor Sayid Ali said: "I know the mines are a danger to our lives, but we have no option since we earn a good income digging coal."

Every miner this reporter spoke to echoed this opinion, including Vivek Rana, a 32-year-old from Nepal who came to the coal mines of Jaintia Hills when he was 18, like his friends before him. "It does not matter whether the work is dangerous as long as I can send money to my family in Nepal."

Another miner, Ram Rai, who had worked in Delhi, said: "A day's work at a dhaba will not fetch us more than Rs 300. Working in the coal mines, we are paid from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per day. Illiterate and poor, we work so that we can have a bright future despite the dangers."

Meanwhile, Rofiot Zaman  a family member of Abul Kalam Sheikh, a victim of the coal mine disaster from Rajabala's Magurmari village in West Garo Hills district  said the family wants their child's body. "His parents and siblings are inconsolable. He has a one-year old child," Zaman said.

He added that there are seven people from his village trapped inside the mine. A relative of Chal Dkhar, another trapped miner, said they have been involved in this work for a very long time. and the whole family is dependent on it. "We are poor, and through this job, we get money for our daily needs. We never expected that such a fate will befall us."

The author is a Shillong-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com
Suvarna Maskar's first poem was published within a few months in 2008 in a Marathi daily Pudhari.

This story is part of a series on the everyday heroes of rural Maharashtra.

The warmth of love harbours relationships

And home is where humanity dwells

Never found respect in that house but only disrespect

Never had a moment of happiness but just gloom

So much, so that I begged for my death to the almighty

However, he never let me have that wish

Because our friendship was destined to be

He never let me have that wish

Because I had to see my daughter succeed

The moment had brought back joy in my life

[My daughter cleared the grade VII scholarship exam]

I came across a person on this turn of life

Who gave me a whole new hope to live

And a day came when I forgot everything and dissolved into you

 And I still cherish the memories of that day

 Jivhala (Translated from Marathi by Vishakha Ghadi)

These are the lines from a thank you note written by Suvarna Maskar who describes it as the moment of awakening. Maybe because I didnt know what to do [sic]. I spoke everything, she says with a sigh of relief. The note is a conversation from 2008 which the 46-year-old Suvarna had with Jadhav maam, a Government school teacher in Shirgaon village of Sataras Wai taluka in Maharashtra.

The note was a build-up of two decades. A farmer and a home-maker, Suvarna always wanted to complete her education. She dropped out after grade X. During that time, girls were rarely sent to school and I also faced the same, she recollects. I felt like I had lost everything in the world.

Tired of her routine life which had cut her freedom, she would often pray for death. Once while bringing her children back from the school, she conveyed everything to Jadhav maam and felt liberated. Later, she wrote a thank you note which became her first ever work of poetry. I didnt know what a poem was, she remembers.

A week later, she went to the school again for the parents meeting. A school teacher praised the thank you note publicly. Immediately, Jadhav replied saying that Suvarna is a big poet. That was the moment when I felt I could achieve something in life, she says with the widest grin.

Challenges while writing

After the incident, she started exploring the art form. Within a fortnight she wrote a handful of poems. No one believed that I had written them. People used to ask me how a farmer can be a poet? she says. A lot of fellow villagers even falsely accused her of plagiarism.

In the initial days, even my husband didnt believe that I could write poems. Once after coming from the field, I wrote a poem in front of him. From that instant, he has never doubted me, she explains. Her husband, Uttam, 53, is a farmer and knows about all her poems. I like her poems and enjoy listening to them, he says proudly.

Earlier, she was scared of showing the poems to school teachers and editors of the newspapers. My husband would proudly show them to the editors, she says. This restored her lost confidence and soon Suvarna herself began meeting with the school teachers and editors. This happened only when my husband understood the importance of my poems. He would always take me to various poetry competitions in other talukas of [Satara] district, she explains.

Her first poem was published within a few months in 2008 in a Marathi daily Pudhari. Thats when people started believing me, she asserts. Her mother in law isnt a big fan of Suvarna choosing the path of poetry. She would always taunt what you will do by becoming a poet.

Suvarna is now a regular contributor to Pudhari, Sakal, Gramodhar, Nave Shahar newspapers, and Gumfan, Muktagiri, Amrutgat, Pudcha Paul, Lokjagar, Laxmiputra, Sarvoyda Vichar magazines in Marathi.

Now, peoples perspective has changed. They have started recognising me as a woman farmer poet, she says proudly. There are still a lot of challenges ahead. People arent very receptive of romantic poems, but I dont pay attention to what they say now. She loves writing poems on love and is breaking the conservative barriers with her romantic poems now.

Its not just the orthodox society which Suvarna has been battling, she has to complete the majority of the farming work first and then pursue her passion for poetry. Every day she wakes up at five in the morning, completes her household chores, milks her two animals twice and then leaves for farming at 10 am and returns by 6 pm. They own 2.5-acre land where they cultivate sugarcane, jowar, and a few vegetables.

The art of poetry and inspiration

She has a plethora of topics in her repertoire. Some of them include agrarian crisis, alcoholism, addiction, children, rural life, societal issues, women, patriarchy and romantic poems.

In the school days, she was fascinated by the names of authors and poets in the end [of every chapter and poem]. I always wanted my name to be published under a story or poem, she recalls. We live our lives only once and I want to leave behind a legacy.

I dont feel like Ive to sit back, think and then write poems. It happens naturally, she says. All her poems come from the field and personal experiences. Citing one such experience, she narrates her long story titled Gurakhi [Shepherd] from 2017 which was published in the Diwali edition of Laxmiputra magazine. The story is a fictional conversation between the local hill and a shepherd regarding the environment degradation by human beings. Some of her poems are reactions to the wrongdoings and crimes in the society. The Kopardi [2016] rape incident deeply affected her and she expressed the anguish in the form of a poem.

Talking about dealing with criticism, she says, Only a poet can understand the happiness behind the written word [in the poem]. She credits her childhood reading habits for the huge vocabulary she has built now. Her elder brother Suryakant Yadav is a voracious reader. He would always get me a lot of books from Mumbai, she recalls smilingly. Her father, the late Babanrao Yadav would always read aloud spiritual books. Those interesting mythological stories made me fall in love with books, she says. When I read my poems to him, he had tears in his eyes.

Her mother, Yashodabai, now in her early 80s, could never see the steps of the school. She always supported me and said that one day, these poems will liberate me and take me forward, says Suvarna proudly.

Inspiring others

Suvarna is now invited in various gatherings at the schools to recite her poetry. I am restricted to places from where I can return the same day, she says sadly. Ive to milk the animals every day. She is optimist enough to find a solution to this and pursue her passion of poetry full time. Suvarnas dream is to present her poetry in several villages across Maharashtra. I want to use poetry as a means of community development, she tells me as she talks about the coming poetry competitions and conferences shes looking forward to.

She has won around 30 awards for her poetry in the past eight years. She has also recited her poetry several times on All India Radio, Satara. Suvarna has handwritten more than 500 poems and filled four diaries in eight years penning down her experiences. She has also written 15 long stories.

In 2013, her first book titled Suvarngandh [a smell as precious as gold] which is a collection of 46 poems was published by Akshara Publication, Satara. The book covers a wide range of topics like addiction, societal awakening, womens issues, agriculture, romantic poems, etc. 500 copies of the books were printed. I cant afford to get any book published right now, she says. But in a few years my next books will be published, she says confidently.

Suvarna likes the work of the late Bahinabai Chaudhari, a woman cotton farmer from Jalgaon district. People didnt have confidence in me, but I was self-confident to become a poet, she says smilingly.

Ive four teachers at home, she says proudly referring to her children and husband who have been inspiring her to keep improving her poems. Her daughter Neelam, and Akshada, both are engineers and are working currently. Her youngest son, Tejas is pursuing his Bachelors in Pharmacy from Karad city in Maharashtra.

The reading habit amongst people has come down. We would be able to keep our independence only if we are well read and informed, she says.

Interesting anecdotes

Her poems transcend books and schools and have now become an inherent part of her life. Once she was seeking a dental treatment in Pachwad village. During the times I had to visit the doctor, I used to observe his work carefully and later wrote a poem on him. This was published in a local newspaper. The dentist loved it and later visited Suvarna to thank her. He also used better quality caps for my teeth without charging any extra money, she says smilingly.

She met Jagdish Khebudkar, a renowned Marathi litterateur and lyricist in the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishads conference in Mumbai in 2010. He spoke to me about his struggles writing Lavanis for the Pinjra movie [1972] and how he overcame his fear. He also asked me to keep writing more poems, she says. That moment was an inspiring feat for Suvarna. Whenever I feel like giving up, I remember moments like these, she explains.

Looking back at her struggle, she pauses for a while, smiles, takes a deep breath and says, I never imagined that my life will ever change.
Addressing the annual DGP, IGP conference at Kevadiya, Narendra Modi noted that 'caste fault lines are being exploited by divisive elements for short term gains'.

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned the security establishment about "divisive elements" exploiting the caste faultlines 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 Kevadiya in Gujarat, the prime minister noted that "caste fault lines are being exploited by divisive elements for short term gains".

He urged 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 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 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 cyber security.

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 National 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.
A team of around 100 people, including six veterinary officers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have been tracking the cub since Avni was shot dead by a sharpshooter who was part of a team of Forest officials.

Nagpur: One of the two cubs of Yavatmal tigress T1 alias Avni, who was shot dead on 3 November, was captured on Saturday, a senior Maharashtra forest officer said. A joint team of officials from the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh forest departments managed to tranquilise and capture the female cub in Anji forest in Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra in the 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 T1, who was responsible for deaths of some people in the region, was shot dead by a sharpshooter who was part of a team of Forest officials.

"The cub will now be sent to Pench national park in Madhya Pradesh 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.
Protests have erupted yet again in Kerala's Sabarimala district as a group of 11 women devotees reached the Pamba base camp on Sunday morning in a bid to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Protests have erupted yet again in Kerala's Sabarimala district as a group of 11 women devotees reached the Pamba base camp on Sunday morning in a bid to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple. The Kerala Police escorted the women  members of the Chennai-based 'Manithi' outfit  to the base camp, which is around 5 kilometres from the Sabarimala shrine. According to ANI, the police detained the protestors at Pamba.

However, later the women were brought back from the base camp and shifted to the Nilakkal police station as the protestors increased in number. According to CNN-News18, more protests are expected in Pamba as another batch of 30 women devotees is headed to Pamba. Security has been heightened in the area leading to the temple.

Women in the age group of 10 to 50 years are traditionally barred from entering the Sabarimala temple, but the Supreme Court, through its 28 September landmark verdict, lifted the curb and permitted women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple. The region has been tense since, with repeated protests to have the verdict withdrawn and to block women from entering the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

Kerala: Group of women devotees reached Pampa base camp in the early morning hours to trek to #SabarimalaTemple, said, "Please give us way, we will visit the temple and return back soon." pic.twitter.com/VqgTSXK5Aw  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

Meanwhile, the Pathanamthitta district magistrate has extended the imposition of Section 144 in the area till 27 December, citing security concerns amid protests. No unlawful gathering or protest is currently allowed between Elavungal and the Sannidhanam. which is the Sabarimala temple complex.

Of the 11 women who have reached Pamba, six carried the traditional irumudikettu (the offering), which is mandatory to climb the pathinettam padi (holy steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum). Clad in the customary black dress, the women, led by the outfit's coordinator Selvi, insisted that the group be given police protection to offer prayers at the Sabarimala hilltop shrine.

Selvi had told a Malayalam television channel that the group comprised women from different states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka besides Kerala. She had also said they had already written to the office of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and informed him about their plan to trek to the hill temple. "We are here since 3.30 am. Police had said that they will provide us with protection but now they are not providing us protection to trek to the temple," she told ANI on Sunday morning.

Kerala: A group of women devotees gather at Pampa base camp to trek to #SabarimalaTemple. pic.twitter.com/1ZzgNAUv8l  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

Kerala has witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of girls and women of menstruating age into the temple since the state government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict. Over a dozen women have made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills to enter the Sabarimala shrine. Four transgender people, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security on 18 December.

On 27 November, the Kerala High Court appointed a three-member committee, including two judges, vesting them with the power to oversee law and order and other problems faced by devotees during their pilgrimage. Kerala's devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran told reporters that the panel will observe the activities of the temple administration and make decisions accordingly, which the state government will then implement.

Meanwhile, activist Rahul Easwaran said young women won't be allowed to go inside the temple premises despite their repeated attempts.
A human wall erected by devotees and right-wing Hindu activists at Sabarimala has once again foiled the governments effort to facilitate the entry of women in the temple.

After right-wing Hindu outfits aborted the Kerala government's move to implement the 28 September Supreme Court verdict on womens entry in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, the state government is all set to organise a womens wall. The ultimate objective of the campaign is to make women's entry into the temple  a long-standing demand of a section of women  a reality.

However, the human wall erected by devotees and right-wing Hindu activists, including Sangh Parivar workers, at Sabarimala has once again foiled the governments effort to facilitate the entry of women in the temple. This is the third attempt since the apex court struck down the ban on women between the ages of 10 and 50 years from entering the temple.

The first two attempts during the monthly puja in October were abandoned following strong protests. Since then, the government has been following a path of dissuading the women from going to the temple citing security reasons. However, the police on Sunday made an unsuccessful bid to escort an 11-member group of devotees from Tamil Nadu to the temple, the third such attempt, by arresting and removing protesters from Pampa, the main entry point to the hill shrine.

The cops beat a retreat after thousands of devotees returning from the temple after darshan and right-wing activists blocked the group, which was escorted by around 25 police officials, at the base of the hill. The police later sent them back to Nilakkal, the base camp.

The team was part of a 40-member group from different states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala. The attempt to reach the temple was organised by Manithi, a Chennai-based womens organisation, to exercise the right granted to the women by the apex court. The other members of the group are said to be on their way to Sabarimala. They are likely to return in view of the protests. Another four-member group from Wayanad led by Dalit activist Ammini has also returned without crossing Pampa.

Manithi member Selvi said they had undertaken the pilgrimage after the government and the police had agreed to facilitate their entry. However, the police made no serious effort initially to take them to the hill shrine. No senior police officer was present at Pampa when the group reached there at 5.30 am.

While an officer of the IG rank escorted two women to the hill top during the monthly puja in October, only an officer of the superintendents rank was present to deal with the situation this time. Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, who is the Pampa special officer, did not even make any effort to visit the site of the protest. The task of negotiating a peaceful settlement with the Manithi members was left to junior officers. Though he assured that the police will help the women visit the temple, no follow-up action was initiated to make it possible till the afternoon.

The police arrested and removed the protesters only after the women rejected the plea by the police to return and staged a sit-in demonstration for nearly six hours. However, the police did not take any steps to face the protests on the way ahead in spite of intelligence reports that more than 1,000 activists of the Sangh Parivar and devotee organisations had gathered at Sabarimala to prevent the women from going to the temple.

Karthikeyan said it was impossible for the police to take the women to the temple which was teeming with devotees in this peak pilgrim season. He said that the police could not remove the protesters without resorting to force. This would have led to a dangerous situation, causing harm to many.

The police were also in a fix as the government and the three-member monitoring committee appointed by the Kerala High Court to supervise the pilgrimage washed their hands of the issue. While Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government can only act as per the directions of the high court panel comprising two judges and a senior police officer, the latter maintained that its brief was to ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.

The high court had appointed the committee after realising the complex situation prevailing at the hill shrine in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict. We have been acting on the advice of the committee. We can do what the committee says, the minister said.

The committee, on the other hand, maintained that its job was to supervise the facilities provided to the devotees for darshan. A member of the committee said that they could not intervene in the current issue, since it was a law and order problem that has to be dealt with by the Devaswom Board and the police. The member said that they had informed the Devaswom Board of their decision.

BJP leaders have accused the state government of "playing hide and seek". The party's general secretary K Surendran said that the women attempted to enter the temple were brought by the government with the help of the police to ensure the entry of women in the temple before the women wall to be held on 1 January. In an attempt to garner support following recent protests by Hindu groups across Kerala over entry of women of all ages in the Sabarimala shrine post Supreme Court verdict, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said a "women wall" would be formed on the first day of 2019 from the northern district of Kasargode to the state capital pledging support to the state government stand.

Vehicles of devotees are not allowed beyond Nilakkal. The police made an exception in the case of Manithi members. The van in which they came was allowed safe passage. This shows that the women were brought by the government, said Surendran, who was arrested and lodged in jail for about 20 days for attempting to create trouble at Sabarimala.

Pandalam Palace Executive Committee president PG Sasikumar Verma suspects a conspiracy, and said that the pilgrimage had been going on smoothly after the initial lull. He told mediapersons at Pandalam that it was difficult to believe that the members of the women's group were devotees guided by their devotion to Lord Ayyappa.

The intention behind the decision to visit the temple on 23 December is suspicious, since it is on this day that the Thanka Anki (sacred golden attire) to adorn the Ayyappa idol prior to the Mandalapuja on 27 December commences from Pandalam. It could be part of an attempt to disrupt the pilgrimage, he added.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the developments at Sabarimala were a drama enacted by the LDF government to help the Sangh Parivar make Sabarimala a conflict zone and gain political mileage from it.

The success achieved by devotees in preventing the Manithi members from going to the temple has boosted the morale of the Sangh Parivar, which is organising an "Ayyappa Jyothi" the simultaneous lighting of Ayyappa lamps from Manjeshwaram in the north to Parassala in the southat dusk on 26 December to counter the women wall initiated by the government to drum up support for gender equality.
Going by the way Smriti Irani framed her statement, there are only two ways the relationship between the nation and the individual can exist  emotional and tear-inducing or to wish that the country breaks up.

What does our country expect from us?

At his swearing-in ceremony in January 1961, the 35th President of the United States, John F Kennedy, told his fellow Americans: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

What did he mean? He meant that there was an American way of engaging with the country. This was to build one's life oneself without depending on the State.

Kennedy was referring to an old tradition wherein 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, besides the basics like following the law. True love for the country  the kind Kennedy refers to  means not burdening the country.

This was different from the methods the Soviets, the global rivals of the Americans, had been advocating. 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. "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help,'" Ronald Reagan had said.

Reagan was representing the Republican Party's view, which is a more extreme way of saying the same thing Kennedy did. What Reagan meant was that the government was something that got in the way and hindered an individual; that the government was something that should stay out of the individual's 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 it is in the the lives of citizens. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'minimum government, maximum governance' line of work stems 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.

While speaking at a media event, Union minister Smriti Irani said: "What is extremely interesting to note is that while we speak about India, 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: "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 democracy is by saying 'Bharat ke sau tukde honge' (India will be cut into a 100 pieces) and I disagree with it."

Going by the way Irani framed her statement, there are only two ways the relationship between the nation and the individual can exist. The first being emotional and tear-inducing when the national 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. Individuals have several points of contact with the nation. This contact through the national anthem is just 52 seconds long. Even if we stand and cry for the national anthem every day, that leaves us another 23 hours and 59 minutes every day. Does love for the country not exist in this period? What happens before and after we stand up for the anthem?

The fact is that the other points of contact between citizens and the nation in India are weak. Our country expects us to pay our taxes so 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 world's worst violators of these very laws and rules. Those of us who have extensive travel experience can testify to this fact. These are the points of contact 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 this mindset.

What Irani and others of her type want us to do for our country begins and ends with crying at the national anthem.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said the country's education system needs to be reoriented to reflect the tradition of quest for knowledge and also acquiring life skills. The present school education system should be completely revamped, he said.

Hyderabad: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said the country's education system needs to be reoriented to reflect the tradition of quest for knowledge and also acquiring life skills. The present school education system should be completely revamped, he said.

Naidu, who was speaking at the annual day function of Jubilee Hills Public School, 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 percent of the time should be spent in class rooms with remaining 50 percent 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, 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.
Agatha Christie had predicted that the play's run would be eight weeks long. Almost six decades later, The Mousetrap continues to be staged across the world

It was 66 years ago, on 25 November, 1952, that one of Agatha Christies plays, The Mousetrap, began its theatrical run at The Ambassadors Theatre at the West End in London. Winston Churchill was still the British prime minister, Harry Truman, the US president and Joseph Stalin, the ruler of Russia at that time. It was just seven years since Adolf Hitler had died and six months since Princess Elizabeth had begun her long reign as Queen of England.

Cut to 2018: The UK is jostling with Brexit and Churchill, Truman and Stalin are dead, but The Mousetrap has ensured its longevity, enthralling audiences as the worlds longest continuous running show. This December, Blank Slate India brought the queen of crimes classic whodunit to India, which premiered at the NCPAs Jamshed Bhabha Theatre in Mumbai for five nights.

Speaking to Firstpost, the show directors Denise Silvey said that having staged The Mousetrap around the world over the years, she jumped at the opportunity to perform in India. Originally written as a short radio play called Three Blind Mice in 1947 to celebrate the late Queen Marys birthday, the play has been performed more than 27,000 times at the West End in London. In March 1974, the London production moved from The Ambassadors Theatre to St Martins Theatre next door, without missing a single night of performance. The play has also been presented in 27 different languages in more than 50 countries. It is said there is rarely a night that goes without a performance of it somewhere in the world.

The Mousetrap is a murder mystery set in the freshly-opened Monkswell Manor guest house, run by newly-weds Molly and Giles Ralston. As the couple prepares for the arrival of its guests, a newsreader on the radio announces the murder of a woman on Culvert Street in London and says the suspect is on the loose. As the guests arrive, the weather worsens and all of them are snowed in. Meanwhile, Sergeant Trotter reaches the manor to inform the inhabitants that the escaped murderer is one among them. What follows is a witty, edge-of-the-seat mystery, with none of the characters revealing the complete truth till the very end.

The Mumbai production of The Mousetrap gripped the audience from the get-go, providing laughs along the way, as the characters within the play and the audience were kept guessing who the real murderer was. The acting was fresh and crisp, with each actor embodying little mannerisms of each character. For the Mumbai run of the play, the larger sets and props were constructed in the city, while the costumes were flown in from London.

Even as the murderer was finally revealed, a collective gasp went through the audience during the Mumbai shows. Christies storytelling is such that no matter how old the play, it always manages to surprise the audience. It is a really good story. It has humour, suspense and lots of intrigue and mystery, said Silvey, on what has ensured The Mousetraps worldwide success.

Silveys association with The Mousetrap goes back 24 years when she played Miss Casewell in 1994 at the West End. I watched the play for the first time when I auditioned for the role, and fell in love with it then. I also fell in love with Miss Casewell. She is such a multi-layered character and fun to play. Since then, I have played Miss Casewell twice, once again in London, and once in China, said Silvey, who has also been the artistic director at St Martins Theatre since 2009.

Since its inception in 1952, the production has changed considerably over the years with the focus in recent times on returning to its original script which, according to Silvey, has been very successful. There was a time in the 80s and 90s (when Silvey was first in the show) that the play was set in Christie time, where the setting of the play was very vague, and at times didnt really make sense. Ive really concentrated on the story telling in this production. It is such a good story and I wanted it to come across as clearly as possible, explained Silvey.

The Mousetrap, in Christies opinion, wasnt her best play (she was most proud of Witness for the Prosecution). In her autobiography, the author recalled a conversation with the plays first producer Peter Saunders, who said he expected the play to run 14 months at the most. It wont run that long, Christie had replied. Eight months, perhaps. Yes, I think eight months.

Sixty-six years later, the curtain is yet to fall on the plays run. Do we see an end to it in the near future? I certainly hope not. Not on my watch anyway, asserted Silvey.

The audiences are still coming in their droves and what is so lovely is that generations come back and bring their children and grandchildren to see the show, she said. As part of the 60th anniversary celebrations, 60 couples who had seen the play on a first date, or when they were on their honeymoon when it opened in 1952, were invited to watch the show again. It was so wonderful to meet those couples and hear their stories. The affection they felt for the play was very heartwarming, shared Silvey.

For the actors, being part of The Mousetrap is a chance to be part of Londons theatrical legacy. Over the past 66 years, more than 466 actors and 276 understudies have appeared in more than 27,000 performances of the London production. Jamie Hutchins, who played Sergeant Trotter in the Mumbai production, said that The Mousetrap is exactly the sort of material an actor wants.

I've known about The Mousetrap for a long time but never read the play until I was given the opportunity to audition for an understudy part for the first UK tour back in 2012. I loved the play after reading it. Full of suspense, drama, laughs and chills! he said.

Speaking about the process of getting into the skin of the character, Hutchins said the hardest part was to ensure the energy levels were running as they should be. If one started the show with low energy, it would go all downhill, making it very hard to turn it back around, he explained. He added that to keep up that energy for his character, Sergeant Trotter, was probably the hardest part.

Trotter has challenged me in so many ways. He's an incredibly complex character. I think the main and most important challenge with Trotter is to make him likeable. He's described as a police man who is very stern and hard-boiled, and later in the play, a character reveals that they hate him.

As an actor, it's my job to convey those characteristics as described in the play, but I need to find a way to make the audience like him and warm up to him. The second the audience decides that they dislike Trotter then I run the risk of the audience not caring, and if they don't care then there's a chance the audience will disconnect from the story, said Hutchins.

What also makes The Mousetrap special is that it goes against the West End tradition of signing on big names in the cast, except for Richard Attenborough (who played Sergeant Trotter) and his wife Sheila Sims (as Mollie Ralston) in the original production. The cast used to be changed annually earlier. We now change the cast every six months in London as we perform nine shows a week and we felt a year would be too long to sustain that for actors, said Silvey.

The cast members that performed in Mumbai  Helen Clapp, Jamie Hutchins, Tom Rooke, Rhys Warrington, Sarah Whitlock, Graham Seed, Jason Hall and Millie Turner  were picked from the last couple of years in London. They were either part of the West End shows or performed as part of the UK tour of the production. This is a really special cast that I am so proud of, Silvey said ahead of the plays premiere in the city.

Another unique tradition of The Mousetrap that has ensured its longevity is its secrecy regarding the plays ending. At the end of each show, one actor from the cast addresses the audience directly, a tradition begun by Attenborough, and says: Now you have seen The Mousetrap you are our partners in crime, and we ask you to preserve the tradition by keeping the secret of whodunit locked in your hearts.

The Mousetrap was performed at NCPAs Jamshed Bhabha Theatre on 5-9 December in Mumbai
Continuing his tirade against the Congress, BJP chief Amit Shah asserted that the 'scam-ridden' party is raising questions over the style of governance by the BJP.

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at the Congress party over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, accusing them of harbouring infiltrators, and not caring for the citizens who died in suicide explosions by them.

Addressing the party workers at 'Booth Sammelan' in Delhi, Shah said: "In Assam alone, 40 lakh infiltrators were identified. Soon Rahul Gandhi and his company started making a ruckus in the Parliament. Why are you so worried about them? You worry about infiltrators but not about our citizens who die in bomb blasts triggered by the infiltrators."

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the BJP chief alleged that the party secretly supported the perpetrators of the massacre.

"The Congress has always harboured the perpetrators of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. And today it has been proved that the massacre was committed by the leaders of the party. The Congress should give a reply that why the perpetrators have not been punished now," said Shah.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Shah asserted that the 'scam-ridden' party is raising questions over the style of governance by the BJP.

Urging voters to shun Congress in the high-stake Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Shah said the "polls were the final choice for the people to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi win again and retain power, which will also mark the final farewell to the politics of dynasty, racism and appeasement."

He reiterated that the BJP would return to power with a massive majority in the next year's elections and would continue to serve the masses.

Criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its free Wi-Fi project, Shah said the people of Delhi were feeling cheated. "Even today, the youths of Delhi are roaming around with their mobile phones in search of free Wi-Fi, but connectivity is not available anywhere. They had promised to give free Wi-Fi. The youths are now feeling cheated. AAP's true colour has been exposed," he said.

Commenting on the poor security situation in the national capital, Shah took a dig at the AAP government led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the party leaders who call themselves as 'common people' are roaming around with advanced security apparatus. "Today, the people of Delhi are feeling scared to go out anywhere. But, the people, who call themselves as common people, are roaming around the streets freely with Z+ security," said Shah.
The discussions between the BJP-led NDA constituents in Bihar for seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections have been keenly watched as they come in the backdrop of recent troubles in the alliance.

After much speculation over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s seat-sharing formula for Bihar for the 2019 parliamentary elections, party president Amit Shah on Sunday announced that the BJP and Janta Dal (United) will both contest 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will fight it out in six. Shah also announced LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan as the NDA's candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.

"We are sure the BJP will win at least 14 seats in Bihar," the party chief said at the evening announcing the seat-sharing decision.

     17,   () 17     6       :    pic.twitter.com/47XSTRXrjJ  BJP (@BJP4India) December 23, 2018

Paswan expressed confidence that the NDA government will serve another term in Bihar, refuting all rumours of internal unrest in the alliance. His comments were in reference to rumours of his switching back over to the UPA. He also expressed confidence that the BJP will sweep all 40 Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.

The LJP chief is the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. He also served as a minister in the VP Singh government in 1989. Since coalitions became a reality in Indian politics, Paswan has worked in the Cabinet of six prime ministers of various political hues  the National Front, United Front, UPA and NDA.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said: "We are committed to development in Bihar. We are of the opinion that the Ram Mandir matter should be solved through a court decision."

The seat-sharing announcement was delayed by a day as Paswan could not return to Delhi from Mumbai on time, as earlier expected.

Amit Shah is scared, says Upendra Kushwaha

The discussions between the BJP-led NDA constituents for seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections have been keenly watched as they come in the backdrop of recent troubles in the alliance in Bihar. The RLSP, on 19 December, left the NDA, with its leader Kushwaha blaming the split on the "arrogance" of the BJP and the Bihar chief minister.

Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha took to Twitter to react to the news, urging his followers to note "how much fear is within BJP president Amit Shah".

Kushwaha wrote: "He said we are the three parties of the NDA: The BJP, JDU and RLSP... after which Paswan ji said 'LJP... Lok Janshakti Party!'"

The RLSP had quit the alliance after the BJP did not give the party a higher number of seats, as Kushwaha had been demanding. While quitting the alliance, Kushwaha had also resigned as the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development.

Shah had earlier announced that his party and its key ally JD(U), headed by Kumar, will contest an equal number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, a politically crucial state where the BJP-led NDA won 31 seats in 2014.

With inputs from agencies
The Jasdan by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Ahmedabad: The ruling BJP comfortably won the by-poll from Jasdan Assembly seat in Gujarat on Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100. BJP candidate Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot which he had won as Congress candidate in 2017. With this, the BJP now has 100 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76. The saffron outfit had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress 77. At the end of the counting of votes, Bavaliya secured a total 90,262 votes as against Nakiya's 70,283, the officials said.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said. Polling for the Jasdan Assembly seat was held on 20 December and a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent was recorded.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and also the assembly, and joined the BJP. Bavaliya, who quit as an assembly member on 2 July, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

As the Congress candidate in 2017, Bavaliya had won over BJP's Bharat Boghara by a margin of 9,277 votes.
AAP's strategy to appeal to Sikh voters before 2019 Lok Sabha polls by holding a special Delhi Assembly session dedicated to condemning the 1984 riots fell flat on its face amid acrimony among party MLAs over a resolution to strip former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of the Bharat Ratna.

The strategy of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to appeal to Sikh voters before 2019 Lok Sabha polls by holding a two-day special session of the Delhi Assembly to condemn the 1984 anti-Sikh riots fell flat on its face after news of acrimony among party MLAs over a resolution to strip former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of the Bharat Ratna surfaced in the media.

The drama that unfolded in the Delhi Assembly on Friday over this resolution  proposed by AAP legislator Jarnail Singh  can be seen as a setback for the party on three counts.

First, amid the cacophony over the much-debated resolution, the message that AAP intended to convey through the special Assembly session over its ingenuity of commitment to the victims of the anti-Sikh riots was lost. This was an important message to convey for a party that is hoping to play crucial role in 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, where it won 20 seats in the last Assembly elections.

Second, if the resolution to strip the former prime minister of the Bharat Ratna was passed in the Delhi Assembly, it may have hamstrung any talk with the Congress over seat-sharing in Delhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Third, this drama gives the BJP another handle against both AAP and the Congress to manoeuvre the narrative over the anti-Sikh riots in a way that suits it, as well as another opportunity to further criticise AAP.

Kapil Mishra, a former AAP MLA and minister who had turned rebel and is referred to as a BJP stooge, said: "The chaos over the resolution only proves that the party did not know what it was going to resolve in the Assembly. It only proves that it had no real commitment on the issue of the plight of Sikhs."

The faultlines in AAP's move appeared after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal supposedly asked party MLA Alka Lamba to resign as she had walked out of the Assembly, disagreeing with the proposal moved by Jarnail Singh.

Significantly, the Government of Delhi decided to hold the two-day long special session of the Assembly from Thursday after the Delhi High Court sentenced former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar to life in prison for his involvement in the anti-Sikh riots. The special session, which included condemnation of the riots on its agenda, was pitted against the BJP's claim for credit for the verdict.

Soon after the high court verdict, BJP president Amit Shah had tweeted: "I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting up an SIT in 2015, which initiated a re-investigation into several cases of 1984 that were pending for over three decades. I am grateful to the court that delivered its judgment, bringing relief to the traumatised families."

On the first day of the Assembly session, AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj delivered an emotional speech on the riots, mentioning a few spine-chilling incidents that took place during the carnage, lifted from the Sajjan Kumar verdict itself.

He also took a dig at the BJP, saying: "During the anti-Sikh riots, Sikhs were called traitors, and during the Gujarat riots, Muslims were called traitors. The environment that was created in both the states was the same, but the parties that were ruling these states were different, and the victims belonged to different religions."

The first day of the session went by relatively peacefully. But on the second day, all hell broke loose after Jarnail Singh moved the resolution on Rajiv Gandhi, after which Lamba expressed her dissident in the Assembly itself.

In a tweet, just after the session ended, 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 walkout. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me."

She also said that Kejriwal had asked her to resign. "I won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," she added.

AAP later went into damage control mode, denying that any such resignation was sought to be passed. But the special session of the Delhi Assembly, which began with a moving speech by Bhardwaj, ended in a chaos that diluted the message of commitment to victims of the anti-Sikh riots.

The plot became even more intriguing after the party distanced itself from the controversial resolution. While speaking to the media, Bhardwaj said the resolution was not part of the original copy, but was scribbled down by another AAP MLA, Somnath Bharti. AAP sources said that the party has sought an explanation from Bharti for his act.

Although Bharti was not available for comment, a tweet by an AAP MLA, which was later deleted, showed the resolution in printed form, not scribbled down as the party claimed.

The chaos over the resolution not only brings to the fore the lack of adequate discipline in the party, it is also likely to enhance the bitterness between AAP and the Congress, thus proving to be another obstacle in the seat-sharing talks believed to be underway between the two parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Oppositions grand alliance, or Mahagatbandhan for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying it was an 'unholy alliance' of various political parties for 'personal survival'.

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Oppositions grand alliance, or Mahagatbandhan for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying it was an "unholy alliance" of various political parties for "personal survival".

People will see through the "incoherent alliance of rich dynasties," Modi said during his interaction with booth workers from Chennai Central, Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchirappally and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu through video conference.

The prime minister recalled that the key constituent of the mega alliance  the Telugu Desam Party  was formed against the very "high-handedness" of the Congress by the veteran, late chief minister NT Rama Rao but said the party was now keen to join hands with the Congress.

Some parties in the alliance claimed to be inspired by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran himself opposed the Congress and its ideologies, Modi said.

"Today several leaders are talking about a grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan. This alliance is for personal survival, and is not ideology-based support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance for personal ambitions, not people's aspirations," he said.

While several parties and leaders in the coalition claimed to be deeply inspired by Lohia, he said "was deeply opposed to the Congress," Modi said.

Many leaders in the coalition were "arrested and tortured" during the Emergency, he said without referring to anyone.

The Congress "ecosytem" spared none, he said and pointed out at the dismissal of the AIADMK government of late chief minister MG Ramachandran in 1980 though he had people's support.

Mahagathbandhan is a grand alliance of opposition parties against the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Accusing police of siding with the BJP, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said the police officers who were present at the spot gave a free hand to the saffron party activists to assault Congress workers.

Panaji: The Congress on Saturday alleged that the attack on the party workers in Panaji on Friday was "pre-planned" and "government sponsored". The workers of the BJP and the Congress had clashed occurred outside the Goa Congress headquarters Friday evening during a rally on the Rafale issue.

"The physical attack on our leaders was pre-planned one, as officials attached to the Chief Minister's Office, Speaker's Office and two cabinet ministers were in the mob", alleged Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar.

The Congress party Saturday held a joint meeting of GPCC and Congress Legislative Wing in Panaji to take stock of the situation after the attack. "It was a government-sponsored attack which saw participation of two Ministers  Vishwajit Rane and Mauvin Godinho", alleged Chodankar.

He said that the officer on special duty for the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly as well as the chief minister's public relations officer were amongst others who participated in the clash.

Accusing police of siding with the BJP workers, Chodankar said the police officers who were present at the spot gave a free hand to the saffron party activists to assault Congress workers. "The police did nothing to clear the mob even as the commuters were put to hardship with traffic block for nearly two hours", he said.

The BJP on Friday said the clash was instigated by Congress. Rane and Godinho were not available for comments.
The Congress may have got back its mojo, given the wins in the Assembly elections, but it won't work against the BJP yet.

The results of the recent round of Assembly elections are being projected as a big win for the Congress and a massive defeat for the BJP, but more so for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. Something similar was seen and heard after the Bihar elections in 2015 when numerous obituaries of the BJP were written. A cursory look at the results of subsequent state elections would show how misplaced the prophecies of defeat and doom were.

There is no doubt the Congress performed remarkably well in Chhattisgarh, as after 15 years of incumbency, people opted for an unambiguous change.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP got more votes than the Congress but missed the bus to victory by a few seats, just as it did in Karnataka. Here, incumbency did not work against the BJP as it did in Chhattisgarh.

In Rajasthan, opinion polls had predicted a total rout for the BJP, but that did not quite happen. The party lost the election by 27-odd seats; the Congress did not get a majority, but by virtue of winning the most seats, it finds itself in power.

In Telangana, the dominant Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) trounced the Congress. But more importantly, the party's electoral tie-up with the Telugu Desam Party in the form of a "Prajakutami", or people's alliance, could not prove to be the winning combination it was projected as. On the contrary, it was an unmitigated disaster. In fact, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been pumping hot air into the Opposition's sail, can't be too sure of winning the state in 2019.

In Mizoram, too, the Congress faced all-round rejection. Now, the party exists nowhere in the North East.

Here are three quick takeaways from the Assembly election results: The Congress has not won in all five states. The Congress has not swept the polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, as was expected. To rephrase a popular blues song, the Congress may have got back its mojo, but it ain't working yet.

And here's a fourth: Powerful leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati are glad the BJP lost the winter polls, but they are not celebrating the Congress' win either. An overenthusiastic MK Stalin, president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, declared Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition's prime ministerial face, only to fetch sharp rebuke from others, most notably the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress.

Opinion polls had indicated loss of power for the BJP in the three Hindi heartland states, but they had also indicated that despite angst against the BJP's local leadership, there was popular support for Modi and the BJP at the national level.

It is more than likely we will see these states voting for the BJP in the 2019 parliamentary elections. Congress-mukt or not, these states are definitely not Modi-mukt. There is no comparable leader in the fractured Opposition, and nobody wants a ragtag coalition government at the Centre, not after the UPA experience.

For the BJP to collapse, it would require large-scale rejection of the party and a wipeout in Uttar Pradesh. That is a near impossibility. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's popularity among the electorate remains extraordinarily high; there is near complete polarisation. Moreover, an alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party has yet to happen. The proposed rejig of Other Backward Classes quotas could throw voting blocs into disarray and leave the Samajwadi Party severely emaciated. Inevitable losses in the north would be made up by gains in the east, west and possibly south, if not entirely then substantially.

The big worry for the BJP is the mounting disquiet among farmers. The Congress has opted for rank populism and adopted the expedient means of waiving farm loans in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The party chose this populist path in Karnataka, too, but it has not quite worked in the state where farmers continue to commit suicide, and a pitiable number have actually benefited from loan waiver schemes.

Furthermore, the BJP won in those constituencies in Madhya Pradesh where farmers protests had turned violent, and many had died in police firing last year, such as in Mandsaur.

And last but not least, let us not forget that Modi has the highest stakes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He will fight for the last potential vote and not give in to despondency as the Opposition expects him to do.

May 2019 is still a considerable distance from the winter of 2018. A week is a long time in politics. Five months are an aeon. Hold your bets.

The author is an NCR-based political analyst and commentator
K Chandrashekar Rao and Naveen Patnaik had a detailed discussion on national issues, including the need for 'better friendship among regional parties'.

Bhubaneshwar: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and emphasised a "dire need" for unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The meeting between the two leaders assumed significance amid talks about efforts on formation of a new political front of like-minded, non-BJP and non-Congress parties to take on the national ones in the upcoming polls.

"I can say certainly that there is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP," Rao told reporters after meeting BJD president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Both the chief ministers had a detailed discussion on national issues, including the need for "better friendship among regional parties", Patnaik said.

"This is just the beginning of a dialogue... We will meet again and discuss how to take things forward," Rao said.

After an impressive victory of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state Assembly poll, Rao has embarked on a journey to bring together anti-Congress and anti-BJP parties for next year's Lok Sabha polls.

The TRS chief is scheduled to meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes to Hyderabad and says the TRS is the "B team" of the Congress, its president Rahul Gandhi claim that the TRS president is the "B team" of the BJP, Rao said, adding, "Let me tell you, we are our own team."

Senior Congress leader and the party in-charge for Telangana, Ramachandra Khuntia, alleged that Rao's meeting with Patnaik is part of a game plan to weaken the proposed "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) among non-BJP parties.

The Telangana chief minister has been acting at the behest of the saffron party and the NDA to dilute efforts of like-minded, non-BJP parties for formation of a grand alliance before the general elections, Khuntia claimed.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Rao's visit will have no impact on the BJP's electoral prospects as "zero added to zero will have no value".
K Chandrashekar Rao's party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), has hired a special aircraft for a period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao Sunday left Hyderabad for Visakhapatnam en route to Bhubaneswar where he is scheduled to meet his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in the evening.

Rao is on a four-day tour to meet various leaders to garner support for his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. His party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) , has hired a special aircraft for a period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

"The chief minister along with his family members left for Vizag. He will visit Sharada Peetham and perform special prayers at Rajasyamala temple there. He will be leaving for Bhubaneswar this evening," a senior TRS leader said.

At Visakhapatnam, he will seek the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra Swamiji, an official release had said earlier.

Rao, who is also TRS president, will call on Patnaik Sunday evening and stay for the night at his official residence.

"On 24 December, the Telangana chief minister will visit Konark Temple and Jagannath Temple by road," it had said. From Bhubaneswar, the Telangana CM will proceed to Kolkata, where he will call on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Monday, the release had said.

After visiting Kalimata Temple in Kolkata, he will leave for New Delhi in the night. From 25 December, for the next two-three days, Rao will be in the national capital, the release had said.

Rao will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, it had said, adding he will also meet former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

"During his Delhi trip, Rao is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Union ministers, with whom he will discuss issues related to the state," the release said.
Makkal Needhi Maiam 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 year's Lok Sabha polls.

Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam 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 year's 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 so that a good alliance fructifies," Haasan told reporters.

The move is seen as a clear signal that Haasan's 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 party's 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 Lok Sabha 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.
While interacting with booth-level workers of Chennai Central, North Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruvallur via video conferencing, Narendra Modi said the grand alliance is formed by some leaders 'for their personal survival, and not based on the support of any ideology.'

New Delhi: Terming 'Mahagathbandhan' as a club of royal dynasties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the grand alliance has been formed by some leaders to serve their personal interest.

"People can see through their opportunism and will never accept such an incoherent coalition," Modi said.

"Several leaders are talking about a grand alliance. It is for their personal survival, and not based on the support of any ideology. It is for power, and not for the people," said the prime minister, while interacting with booth-level workers of Chennai Central, North Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruvallur via video conferencing.

"No one has forgotten where the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) stood on the Jain Commission. That time Congress said that either it is the DMK or them, but today they want to be together. If not opportunism, what explains their alliance," said Modi, further strengthening the attack on Congress.

"Congress tries to spread lies among people. They spare no efforts to mislead the people about the progress our country is making," Modi added.

He also told the party workers that in order to be strong at the booth level, the workers should treat every person of the booth as their family member. The prime minister said: "Become a family member for them, share their joys and sorrows."

He also motivated the workers to gear up and work harder for the upcoming General Elections in 2019. He also added that the workers should follow the principle of "Mera Booth, Sabse Majboot" (My booth is the strongest)."

Emphasising the importance of technology, Modi asked the workers to at least be up to date with the latest technology trends so as to connect to the youngsters in a better way. "Booth workers are the life and soul of the party. They have taken the party to new heights brick by brick," he said.
Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said some opposition parties and a section of the media have 'twisted' his statements, an assertion that comes in the backdrop of his 'leadership should own up defeat' remarks.

Mumbai: Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said some Opposition parties and a section of the media have "twisted" his statements, an assertion that comes in the backdrop of his "leadership should own up defeat" remarks.

The BJP stalwart on Saturday had said nobody is willing to own up to failure unlike success and maintained "leadership should have the 'vrutti' (tendency) to own up defeat and failures". The minister, who was speaking at an event in Pune, did not elaborate, but his comments assumed significance in wake of the BJP's defeat in just-held Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. However, Gadkari, known for speaking his mind, said Sunday his statements have been twisted.

"In the last few days, I have noticed a sinister campaign by some Opposition parties and a section of the media to twist my statements and use them out of context and draw politically motivated inferences to malign my party and me," he wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter. Gadkari claimed there was a "conspiracy" to create a wedge between him and the BJP leadership.

"I have time and again strongly refuted such insinuations and once again condemn all these malafide and mischievous out of context reports attributed to me. "Let me make it clear once and for all that conspiracies to create a wedge between the BJP leadership and me will never succeed," he tweeted. "I have been clarifying my position at various forums and shall continue to do so and expose these nefarious designs of our detractors," he said.
To a question on the issue, the Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar said: 'We have maintained for a long time that this issue should be resolved either through a court judgment or mutual understanding'.

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar Sunday said the Ram temple issue should be resolved either through a court judgement or mutual understanding, an indication of his party's opposition to the demand by Hindutva groups for a law to build the temple in Ayodhya.

To a question on the issue, the Janata Dal (United) president told reporters: "We have maintained for a long time that this issue should be resolved either through a court judgment or mutual understanding".

Kumar said every party has its own views but his party's stand has been the same over the matter for long.

He also took a dig at Opposition, who have been targeting his government over alleged deterioration of law and order, among other matters, saying their propaganda will have no impact in Bihar.

"We are committed to development with justice... I don't have the habit of speaking unnecessarily. Some people have the habit of only talking while I do my work," he said.

Hindutva groups, including BJP's ideological parent RSS, have been pressing the central government to bring a legislation to pave the way for construction of the temple at the site where Lord Ram is believed to have been born.

The case of the Ram temple land dispute is presently in the Supreme Court.
The Congress veteran, Digvijaya Singh demanded that organisations like Akhada Parishad, ,VHP and RSS condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders and snap ties with them.

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh Sunday demanded apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for "dragging" Lord Hanuman into the politics of "caste and creed".

Singh also said Hindu bodies like the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Akhada Parishad should condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders over the Hindu deity who is worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

"(Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi) Adityanath ji said Lord Hanuman was Dalit. BJP's MLC Nawab Bukkal dubbed the deity a Muslim on the ground that his name rhymed with Islamic names like Rahman, Farhan, Ramzan etc. Another BJP minister said Hanuman was a Jat," he told reporters in Indore.

Singh said Hindus considered Lord Hanuman as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. "You are dragging Hanuman ji into politics of caste and creed, which religion you are following? I have a strong objection to this. Who are you to talk like this, you (BJP leaders) should apologise", he said.

The Congress veteran demanded that organisations like Akhada Parishad, an apex body of 13 major "akhadas" or ascetic denominations,VHP and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders and snap ties with them.

Addressing a public meeting during the campaigning for recent-held Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said Lord Hanuman, one of the central figures in epic Ramayana, was a Dalit.

Last week, Bukkal Nawab, a BJP MLC from Uttar Pradesh, claimed that the monkey god was a Muslim while UP's Religious Affairs Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary stated that the Hindu deity belonged to the Jat community.

Singh also took a jibe at former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan's "Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai" remark, which he made against the backdrop of the BJP's loss in recent Assembly polls in the state.

"The tiger is now devoid of nails and teeth. The responsibility of protection of the endangered tiger lies with us (newly formed Congress government)", he said.

Responding to a query on suicide allegedly committed by a 45-year-old tribal farmer in Khandwa district, apparently after he failed to avail recently-announced crop loan waiver due to cut-off date criterion, Singh said the Congress, when it was in Opposition, had announced in June, 2018, that loan of farmers would be waived if the party got elected.

"I do not have details of this (the suicide). We had announced to waive loans of farmers in June 2018. Loans of farmers who had loan outstanding during this period (till June 2018), will be waived", he said.

Singh also alleged that the CBI is suppressing the Vyapam scam - a multi-crore recruitment and admission racket which came to light in 2013 when the BJP was in power.

"We are studying about the steps to be taken in this regard", he said.
Press Trust of India

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.
Reuters

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 U.S. 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.

U.S. 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.
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.

Rome: 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 Open Arms organisation.

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 could 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.

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.

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 gangraped 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.
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced the appointment of Amrullah Saleh and Asadullah Khaleed, both are former intelligence chiefs who have blamed Pakistan for the Taliban's resurgence in recent years.

Kabul: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appointed hard-line opponents of neighbouring Pakistan to two top security posts on Sunday, potentially complicating US efforts to revive peace talks with the Taliban ahead of next summer's withdrawal of 7,000 American troops.

Ghani announced that Amrullah Saleh will be the next interior minister and Asadullah Khaleed will be defence minister. Both are former intelligence chiefs who have blamed Pakistan for the Taliban's resurgence in recent years and have even called for it to be declared a state sponsor of terror.

Afghanistan's parliament will have to approve the appointments.

Pakistan, which has influence over the Taliban, is taking part in the latest US effort to revive the peace process. It was Pakistan that helped orchestrate last week's talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan and the United States attended those talks with the Taliban.

In a significant development, Afghanistan's national Security Adviser was also in the UAE and while he did not attend talks with the Taliban he met with Washington's Peace Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who reportedly kept him informed of the discussions.

However, two high ranking officials in Kabul, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said Ghani was displeased that the Taliban refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government in the UAE. The Taliban have repeatedly refused to talk to Kabul calling them American puppets.

The Taliban, who heralded the announced withdrawal of half of the 14,000 US troops currently in Afghanistan as a good step toward peace, have refused to comment on the appointments of Saleh and Khaleed.

In 2012, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted Khaleed, who suffered serious injuries.

Meanwhile Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told The Associated Press that he will be in Kabul on Monday for talks with the government to reinforce Pakistan's commitment to finding a peaceful end to Afghanistan's 17-year war.

Qureshi will be in Kabul on the first leg of a regional tour that will also include Iran, China and Russia.

"Good relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as peace in Afghanistan, is critical for regional stability," said Qureshi. "Pakistan wants a sustainable peace in Afghanistan."
Paddy Ashdown, the former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats who served as the international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, has died at the age of 77, his party announced. He revealed in November that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

London: Paddy Ashdown, the former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats who served as the international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, has died at the age of 77, his party announced. He made an "immeasurable contribution to furthering the cause of liberalism" and will be "desperately missed", the Lib Dems said in a statement on Saturday.

Ashdown, a former special forces officer, led the centrist Liberal Democrats in opposition from 1988 until 1999. He served as the international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006. He revealed in November that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

Current Liberal Democrats leader Vince Cable said it was a "hugely sad day" in British politics and paid tribute to Ashdown's talents beyond the political arena, including as an author, a marine and in the diplomatic service. Conservative former prime minister John Major, who was in office from 1990 to 1997, hailed Ashdown as "a man of duty, passion, and devotion to the country he loved". "In government, Paddy Ashdown was my opponent. In life, he was a much-valued friend," said Major. "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. "Even when he knew he was gravely ill, Paddy's concern for the future of our country continued to dominate his thinking. "His country always came before personal or political advantage."

Tim Farron, who led the Liberal Democrats from 2015 to 2017, 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." Ashdown received several honours from Queen Elizabeth II.
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.

Montreal: 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 10 December 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 10 December 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.

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.
At least 50 professors in the United States are literally being targetted at home and in the workplace using stochastic terrorism. A conservative author wrote a book targeting 101 of the Most Dangerous Academics in America.

For several years, American conservatives have declared war on scholars and institutions of higher learning, repining that their religious values, repudiation of science and bigotry towards others because of their race, creed, gender or who they choose to love are not welcome on campus. They have long bristled at purported political correctness, which restrains them from using epithets to describe racial and religious minorities as well as women and LGBTQI persons without consequence. They believe that they are being forced to accept persons as their equals when their Sky Tyrant beliefs tell them otherwise.

To fight these outrages they are waging a systematic, nationwide campaign to intimidate the physical and economic security of scholars in effort to silence them. They have formed numerous watchdog organisations that monitor faculty and developed lists of dangerous faculty. Their ally in this war is Fox News, which commands the highest viewership. Their most effective weapon is stochastic terrorism, which is individually random, but predictably uses violence or threats to achieve their fascist goal: silencing intellectuals.

I know first-hand: Since December 2016, an array of conservative organisations I refuse to name to avoid giving them traffic have launched, at least three systematic campaigns of threatened violence against me and my universitys community: including faculty, staff and students. Their tactic, in each case, has been to publicise my private speech, which has been unremittingly in opposition to the white, Christian, cis-male supremacist ideology promoted by the White House and its allies in contemporary American society in an effort to crowdsource thousands of threats to me and my employer. Their goal has been to intimidate and bully my employer to fire me.

I am not alone. At least 50 professors in the United States are literally being targetted at home and in the workplace using stochastic terrorism. A conservative author wrote a book targetting 101 of the Most Dangerous Academics in America.

A popular website called The Professor Watch List provides an alphabetical listing of us. We all have one thing in common: we use our private speech to argue for an inclusive America where all persons are equal before the law and under it irrespective of our gender, race, creed, or whom we choose to love. Apparently, this genuine belief in the promise of democracy for all is anathema to contemporary American conservatives who, in recent years, have opined about the white genocide they insist is depriving them of their right to discriminate in the workplace and elsewhere. White male rage has been mainstreamed by Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson who use their platforms to galvanise crowd source swarms of stochastic terrorists.

I became a target of conservative stochastic terrorism following my criticism of a right-wing shill who wrote an editorial in The Washington Post claiming. Im a Muslim, a woman and an immigrant. I voted for Trump. In response, on 22 November, 2016, I wrote about 10 tweets to her about this post noting that she has normalised racism, Islamophobia, rape culture, and even the noxious Nazis, who made their first public appearance in the capitol city the weekend after her post and prior to my pointed criticisms of her piece. There was nothing special or even obscene about those posts: they stated facts. When she sent me a cloying personal message, I instructed her to go to hell and reminded her to register for Donald Trumps promised Muslim registry, which she supported.

She lugubriously opined to conservative media that a noted university professor told her to go to hell and slanderously accused me of harassing her for two months. Outlets that carried this specious claim without supporting evidence. Given the individuals long-standing relationship with Fox News, the network created a news cycle over my private speech over several days on programmes hosted by the networks most inflammatory personalities. What ensued was two months of vitriolic threats to me as well as my university. I next found myself on various watch lists.

The next campaign happened when I persuaded my fitness club to oust the leader of the American tiki-torch carrying American Nazis out of deference to the racial and religious minorities as well as women who work there. Once again, the right-wing zoo swarmed its stochastic terrorists to assail me at home and work and to intimidate my colleagues and students.

The most recent campaign began in early October over my scathing criticism of the weaponised misogyny evidenced by the Trump administration in putting forth an alleged serial assailant as a nominee for the US Supreme Court. During his confirmation, he comported himself with utter disdain towards the female senators. This round of stochastic terrorists heavily comprised white nationalists and the new phenomenon of deeply misogynist men who self-refer as Incels or involuntary celibates. Incels have conducted mass shootings of women and advocate raping women such that we will learn our place.

This time, the stochastic terrorists focussed on my university: threatening my colleagues and students. Their consistent focus upon my students is particularly vile because many of my students have worked in hostile environment such as Iraq and Afghanistan and many have PTSD. This is simply unconscionable.

As a designated dangerous professor, the right-wing speech police monitors my social media. I have observed a chilling pattern: organisations hire undergraduates with no training or interest in journalism ethics to stalk out my social media and that of others. Should they find something potentially irksome to the right-wing speech police, they draft an insipid screed aiming to inflame. They seem to be paid around $100 for these hit pieces.

Usually, these articles result in little harassment except from persons I call frequent flyers who taken a stalker-like interest in my speech. If the undergraduate dragoon is lucky, a higher-end right-wing outlet will pick up and amplify their incendiary drivel, distorting the truth further along the way.

If the writer is extremely lucky, Fox News will pick it up and one or more of its baleful personalities will further distort the original offending speech. I have observed that the foot soldiers are generally disciplined: the vast majority know how to threaten within the bounds of US law. They also are capable of learning lessons as conventional terrorists do.

In the last campaign, they did not generally target my home; instead, they concluded that my university is a softer target. Indeed, I am a hard target. Long before Incels knew my name, I dealt with Pakistans intelligence agency. I dont intimidate easily; but it turns out that universities do.

My university and I decided that given the volume of harassment  50 calls per hour in addition to emails  that it was prudent that I go on (paid) research leave to protect my students. This was what the stochastic terrorists wanted: To remove me from the classroom, where they presume I spread a toxic ideological brew that all humans are created equal! This is the true face of conservatism in America: Violence-wielding troglodytes who yearn for an America that never was. We've seen these tactics before. With guns more easily available than affordable healthcare in America, this ends in bloodshed.

C Christine Fair is the author of In their own words: Understanding Lashkar-E-Tayyaba and Fighting to the end: The Pakistan Army's Way of War.
By exchanging reasons in the form of arguments, we show each other respect and come to understand each other better

By Walter Sinnott-Armstrong | Edited by Nigel Warburton

Many of my best friends think that some of my deeply held beliefs about important issues are obviously false or even nonsense. Sometimes, they tell me so to my face. How can we still be friends? Part of the answer is that these friends and I are philosophers, and philosophers learn how to deal with positions on the edge of sanity. In addition, I explain and give arguments for my claims, and they patiently listen and reply with arguments of their own against my  and for their  stances. By exchanging reasons in the form of arguments, we show each other respect and come to understand each other better.

Philosophers are weird, so this kind of civil disagreement still might seem impossible among ordinary folk. However, some stories give hope and show how to overcome high barriers.

One famous example involved Ann Atwater and CP Ellis in my home town of Durham, North Carolina; it is described in Osha Gray Davidsons book The Best of Enemies (1996) and a forthcoming movie. Atwater was a single, poor, black parent who led Operation Breakthrough, which tried to improve local black neighbourhoods. Ellis was an equally poor but white parent who was proud to be Exalted Cyclops of the local Ku Klux Klan. They could not have started further apart. At first, Ellis brought a gun and henchmen to town meetings in black neighbourhoods. Atwater once lurched toward Ellis with a knife and had to be held back by her friends.

Despite their mutual hatred, when courts ordered Durham to integrate their public schools, Atwater and Ellis were pressured into co-chairing a charrette  a series of public discussions that lasted eight hours per day for 10 days in July 1971  about how to implement integration. To plan their ordeal, they met and began by asking questions, answering with reasons, and listening to each other. Atwater asked Ellis why he opposed integration. He replied that mainly he wanted his children to get a good education, but integration would ruin their schools. Atwater was probably tempted to scream at him, call him a racist, and walk off in a huff. But she didnt. Instead, she listened and said that she also wanted his children  as well as hers  to get a good education. Then Ellis asked Atwater why she worked so hard to improve housing for blacks. She replied that she wanted her friends to have better homes and better lives. He wanted the same for his friends.

When each listened to the others reasons, they realised that they shared the same basic values. Both loved their children and wanted decent lives for their communities. As Ellis later put it: I used to think that Ann Atwater was the meanest black woman Id ever seen in my life  But, you know, her and I got together one day for an hour or two and talked. And she is trying to help her people like Im trying to help my people. After realising their common ground, they were able to work together to integrate Durham schools peacefully. In large part, they succeeded.

None of this happened quickly or easily. Their heated discussions lasted 10 long days in the charrette. They could not have afforded to leave their jobs for so long if their employers (including Duke University, where Ellis worked in maintenance) had not granted them time off with pay. They were also exceptional individuals who had strong incentives to work together as well as many personal virtues, including intelligence and patience. Still, such cases prove that sometimes sworn enemies can become close friends and can accomplish a great deal for their communities.

Why cant liberals and conservatives do the same today? Admittedly, extremists on both sides of the current political scene often hide in their echo chambers and homogeneous neighbourhoods. They never listen to the other side. When they do venture out, the level of rhetoric on the internet is abysmal. Trolls resort to slogans, name-calling and jokes. When they do bother to give arguments, their arguments often simply justify what suits their feelings and signals tribal alliances.

The spread of bad arguments is undeniable but not inevitable. Rare but valuable examples such as Atwater and Ellis show us how we can use philosophical tools to reduce political polarisation.

The first step is to reach out. Philosophers go to conferences to find critics who can help them improve their theories. Similarly, Atwater and Ellis arranged meetings with each other in order to figure out how to work together in the charrette. All of us need to recognise the value of listening carefully and charitably to opponents. Then we need to go to the trouble of talking with those opponents, even if it means leaving our comfortable neighbourhoods or favourite websites.

Second, we need to ask questions. Since Socrates, philosophers have been known as much for their questions as for their answers. And if Atwater and Ellis had not asked each other questions, they never would have learned that what they both cared about the most was their children and alleviating the frustrations of poverty. By asking the right questions in the right way, we can often discover shared values or at least avoid misunderstanding opponents.

Third, we need to be patient. Philosophers teach courses for months on a single issue. Similarly, Atwater and Ellis spent 10 days in a public charrette before they finally came to understand and appreciate each other. They also welcomed other members of the community to talk as long as they wanted, just as good teachers include conflicting perspectives and bring all students into the conversation. Today, we need to slow down and fight the tendency to exclude competing views or to interrupt and retort with quick quips and slogans that demean opponents.

Fourth, we need to give arguments. Philosophers typically recognise that they owe reasons for their claims. Similarly, Atwater and Ellis did not simply announce their positions. They referred to the concrete needs of their children and their communities in order to explain why they held their positions. On controversial issues, neither side is obvious enough to escape demands for evidence and reasons, which are presented in the form of arguments.

None of these steps is easy or quick, but books and online courses on reasoning  especially in philosophy  are available to teach us how to appreciate and develop arguments. We can also learn through practice by reaching out, asking questions, being patient, and giving arguments in our everyday lives.

We still cannot reach everyone. Even the best arguments sometimes fall on deaf ears. But we should not generalise hastily to the conclusion that arguments always fail. Moderates are often open to reason on both sides. So are those all-too-rare exemplars who admit that they (like most of us) do not know which position to hold on complex moral and political issues.

Two lessons emerge. First, we should not give up on trying to reach extremists, such as Atwater and Ellis, despite how hard it is. Second, it is easier to reach moderates, so it usually makes sense to try reasoning with them first. Practising on more receptive audiences can help us improve our arguments as well as our skills in presenting arguments. These lessons will enable us to do our part to shrink the polarisation that stunts our societies and our lives.

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong is Chauncey Stillman professor of practical ethics in the Department of Philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University in North Carolina. He is co-instructor of the Coursera online course 'Think Again' and author of Think Again: How to Reason and Argue (2018)

This article was originally published at Aeon and has been republished under Creative Commons.
In reference to the controversy surrounding Naseeruddin Shah's comments on communal violence in Bulandshahr, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan said if justice is not given to the weak then it will only lead to an uprising.

Lahore: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst 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, Imran 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.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Speech Punjab Government 100 Days Achievement Ceremony Lahore (22.12.18)#PunjabAt100 @ImranKhanPTI 5/5 pic.twitter.com/5yW6dMnTtE  PTI (@PTIofficial) December 22, 2018

Imran 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, veteran actor Shah had 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 prime minister 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 3 December, 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.
MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaraguan police raided the offices of a major broadcaster and arrested its director late on Friday, family members and co-workers said, in the latest crackdown on critics of President Daniel Ortega's increasingly authoritarian government. The broadcaster, 100% Noticias, was the only independent 24-hour news network that covered the country's deepening political unrest, one of its worst crises since a civil war in the 1980s. The government has sought to rein in months of protests seeking Ortega's ouster

MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaraguan police raided the offices of a major broadcaster and arrested its director late on Friday, family members and co-workers said, in the latest crackdown on critics of President Daniel Ortega's increasingly authoritarian government.

The broadcaster, 100% Noticias, was the only independent 24-hour news network that covered the country's deepening political unrest, one of its worst crises since a civil war in the 1980s.

The government has sought to rein in months of protests seeking Ortega's ouster.

The director of 100% Noticias, Miguel Mora, had taken refuge in the broadcaster's offices for the past three weeks, citing threats he said he received from Ortega's government.

"They can do everything they want to me, imprison me, kidnap me, but we'll be here until the final consequences," Mora told Reuters on Thursday during an interview at his office.

Nicaraguan prosecutors have accused Mora of instigating hate, among other crimes, which prompted a judge to order the closure of 100% Noticias and Mora's arrest.

A government spokesman declined to comment on Saturday.

Ortega's government had already sought to stop critical coverage by ordering cable and satellite television providers to suspend the 100% Noticias signal, as well as raiding other outlets and cutting their ability to broadcast.

Last week, police raided the offices of Carlos Fernando Chamorro, the son of former president Violeta Chamorro, who runs the digital newspaper Confidencial and hosts television news programs. Chamorro blamed the raid and seizure of equipment on Ortega's efforts to purge the country of dissent.

Since April, at least 322 people have been killed and more than 500 have been incarcerated, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, a group now blacklisted by the government.

On Wednesday the government expelled two missions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that were investigating violence during anti-government protests.

Authorities also seized the assets of 10 blacklisted non-governmental organizations, blocking them from operating and dealing another blow to civil society.

Pro-government lawmakers accuse the organizations of receiving money to finance a "coup."

Ortega's opponents accuse the veteran leftist of attempting to cement an authoritarian family dynasty along with his wife, Rosario Murillo, whom he chose to be his vice president.

(Reporting by Ismael Lopez; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
In response, South Korea's foreign ministry stated that it backed the resolution for making joint efforts with the international community for 'substantive improvement' in the human rights of North Korean citizens.

Seoul: North Korean media on Sunday launched a scathing attack on South Korea over its participation in a United Nations' resolution condemning the reclusive country's human right abuses.

On 17 December, the UN passed a resolution at the General Assembly, criticising the "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" by the North Korean government, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Terming South Korea's participation a "double-faced attitude", Uriminzokkiri, an external propaganda outlet of the North said: "The South Korean authorities expressed support for the US' anti-Pyongyang ploy to condemn the human rights situation."

"In front (of us), they (South Korea) talks of trust and harmony, while it follows the foreign forces' ploy behind our back," it added.

Maeari, another propaganda website, lashed out at the countries that participated in the resolution, giving a stern warning that the "followers of the US will pay dearly for their provocative and malign acts."

In response, South Korea's foreign ministry stated that it backed the resolution for making joint efforts with the international community for "substantive improvement" in the human rights of North Korean citizens. The ministry added that these concerted efforts would further accelerate the ongoing thaw in ties with North Korea and would lead to the establishment of long-lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

The adoption of the resolution comes even as South Korea continues to reach out to North Korea in an effort to reset their frayed ties and improve cooperation in various projects and programmes.
Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of the wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal meant federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight Friday.

Washington: The partial US government shutdown is set to stretch on through Christmas as the Senate adjourned with no deal in sight to end the impasse over funding for Donald Trump's wall on the US-Mexico border.

Having postponed his holiday trip to Florida to continue talks after operations for several key US agencies ceased at 12:01 am (0501 GMT), Trump warned Saturday morning that "it could be a long stay."

The Republican president tweeted:

I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay. On Syria, we were originally...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of the wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal meant federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight Friday. The House of Representatives and the Senate resumed discussions at noon on Saturday, but the latter chamber adjourned without a deal being reached.

"The Senate will next meet for a pro forma session on Monday, that's the 24th. The next scheduled session day will be on the 27th of December," Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer blasted the president and blamed him for provoking the shutdown: "President Trump, if you want to open the government, abandon the wall, plain and simple."

"The Trump shutdown isn't over border security; it's because President Trump is demanding billions of dollars for an expensive, ineffective wall that the majority of Americans don't support."

Most critical US 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. Additionally, as many other Americans and tourists began their 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. 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's 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 capital 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. 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.
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms has rescued 311 migrants in the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Libya, it said on Saturday. The migrants will be taken to the Spanish port of Algeciras after the charity's vessel was refused entry by several European countries, including Malta and Italy

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms has rescued 311 migrants in the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Libya, it said on Saturday.

The migrants will be taken to the Spanish port of Algeciras after the charity's vessel was refused entry by several European countries, including Malta and Italy. A newborn baby and his mother were taken by helicopter to Malta.

Proactiva Open Arms operates between Libya and southern Europe in a mission aimed at aiding migrants who have found themselves in trouble attempting to cross the sea from north Africa.

(Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by David Holmes)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Jonathan Allen (Reuters) - U.S. National Parks will be left with just a skeleton staff during the federal government shutdown, and several states are using their own funds to make sure public restrooms get cleaned and visitor centers stay open. The shutdown of all but essential federal services due to a Capitol Hill fight over U.S

By Jonathan Allen

(Reuters) - U.S. National Parks will be left with just a skeleton staff during the federal government shutdown, and several states are using their own funds to make sure public restrooms get cleaned and visitor centers stay open.

The shutdown of all but essential federal services due to a Capitol Hill fight over U.S. President Donald Trump's funding demands for a Mexico border wall comes at the height of the Christmas travel season.

The National Park Service said this week that parks will remain "as accessible as possible." During a three-day government shutdown in January, the gates to about two-thirds of national parks and monuments remained open.

"Services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds and full-service restrooms will not be operating," Jeremy Barnum, the National Parks Service chief spokesman, said in a statement.

The Republican governors of Utah and Arizona have promised to step in, in part to help protect local businesses in and around some of the country's most spectacular natural landscapes that depend on tourist spending.

"Regardless of what happens in Washington, the Grand Canyon will not close on our watch," Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said in a statement on Friday. The Arizona Office of Tourism will help ensure restrooms are cleaned, trash is collected and shuttle buses operate, Ducey said.

All five of Utah's national parks will remain open, and the three most popular will have maintenance costs underwritten by the state during the shutdown, according to Vicki Varela, the Utah Office of Tourism's managing director.

Zion National Park drew 107,000 visitors between Dec. 22 and Dec. 27 a year ago, Varela said.

"This time of year is the most remarkable time of year to experience it because the snow against that red rock is just breathtaking," she said.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert authorized the temporary funding for custodial and visitor center services, which will cost an estimated $18,000 to $19,000 for Zion.

"It's really modest on the part of the state to protect the quality of the experience for visitors," Varela said.

New York state has provided funding to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open during the shutdown, according to the park's website. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, slammed Trump over the federal shutdown on Twitter on Saturday.

Officials from the Great Smoky Mountains Association said the non-profit group would provide funding to maintain visitor center staffing, restroom cleaning and trash hauling at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

The National Park Service said it would not be updating its social media accounts during the shutdown, and that while some park areas remain accessible, access could change without notice.

Some conservationists said it would be better to close parks entirely, as happened under President Barack Obama's administration during a 2013 shutdown, rather than keep them open with skeleton staff.

During the January shutdown, a pregnant elk was killed in Zion and tourists in Yellowstone National Park drove snowmobiles dangerously close to the Old Faithful geyser, said Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association.

"It's unrealistic and dangerous to think that parks can remain open with only a skeleton crew and continue with business as usual," Pierno said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The toll in the Mogadishu blasts rose after some of those wounded on Saturday died in hospital. Both civilians and members from the security forces were among the casualties.

Mogadishu: The death toll from a double car-bomb attack near the presidential palace in Somalia rose to 20 on Sunday, police said.

Police on Saturday had said seven people were killed following the two blasts in Mogadishu, which were claimed by the jihadist Shabaab group. "The number of victims who were killed in the blasts increased to 20 and more than 40 others have been wounded," said a Somali police official, Ibrahim Mohamed.

He said the toll had risen after some of those wounded on Saturday died in hospital. Both civilians and members from the security forces were among the casualties, the official said.

Somalia's London-based Universal TV said on Saturday that three of its staff were among the fatalities, naming one as Somali and British dual national Awil Dahir.

Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemned the "cowardly" attacks. "We will continue defeating terrorists in order to lead the Somali people to stability and prosperity," he said in a statement.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire visited the wounded in hospital.

The first explosion happened at a checkpoint outside the national theatre, some 500 metres (yards) from the palace on Saturday morning. The second blast, more powerful according to witnesses, came minutes later at a nearby crossroads.

Mohamed Abdullahi, a senior local official who was slightly wounded in the first blast, said members of his security team were among the dead. "Seven of my security escort and a driver were among those killed in the blast, but such attacks will encourage our efforts to redouble the war against terrorists", he said in a statement.

A Shabaab statement on Saturday said the Islamist group's "martyrdom operation" had targeted "a security checkpoint that used to protect the presidential palace."

The group was largely driven out of the capital in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities. The group has vowed to topple the internationally-backed government.

The worst carnage to date in Somalia occurred on October 14 last year when 512 people were killed in Hodan, a busy commercial district in the capital.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brett McGurk, the special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State, submitted his resignation on Friday, effective Dec. 31, a U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brett McGurk, the special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State, submitted his resignation on Friday, effective Dec. 31, a U.S. State Department official said on Saturday.

A person familiar with the matter said McGurk has quit because he objected to President Donald Trump's decision to pull out U.S. troops from Syria, a decision followed by the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis a day later. CBS reported McGurk's resignation earlier on Saturday.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
U.S. Intelligence Chief Says Russia, Iran Sought To Influence 2018 Midterm Voters

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us- election-interference-russia-iran-china -coats-dni/29670006.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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Report Puts Russia, China and Iran in Line for Sanctions for Election Meddling

By Jeff Seldin December 21, 2018

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.

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Australia, US Accuse China Of Global Cyber Espionage

By Phil Mercer December 21, 2018

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.

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US fabricated cyber espionage charges, Beijing says

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 10:51, December 22, 2018

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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Afghan Leaders Downplay Impact Of U.S. Pullout, But Military Officials Fret

By RFE/RL December 21, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-ghani-us-pullout -trump-taliban/29670005.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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KSA Welcomes UN Security Council's Resolution on Yemen

Saudi Press Agency

Friday 1440/4/14 - 2018/12/21

New York, Dec 21, 2018, SPA -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed today the UN Security Council's resolution, submitted by United Kingdom, on Yemen.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom's delegation to the United Nations, Dr. Khalid Manzlawi, said in a press statement that the resolution affirms the efforts of Saudi diplomacy and its direct impact on the decisions of the international community, represented by the efforts of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Ahmed Al-Jubeir, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Ambassador Abdullah Yahiya Al-Mualemi and members of the Saudi Mission to the United Nations.

The statement pointed out that today's resolution supports the agreements of the consultations of Sweden, and emphasizes the implementation of resolution 2216 which is committed to the three reference points of political solution in Yemen.

It also stresses the success of the military pressure by the coalition, the Saudi diplomatic effort to force Al-Houthis to withdraw from Hodeida and supports UN Special Envoy to Yemen to implement Stockholm Agreement as well as supports the peace plan in Yemen and grants the United Nations a mandate to be on the ground as an observer, meaning that Al-Houthis will lose their margin of maneuver, obstruction of intent and previous repeated violations.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation expressed, in the statement in the context of the Kingdom's diplomatic efforts at the United Nations, thanks to the Kuwaiti and US sides 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.

--SPA

23:55 LOCAL TIME 20:55 GMT

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UNSC adopts 1st resolution for establishing peace in Yemen

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Dec 22, IRNA -- The United Nations Security Council has ratified its first resolution named 2451 to support Stockholm agreement and establishing truce in important Yemeni ports.

The resolution was proposed on Monday, and the UK distributed its draft on Wednesday.

Russia, China and Kuwait were against some articles of the resolution like those related to Saudi Arabia pressures against Iran and sending missiles to Yemeni Ansarullah.

Meanwhile, the US has also presented a draft which mostly focused on humanitarian issues and controlling transit in ports and has omitted the article related to war crimes.

The reason behind US concerns was that, due to UN secretary general reports on the heinous killing of Yemeni citizens in the Saudi coalition air strikes, the coalition and the Saudi authorities who were their commanders were subject to war crimes.

The resolution mainly focuses on sending essential products to Yemenis, supporting Stockholm agreement, assignment the Secretary-General of the United Nations to implement it and observing the ceasefire.

The 4th round of the UN-brokered Yemeni peace talks started on December 6 in Stockholm.

Representatives of the Yemeni National Salvation Government and the deposed Yemeni government reached an agreement on truce in Al Hudaydah port and city, As-Salif and Ayn Issa ports.

The intra-Yemeni talks which were earlier scheduled to be held on September 6 was postponed due to Saudis' sabotage.

The first round of the Yemeni peace talks was held in December 2015 in Geneva but the meeting produced no results.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Mansour Hadi back to power and crushing the country's Ansarullah Movement.

Some 16,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression.

The assaults of the Saudi-led coalition forces have failed to stop the Yemenis from resisting the aggression.

9376**1771

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US envoy Brett McGurk resigns over Trump's announcement of troop withdrawal from Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 06:27PM

The US State Department's senior envoy to the so-called anti-Daesh coalition, Brett McGurk, has resigned over President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria.

McGurk submitted his resignation on Friday, a US State Department official said on Saturday, adding that the resignation will be effective on Dec. 31.

A person familiar with the matter said McGurk has quit because he is strongly opposed to Trump's troops withdrawal from Syria.

Trump announced his decision to withdraw some 2,000 US troops from Syria on Wednesday, asserting that Daesh (ISIL) Takfiri terrorist group had been defeated.

After Trump announced that Daesh had been defeated and US troops would withdraw from the Arab country, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also offered his resignation.

Both the Pentagon and the State Department were reported to be against the troop withdrawal.

Previously McGurk had once more opposed Trump on the issue of troop withdrawal from Syria.

Speaking back in April alongside a top Pentagon official, McGurk had said that US troops needed to stay in Syria until their mission was accomplished completely.

The comments were made just after Trump said that US troops would soon pull out of Syria.

McGurk's departure follows the abrupt resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who was also opposed o the withdrawal of troops from Syria and reducing the US presence in Afghanistan.

Mattis wrote in his resignation that he and the president did not see eye to eye, adding that it was the president of the United States right to choose a defense secretary whose views were "better aligned" with the views of the Commander in Chief. However, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have voiced deep concern over his resignation.

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Hamas will not accept truncated Palestinian state in Gaza Strip, says spokesman

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 04:49PM

The Hamas resistance movement says it will not agree to the creation of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, warning that US President Donald Trump's so-called "deal of the century" is aimed at the establishment of a Palestinian state in the impoverished coastal enclave only.

"We reject this deal, which seeks to undermine the Palestinian cause by taking the issues of al-Quds and refugees off the table," Sami Abu Zuhri said in an exclusive interview with Turkey's official Anadolu news agency.

He added, "Our right extends to the whole Palestinian territories, not only the Gaza Strip. Our major goal is not only Gaza, but the liberation of all Palestine."

The senior Palestinian official further noted that the "deal of the century," the details of which Washington has yet to disclose, is a plan for regional peace rather than a solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

"The US administration seeks to normalize the Arab-Israeli ties and make Israel's existence inside the heart of the Arab region as normal," Abu Zuhri pointed out.

He said the months-long anti-occupation protests along the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and the occupied territories were part of efforts to abort the "deal of the century."

"Our struggle and sacrifices will make it difficult for those who promote this deal," Abu Zuhri commented.

The so-called deal, a back channel plan to allegedly reach a peace settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, was proposed by the US administration late last year. Although the plan has not been released, leaks signal it will consist of the same tried and failed ideas.

While little is known about the controversial deal, leaks have suggested that it entirely regards Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli territory, whereas Palestinians view the eastern sector of the occupied city as the capital of their future state.

Palestinians also believe that the US-drafted plan calls for keeping borders and security under Israeli control, while it keeps Israeli settlements' final borders to be discussed in later negotiations.

Last month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected the plan and decried it as efforts to separate the occupied West Bank from the Gaza Strip.

"The 'deal of the century' will not pass and the fate of the land of Palestine will be decided by the Palestinian people," Abbas said in a recorded speech aired on Palestine TV on November 10.

Abbas has described Trump's plan as "the slap of the century" and has boycotted the US administration since December 2017 when Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.

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UN advance team arrives in Yemen's Aden to monitor ceasefire in Hudaydah: Officials

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 03:26PM

An advance team of the United Nations has arrived in Yemen with the task of monitoring a fragile ceasefire in the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah recently agreed by the two warring parties, namely Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement and the country's former Saudi-backed government, local officials say.

Houthis, who are in control of large parts of Yemen including the capital Sana'a, and the armed militia loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi reached an agreement on a ceasefire in the Houthi-held port on December 13.

According to the agreement, which was signed during UN-brokered peace talks held in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Houthi fighters and Hadi's forces, which have had the city under a tight siege since June, must withdraw from the port and hand it over to UN observers.

On Friday, three days after the truce went into effect, the UN Security Council unanimously voted for a UK-drafted resolution to authorize the deployment of UN monitors to observe the implementation of the ceasefire for an initial 30 days.

The limited ceasefire and withdrawal, if implemented, could offer a potential breakthrough in the nearly four-year imposed war that has brought Yemen to the brink of starvation and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

On Saturday, the advance monitoring team, led by retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert, arrived at Aden airport, local officials said. Cammaert is due to meet with Hadi's top officials and then he is expected to continue to Sana'a where he will meet Houthi officials.

He will then travel to Hudaydah, where he will oversee the ceasefire and troop withdrawal from it and three other ports.

The UN monitoring team is due to secure the functioning of Hudaydah as well as supervising the withdrawal of fighters from the vital port.

The fragile ceasefire has halted months of heavy fighting in the port city, through whose docks more than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass, feeding the country's 30 million people.

Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh, and to crush the Houthis.

Hadi, who initially fled the country to Riyadh, managed to capture Aden in July 2015 with the military help of the regime in Riyadh after it fell in the hands of Houthis in September 2014.

Since then, Hadi, along with his supporters and militiamen, have turned the southern port city to their base, calling it the country's temporary capital, and have gone hand-in-hand with the Saudi-led war machine against his own people.

Over the past couple of years, Houthis have been running state affairs and defending Yemeni people against the Saudi brutal campaign.

The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead.

The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has already said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years.

A number of Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance.

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6 killed by Indian soldiers in new day of Kashmir unrest

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 02:13PM

On another deadly day in the disputed region of Kashmir, six people have been killed by Indian soldiers during an attack in the section of the region under the control of the New Delhi government.

On Saturday, Indian forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Tral area of Pulwama district, located south of Kashmir's main city Srinagar.

A gunfight ensued, culminating in the death of six Kashmiris, inspector general of police Swayam Prakash Pani said.

As the news of the killings spread, hundreds of people took to the streets in Tral in a public display of anger at the deadly event. They clashed with police. According to witnesses, tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.

Authorities have suspended train services in Kashmir Valley and shut down mobile internet services to prevent the unrest from spreading.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi strongly condemned the killings.

In a separate incident, India's army accused the Pakistani military of opening fire in the Keran sector of Kupwara district, killing two Indian officers. Pakistan did not comment on the Indian allegations.

There has been a recent flare-up of hostilities between Indian and Pakistani troops along the disputed de facto border in Kashmir. Each side accuses the other of provocation.

Since October 1947, Kashmir has been suffering from a war between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim full governance over the region but they each have partial control over it. Pakistan controls one-third of Kashmir, with the remaining two-thirds under India's control.

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Over a dozen killed in al-Shabab attacks in Somalia

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:40AM

Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants have claimed two deadly attacks close to the presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Somali police officials said the first explosion took place at a checkpoint outside Mogadishu's national theater, some 500 meters from the president's heavily fortified residence, sending a plume of smoke into air.

The second blast, more powerful and described as "very big" by witnesses, came minutes later at a nearby crossroads. At least 13 people were killed in the attacks.

"The first suicide car bomb at the checkpoint killed five people mostly security soldiers. Four others were injured. Death toll may rise. It is too early to have details of second blast," Major Mohamed Hussein told Reuters.

Police said a lawmaker, a deputy mayor of Mogadishu, and a colonel are among those killed.

A witness at the scene of the second blast said he saw at least two dead bodies, with al-Shabab Takfiri terrorist group announcing that the attack was aimed at targeting those who had responded to the first.

"We have confirmed seven people died in the two blasts and more than ten others wounded," local police spokesman Ibrahim Mohamed said. "The security forces have cordoned off the area and an investigation is ongoing."

Somalia's London-based Universal TV said three of its staff were among the fatalities in the Saturday twin blasts.

The al-Qaeda-linked militant outfit, which has long sought to topple Somalia's Western-backed government, was forced out of Mogadishu by African Union forces in 2011.

Al-Shabab militants have stepped up their attacks in the past months, launching attacks on civilian and government targets and killing and injuring many people.

The terrorist group has fought successive Somali governments as well as neighboring governments in Kenya and Uganda.

African Union forces have helped Somali government forces push the Takfiri terrorists out of the capital, Mogadishu, and large parts of the south and central Somalia. However, al-Shabab continues deadly attacks across the country.

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Russia offers to host Palestine-Israel, Hamas-Fatah meetings

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 02:59AM

Russia has officially proposed to organize a meeting between chief Palestinian and Israeli officials as part of wider efforts to resolve the conflict between the two sides.

The announcement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday at a press conference held after a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in Moscow.

"We see the desire of some external players to push the Palestinian problem into the background, depriving it of priority in regional affairs," Lavrov said.

To counter such attempts, the speediest restoration of Palestinian unity is of particular importance, he said.

He also expressed deep concern about the United States' stance on the Palestinian issue and its disregard for international resolutions.

During Friday's talks, Lavrov recalled that an intra-Palestinian dialogue was held in 2017, when participants discussed the possibility of repeating this practice in 2019 with the participation of all Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas.

The Israelis do not rule out in principle the possibility of a meeting, but they are not yet ready to agree on a concrete date because of the absence of unity between the Palestinians, Lavrov said.

Maliki, in turn, said the Palestinian side is always ready to accept the Russian invitation to hold a meeting with Israelis, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

He said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had accepted the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin to organize a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia, but the idea was rejected by the Israeli side.

Maliki further called on Russia and the international community to pressure Israel to abide by its agreements with the Palestinians and comply with the relevant international resolutions.

The Palestinian minister also stressed the need for finding an international mechanism on the basis of international references and resolutions, leading to a settlement based on a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian leadership has been divided between Fatah and Hamas since 2006, when the latter scored a landslide victory in parliamentary elections in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has ever since been running the coastal enclave, while Fatah has been based in the autonomous parts the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Previous reconciliation attempts by the two sides to form a power-sharing unity government in Gaza and the West Bank have failed.

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Officials said that incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Street clashes erupted in some parts of Tral as irate crowds took to the streets to mourn the dead but were confronted by police and other security forces, witnesses said.

Srinagar: Six militants associated with Al Qaedas India cell, Ansar Ghuzwat-Ul-Hind, were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Tral area of Jammu & Kashmirs southern Pulwama district on Saturday. The police said all the slain are local Kashmiris.

Ansar Ghuzwat-ul-Hind is headed by a former Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander, Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa. His deputy, Sualihah Muhammad Akhnoon, is among the dead, police sources said. The other slain militants have been identified as Rauf Mir, Nadeem Ahmed Sofi, Rasik Mir, Faisal Javed Khanday and Umar Ramzan.

A police spokesperson said in Srinagar that based on credible input about the presence of militants in Arampora village of Tral area in Awantipora belt of Pulwama, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces to flush them out on Saturday morning. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The security forces retaliated, leading to a gunfight, he said adding that in the ensuing encounter, six militants were killed. No collateral damage has been reported.

Officials said that incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Street clashes erupted in some parts of Tral as irate crowds took to the streets to mourn the dead but were confronted by police and other security forces, witnesses said. Later during the day, thousands of mourners attended the funeral of the slain militants.

A statement issued by the police here said that all the six militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.

Meanwhile, Five jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and their counterparts from Jammu & Kashmir police were injured in a grenade attack in Aarwani area of southern Anantnag district on Saturday.

Police sources said that the security forces were leaving Hassanpora village after conducting a cordon-and-search operation when they came under stone-pelting by an irate crowd. They responded by using force, including tear gas, against stone-pelters.

While the clash was on, a grenade was also hurled towards the security forces, leading to injuries.
UN Security Council authorizes monitors to observe ceasefire in Yemen's Hudaydah

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:16AM

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has voted unanimously to authorize the deployment of UN monitors to observe the implementation of a newly-agreed ceasefire in Yemen's vital port of Hudaydah and the pullout of rival forces from the flashpoint area.

The warring parties in Yemen -- the country's Houthi Ansarullah movement and the armed militia loyal to former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi -- reached an agreement on a ceasefire in the Red Sea Houthi-held port on December 13.

According to the agreement, which was signed during UN-brokered peace talks held in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Houthi fighters and Hadi's forces, which have put the city under a tight siege since June, must withdraw from the port and hand it over to UN observers.

On Friday, a UK-drafted resolution supporting the truce was adopted, the first UN resolution on the impoverished country in more than three years.

The limited ceasefire and withdrawal, if implemented, could offer a potential breakthrough in the nearly four-year imposed war that has brought Yemen to the brink of starvation and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Britain's UN Ambassador Karen Pierce praised the UNSC's unanimity "on this very important issue that affected so many millions of citizens in Yemen today."

"The most important matter now is that we turn to urgent implementation. It's vital that the parties follow through on their commitments to pave the way for a formal re-launch of (peace) negotiations, and at the same time deliver real improvements on the ground that make a tangible difference to ordinary Yemenis," she added.

The fragile truce, which went into effect on Tuesday, has halted months of heavy fighting in Hudaydah, through whose docks more than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric urged all parties "to abide by the commitments made in Stockholm." He added that retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert, who is heading the UN monitoring operation in Yemen, has already deployed to the region with a small advance team.

"We'll be deploying additional personnel in the coming days as we scale up to support and facilitate the implementation of the agreement," he further said, stressing that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is insisting that monitors are deployed very "quickly."

Dujarric also said the monitoring team, whose members will not wear uniforms but will be clearly identified as being from the UN, will include some observers from other UN missions.

The resolution authorizes the UN chief "to establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days ... an advance team to begin monitoring and to support and facilitate the immediate implementation of the Stockholm agreement."

It also endorses the truce agreement, a prisoner exchange agreement, and a "statement of understanding" aimed at reducing fighting in the central city of Ta'izz, another hotspot in the Yemeni conflict.

The resolution also requests Guterres to submit proposals "as soon as possible before December 31" on how the UN will fully support the truce, the redeployment of the rival forces from the port city and other provisions in the agreement.

Meanwhile, at least four people were killed in Yemen's province of Jawf after Saudi warplanes' airstrikes hit an ambulance. According to the Yemeni Health Ministry, the victims were paramedics.

Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Saudi-backed Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh.

The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Furthermore, armed militia forces loyal to Hadi, in line with invaders, launched frequent attacks against Yemeni people in regions held by Houthis.

Since the onset of aggression, the Yemeni army, backed by fighters from Houthi Ansarullah movement, has been defending the impoverished nation against the invaders. The coalition is also resolute to crush the movement as another goal in its war on Yemen, which is teetering on the edge of famine.

The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead.

The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has already said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years.

A number of Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance.

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Bulgarian Military Urges Government Talks With U.S. For F-16 Jet Deal

December 22, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgarian- military-urges-government-talks-with-u-s -for-f16-jet-deal/29671109.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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Yemeni Government Welcomes UN Security Council's Resolution 2451 on Yemen

Saudi Press Agency

Saturday 1440/4/15 - 2018/12/22

Aden, Dec 22, 2018, SPA -- Yemeni Government welcomed UN Security Council's Resolution 2451 which reaffirmed the international community's commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen.

It stressed the need to reach a comprehensive political solution based on the three references.

The Yemeni legitimate government also welcomed the call to abide by Stockholm Agreement according to the timetables set for it, including the withdrawal of Al-Houthi militias from the city of Hodeida and its port as well as from the ports of Salif and Ras Issa, in addition to the implementation of the mechanism of the prisoner exchange agreement and the declaration of understandings in the city of Taiz.

This came in a statement issued by the Yemeni legitimate government and quoted by the official Yemeni news.

--SPA

12:03 LOCAL TIME 09:03 GMT

0004

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'A Blow to Morale': Afghanistan Generals Bemoan US Withdrawal Plans

Sputnik News

08:00 22.12.2018(updated 08:12 22.12.2018)

Afghanistan military forces voiced concern that rumoured US withdrawal from the country would complicate their negotiations with the Taliban* and embolden Daesh** terrorists.

Afghan generals have voiced concern over rumors of US forces' withdrawal from the country, fearing that this would give the Taliban radical movement the upper hand and completely disinterest them in engaging in negotiations, which they were reluctant to do in the first place. Even worse, the US withdrawal might lead to the total collapse of Afghan National Security and Defense Force under the strikes of the Taliban insurgency, the military believes.

"I believe the Taliban will see this as a reason to stall, and therefore it disincentives the Taliban to actually talk to the Afghan government, which it has refused to do," says Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

"A complete withdrawal of US forces would very likely cause the Taliban to make gains in key areas throughout Afghanistan," he added. "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."

The forces of the officially recognised government used to rely heavily on the US forces stationed in the country  especially the airpower  since 2014, when a large contingent of NATO troops withdrew from the country, leaving the Afghans in charge of their own security. Since the withdrawal, what little forces remained in the country, retreated mostly to training and the advisory role.

US President Trump has long pushed to pull the troops out of Afghanistan. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to reduce US's involvement in conflicts abroad. Curiously, in 2017, Trump actually increased US forces in Afghanistan by 3,000 troops.

The announcement to withdraw troops from Afghanistan came mere hours after the order to withdraw US forces from Syria, apparently catching US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad completely by surprise.

"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," says Daniel Markey, senior research professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

Speaking in an interview for Afghan TV hours before withdrawal plans were announced, Khalilzad 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 US-led invasion.

Naturally, the Taliban have welcomed Trump's announcement. An anonymous Taliban official told Associated Press that the movement officials think the withdrawal could help the peace process because it could "lead to trust building that the US wants a political solution."

Judging by disclosures of Afghanistan military officials, the military forces are in disarray. The officials, who spoke to AP, said Afghan government troops are undertrained, poorly equipped, while morale is already dangerously low. The army is riddled with failing equipment, poor reinforcements movement and even food shortage.

US troops invaded Afghanistan in November 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks. Over 16,000 soldiers from 39 NATO countries are currently serving in Afghanistan as part of the mission, with the majority of the contingent being the US soldiers.

* Daesh and the Taliban are terrorist groups, banned in Russia

 Sputnik

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Reactions Mixed to US Drawdown in Afghanistan

By Hasib Danish Alikozai, Mohammad Habibzada December 22, 2018

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 it's 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 Washington's 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.

"I'm 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.

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.

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.

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 driver's 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.

VOA's Ayaz Gul contributed to this report from Islamabad.

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Sudan Protests Reportedly Spread to More Than a Half-Dozen Cities

By Edward Yeranian December 22, 2018

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.

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China begins space-based broadband project

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 10:58, December 22, 2018

China launched a communications satellite on Saturday, marking the start of construction of a vast space-based communications network capable of covering the entire world with broadband internet service.

The first satellite in the Hongyun project, which was planned by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) to be the country's first low-orbit broadband communications satellite constellation, was launched on Saturday at 7:51 am on a Long March 11 carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The spacecraft is tasked with verifying basic designs of Hongyun satellite and demonstrating low-orbit broadband communications technologies.

Its main payloads are Ka-band transponders and transmission antennae. It also carries several scientific and technical devices to explore Hongyun system's applications in scientific research, environmental survey as well as air and sea transportation, CASIC said in a statement.

Weighing 247 kilograms, the satellite works in a sun-synchronous orbit about 1,100kilometers above earth. It is powered by solar arrays and has a design life of one year, but is expected to operate longer, according to Xiang Kaiheng, Hongyun's chief designer at CASIC Space Engineering Development Co Ltd in Beijing, which is responsible for developing and running the Hongyun constellation.

After a yearlong in-orbit technological demonstration by the satellite, CASIC plans to launch four mass-production Hongyun satellites before the end of 2020 to form a small network for Hongyun's trial run, he said.

The Hongyun project, started by CASIC in September 2016, aims to build a space-based communications network to provide broadband internet connectivity to users around the world, especially those in underserved regions.

CASIC currently intends to place more than 150 Hongyun satellites on orbits about 1,000 kilometers above the ground around 2023, while the constellation is likely to be further expanded in response to market demands, the designer said.

Globally, the concept of running a low-cost, high-performance satellite network to provide space-based communications and internet services has become popular among industry players.

The United States' SpaceX launched two experimental satellites last month to test technologies for its Starlink project, in which tech tycoon Elon Musk proposes to put a total of nearly 12,000 satellites into orbit by the mid-2020s.

Another US firm, OneWeb, plans to launch a satellite constellation of 648 low-Earth orbit microsatellites by the end of 2019, though few developments have been reported.

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China's first private rocket production base begins operation

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 11:06, December 22, 2018

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.

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SpaceX Pospones Launch of US Air Force's First GPS III Satellite...Again

Sputnik News

17:45 22.12.2018

SpaceX made another attempt of launching a Falcon 9 rocket for the US Air Force GPS III mission. The launch was initially scheduled for December 18 and was later postponed due to technical and weather issues.

SpaceX's 4th attempt to launch a US military satellite has been postponed due to strong upper-level winds. The next launch attempt is to take place on December 23, according to Space X officials.

The satellite called "Vespucci" after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci had to be deployed to medium Earth orbit approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX's official web-page.

The launch attempt took place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The official press release says that "SpaceX will not attempt to land Falcon 9's first stage after launch".

Earlier, there were two 26-minute launch windows  on December 18 and on December 19.

 Sputnik

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China Successfully Launches 1st Satellite of Newest Hongyun Project

Sputnik News

09:47 22.12.2018(updated 09:49 22.12.2018)

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China on 22 December successfully launched the first satellite of its Hongyun project, which seeks to create a network of communication satellites on the low Earth orbit in order to provide stable internet connection to the country's remote regions, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) said.

The satellite was launched atop the Long March-11 rocket at 07:51 a.m. on 22 December [23:51 GMT on 21 December] from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest of the country. The satellite successfully reached the preset orbit after the launch.

As part of its Hongyun project, China plans to bring 156 communication satellites to the low Earth orbit by 2025.

Chinese engineers have reportedly developed two models of the satellite  the basic and advanced ones. The payload of the advanced model can reach up to 600 kilograms (1,322 pounds), while the basic model can carry up to 500 kilograms.

In 1975, China successfully launched and returned its first recoverable satellite, becoming the third country in the world after the Soviet Union and the United States to do so.

 Sputnik

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The LJP will also be given a Rajya Sabha berth and Paswan is likely to be its candidate.

The announcement came after Amit Shahs meeting with Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan earlier in the day. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: After days of negotiations, BJP has finally worked out a seat-sharing formula with JD(U) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar. The deal comes on expected lines with the BJP and Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) getting 17 seats each and Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janashakti Party bagging 6.

Addressing the media in New Delhi, BJP chief Amit Shah announced that the party and JD(U) will contest 17 seats each while LJP will fight the elections on remaining six seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.

The LJP will also be given a Rajya Sabha berth and Paswan is likely to be its candidate.

Shah also said the alliance would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and added that there was no difference of any kind within the NDA in Bihar.

"All allies will soon decide on distribution of Lok Sabha constituencies among them for fielding their candidates in 2019," Shah added.

Amid talks of growing discontent among the NDA allies in Bihar, which further escalated following Upendra Kushwahas exit from the alliance, several meetings between Shah, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley and LJPs Chirag Paswan were held over the last few days.

Ram Vilas Paswan was reportedly miffed over Rajya Sabha seat he was promised by the BJP when the 50:50 seat-sharing formula was announced.

Recently, Chirag Paswan told the media that the BJP had digressed to 'non-issues' like the Ram temple and had demanded urgent steps to return to the 'real issue' of development. He also expressed unhappiness over seat sharing and warned the saffron party of consequences if seat sharing was not finalised.

However, after the announcement today, Ram Vilas Paswan claimed there was never a problem in the alliance as he has nurtured the "NDA tree" for five years under Modi's leadership. A government under Modi will be formed again, he said.

The Dalit leader also thanked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who played a role in brokering peace between his party and the BJP.

In his comments, the Bihar chief minister, who enjoys good equations with Paswan, said that the alliance is committed to development in Bihar and will work towards ensuring NDAs win in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The deal suggests a victory of sorts for the LJP, which had adopted an aggressive stand seeking a better bargain from the BJP after the exit of Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP from the ruling alliance.

Kumar too has managed to underline his importance for the saffron party, which will now contest on fewer number of seats than it had contested in 2014 and won 22 of them.

(With PTI inputs)
China Conducts First Test of Russian S-400 Air Defence Systems - Reports

Sputnik News

13:28 22.12.2018

China was the first foreign state to sign a $3 billion contract in 2015 to buy two cutting edge air defence systems from Russia, which arrived in the Asian state in May 2018.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has conducted a successful test of one of the Russian S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) air defence systems, which were supplied in May 2018, Russian media reported. During the test the S-400 reportedly shot down a ballistic target almost 250 kilometres away and moving at a speed of around 3 kilometres per second.

According to the report, the opposing force on the drills actively used jamming equipment to test the S-400's ability to withstand methods of electronic warfare and still strike down targets.

Chinese officials haven't commented on the report yet.

The $3 billion contract to supply S-400s to China was signed back in 2015, with first system arriving in 2018. The last components of the second S-400 arrived only in May after a slight delay  some of them were damaged in storms during the initial shipment and were later replaced by the manufacturer.

Following the signing of the contract with China, several other states expressed interest in the S-400s, including India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and others.

The S-400 is cutting edge Russian air defence system, capable of detecting and shooting down targets, including ballistic missiles, enemy jets and drones, at ranges up to 600 kilometres at altitudes between 10 metres and 27 kilometres. Each system can simultaneously shell 36 targets moving at speeds of up to 4,800 metres per second with 72 ground-to-air missiles.

 Sputnik

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IRGC's maneuver in Persian Gulf ends successfully

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA -- The maneuver of 'Great Prophet 12(PBUP)', which began on December 15th with the deployment of forces from the provinces of Fars, Kerman and Tehran to the Persian Gulf and Qeshm Island, today ended successfully.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) showed the authority and readiness of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran to protect the Persian Gulf coast by conducting this exercise in the south of the country.

In this defensive exercise, rapid reaction forces, Special Forces, assault and reconnaissance UAVs, assault helicopters, transportation, mechanized, engineering and demolition units, command and control systems, and Zolfaqar Brigade Division 1 of IRGC's naval force were present.

Commander of the Ground Forces of IRGC Mohammad Pakpour said about the exercise, 'The exercise was at an operational level, in the sense that if the enemy wants to threaten, we will become fully aggressive and offensive, and we will pursue the targets in the depth of the enemy front.'

Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said the exercise of the 'Great Prophet 12 (PBUH)' is in fact a decisive answer to all the absurd claims of the enemies.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari emphasized on Saturday at the final stage of the exercise of the Great Prophet 12 (PBUH) in the Persian Gulf region, 'Hopefully, our enemies, more than ever, have discovered the ability of our harsh response to their actions.'

9455**2050

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Commander: Armed forces ready to fight threats

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Bandar Abbas, Dec 22, IRNA -- The armed forces are not only monitoring and evaluating enemy's moves and threats, but also they have the readiness to fight any threat, a senior commander said Saturday.

Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters made the remarks on the sidelines of the final stage of the 'Great Prophet-12' military exercise which was launched in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran.

Iran's defensive power is increasing to fight against any provocative and interventionist act in the region and has been organized to confront any threat, he said.

Iran attaches importance to security of the neighbors and is trying to establish friendly relations with them, Major General Rashid added.

He also warned any country which is aimed at having intervention in the region to pay the most price for its provocative behaviors.

The drills were launched with the slogan of durable security under the shadow of national unity and modern defensive capacities.

Also present at the event were Islamic Republic Guards Corps Commander-in-Chief Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC Briagadier General Hossein Salami.

9376**2050

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US presence in region, mistake from beginning: Iran's FM spox

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA -- The presence of US troops in the region was from the outset a mistake and it has always been among the major destabilizing factors in the region, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Saturday.

Regarding the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, Bahram Qassemi said, the presence of US forces in the region was a wrong, irrational and tension-inducing move, giving rise to regional instability and insecurity.

'The detailed examination of the region's developments during recent decades and to this day shows the presence of the foreign element under various pretexts in this important and sensitive area bore no fruit except creating tension and insecurity and escalating disputes.'

Donald Trump announced on Thursday US military forces will soon pull out from Syria.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump's decision has been made in consultation with the country's top officials and he agrees with the president on the issue.

Following the decision, Secretary of Defense James Mattis who reportedly was at odds with Trump stepped down.

'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,' read part of his resignation letter to Trump.

9477**1771

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IRGC starts Great Prophet-12 military drills in Persian Gulf

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Bandar Abbas, Dec 22, IRNA -- The final stage of the 'Great Prophet-12' military exercise launched in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran on Saturday.

The drills were launched with the slogan of durable security under the shadow of national unity and modern defensive capacities.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the event, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Khakpour said that the military and reconnaissance drones as well as military, transport and cargo helicopters, electronic warfare equipment, engineering units, control and command systems and Zolfaqar flotilla involved in the exercise.

The 'Great Prophet-12' military exercise is being held in strategic and defensive levels and in line with addressing enemies' possible threats, General Khakpour said.

The IRGC ground forces' experiences in fighting terrorism and establishing security at border points have resulted in creating new tactical doctrines some part of which are being displayed during the current event, he said.

The military drills are aimed at realizing deterrent and defensive equations, he said, adding that Iran is not regarded as a threat for any country.

Also present at the event were IRGC commander Major-General Mohammad-Ali Jafari, Commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters Brigadier General Gholamali Rashid and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) General Hossein Salami.

9376**2044

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Iran: US troops 'wrong from start, source of tension'

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:21AM

Iran says the US military presence in the region has been "wrong and a source of tension" after President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

"From the start, the entry and presence of American forces in the region has been a mistake, illogical and a source of tension and inflammation, and a main cause of instability and insecurity," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Saturday.

In a reversal from previously stated US policy, President Trump on Wednesday ordered a "full" and "rapid" withdrawal of US troops from Syria as he vowed the United States would no longer be the "policeman of the Middle East".

On Friday, the US president was reported to have ordered the start of withdrawing some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the war-torn country.

The United States currently has around 2,000 forces deployed in Syria in two areas along the Turkish and Iraqi borders.

In Afghanistan, the US currently has a contingent of roughly 14,000 troops, besides 16,000 NATO and allied forces.

"A detailed study of the history of the region's developments over the past decades also shows that the presence of an external element under various excuses in this sensitive and important area has had no result except tension, insecurity, and escalation of differences," Qassemi said.

The US has repeatedly come under criticism from the regional governments for targeting civilians and destroying their infrastructure.

US troops have been deployed to Syria without the country's consent and a UN mandate.

Afghanistan came under the US invasion in 2011 with the purported aim of toppling the Taliban but the militant group is now stronger than even and engaged in peace talks with the Americans.

Meanwhile, both Syria and Afghanistan remain in ruins after years of war with foreign-backed militants and airstrikes by Western powers.

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Japan reports 'extremely dangerous' radar lock after unveiling record military budget

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 07:55AM

Japan has strongly protested to South Korea, saying a South Korean warship had locked its targeting radar on a Japanese surveillance aircraft.

It described the move as "extremely dangerous that could cause an unexpected situation" after unveiling a record military budget in the clearest indication yet of Japan's ambition to become a regional power.

"It's extremely regrettable that the incident of this time happened. We will urge South Korea to prevent a recurrence," Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference.

Iwaya said the South Korean destroyer directed the radar at a Japanese navy's P-1 patrol aircraft, which was engaged in surveillance operations on Thursday off the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan.

Fire control radar is commonly used by military forces to pinpoint the location of a target prior to firing missiles or shells at it.

Iwaya said the incident happened amid a need for greater coordination between the two Asian neighbors to tackle issues such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, maritime security, as well as natural disasters.

South Korean defense ministry described the action of its naval destroyer as a routine operation in an official statement.

"We were operating a radar as part of the operation but it was not intended to trace any Japanese patrol aircraft."

The statement said, "We've spoken with the Japanese side on this issue but will provide further explanations so that there is no misunderstanding going forward."

The incident came amid rising concerns in the region after Japan unveiled a record military budget in its bid to purchase advanced stealth jet fighters from the US and convert two ships into aircraft carriers.

Tokyo and Seoul have a hostile history that includes Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean peninsula, the forced mobilization of labor at Japanese companies and the use of so-called comfort women for institutionalized sexual abuse by its soldiers during World War II.

A Chinese naval vessel directed a similar radar at a Japanese warship in early 2013, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to advise Beijing against stoking tension over disputed East China Sea islands.

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Russia warns of global conflict if US withdraws from INF treaty

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 04:44PM

Russia has warned that the potential scrapping of the Cold War-era nuclear arms agreement by the United States may lead to a global conflict after a proposal by Moscow for preserving the pact was rejected in a United Nations vote.

Moscow had submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly to preserve the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Washington, following Washington's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the nuclear pact.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the UN had failed to vote in favor of the proposal.

"A new blow has been dealt on the global architecture of security and stability. Now, with the collapse of the INF treaty, several global regions could be plunged into the or even into a direct confrontation," it said.

The statement came one day after the UN rejected the Russian-drafted resolution which would have called on Moscow and Washington to strengthen compliance for the INF treaty.

Over the past months, the White House has been repeatedly accusing the Kremlin of violating the INF. Moscow, for its part, strongly rejected such allegations, calling them unfounded.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Washington's decision to pull out of the milestone pact "is one step towards an arms race."

Putin said that his country could easily develop and deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles if the United States carries out a threat to withdraw from the treaty.

He also warned that the US decision, which may even "ruin" arms control system, "causes serious concern" and might have "very negative consequences and will noticeably weaken regional and global security."

US President Donald Trump said on October 20 that Washington would withdraw from the INF, which was signed towards the end of Cold War in 1987 by then President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev said at the time that US decision to ditch the Cold War-era nuclear weapons agreement with Russia could lead to the collapse of the current non-proliferation mechanism.

The treaty banned all land-based missiles with ranges of 310 to 3,420 miles and included missiles carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. The original ban between Moscow and Washington led to the elimination of 2,692 missiles.

The Cold War-era treaty, which rid Europe of land-based nuclear missiles, has also come into question against a backdrop of renewed tensions between the West and Russia.

Moscow's relations with the West remain tense over the Ukrainian crisis, the foreign-sponsored war in Syria and the allegations of Russian interference in the US presidential poll in 2016.

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Russian Fighter Jets Moved To Annexed Ukrainian Region

December 22, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-fighter-jets-moved- to-annexed-ukrainian-region/29671102.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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US-coalition attacks kill 30 civilians in eastern Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA -- The US-led coalition's attack on Deir ez-Zor Province, eastern Syria has killed 30 civilians on Friday night, French media reported.

The attack happened 24 hours after US unexpected act to withdraw American forces from Syria.

Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdul Rahman said that at least 27 of those who were killed were from Al-Shaafah Village.

Eight children were also killed in these attacks, he added.

He went on to say that the casualties count is subject to increase.

The US and some of its allies on the pretext of fighting Daesh (ISIS) created a so-called international coalition in August 2014.

The coalition has been formed without any coordination with Syrian government.

Many innocent civilians have so far been killed in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah and Aleppo and the Syrian infrastructures were also damaged.

9376**1771

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Maj Gen was posted in Northeast when alleged incident took place in 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir for the disciplinary proceedings.

As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: In a big development, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harassment case.

"The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 am today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," sources told ANI here.

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," they said.

As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence.

Adv Anand Kumar, representing the Major General in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the "GCM court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and decision has been passed in a haste."

The Major General was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under Army's Western Command for the disciplinary proceedings.

Sources said the officer has denied the charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer.

In a plea filed before the before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of Army Chief in that year.

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned.

The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him with the documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter.

The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years.

In 2007, a Maj Gen had to quit Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.
France vows support for Syria militants amid US pullout

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:50AM

A French official says his country has pledged backing for the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed anti-Damascus alliance of mainly Kurdish militants, amid the planned withdrawal of American troops from the Arab country.

The Elysee Palace official said that advisers to French President Emmanuel Macron had assured SDF of their support in a meeting with the group's figures, including co-chairs Ilham Ahmed and Riad Darrar, in Paris on Friday.

"The advisers passed on a message of support and solidarity and explained to them the talks France had with US authorities to continue the fight against Daesh," the official added.

The remarks came two days after President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced that the US would be pulling all its 2,000 forces out of Syria. He also claimed victory over the Daesh Takfiri terror outfit in the war-torn state.

However, France, a leading member of the US-led coalition, purportedly fighting Daesh in Syria, said that it would keep troops in Syria.

"For now of course we remain in Syria," France's European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on CNews television, noting "the fight against terrorism is not over."

Separately, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Paris had started talks with Washington on the timeframe and conditions for the US's Syria withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Turkey, which has opposed American support for the SDF because it believes they are the same group as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), stressed that it would take over the fight against Daesh in Syria.

In a speech in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would mobilize to fight the remaining Daesh elements and temporarily delay plans to attack Kurdish militants in Syria's northeast.

American and Turkish officials told The Associated Press that Trump had made the decision for the Syria pullout during the December 14 telephone conversation with Erdogan.

On Thursday, Turkish Defense Minister General Hulusi Akar warned that Kurdish militants operating east of the Euphrates River would be "buried in the ditches" they dig.

"Now we have Manbij and the east of the Euphrates in front of us. We are working intensively on this subject," he was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency.

"Right now it is being said that some ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and to the east of the Euphrates. They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want, they can go underground if they want, when the time and place comes, they will buried in the ditches they dug. No one should doubt this."

US soothes Iraq concerns

In another development on Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi that Washington would continue operations in the Arab country despite the Syria exit.

Abdul-Mahdi's office said in a statement that he had "received a phone call from Pompeo who explained the details of the upcoming withdrawal from Syria and affirmed the United States is still committed to fight Daesh and terrorism in Iraq and other areas."

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US jets kill dozens in Syria after Trump announces pullout

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 06:06AM

The US and its allies have conducted air raids on Syria's eastern Dayr al-Zawr province, killing more than two dozen people, including eight children.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the deadly strikes hit the village of al-Sha'afa, situated on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, on Friday.

"At least 27 people were killed this morning in al-Sha'afa," SOHR head Rami Abdel Rahman said, adding that several people were seriously injured in the US-led coalition attacks.

He further noted that eight children were among the civilian victims of the airstrikes.

Al-Shaafa and Hajin are the two main villages in the last pocket of territory still occupied by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Dayr al-Zawr near the Iraqi border.

The Syrian army managed to liberate Dayr Al-Zawr city from the grip of Daesh in November 2017.

The US and its allies have been bombarding what they call Daesh positions inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.

The aerial assaults have failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism, but destroyed much of Syria's infrastructure and left many civilian casualties.

The fresh US air raids came two days after President Donald Trump announced an abrupt decision to pull out American troops from Syria after claiming victory over Daesh there.

The Pentagon also confirmed that it had started the process of withdrawing all 2,000 American troops from Syria

Trump's announcement, however, raised concerns among Washington's European and regional allies, which have long been supporting a myriad of anti-Damascus militants.

Analysts described US forces' withdrawal from Syria as a victory for Damascus and its allies, which was made possible through the resistance of the Syrian nation and government during the foreign-sponsored militancy in the Arab country.

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France Reportedly Promised Kurdish SDF Support Amid US Withdrawal from Syria

Sputnik News

21:03 22.12.2018

The White House has announced the withdrawal of its troops from Syria within the next 100 days with President Trump stating that the US had managed to defeat Daesh* and thus should no longer stay in the Arab Republic.

Advisers to French President Emmanuel Macron met with representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Kurdish militants and assured them of future support from Paris, Iranian PressTV reported, citing anonymous French official.

The advisers passed on a message of support and solidarity and explained to them the talks France had with US authorities to continue the fight against Daesh", the official reportedly said.

The information surfaced soon after the US announced the withdrawal of its military forces from the Arab Republic. The US president noted that Washington had deployed its troops in Syria to eliminate Daesh* and that with the competition of that task, they can finally return home.

At the same time, France has decided to keep its presence in Syria and continue the fight against the remaining terrorist forces.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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'All Quiet on Southern Front': Rebels Claim US Troops Still Present in al-Tanf

Sputnik News

18:19 22.12.2018

The White House announced the withdrawal of the country's troops from Syria within next the 100 days, stating that with the defeat of Daesh* forces in the region their mission was finally over.

The head of the US-backed Maghawir al-Thawra group in Syria, Muhanad al Talaa told Reuters that American troops' presence at the al-Tanf camp remains at the same level so far, despite the recent announcement about the US contingent's withdrawal from Syria.

"American troops plan to withdraw completely from Syria but I don't have details and things are as they are up until this moment", he said.

Earlier, Muhanad al Talaa told BuzzFeed that US troops were preparing to leave the al-Tanf base, whose presence there have been criticised by Russia. The chief of the Russian General Staff announced on 5 December that Moscow had offered to establish a joint Russian-US control over the zone instead.

The al-Tanf garrison is situated at a strategic point close to Syria's borders with Jordan and Iraq, on a crossroads with the Baghdad-Damascus highway. This is the only point of major US troop presence in Syria's south with the rest of the American troops located in the north along with Kurdish forces.

Damascus earlier slammed the US presence in al-Tanf as illegal and demanded Washington withdraw its troops from there, since they were not invited by the Syrian authorities and do not have a UN mandate.

The US announced that is was withdrawing its forces from Syria on 19 December. US President Donald Trump noted that since defeating Daesh* was the only goal of US military, the troops must now return home since the terrorists had been eliminated.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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Erdogan Phone Call on Syria Triggered Mattis's Resignation  Reports

Sputnik News

14:46 22.12.2018(updated 14:47 22.12.2018)

US President Donald Trump took to Twitter earlier this week to announce that Defence Secretary James Mattis would resign on 28 February 2019.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis's departure from the White House was spurred by a phone conversation between Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which POTUS decided to withdraw troops from Syria, The Associated Press reported, citing two US officials and a Turkish official briefed on the matter.

According to the insiders, the call took place on 14 December  just a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed to have the two presidents discuss Erdogan's threats to kick off a military operation against US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria.

The sources claim that Trump, who previously convinced his Turkish counterpart not to put US troops at risk, made a U-turn, thus siding with Erdogan, while Pompeo, Mattis and other national security officials tried to talk him out of it.

"The talking points were very firm. Everybody said push back and try to offer [Turkey] something that's a small win, possibly holding territory on the border, something like that", one of the sources told AP.

Erdogan allegedly reminded Trump that he had on multiple occasions said that the only reason for US troops to maintain a presence in Syria was to crush Daesh*, and that the terrorist group had been 99 percent defeated.

According to the sources, POTUS immediately asked his national security adviser John Bolton to clarify why American forces remained in Syria if Erdogan's words were true.

Bolton purportedly said that the Turkish president's point had been backed up by Mattis, Pompeo, US special envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey and special envoy for the anti-Daesh coalition Brett McGurk, who claimed that terrorists retained only one percent of their territory.

At the same time, the insiders alleged, that Bolton noted that the national security team agreed that a win over Daesh had to be "enduring".

Trump, according to the officials, pledged to withdraw, leaving both Bolton and Erdogan in a state of shock. Although Erdogan cautioned him against a hasty pullout, Trump reiterated that he would deliver on his promise as their conversation came to an end. A similar account is reported by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.

While Turkish officials are yet to comment on the claims, the US National Security Council rejected the description of the call.

"In no uncertain terms, reporting throughout this story is not true. It is clear from the context that this false version of events is from sources who lack authority on the subject, possibly unnamed sources in Turkey", National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis was cited by AP as saying.

Mattis and other high-ranking officials reportedly sought to change Trump's mind over the weekend, but did not succeed. On 20 December, he handed over his resignation letter to POTUS, suggesting that Trump had the right to have a defence secretary "whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects", without specifying the exact reason for his abrupt decision.

Mattis's resignation followed Trump's Wednesday decision to pull out all 2,000 troops from Syria starting immediately after he declared victory over Daesh.

*Daesh, also known as IS/ISIS/Islamic State, is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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Turkey to Delay Offensive on US-Backed Forces in Syria

By Rikar Hussein, Ezel Sahinkaya December 21, 2018

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Turkey Won't Drop S-400 Deal Despite Trump's Promise to Sell Patriots - Report

Sputnik News

16:48 22.12.2018

The US has been attempting to thwart the Russian S-400 air defence systems' sale to Turkey ever since the contract was signed in December 2017, threatening to halt F-35 jet shipments to Ankara. In its latest attempt to dismantle the deal, the US State Department approved the sale of US-made Patriot systems to Turkey.

Turkey has "zero chance to drop S-400" deal with Russia despite the US planning to sell its Patriot defence systems to Ankara, Hurriyet Daily News reported citing an anonymous diplomatic sources. The source added that Turkey is going to try and convince Washington that it will take all measures to develop its own software to prevent any alleged problems over the S-400 deployment.

Hurriyet's source also shared that US President Donald Trump assured his Turkish colleague Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Congress will not thwart the proposed sale of Patriot missile systems to Ankara, which received a green light from the US State Department earlier this week. Trump reportedly didn't elaborate how he was going to ensure the fulfilment of this promise.

The media's diplomatic source also added that apart from his promise on the Patriot sale, Trump vowed that there will be no problem with F-35 jet deliveries, which came into question after Turkey struck a deal with Russia to buy the S-400 systems.

The supplies of the newest fifth generation jets to Turkey are being threatened by a bill, adopted earlier by the US Congress, requiring the US Defence Department to present a report on the possibility of Russian defence systems in Turkey revealing sensitive data about the F-35s and sending it to Moscow. Without a report from the Defence Department, the F-35 deliveries to Turkey will be impossible.

The issue was raised in the US Congress after Turkey signed a $2.5 billion contract with Russia to buy its S-400 air defence systems in December 2017. Ankara pointed out then that it would gladly buy missile systems produced by the US and its allies, if it would have been given such an option.

 Sputnik

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Defence Secretary reaffirms support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression

The Defence Secretary visited the crew of HMS Echo docked at the Ukrainian port of Odesa

22 December 2018

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson reaffirmed the United Kingdom's commitment to working closely with Ukraine in the face of shared threats when he met Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak on a visit to Odesa.

Mr Williamson visited Royal Navy vessel HMS ECHO, whose planned deployment to the Black Sea and Ukraine he accelerated. This is a clear demonstration of the UK's unwavering support both to Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and freedom of navigation. This followed the latest in a pattern of Russian hostile acts, the illegal seizure of Ukrainian vessels and 24 servicemen by Russia last month.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"The UK is a steadfast partner to Ukraine as it faces continued illegal acts of aggression against its sovereignty."

"HMS Echo's deployment is a further demonstration of our resolute support and commitment to cooperate with the Ukrainian military."

While in Odesa the Defence Secretary also gained an insight into the personal cost Russia's actions have wreaked on the people of Ukraine when he met with families of the detained servicemen.

He reaffirmed that the UK stood shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the international community in calling for their immediate release.

In conversations with Mr Poltorak the Defence Secretary discussed the progress being made on the UK's military training mission to Ukraine Operation Orbital, which he announced would be extended until 2020 on his last visit in September.

Further to the deployment of HMS Echo  whose passage through the Black Sea was notified to regional authorities through the Montreux Convention  the UK will also be offering support and mentoring to the Ukrainian Navy and deploying training teams made up from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Army in January and March 2019.

The UK and Ukrainian Armed Forces will also gain further opportunities to develop capability and share expertise by committing to bilateral exercises next year.

Since the start of 2015, British personnel have trained over 9,500 of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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US provides Ukraine with additional $10 million in military aid

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 22, 2018 09:13AM

The United States says it will provide an additional $10 million in military aid to Ukraine to boost its naval capability, after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships off the coast of Crimea last month.

The State Department announced the decision on Friday, urging Moscow to "immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews."

Last month, Russian naval forces seized two Ukrainian armored artillery vessels and a tug boat, saying they had illegally entered its territorial waters.

The flotilla, it said, had not notified Russia of its plans in advance and ignored warnings to stop while maneuvering dangerously.

The State Department called on Russia "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."

The Sea of Azov is a strategic ocean route linked to the Black Sea by the narrow Strait of Kerch where Russia has built a bridge to link the Crimean Peninsula with the mainland.

Tensions escalated earlier this year after Ukraine detained two Russian ships for port calls on Crimea, which rejoined Russia in a 2014 referendum.

The move prompted Russia to increase patrols off its Azov coast to guarantee free navigation by Russian ships.

Following the November incident, the European Union said tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait had "increased dangerously," and that Russia must restore freedom of passage.

EU extends sanctions against Russia

The European Council said on Friday that the bloc formally agreed to extend its economic sanctions against Moscow by six more months.

The council said it had adopted its decision on the extension of sanctions unanimously.

The measures, focused on financial, energy and defense sectors, as well as dual-use goods, will last until July 2019.

The sanctions were initially imposed in July 2014 after Crimea rejoined Russia. The West, which brands the reunification as annexation of the Crimean territory, accuses Moscow of having a hand in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a charge Russia denies.

'UK ship in Ukraine to send message to Russia'

Amid the simmering tensions between Russia and Ukraine, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said they have sent a Royal Navy ship to the Black Sea in support of Kiev and that the Black Sea did not belong to Russia.

Williamson, who was in a visit to Kiev on Friday, said the navy ship, HMS Echo, which has docked at the port of Odessa earlier this week, was sending a strong message to Moscow.

"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," he said.

Russia says the Royal Navy vessel is used to collect data about the ocean, calling it a spy ship.

Russia expels Swedish diplomat

Russia on Friday called on a Swedish diplomat to leave the country after the government in Stockholm denied diplomatic visa to two Russian diplomats, according to the Swedish foreign ministry.

"The Swedish Foreign Ministry announced it had refused to satisfy Russian applications for diplomatic visas. And Russia responded to this by asking a diplomat at the Swedish Embassy in Moscow to leave the country," said a press officer.

Swedish newspaper Expressen wrote that Stockholm has denied visas to the Russian diplomats over concerns that they may have links to the Russian intelligence services.

Sweden had previously accused Russia of using fake news, false documents and disinformation as part of a coordinated campaign to influence public opinion and decision-making in the country. Moscow has denied the allegations.

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Ukraine's President Signs Law Forcing Russia-Affiliated Church To Change Name

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 22, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-s- president-signs-law-forcing-orthodox-church-to- change-its-name/29671193.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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Naseeruddin said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in the violence.

Meerut: The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena Friday 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. 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 an 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, Mr Shah told reporters in Meerut at his alma mater, St Anselms Senior Secondary School.
U.S., Britain Vow To Support Ukraine's Navy After November Kerch Strait Attack

By RFE/RL December 22, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-britain -lithuania-nato-pledge-support-ukraine- navy-russia-attack/29670500.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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Poroshenko Signs Bill on Renaming Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Sputnik News

17:45 22.12.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed into law a bill obliging the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to change its name, presidential spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko said on Saturday.

"The president has signed the bill," Tsegolko tweeted.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a bill aiming to deprive the canonical UOC-MP of its name. To take effect, the bill needed to be authorized by the president.

Under the legislation, the UOC is obliged to change its name within four months and make the relevant amendments to its charter. The UOC earlier appealed to Poroshenko to veto the bill.

Despite the pledge not to interfere in church's affairs, the Ukrainian authorities do it regularly. Poroshenko, for instance, secured a pledge from Constantinople to a grant a tomos on autocephaly to the newly-created church, which was condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church as schismatic.

In October, the Ukrainian parliament approved a bill on handing St. Andrew's Church, located in Kiev, over to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for permanent use. Poroshenko's adviser Rostyslav Pavlenko went to Istanbul to observe the Synod meeting and discuss with the Constantinople patriarch the issue of autocephaly.

The UOC-MP has also repeatedly reported of cases of attacks on its priests by radicals and seizure of its churches by representatives of non-canonical religious structures.

 Sputnik

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Russian Embassy Slams UK Over Warship's Ukraine Visit 'Sending Message' to Putin

Sputnik News

11:35 22.12.2018(updated 17:48 22.12.2018)

The deployment of a hydrographic survey ship, the HMS Echo, which docked in Odessa on 19 December, to Ukraine was announced by UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson last month.

The Russian Embassy in London has blasted UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson's trip to Ukraine, stating that he is "instigating" Kiev to new provocations.

"Having failed to effectively neutralise drones over Gatwick Airport, Williamson seems to be engaged in a more important matter  instigating Ukraine to new military provocations. Russia has indeed accepted the signal: it implies that the British conservative government will provide the Kiev regime with political and military support no matter how irresponsible its steps are. This is how London tries to 'assist' in the settlement of the internal Ukrainian conflict", the embassy's statement read.

The embassy also noted that Williamson's trip to the Ukrainian city of Odessa is especially significant "in the conditions of preparing military action on 24-25 December by the regime of [Ukraine's President Petro] Poroshenko in order to extend the martial law he imposed on the eve of the presidential elections next March".

UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said on Friday that he had deployed HMS Echo, a Royal Navy ship, to the Black Sea in order to show Britain's "solidarity" with Ukraine in the wake of the Kerch Strait row.

"The reason that HMS Echo is here is that we firstly want to demonstrate the solidarity that we have with Ukraine and the fact that Ukraine doesn't stand alone. But 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", Williamson said upon his visit to Odessa.

Williamson went on to say that the frigate was a message to President Vladimir Putin that Britain stands by Ukraine.

"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".

HMS Echo, equipped with three six-barrel 7.62 machine guns, an M134 Minigun and 20 mm Erlikon anti-aircraft guns, is expected to carry out hydrographic research.

The frigate arrived in Odessa on 19 December after entering the Black Sea through the Bosphorus on 17 December. Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, which regulates the transit of warships in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, Echo is allowed to stay in the Black Sea for a total of 21 days.

The dispatch of HMS Echo to Ukraine was announced by Williamson in November as part of a series of upcoming deployments and drills that will see the UK work more closely with Ukraine in response to what the defence secretary described as Russia's "intensifying threats and aggression".

HMS Echo's arrival comes after a naval incident in the Kerch Strait on 25 November, when Russia detained three Ukrainian Navy warships after they violated the Russian maritime border in a bid to sail through the Kerch Strait, the entrance into the Sea of Azov.

Moscow accused Kiev of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, with President Vladimir Putin saying that the provocation took place ahead of presidential elections in Ukraine and boosted Petro Poroshenko's ratings.

"Whether it was successful or not  in terms of raising the rating, it was probably successful, because Poroshenko's rating seems to have increased. He moved from the fifth position to the second or third, where, in my opinion, fluctuations amount to about 12 percent It is clear that there will be elections there and they need to be aggravated in order to raise the rating of one of the presidential candidates  I mean the current president Finally, it is harmful to the interests of his people and his state", Putin said, addressing the row during his annual end-of-year press conference on 20 December.

Poroshenko, in turn, called on his Western allies to provide military assistance to "deter the aggressor" and introduced martial law for three months in several regions of the country bordering Russia.

During his visit to Odessa, Williamson also met the families of the 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia.

 Sputnik

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US to Boost Funding for Ukrainian Navy After Kerch Row With Russia

Sputnik News

04:52 22.12.2018(updated 07:36 22.12.2018)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - 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.

"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 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 Poroshenko's popularity ahead of the vote was low.

 Sputnik

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The Formula 1 circus is expected to take a detour in the coming years to visit the Netherlands. Zandvoort circuit has been the rumoured location for some time, but the chairman of Assen circuit has claimed they'll be ready should Zandvoort not be able to seal a deal.

The Assen track can facilitate 110,000 fans, plenty of room for a full 'orange army' of Max Verstappen supporters. The chairman, Arjan Bos talks about the current status of the Dutch Grand Prix as he reports to Motorsport.

"I think it is a victory anyway that the Formula is most likely coming to our country. That was what it was about, and it seems that it will work," he said.

"You could say that Formula 1 is already in and probably will be driven again in the Netherlands in 2020. As far as we know, Zandvoort is the preference. Now it is up to them to ensure that all promises are fulfilled and there will still be a lot of work involved. If it does not work, then they are of course welcome [to Assen]."
Plans to move top court next week, may filled heavyweight lawyers.

The rallies were supposed to be launched from three different locations in the state, crisscrossing it before converging in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamul Congress seem to headed for another confrontation, this time in the Supreme Court.

The BJP said on Saturday that it is planning to move the Supreme Court next week for permission to take out its rath yatras in West Bengal, and that it will file a petition before the vacation bench. The announcement came a day after the Calcutta high court asked the BJP to defer its three Save Democracy yatras in the state.

Sources said that the Mamata Banerjee government, having anticipated this move, is not sitting idle. It too is gearing up to put up a strong legal case opposing the yatras.

Sources indicated that the BJP may rope in heavyweight legal eagles for its battle in Supreme Court in view of the possibility of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for the Trinamul Congress government.

The BJPs rallies were supposed to be launched from three different locations in the state, crisscrossing it before converging in Kolkata. The administration had earlier denied permission for the rallies, saying they could trigger communal clashes in the state.

The BJP filed a plea and received the green signal from a single-judge bench on Thursday. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty said that the court failed to see the reasoning behind the governments argument and instead asked it to ensure that no breach of law and order occurs during the event.

A jubilant BJP welcomed the verdict and planned to launch the first of its three yatras from Birbhum district on Saturday.

But the Mamata Banerjee government appealed against the order and on Friday, a division bench of the Calcutta high court of Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar quashed Justice Chakrabortys order allowing the BJPs rath yatra under certain conditions. The two-judge bench observed that Justice Chakraborty should have examined intelligence reports from the districts, submitted to the court by the state government, before giving its order.

The high court also directed the single bench to hear the matter quickly while considering if there are grounds to allow the BJPs rath yatras.

Sources disclosed that the state BJP leaders got in touch with party president Amit Shah after the setback at the division bench. And it was Mr Shah who guided them to move the top court.

One reason cited by party insiders for moving the apex court is that the vacation bench can take up its plea immediately.
Eight-Year-Old Hyd Boy Scales Australia's Highest Peak

HYDERABAD: An eight-year-old Hyderabad boy who became the youngest to climb Africa's highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania earlier this year, has added another record to his name by climbing Australia's highest peak.

Samanyu Pothuraju along with a five member team comprising his mother and sister scaled the 2,228 metre Mount Kosciuszko on December 12.

"So far, I have climbed four mountains." Mr Pothuraju told news agency ANI. "Now, I am gearing up for Mount Fuji in Japan," said the young mountaineer who aspires to become an Air Force officer.

The boy developed interest in mountaineering during a school event.

An interesting part of Mr Pothuraju's trek was that his team wore Telangana handloom clothes while climbing the mountain.

"For every summit, our team members plan a cause. According to us, we should go to the mountains with a cause and not without it. This time, we planned to support the handloom weavers," his mother Lavanya said.

Mr Pothuraja unfurled the national flag at Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro, which is at a height of 5,895 meters above the sea level on April 2.

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Israel-based Ottopia, a technology company focused on remote assistance for self-driving cars, closed $3 million in seed funding. The round was led by MizMaa Ventures with participation from Glory Ventures, Plug and Play and NextGear.

Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology has come a long way in the last decade. Within certain boundaries, AVs can drive themselves 99 percent of the time; however, there is a growing consensus that the last one percent is still many years away. That is where teleoperation comes in. An AV can call a human back-up to help it resolve unpredictable or unsafe situations.

Early-stage teleoperation platforms provide support by handing over complete control to a remote human driver. That increases the likelihood of human error in situations that are already complex, such as driving around road construction or a crowded street.

Unlike other solutions, Ottopias software platform allows the human operator and the cars AI to work together during a remote intervention. The human assists the AV with decision-making in a complex scenario. The AV then executes that decision and navigates with a full suite of sensors and safety measures engaged.

Amit Rosenzweig (CEO) and Leon Altarac (CTO) founded Ottopia in 2018. Prior to that, Leon founded the Robotics and AV branch of the Israeli Army, where he spent the last decade designing various AVs and teleoperation solutions for real-life missions. Amit was Head of Product for Microsofts leading cybersecurity offering, as well as VP of Product for a low-latency video transmission company. Before that, he led R&D projects for Israeli intelligence and graduated from the Talpiot programan Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) training program for recruits who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability in the sciences and leadership potential.

Ottopia plans to use the funds to expand its R&D team and collaborate with AV companies to prove the versatility and enhanced safety of its platform.
Sources said that Congress is still to take policy decision on whether to keep Mr Ambedkar in an alliance or not.

Mumbai: The alliance talks of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party will shift to Delhi now. State leaders failed to resolve the issues on four Lok Sabha seats including South Ahmednagar, Jalana, Jalgaon and Pune. Also accommodation of alliance partners such as Raju Shetti and Prakash Ambedkar too the contentious issue. Now, presidents of both parties will meet in next week to find the way out.

Out of 48 LS seats, the state leaders of both parties have resolved issues on 40 seats. Strong claims of Congress on South Ahmednagar and Jalgaon whereas, Nationalist Congress Partys claims on Jalna and Pune couldnt be resolved, said sources. So, both sides have decided to take the issues to Delhi now.

Almost all major issues have been solved here in Maharashtra. We will talk to Congress president Rahul Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar for final talks. We will follow what they will decide at the highest level, said Congress state chief Ashok Chavan.

Another major issue still unsolved in alliance is about accommodating smaller parties. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatanas Raju Shetti had asked six seats. Earlier both parties were ready to give him only one seat. But he is asking minimum two. Another leader Prakash Ambedkar of Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh had asked 12 seats. Sources said that Congress is still to take policy decision on whether to keep Mr Ambedkar in an alliance or not. So his offer is still pending. We are expecting to complete all the talks by January first week. Both parties will again hit the road by mid January to mobilise the people before elections. The clear of picture of an alliance would emerge by then only, said a senior NCP leader.

Chavan earlier said that the two parties held talks on Friday with other like-minded outfits such as the CPI, CPM, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Samajwadi Party and Prakash Ambedkars Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh.

The talks were positive. The issue of seat-sharing will be discussed in Delhi with (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi and (general secretary) Mallikarjun Kharge, he said.
Mr Gadkari was addressing an Awards ceremony of the Pune District Coo-perative Bank Association.

Mumbai: Union minister Nitin Gadkaris comment that leadership must take responsibility for failures too has led to speculation within political circles. While Mr Gadkari made the comment while addr-essing a meeting of cooperative mills, it is being seen in the light of BJPs recent defeat in three state Assembly elections.

Mr Gadkari was addres-sing an Awards ceremony of the Pune District Coo-perative Bank Associati-on. When any candidate loses an election, he points fingers at other things such as lack of support, money, etc. This is not right. Like we take credit for victory, we must take responsibility for defeats as well, he said.

While Mr Gadkari made these statements on a non-political stage, they are being viewed in the light of the BJPs recent defeat in three Hindi heartland states.

Interestingly, Prime Mi-nister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah have accepted defeat. However, no one in the party is holding them accountable for the defeat till now. Against this bac-kdrop, Mr Gadkaris statement has surprised all.

This week itself, Kishor Tiwari, a farmer activist from Vidarbha wrote a letter to Rashtriya Sway-amsevak Sangh supremo Mohan Bhagwat, asking for Mr Gadkari to be made the leader of the party. Mr Tiwari blamed Mr Modi and Mr Shah for the recent defeat.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, however, dismissed speculation that Mr Gadkari was being projected as the BJPs prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While Mr Sinha has been extremely critical of Mr Modi and Mr Shah, he said that no one had the courage to go against them which is why it was impossible that Mr Gadkari would get an opportunity to become the prime ministerial candidate.

Yes, there are speculations and theories making the rounds that if the BJP gets less numbers in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Gadkari will be the option before the party but I reject the theory as those who are making these speculations viral are forgetting that two people have such a hold on the party that a third person cannot come ahead of them, said Mr Sinha during his recent visit to Pune.
Stuck at the airport. Ugh. Whatever the reason - long layover, bad weather or an unexpected delay - and no matter how nice the terminal, you're probably bored or tired. Wouldn't it be lovely to have somewhere to escape the crowds, relax comfortably, charge your cellphone without battling for an electrical outlet and grab a bite that doesn't take a chomp out of your wallet? Such a place exists: an airport lounge.

You don't you need a membership, elite status, a first-class ticket or one of those fancy premium credit cards to gain entry. A number of lounges sell single-use day passes that are just the ticket for travelers with time to kill or in need of a quiet respite.

Once spartan spaces where harried frequent fliers could get a cup of coffee, make a phone call and read the newspaper, airport lounges have changed dramatically in the past decade, and are now nicely designed, comfortable spaces offering better food and worthwhile amenities.

"Airlines used to focus on the corporate traveler. Now across the industry, we're seeing them invest in lounges to create a total experience for both the business and leisure traveler," says Brett Catlin, managing director of alliances and product at Alaska Airlines, which is spending $40 million to build and renovate lounges across the United States. In addition to the U.S. airline-branded lounges, there are some operated independently, such as the Club Airport Lounge and Escape Lounge.

Want to enter the inner sanctum? Expect to pay $40 to $60 per person, typically at the door, for those operated by major U.S. carriers. (As of Nov. 15, Delta Air Lines discontinued the sale of single-visit passes to Delta Sky Clubs, and with the exception of Air Canada, Etihad Airways and Emirates, few international carriers sell day passes.)

You'll be asked to show agovernment-issued ID and a boarding pass for same-day travel on the airline or a partner airline. These spaces are capacity-controlled; you may be denied entry if it is crowded with card-carrying members and other passengers entitled to club use.

Once inside, travelers often receive access to complimentary eats, ample workspace with high-speed Internet, comfy spots to kick back, oodles of power outlets, private restrooms (where no one looks askance if you brush your teeth or change your clothes) and, in some lounges, a fully staffed travel desk.

That travel desk may be the most important. Airlines assign only their best-of-the-best gate agents to their lounges. So, if you miss a connection or your flight is canceled, you have an experienced airline pro acting as a concierge who knows all the tricks to get you rebooked.

If you know in advance that you'll have a long layover during your travels, you may want to check out programs such as LoungeBuddy or Lounge Pass, in addition to the airline you are flying. These websites offer access to hundreds of lounges globally. Amenities and pricing vary by lounge - for example, some passes are only good for a few hours, or at limited times - and you may need to book at least 24 hours in advance, so read the fine print and plan accordingly.

Here are some lounge options as of Dec. 1:

Alaska Airlines Alaska Lounge

Locations: Seven, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International, Portland International and Seattle-Tacoma International.

Day pass: $50.

Amenities: Food and snacks, beverages (including wine and beer), TVs, high-speed WiFi, online access to newspapers, concierge service stations to help with last-minute upgrades.

On the menu: Steel-cut oatmeal, scones, bagels, a salad bar with artisanal breads, soups, veggies, hummus. Custom-crafted cocktails. Additional menu with fresh-made entrees such as a Korean rice bowl or chicken pesto panini for $8 to $10.

Little extras: Starbucks coffee prepared by professional baristas in some locations (JFK now, Seattle soon). Wide selection of local microbrews - 12 on tap at the Seattle location.

If you love it: Purchase a membership within 30 days of purchasing a day pass and Alaska Airlines will refund the cost of the day pass.

American Airlines Admirals Club

Locations: 50+

Day pass: $59 (not available in Charlotte International, Pittsburgh International, Boston's Logan International and Dallas-Fort Worth International because of construction that has limited seating).

Amenities: Lounge-style seating, high-speed WiFi, personal travel assistance, snacks and beverages, shower suites and business centers.

On the menu: Breakfast might include hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal and cereal, fruit, yogurt, bagels. The afternoon finds hearty soups, fresh salads, vegetables, hummus and cheese. Some clubs offer full meals for sale as well as premium cocktails.

Little extras: Fresh-brewed La Colombe coffee. Day-pass holders can bring up to three children under 18 with them.

United Airlines United Club

Locations: More than 45 in 31 airports worldwide.

Day pass: $59.

Amenities: Beverages and light snacks, bar service, high-speed WiFi, agent assistance with reservations, seat assignments and electronic ticketing.

On the menu: Pastries, bagels, salad bar, soups, fresh vegetables with dip. Larger lounges offer full breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets.

Little extras: Free use of color printers. Private "phone booths" with speakerphones at some locations.

If you love it: Purchase a membership within 30 days of purchasing a day pass and United will waive your initiation fee (a $50 value).

Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge

Locations: Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

Day pass: $40.

Amenities: Food and snacks, beverages (including wine and beer), high-speed WiFi, USB charging stations.

On the menu: Limited buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pastries by La Tour Cafe. Craft beer from Maui Brewing Co.

Little extras: Wines selected by a master sommelier.

The Club Airport Lounge

Locations: In the United States at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson; Boston; Baltimore-Washington International Marshall; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International; Dallas-Fort Worth; Las Vegas's McCarran International; Orlando International; Phoenix Sky Harbor International; Pittsburgh; Seattle; and San Jose International airports. In Britain at London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

Day pass: $40.

Amenities: Snacks, bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, (including beer, wine and liquor), free WiFi, charging ports, TV and workstations with desktop PCs. Some locations offer shower facilities.

Little extras: Unlike other airline lounges, the Club allows guests to get food from an airport restaurant and bring it in with you.

Escape Lounge

Locations: Minneapolis-St. Paul International; Oakland International; Connecticut's Bradley International; Reno-Tahoe International; Greenville-Spartanburg International (S.C.); and Ontario (Calif.) International airports.

Day pass: $40 if you pre-purchase, $45 for walk-ups.

Amenities: Plenty of seating, quiet library area, full bar, business space, high-speed WiFi.

On the menu: Food and beverage menu with complimentary lighter fare including cereals and pastries at breakfast, and sandwiches, salads and soups the rest of the day. You can also order heartier dishes from an extensive menu for an additional cost.

Little extras: Free use of iPads.
The alleged hackers, one of whom is nicknamed Godkiller, are accused of breaching computer networks.

US officials on Thursday said two alleged Chinese hackers carried out an extensive campaign on behalf of Beijings main intelligence agency to steal trade secrets and other information from government agencies and a whos who of major corporations in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations.

The indictment is the latest in a series of Justice Department criminal cases targeting Chinese cyberespionage and coincided with an announcement by Britain blaming Chinas Ministry of State Security for trade-secret pilfering affecting Western nations.

The alleged hackers, one of whom is nicknamed Godkiller, are accused of breaching computer networks beginning as early as 2006 in a range of industries, including aviation and space, finance, biotechnology oil and gas, satellites and pharmaceuticals. Prosecutors say they also obtained the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 100,000 Navy personnel.

In a new twist reflecting corporate computings evolution, the hackers often infiltrated cloud computing companies and other major technology providers to indirectly reach clients valuable documents.

Prosecutors said the alleged hackers stole hundreds of gigabytes of data, breaching computers of more than 45 entities in 12 states including NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Center. The hackers, identified as members of the group APT10, or Stone Panda, are not in custody. Prosecutors said their names are Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong.

US law enforcement officials say the case is part of a trend of state-sponsored hackers breaking into American networks and stealing trade secrets and other confidential information. More than 90 per cent of Justice Department economic espionage cases over the past seven years involve China, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and more than two-thirds of trade secrets cases are connected to the country.

Chinas state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage, FBI Director Chris Wray said in announcing the case. While we welcome fair competition, we cannot and will not tolerate illegal hacking, stealing or cheating.

Chinas goal, simply put, is to replace the US as the worlds leading superpower, and theyre using illegal methods to get there, Wray said. While none of the victim companies was named, Wray called them a whos who of the global economy.

China on Friday said the US was fabricating facts out of thin air. A statement from Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying described the unwarranted accusations as a serious violation of the basic norms of international relations that was harmful to China-US cooperation.

Hua accused the US of hypocrisy. It has long been an open secret that the relevant authorities of the US conduct large-scale cybertheft and listen in on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals, she said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen released a joint statement accusing China of reneging on a 2015 commitment not to seek competitive advantage through theft of trade secrets, intellectual property and confidential business information.

US officials testified before Congress last week that Beijings continued hacking has made a mockery of that 2015 commitment by President Xi Jinping following a first-of-its-kind indictment that accused Chinese hackers of stealing corporate data from brand-name US companies.

We want China to cease illegal cyber activities and honour its commitment to the international community, but the evidence suggests that China may not intend to live up to its promises, Rosenstein said.

Rob Silvers, a former Obama administration cybersecurity official, said cases like this create an important deterrent but should be supplemented by sanctions and other steps.

Its necessary to do this kind of thing, but its not nearly enough, he said. I dont think Rod Rosenstein would tell you that its game, set, match.

After a 2014 indictment against five alleged Chinese hackers, and a subsequent agreement with the US, Beijing at least temporarily reduced its hacking activity, Silvers said.

This case shows that China has taken the gloves off again, he said.

Adam Segal, a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by sanctions alone.

The indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan describes how in recent years, as government agencies and corporations have shifted data to cloud computing providers and services including email and collaboration tools to tech service providers, the Stone Panda hackers followed, typically stealing the log-in credentials of system administrators in order to reach coveted proprietary data of clients.

Wray likened it to breaking into and getting the keys from the maintenance department.

Britains Foreign Office accused the Chinese elite hackers of conducting a widespread and significant campaign of cyberespionage against the United Kingdom and its allies and almost certainly continues to target a range of global companies, seeking to gain access to commercial secrets.

Targeted nations named in the US indictment include Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

In recent months, the Justice Department has filed separate cases against several Chinese intelligence officials and hackers. A case filed in October marked the first time that a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer was extradited to the United States to stand trial.

Chinese espionage efforts have become the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today, Bill Priestap, the assistant director of the FBIs counterintelligence division, told a Senate committee.

Hacking by Chinese state-backed hackers dramatically escalated over the summer in response to the trade war with the US and military tensions in the South China Sea, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer of Carbon Black, whose companys threat-hunting tool is used in global cyber investigations.

He credited the Justice Department with targeting a group that he said was Chinas most prolific hacker crew. He said he was not optimistic that the pair would be prosecuted in the US, but thats not the point.

The Chinese are operating on a 50-year plan of information dominance, a comprehensive national strategy, and its high time we actually reacted, Kellermann said.

(Source)




Haiti - Politique : Jovenel Moise announces a series of projects in Gonaives





On Friday, President Jovenel Moise went to Gonaives to meet with local representatives. He has announced several measures to strengthen the Organization for the Development of the Artibonite Valley (ODVA) and the agricultural machinery to maintain the majority of jobs in the field of Artibonite and restoration of agriculture.



He also announces an set of urban renovation projects that combine between 15 km of routes and 30 kms of canals.



After this meeting, the Head of State launched a project solar energy project piloted to "Basen Desous", 1st communal section of Tamaren, destined to power 39 pumps, which is used all the way to irrigate the lands and permit the rice cultivators, and to the farmers to obtain water to enhance their cultivations.





These solar power pumps are available at 4 locations, including Anse Rouge and Pont Goden. Meanwhile, thanks to these permanent solar installations, these pumps allow for the realization of the high energy economies for EDH, which will power better the city of the Gonaives.



Regarding the securoty Moise and gives instructions at the highest level and demanded to all the authorities to work for a definitive solution to the security of the third country city, in order to permit to the population of Gonaives to go about their occupation in peace.



HL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - Politic : End of mission of the Administrator of USAID





Friday ended the 4-day visit to Haiti of the Administrator Mark Green of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). During his stay, the Administrator visited USAID-funded programs in the areas of health, agriculture and entrepreneurship and met with representatives of the Government, the private sector, donor partners and of faith-based organizations.



In his talks with President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant, Administrator Green stressed the importance of transparent, citizen-centered governance. In addition, Mark Green emphasized the need for budget reforms to promote stability in Haiti, which would help create long-term economic prospects. In addition, the priorities of the Government of Haiti and the United States Government to increase water supply, sanitation and basic hygiene (WASH) services were addressed; health and education services and the creation of an open and stable business environment that will attract more investors.



During his stay, he also thanked the local and American faith-based organizations for their commitment to the Haitian people and welcomed their comments on the best way to help the country to progress in its development, particularly in the health and social sectors and of the education.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Words of sympathy of CONATEL





Following the fire that completely destroyed the Radio Tele Kiskeya station in the evening of Friday, December 21 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26465-haiti-flash-radio-tv-kiskeya-reduced-to-ashes.html , Jean-David Roney, Director General of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL), "expresses his deepest sympathies to Radio Tele Kiskeya in relation to this new context of adversity that has just experienced so hard the well-known resilience of this station and of its historical leaders.



Jean-David Roney reiterates his commitment to stand with Radio Kiskeya, as he has had to do at other times more desperate of the life of this institution, in his efforts for a prompt recovery and sustainable."



In this regard, "he invites the radio broadcasting community in particular and all the components of the telecommunications community in general to a structured, multifaceted and strong solidarity, to which the CONATEL Directorate will unconditionally join."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26465-haiti-flash-radio-tv-kiskeya-reduced-to-ashes.html






















Haiti - Economy : Summary, challenges and perspectives of the textile sector





The Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) presents its report on the textile industry for the year 2018 and will soon present the results of the National Production. Despite a year marked by political turmoil, which caused the closure of companies and discouraged potential investors, the textile sector has made slight progress.



Summary of the Textile Sector :

From January to November the number of workers in the textile sector increased from 48,820 to 52,950 among them 10,019 works in the free zone for the Dominican Company for Industrial Development (CODEVI) in Ounaminthe https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26459-haiti-economy-a-dominican-responsible-for-more-than-20-of-textile-jobs-in-the-country.html (Ouanaminthe) and 12,636 work at the Industrial Park of Caracol (PIC), two zones lying outside of Port-au-Prince.



According to figures released by the US Department of Commerce, the total amount of imports rose from more than 720 million in October 2017 to more than 926 million in September 2018.



The Metropolitan Industrial Park Training Center proceeded with the graduation of 7 Promotions, where 1,326 operators, 251 quality control workers and 47 supervisors received free training thanks to the USAID/LEVE project. Some of the trained workers are already employed in the industry and others are ready to join the sector.



ADIH proceeded last November, at the inauguration of a second training center at the Caracol Industrial Park (PIC) thanks to the support of the Korean Government, the Inter-American Development Bank, Electra Sewing and the Haitian Government.



3 new companies have set up in the Metropolitan Industrial Park (PIM) : Elansia, COPEN United LLC and Centri Group S.A.



The company RSI has signed a contract with Lafito Industrial Free Zone and plans to open in 2019, which will first employ the people of the area.



Challenges :

The Palm Apparel Group has built four buildings totaling 330,000 sq. Ft. for US $ 15 million in the Digneron free zone located in Roche Blanche (Croix-des-Bouquets). This investment by a group of Haitians has lost the opportunity to sign two major contracts because of the socio-political situation and the lack of road infrastructure. Indeed, it would take eight kilometers of road to serve this free zone which is also waiting for a bridge to cross the river Grise from Tabarre.



HANSAE, South Korea's second-largest clothing company, has signed a contract with the Haitian state since December 2015 for the construction of four production buildings at the Sonapi Metropolitan Industrial Park. Three years later, there is only one production building employing 1,600 workers. It's a deficit of at least 5,000 new jobs.



The Taiwanese company, Everest Textiles Far Eastern group has made an investment of three buildings in the Industrial Park Caracol (PIC), today employs more than a thousand workers and faces serious problems due to institutional failures States : OFATMA, AGD, SONAPI...



Foreign investors from Korea, Taiwan and Sri Lanka, among others, complain about the lack of support from Haitian state agencies.



Perspectives for 2019 :

The renewal of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) is essential for the growth of the textile sector and will have to be realized before 2020. We project that the number of jobs in the sector will then be around 60,000 and the export amount will exceed the billion dollars. ADIH is anxious that the development plan, which has been stuck for more than a year, should allow the expansion of the Caracol Industrial Park (PIC) through the construction of additional infrastructures.



According to the new budget (2018-2019) currently under discussion, the income tax threshold has been reduced from 60,000 gourdes to 150,000 gourdes, which will have the effect of relieving the workers' stock market.



We also wish the implementation of the social accompaniments promised by the Haitian Government to the workers.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





A police officer shot dead at Carrefour

On the night of Friday, December 22, in the commune of Carrefour, Saint-Hilaire Charleson, an officer of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) was shot dead by unidentified individuals while returning from a night club at Cote Plage 18.



Release of 13 young people accused of attempted rape

Following the arrest on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, December 5, in a club of Petit-Goave located on the Belle Avenue, of 19 people including 13 young men from Miragoane (following a complaint for attempted rape) and 3 young girls from Miragoane, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26323-haiti-petit-goave-19-people-arrested-in-a-club.html the Petit-Goave justice released the 13 young boys and the 3 girls from Miragoane. It should be recalled that almost the entire population of Miragoane had demonstrated peacefully to demand the release of these young people, most of whom are presented and considered as both students and innocent. See alos : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26323-haiti-petit-goave-19-people-arrested-in-a-club.html



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave)



Aggression of the leader of the RDNP, 17 arrests

Friday as part of the investigation of the attempted attack https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25693-haiti-flash-the-new-secretary-general-of-the-rdnp-victim-of-an-attack.html against Eric Jean Baptiste, the new Secretary General of the Rally of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP) https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25269-icihaiti-politics-eric-jean-baptiste-takes-the-lead-of-the-rdnp.html the National Police of Haiti (PNH) arrested 17 people in Savanne Pistache (Carrefour-Feuilles) confirmed the inspector Gary Desrosiers Deputy spokesman of the PNH.



Christmas with the widows of the police offciers killed

For the third consecutive year, Michel-Ange Gedeon, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and the members of his General Staff, celebrated the Christmas with the widows and children of the deceased police officers. In his speech, he encourages the sustainability of this commendable initiative. After the traditional dinner, the distribution of toys to children follows.



A young Haitian car designer

On Saturday at the National Palace, President Jovenel Moise received Michel Maxon, a young Haitian car designer.



REMINDER : Mandatory Payment of the Bonus

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor reminds employers of for-profit companies and institutions of the obligation to pay employees a complementary or bonus salary between 24 and 31 December of each year, regardless of the length of employment, in accordance with the provisions of articles 154 et seq. of the Haitian Labor Code



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2018/12/23 | Source

Tens of thousands of taxi drivers rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on Thursday afternoon in protest against the launch of Kakao's new ride-sharing app.

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This is their third protest since October. Taxi drivers' groups expect 100,000 members to attend. The first rally drew 70,000, while another 40,000 converged in November. One cab driver committed suicide in protest earlier this month.

In a press conference in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday, taxi drivers' unions threatened to mobilize 10,000 cabs to block one of the bridges over the Han River. Union leader Koo Soo-young said, "We will not communicate with anyone until the National Assembly passes a law prohibiting ride-sharing services".

Seoul city officials are bolstering subway and bus services during commuting hours on Thursday.

Ride-sharing apps are increasingly popular around the world despite protests from conventional taxi drivers and in many cases more convenient and reliable.
Published on 2018/12/23 | Source

The upcoming New Year is the "Year of the Golden Pig" according to the Chinese zodiac. Gold and pigs both signify abundance, so that can be an auspicious combination. How can we make the most of it?

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There is a local legend in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, where a royal concubine of King Garak in the Geumgwan Gaya during ancient Korea suddenly disappeared one day.

The disappointed king sent his men everywhere to search for her, and one fisherman reported seeing a divine beauty in Golpo (now Masan). The king's men tried to persuade her to return, but she turned herself into a golden pig and hid between two large rocks on Mt. Ducheok (now Mt. Muhak).

Located within the city, Mt. Muhak is easily accessible and has many hiking trails to suit people of different physical levels. The path to the peak, Goundae, is steep but offers breathtaking views.

Goundae is famous as the place where Choe Chi-won, a philosopher from the late Unified Silla Period, lived as a hermit. The peak affords a great breathtaking view of the city of Changwon.

The scene of the legend later moves to the rock island of Dotseom. After the concubine fled to Mt. Ducheok, locals started mysteriously disappearing. The king learned that the golden pig, which by that time had lost its human qualities, was harassing people, and ordered his soldiers to use arrows and spears against it.

When it was attacked, however, a flash of light struck the island, which changed its shape to resemble a pig on its back -- this is what is now known as Dotseom.

Ferries to Dotseom run every 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily at a terminal in Changwon. A sign reading, "An island of the golden pig that brings you good luck" welcomes visitors as soon as they get off the ferries.

Then they can see a giant 3-meter-tall statue of a golden pig, which guides visitors to hiking paths there.

All the walking paths connect at some point on the island, so visitors can take any of them. The island does indeed resemble a pig. Seen from the peak of the island, reflected in sunlight or moonlight, visitors would easily understand how it came to be known as the Island of the Golden Pig.
Published on 2018/12/23 | Source

Korea's biggest instant noodle maker Nongshim expects record overseas sales this year.

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Nongshim on Monday estimated that its overseas sales for this year will amount to US$760 million, up a whopping 18 percent from last year (US$1=W1,132).

All overseas branches including Japan and the U.S. achieved record sales. The biggest were in China with $280 million, followed by $225 million in the U.S., $59 million in Japan, and $21 million in Australia.

It exported products worth $175 million to other parts of the world. Instant noodles accounted for 80 percent of overseas sales at $600 million.

Since it started exporting instant noodles to the U.S. in 1971, the company has built five factories outside Korea including in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Shenyang.

Nongshim's sales in the U.S. market are expected to rise 12 percent this year due to aggressive promotions through large chain stores like Walmart and Costco. It became the first Korean food maker to strike a direct deal with Walmart in 2013 and has been selling its products in all 4,692 Walmart stores across the U.S. since June.

Sales in China, which dropped by 10 percent last year due to an unofficial boycott of Korean goods, are expected to rebound by 23 percent to $280 million this year.
Published on 2018/12/23 | Source

Samsung has been named Russia's favorite brand for the eighth year in a row.

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Russian research firm Online Market Intelligence on Friday released the top 20 brands in the country based on an online survey of 1,500 consumers in major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburgh.

Samsung topped the list with 18.3 percent of the votes, easily beating its U.S. rival Apple, which came in third tied with Nike with 9.6 percent. Adidas ranked second and Sony fifth.

LG dropped one spot from last year to eighth, although the support rate for it rose slightly from 4.3 percent to 4.6 percent.
The disaster occurred between Java and Sumatra. "Solidarity and the support of the International Community". "The Gospel of Mary's visit to Elizabeth prepares us to live Christmas well, communicating to us the dynamism of faith and charity". "To live an extrovert Christmas, but not dispersed: in the center there is not our 'I', but the You of Jesus and the you of the brothers". A thought for "all those who are far from their family and their land".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis' "thoughts" and prayers are with the "people of Indonesia, affected by violent natural disasters, which have caused serious losses in human lives, numerous missing and homeless and extensive material damage" . This morning, around 4 am (Jakarta time), an eruption and landslide under the sea caused by a tsunami in the Sanda Strait connecting the island of Java and that of Sumatra. The provisional toll is over 160 deaths and nearly 800 injured.

Speaking today to the pilgrims after the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Francis added: "I invite everyone to join me in prayer for the victims and their loved ones. I am spiritually close to the displaced and to all the people who are so sorely tried, imploring God for relief in their suffering. I appeal that our solidarity and the support of the International Community is not lacking to these our brothers and sisters". And immediately he invited the pilgrims to recite a Hail Mary.

Previously, the pontiff focused on the Sunday gospel (4th of Advent, C, Luke 1: 39-45), which recounts the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth.

"This episode - he explained - helps us to read the mystery of man's encounter with God with a very special light. An encounter that is not under the banner of amazing prodigies, but rather in the name of faith and charity . In fact, Mary is blessed because she believed: the encounter with God is the fruit of faith. Zaccharias instead, who did not believe, remained deaf and dumb, to grow in faith during the long silence: without faith we inevitably remain deaf to the consoling voice of God; and we remain unable to pronounce words of consolation and hope for our brothers ".

"Faith, in turn, is nourished in charity. The Evangelist tells us that "Mary got up and went quickly" (v. 39) to Elizabeth. 'She stood up': a gesture full of concern. She could have stayed home to prepare for the birth of her son, instead he cares first of others than of himself, demonstrating in fact that she is already a disciple of that Lord she carries in her womb. The event of the birth of Jesus began like this, with a simple gesture of charity; moreover, authentic charity is always the fruit of God's love ".

"The Gospel of Mary's visit to Elizabeth prepares us to live Christmas well, communicating the dynamism of faith and charity. This dynamism is the work of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of Love who fecundated Mary's virginal womb and who urged her to come to the service of her elderly relative. A dynamism full of joy, as seen in the encounter between the two mothers, which is all a hymn of joyous exultation in the Lord, who does great things with the little ones who trust Him. May the Virgin Mary obtain for us the grace of living a Christmas open, but not dispersed: that in the center there is not our 'I', but the You of Jesus and the you of our brothers, especially those who need a hand. Then we will leave room for Love which, even today, wants to become flesh and come to live among us".

After the appeal for Indonesia, underlining the beauty of being in the family during the Christmas holidays, Francis had a thought for "all those who are far from their family and their land". "Dear brothers and sisters - he said - our Heavenly Father does not forget you and does not abandon you. If you are a Christian, I hope you find a true family in the Church, where you can experience the warmth of fraternal love. And to everyone who is far from their families, Christians and non-Christians, I say: the doors of the Christian community are open, Jesus is born for everyone and gives everyone the love of God ".
(SACRAMENTO) 

Thirty or more years ago, a hemophilia diagnosis meant isolation from peers, damaged joints and exposure to diseases like HIV. Thanks to a better understanding of the disease and innovative new treatments, people with hemophilia today live longer and face fewer obstacles.

In the middle of the last century, life expectancy was only 20-30 years old, said Adam Giermasz, hemophilia expert and co-director of the UC Davis Hemophilia Treatment Center. Now, with proper treatment, children diagnosed have a normal life expectancy.

Experts at the UC Davis Hemophilia Treatment Center offer patients comprehensive disease management and education and conduct leading-edge research. A multi-disciplinary care team of doctors, nurses, social workers and physical therapists ensures that patients have access to specialists who understand hemophilia and how best to support them.

Its key to helping families and patients understand their diagnosis and live with it without long-term effects because of poor treatments, said Kim Schafer, a UC Davis nurse practitioner in the hemophilia clinic. Patients are empowered to take care of their bleeding disorder so it doesnt have to dictate how they live.

Patient recalls childhood with hemophilia

Joel Mayer, or Mr. Fix It as his daughter calls him, enjoys retirement like others would in their 60s, spending a lot of time with his black Labrador Retriever, Annie, in Oakdale, Calif. and his family. But as a child living with hemophilia, he had to work harder than others to be a regular kid.

I just wanted to be normal. I just wanted to have friends, said the 61-year-old. I had to keep my skateboard wheels and wheelchair working well, otherwise I wasnt mobile. I always relied on machines, and I got really good at fixing things.

Mayer and his older brother, Andy, experienced first-hand what it was like to miss out on everyday activities. The Mayers were both diagnosed with hemophilia at a time when treatment was limited. While his brother was never able to walk because of joint damage, Joel learned to give his knees a break by scooting himself along on his longboard or using a wheelchair.

Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder

Hemophilia is a genetic blood disorder. Symptoms typically show up by the time a child starts to crawl, using their bodies to get around and exposing themselves to hazards. People with the disease are missing a factor in their blood that helps with the clotting process. Even minimal movement like walking can cause bleeding. While hemophilia primarily affects males, women are carriers of the genetic mutation that causes the disorder, and in some cases may become symptomatic.

To manage the disease, hemophiliacs infuse the clotting factor into their blood during bleeding episodes, and to prevent future bleeds.

Our principle is prophylaxis, said Giermasz. Patients get infusions when they bleed but also two or three times per week to prevent bleeding. And with the advancement of technology and medicine, patients can infuse less often.

While a cut or bruise can be dangerous for a hemophiliac, repeated bleeds to joints cause hemarthrosis  debilitating damage secondary to bleeds. Bleeding causes deposited blood to accumulate and damage the joints lining. The bodys natural inflammatory response, combined with the deposits, destroy cartilage over time.

We call this a target joint  one that always bleeds, said Schafer.

Repeated bleeds cause joint deformity, added Giermasz. So the joint of a 20-year-old may look like the joint of a 70-year-old.

Contaminated blood products exposed hemophiliacs to new diseases

As young children the Mayers only had access to fresh whole blood or fresh frozen plasma, which sometimes caused allergic reactions. A breakthrough in the 1960s by scientist Judith Graham Pool at Stanford led the family to move from Ohio to California. Pool had discovered that cryoprecipitate left from thawing plasma was rich in blood factor, so Joels mother drove him and his brother to Palo Alto every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for infusions and physical therapy in a heated pool.

By age 13, Mayer learned how to self-infuse every other day.

We were on cloud nine. It was such a big change, he said.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 80s severely affected the hemophilia community, including the Mayer brothers, who were both exposed to contaminated blood used to make their factor. In 1992, screening for the autoimmune disease and hepatitis C  which was not screened for prior to this crisis  became standard practice and gave hemophilia patients access to clean blood concentrate.

HIV and hepatitis C slowed the Mayer brothers down, but didnt crush their spirits.

Andy bought a boat, I bought a new Suburban and we went fishing 3-4 times a week. It was a great time. I wouldnt change a thing, said Mayer. We didnt look too far into the future, just tried to stay around for the next advancement.

Andy died from hepatitis C-related liver failure in 1998. Joel was cured of his hepatitis C after the approval of anti-viral medication; his HIV is now under control and undetectable.

Better treatments for hemophilia mean better quality of life

In June 2017, he enrolled in a UC Davis clinical trial for a new hemophilia drug called Hemlibra that only requires monthly infusions.

Ive been in heaven only having to stick myself once per month, said Mayer. I havent bled since I started (Hemlibra) and I havent had any symptoms of bleeding.

Giermasz is encouraged by this and other new treatments for patients young and old, including gene therapy, now being offered through clinical trials.

For many years there was no progress in treatment of hemophilia, said Giermasz. Today, with an explosion of new therapies like non-factor-based treatments and gene therapy, our patients can have a normal life expectancy, joints and quality of life.
So how does Duke go about restoring power?

It starts with the forecast.



Even before television newscasters announced the probability of a big snowstorm on Dec. 8, Duke Energy meteorologists were making a forecast for the utility.

They were calling for 12 inches plus for the higher elevations, so I dont think we were surprised, said Craig DeBrew, a Duke community relations manager. We sent out a press release on Thursday that said, hey, were expecting widespread, multi-day power outages. The news release is intended as much as we can to give people a heads up  if youre elderly, if youre depending on oxygen, were trying to let people let know, if having electricity is important to you, you need to be making some plans because this is not going to be good.

DeBrew, who is Duke Energys main contact with customers, businesses and local government officials in Cleveland, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Henderson counties, described in an interview the utilitys process for restoring power in a winter storm.

The forecasters were right. Crews had plenty of lines to reconnect and poles to repair after the winter storm the weekend of Dec. 8-9 buried Western North Carolina and parts of the Piedmont in up to 2 feet of snow.

Cots and catered meals

Although some customers complained that it took too long to get their lights  and their furnace  back on, DeBrew described a process involving weeks of planning, the deployment of hundreds of workers and lots of cots and catered meals.

Its a combination of people and technology, he said.

Electricity is distributed from large lines to substations, which reduce the voltage from transmission voltage to distribution voltage. The substation in turn is linked to three or four feeders. Duke knows which feeders provide power to a critical user  a hospital, a sewage life station, a firehouse.

Say Ive lost Kanuga feeder No. 1204. We can go to a list thatll tell us, here are the critical customers youve got on that particular feeder, he said.

In a normal thunderstorm kind of thing, Duke can pinpoint problems and restore power quickly. A snowstorm over a large area involves teams of assessors, who drive around the entire system to see whats out and what caused it.

In a snow or ice event, its hard for us to identify where the priorities, so we open up the communication with emergency management to tell us, Here are our top priorities over the next couple of hours. It would be a big help if yall could address these as soon as possible.

Day 1 of the storm, were going to have damage assessors. Were going to have engineering folks, knowledgeable folks and if its a big storm theyre already going to be deployed, while the snow is still falling. Were going to get them here early. As soon as the storm hit theyre the first people out.

The assessors become the first deciders in the power restoration triage. They know how to measure tasks in minutes, hours or days.

Theyre checking out these feeders, theyre taking notes, (such as), This Kanuga 1204, its got five broken poles. You go to another feeder and its just got a tree thats leaning on it. All you gotta do is just cut the tree off of it and that feederll come back on, DeBrew said.

So youre assessing all that damage and youve got notes on it and you say, This is how much work its going to take to get that back on. At the top, youve got an outage with 1,200 people. No. 2 might be a thousand, No. 3 might be 842. So you get to the middle of the page (and) youve got outages that are 24, 30. You get to the bottom of the page youve got onesies and two-sies. So we do it in a very logical way. Im going to attack these largest outages first and if I keep my crews busy today and we knock out these 10 largest outages were going to get 60 percent of the people restored today.

Thats what happened in the snowstorm two weeks ago. At 9 oclock Tuesday night, DeBrew notified county leaders and emergency personnel of substantial progress in restoring power.

As of 9 PM we are down to 65 events and 871 customers without service, he said. This is down from 3,832 customers out yesterday and 9,739 on Sunday.

Everyone has a storm role

The power restoration work involves hundreds of personnel whose roles are recast.

Everybody at Duke Energy, in addition to their normal job, they have a storm role, DeBrew said. Engineering people commonly have a storm role of being a damage assessor. But another big piece of what we do is logistics.

Two weeks ago, two senior Duke officials were driving in deep snow to assess damage.

Robert Sipes, who is in charge of the companys work to replace the Asheville coal-fired plant with a natural gas plant, and Gary Hamrick, general manager of major projects/grid solutions in the Midwest, walked lines in Buncombe County to plan the repair work.

People might not even notice us, because its just two guys in a passenger car, not heavy equipment, Sipes said in a Duke Energy feature. But if we do our scouting right, everyone gets their power on a lot faster, and that makes everyone happy.

The assessors in the field report to a feeder coordinator  a lineworker who works that corridor every day and can instantly envision what the assessors are reporting. The feeder coordinator then deploys a crew with the right equipment.

You dont want to send two trucks for a two-person job, Sipes said. If its a simple limb on a line, two men can safely remove that, close the fuse, and move on to the next job  all while another truck is working elsewhere.

After a crew makes a repair well send them to a nearby school or other parking lot, not all the way back to the main staging area, because they can be deployed faster if they stay close, Hamrick said. If customers drive by and see trucks sitting in a parking lot and wonder why theyre not working, they probably just finished one job and are a few minutes away from getting their next assignment. Its all about logistics and efficiency.

Staged at Ag Center

During the snowstorm, Duke had 872 personnel working out of the Henderson County operations center on Spartanburg Highway, which serves Henderson and Transylvania counties.

We had about equal amount of work to do in Transylvania as we did in Henderson, DeBrew said. There was 400-plus in each of those counties.

The planning for the whole region happened days in advance. It involved setting up a large staging area at the WNC Ag Center.

Somebodys made the decision that were going to have a big event, were going to need a lot of resources, he said. When these people get here, theyre going to have to have a place to park, theyre going to have to have a place to sleep, theyre going to have to have food to eat, theyre going to have to have material. So that logistics team starts (to plan), How many hotel rooms am I going to need? Where am I going to feed them? Theyre absolutely vital to what we do.

Working from daylight to well after dark, the repair crews need sleep and food.

Sometimes, if its really bad, all the restaurants are closed, DeBrew said. The first couple days of the storm, we couldnt get restaurants. Sometimes, especially in the evening meal, well feed them in the ops center. In this particular case, the only place we could get food was at Ingles so our logistics people contacted Ingles and said, Hey, we need hot meals.

How many? You never really know how many people are going to be there because its all fluid.  If its food you want to err on the side of having enough.

During the day, the logistics people drive out through the snow to the crews.

If a crews set up and theyre out in the field and its lunchtime you cant have them break down and drive in to town and eat, DeBrew said. Well have a caterer thatll bring a ton of meals over by the op center and well have runners take em out to the crews. That may be Chick Fil-A, it may be a hot meal in a box.

Because the projections are imprecise, the Rescue Mission and Interfaith Assistance Ministry got boxes of food.

So somewhere in that process, we ordered more meals than we needed, DeBrew said. We had extra food that we werent going to be able to consume and we said, OK, who can use this food? Thats how we ended up reaching out to the rescue mission.

While part of the job is guesswork, the overall restoration process is the result of hours of planning and a logical approach.

Were working the critical customers and the largest outages first, he said. If its two or three people (without power) and its two or three broke poles and its going to take a crew all day, were going to be putting that crew on an all-day job thats going to get 800 back on before we do 80 or before we do 8.

I have this conversation with people and generally I think we can agree. We manage storms about like you would if you were in charge. If you had limited resources, you would take em and send them to your largest outages and thats exactly what we do.
WINNERS of the Sue Ryder Women of Achievement Awards are urging people to make nominations for next years awards.

Anybody who knows an inspirational woman living or working in the Henley area is encouraged to put them forward in one of seven categories, including business, community, sport, innovation and public service.

New for 2019 is the mentor of the year award, which celebrates the achievements of women who have helped to shape the lives of others with guidance and encouragement.

The seventh award is the Robyn Jones courage award, which is named after the award-winning founder of commercial catering firm CH&Co, of Dunsden, who died in 2015.

Her husband Tim, who now runs the company, will present this at the 12th annual awards ceremony to be held at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at the Madejski Stadium in Reading on Friday, March 15.

Beccy Harley, catering manager at the Sue Ryder hospice in Nettlebed, won the award for staff and volunteers this year before also collecting the Robyn Jones Award.

She said: I am still extremely honoured to have received such an important award. I never thought for one minute it would be me.

I encourage people to think about a woman in their life who needs celebrating. Its a special way to thank someone and it means a lot even being told youve been nominated  I often think about who put me forward.

Ms Harley, who has worked for Sue Ryder for 18 years, gives up Christmas Day each year to cook for patients.

Former paramedic Suzanne Stickley, who founded Henley training company First Aid Matters in 2012, won the services category this year. She said: Apart from the accolade that comes with being nominated and eventually winning, it makes you feel like youre doing something good and worthwhile.

Its especially good for small businesses like mine as you want to know youre putting something back into the community and making a positive difference.

People should support the awards by nominating people as its so worthwhile and theres always a lovely atmosphere on the night.

Sue Ryder is a wonderful organisation and just by being nominated you feel proud to be associated with it.

Double rowing world champion Sarah Winckless, who won this years sport category, said: Sue Ryder is such a great charity that does amazing work so I was proud to have them recognise what I do and acknowledge that it has value.

It was a real honour to receive the award and the evening itself was very enjoyable.

We dont achieve these things in order to be noticed but it is inspiring to meet other women who have done incredible things and often in the face of adversity.

You could see each winners face light up and the nominees were equally proud to be taking part so Id love to think that other women will have that same opportunity at the next awards.

Ann Manning, from Shiplake, who has run the independent insurance broker Manning UK in Reading Road, Henley, since 1984, won last years community category.

She said: Its so nice to be recognised and very encouraging when you know youve been nominated by your peers.

There are many women in Henley who are just quietly making a difference and it is so helpful for them to know that their efforts are valued.

The awards are sponsored by Invesco as well as CH&Co, digital marketing agency Grandesco and Higgs Group, publishers of the Henley Standard.

Nominations are open until January. To make a nomination, visit www.sueryder.org/swoa
It has been our dream for years to go to Patagonia to hike the Torres del Paine National Park, but it is so physically demanding and logistically complicated that I didn't know how to do it ourselves. This year we finally did it with the help of ChileTour Patagonia who has a 'Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic' tour that fits our needs.

Our itinerary:

Day 0: Fly out in the afternoon.

Day 1: Arrive Santiago, Chile in the morning. Santiago sightseeing.

Day 2: Day trip to Valparaiso.

Day 3: Santiago sightseeing.

Day 4: Fly to Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas sightseeing.

Day 5: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 1: Bus transfer to Puerto Natales. W Trek briefing and welcome dinner.

Day 6: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 2: Private transfer to Torres del Paine National Park. Trek to Base Torres with a guide. Stay at Torre Central.

Day 7: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 3: Trek alongside Lake Nordenskjold to Los Cuernos (The Horns) and Frances Area. Stay at Domos Frances.

Day 8: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 4: Trek through the French Valley to Britanico Lookout and then to Paine Grande. Stay at Paine Grande Lodge.

Day 9: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 5: Trek from Paine Grande to Grey Glacier Area. Optional trekking in the afternoon to the Hanging Bridges. Stay at Grey Lodge.

Day 10: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 6: Trek back to Paine Grande from Grey Glacier Area. Take the catamaran across Lake Pehoe to reach bus transfer back to Puerto Natales.

Day 11: Torres del Paine W Trek - Classic day 7: tour ends. We arranged bus transfer to El Calafate, Argentina ourselves.

Day 12: Day trip to Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina.

Day 13: Day trip to El Chalten, Argentina.

Day 14: Bus Transfer to Puerto Natales, Chile (6 hrs.), and then to Punta Arenas (3+ hrs.).

Day 15/16: Fly to Santiago, and then home.

A few notes about this trip:

1. When I was planning for this trip, I wanted to fly into Santiago, and fly out of Buenos Aires. But airfare from El Calafate to Buenos Aires was really expensive (hundreds of dollars for a one-way ticket), so I opted to back track to Santiago by bus and air which is a lot cheaper but very boring and time consuming. Should have fly from El Calafate to Buenos Aires instead.

2. Many business (including hotels and restaurants) in Chile and Argentina are cash only. So always carry some cash.

3. Getting cash in South America always seems to involve a hefty fee. Back in 2016 when we went to Peru, we had to pay 18 Soles fee to withdrew 400 Soles (maximum allowed per withdrew at the machine) at Lima airport which is 4.5%. At Santiago airport this time, the ATM allowed a maximum of 200,000 Chilean Pesos for 5,000 pesos fee, so that is 2.5%. In El Calafate, Argentina it is the worst ever. The first bank I went to, its ATM only allowed me to withdraw 1,000 Argentine pesos for a really high fee (200 - 300 range) so I cancelled. A bank employee there could speak some English. She told me to go down the street to Argentina National Bank. They allowed higher withdraw amount for international card. So I went there and tried to withdraw 6,000 and 5,000 Argentine pesos, both failed. I ended up withdrawing 4,000 pesos for 240 pesos fee which is still 6%! What a rip off!

(To be continued)
'It's not going away': Man still faces trial in 1988 assault on girls
Actors Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are back with their son Taimur after celebrating his second birthday in South Africa. The family of three had flown to Cape Town to ring in the Taimurs birthday and spend some quality time by the.

The three were spotted upon their arrival at the airport as they returned home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with their near and dear ones. Taimur, who had left for his birthday holiday on the shoulders of his father, looked tired in his fathers arms as he headed home after a long flight.

The family had a blast in Cape Town as they played on the beach, soaked up the sun, clicked lovely pictures and did some horse-riding. While Kareena and Saif chose regular horses for themselves, the little Nawab got a white pony for himself. They had also organised a small cake-cutting ceremony at their resort as Taimur turned two on December 20. The couple was in South Africa for a brand shoot and planned their holiday around it.

They also threw an early birthday bash for Taimur before leaving for the vacation. All from Karisma Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan with daughter Inaaya and husband Kunal Kemmu, had attended the party in Mumbai.

On the work front, Saif is expected to resume the shooting of the second season of his hit web series Sacred Games. Kareena has two projects in hand. She will be seen with Akshay Kumar, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani in Good News. She has also signed Karan Johars Takht which stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.

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For years, he was bullied and ridiculed because of his height but now its payback time for Ashish Singh of Kannauj, who worked as body reference for Shah Rukh Khan in his latest Zero.

Just four feet tall, Ashish (31) facilitated in bringing alive Bauaa Singh, the lead character in Zero  with some of his mannerism and body language, coupled with technology, coming in handy for the makers.

The film is more like a personal victory for Ashish who left Kannauj with a pledge to give a befitting reply to people who used to make fun of him because of his height. Their ridicule motivated me to do better in life. By the grace of God, my height became my biggest plus in life and took me to places that most people can only dream of, said Ashish, from Mumbai. It was painful to bear all that mocking. Now, I am happy that those people treat me with respect and dignity.

Ashish was born in Jasmai village of Mainpuri district and came to Chibramau, Kannauj, in 2009 to pursue graduation. He used to cover 36 km everyday on a small bicycle, travelling from his village to college in Chibramau, said Dr Pratyush Dwivedi, his guardian.

Ashish met Dr Dwivedi, who gave him a place in his house as well as a small job in his eye clinic. After working with him for six years, Ashish left for Kanpur in 2015.

He joined a six-month long acting course and bagged three Bhojpuri films. The films didnt do well and he ended up in working at small time eating joints in Bengaluru, said Dr Dwivedi. He wanted to prove to people that he could also become an achiever, said Dwivedi.

His lucky break came when he moved to New Delhi and started working with a group of actors. Zeros director Anand L Rai spotted him at an event. He was delighted with the offer and I encouraged him, Dr Dwivedi said. Ashish underwent four rounds of audition before the Zero team finalised him as the body reference.

I lived like Shah Rukh Khan for two years so that he reflects in my body motion, action and language, said Ashish. I used to reach the sets an hour before him where the cameras were positioned according to my height, he said.

Ashish is hopeful that Zero will bring him more work. Everyone from Shah Rukh sir to Anand sir praised me for my hard work. Now, I am ready to use my short height to reach greater heights.

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A gang of cabbies-cum-robbers, which was busted five days ago, used to rob commuters on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway by offering them cab rides at night and targeted at least 220 people in Delhi-NCR over the last four months, accumulating around Rs 38 lakh in cash, jewellery and other valuables, the police said.

According to the police, the cabbie gang, as they are known, mainly targeted executives of multinational companies and BPOs, who waited for public transport on highways after dark.

The crime run of the gang, who used to take advantage of lack of public transport at night, came to an end after the police got a tip-off that they would be targeting a commuter at Iffco Chowk. An official of the crime investigation agency was deployed at the spot and, as expected, he was offered a lift by the gang. The police followed the cab and intercepted them on their way.

The gang comprised 12 members, who shared the loot equally among themselves, the police said. Those arrested men are Sahil Hussain, 21, Sajid, 20, and Shahid, 20, residents of Nuh, and Mohammad Sahil 24, of Palwal. They lived in different parts of the city and worked as cab drivers during the day.

Their modus operandi was to offer commuters a lift in their Dzire car at night and then assault and rob them. They used to force victims to reveal their ATM pins and withdrew money, besides taking their mobile phones, jewellery, laptops and other valuables at gunpoint.

A revolver, three live cartridges, a knife, chains, screwdriver and an iron rod were recovered from their possession. Following their arrest, more victims are now coming forward with their accounts.

On Friday, one victim, a 61-year-old businessman from Dera Bassi in Punjab, contacted Gurugram police, claiming he could identify the gang members arrested by the police. The businessman, Ashok Kumar Verma, said he had returned from Australia on November 11 and his relatives dropped him at the Karnal bypass around 9pm. I was standing when they approached me and offered to drop me at my destination at a fair price, as per bus fares. I was in a hurry and so I boarded the cab. After travelling for 10 kilometres, they assaulted me and robbed me of my belongings worth Rs 2.5 lakh, said Verma.

The gang also used to assault their victims to force them into withdrawing money from ATMs. The police said they had collected Rs 18 lakh from ATM withdrawals, while the jewellery and other valuables they took amounted to around Rs 20 lakh.

Besides a countrymade gun, they also used a toy gun to intimidate passengers police said.

Though only 34 complaints have been received from executives in Gurugram, the gang admitted to having robbed at least 120 commuters after offering them lifts, the police said.

Shamsher Singh, the assistant commissioner of police, said a few Delhi and Punjab residents had contacted them after the gang was busted.

The gang was not only active in Gurugram but also in Delhi and at the Karnal bypass. They have robbed dozens of people near the airport by offering lifts to Chandigarh and Ambala, said Singh.

The police recovered two Swift Dzire cars in which the gang offered rides, but they were yet to recover the money and ornaments from the accused, who were arrested late Monday.

Singh said the accused had bought two cars registered with cab aggregators. They worked as drivers during the day and targeted one victim each night.

Hussain had bought the car four months ago and was paying Rs 18,000 as a monthly installment. The second car was bought by Mohammad Sahil, who was paying Rs 15,000 a month, said Singh.

They are already facing trials in a number of cases of carjacking and theft, the police said.

Sahil planned to form a gang four years ago and was involved in carjacking and thefts. In July, he planned to buy a car and got it attached with a cab aggregator to evade the police and roped in his friends, who are history-sheeters, said Narender Chauhan, inspector, investigating officer.

The gang had zeroed in on five locations in the city, all on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway, to look for targets. They mostly picked up victims from Iffco Chowk, Shankar Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk, said Chauhan.

The members were assigned specific roles, the police said. Mohhammad Sahil was the driver, while Shahid withdrew money from ATM booths using the victims debit cards.

Islam and Iqbal used to attack the passengers first, and Sahil used to beat them up, if they did not reveal the passwords.
A research team has found that in 34 temples across 9 districts of the state, stand 38 bells that once hung in churches in the Portuguese territory of Bassein (in and around present-day Vasai, near Mumbai).

Some are almost 400 years old, like the one at the Tulja Bhavani temple in Osmanabad, and are integral to the temple  mass weddings are conducted below it.

Others, like the one in Shikhar Shignapur in Satara, enjoy a place of pride - a shrine has been built around it. And in Jejuri, near Pune, a former church bell installed at a temple would ring out so loud and clear that locals complained of the noise and eventually relegated it to the temple warehouse.

Church bells show up in temples as far apart as Nashik, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri and Mahabaleshwar. They honour Shiva, Lakshmi and Khandoba. How they all got there is a mystery that took one Catholic priest and his team three decades to uncover.

Sounds familiar

The Vasai-based priest Fr Francis Correa, now 78, says hed been fascinated by the idea of Hindu temples holding on to Vasais church bells ever since he heard about it in the 1970s. Books on local history mentioned it, and there were local legends. Theres a village called Ghatghar near Vajreshwari, he says. Ghat is the Konkani word for bell and the villagers believed that they had a massive bell that was taken from their church by the 18th century Maratha general Chimaji Appa.

Correa started making a list of every such story he heard. By 1995, he had enough leads to make an exploratory trip to Aurangabad with a group of enthusiasts. Sure enough, the temple bells there showed evidence of having originally belonged to churches.

On some, there is a cross still etched in metal relief work. On others, a little Mary, or Jesus, or both. Many have been painted over in saffron, or covered in marigolds, but the signs are there if you know what to look for.

Correa has made several trips across the state, with amateur historian and Vasai-fort expert Pascal Lopes, and Vasaibased researchers Joseph Pereira, Berina DSilva, Dr Afigin Toscano and husband Augustine, documenting and photographing as much as they could.

What weve found is fascinating, says Lopes. The bells are actually war trophies. They were taken from the churches inside the Vasai fort when Chimaji Appa [Peshwa Bajiraos younger brother and military commander] reclaimed the Konkan territories from the Portuguese between 1737 and 1739. The bells - huge, beautiful, sturdy, made possibly in Macao or Lisbon, with a clear sound that carries across land - were ideal victory symbols to distribute among the army. And where better to display and deploy them than at the local temple?

In 2016, the team documented their findings in Correas book, Old Ambassadors of The New Era. But given that the Portuguese established as many as 80 churches in Maharashtra, with an average of two bells each, their work is far from done.

Hear and there

So how do you tell if a bell is of Portuguese Catholic origin? Correa and his team relied on some simple clues. Church bells are larger, louder and heavier, designed to be suspended from a tower.

We also look for at least one symbol of Christianity, says Pereira. Perhaps a Latin inscription, the cross, the initials IHS [Latin for Humble Society of Jesus or Jesus, Saviour of Men] or AM for Ave Maria. And of course, the year of casting, if inscribed, had to be before 1739.

In the warehouse at Jejuri, two dusty bells were cleaned up to reveal an icon of swords piercing a heart, the same as those at a Portuguese church in Dahanu.

Of the trophies taken from Vasai, only one bell has been discovered to hang in a church. At the St Francis Xavier Church in south Mumbai it was given voluntarily to the British in gratitude for the gunpowder received to help fight the Marathas, Correa says.

Correa says discovering the bells has broadened his view of India. Seeing the bells for the first time, I initially felt like it was my communitys property and that I should work on restoring them to the church, he says. But over time Ive realised that in Hindu temples, theyve been given a new life, with new missions to perform. They are our shared heritage.

Dr Toscano adds that on every one of their trips, the temple authorities and local people were friendly and cooperative. There was a spirit of religiosity and it was peaceful, she says.

The church bells, therefore, will continue to ring out hope to temple-goers. Correa says they seem quite happy in their Hindu surroundings.

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Sometime in July-August this year, Purushottam Rajak, a long-standing employee of the army-run central ordnance depot (COD) in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur, who has now been accused of being the ring leader of more than a decade-long arms smuggling racket running from the COD, stole a few parts of phased-out AK-47 assault rifles from the facility and kept them in his car.

His plan was to use these to fabricate weapons to be sold at Mungers popular but illegal gun market. Rajak feared his house wasnt safe. And so the parts remained in his car for a couple of days as he kept going in and out of the arms depot unchecked, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe has revealed.

He and his associates in Bihars Munger were selling assault rifles, made from the usable parts of dumped weapons, to Maoists and criminal gangs from 2003, say investigators.

Rajak told interrogators that his luck ran out one day and he was caught with the parts still in his car. But he managed to convince authorities at the COD that someone must have planted the parts in his car. Rajak claims he was let off without any inquiry, said an official of the NIA familiar with the interrogation .

Pointing to the lax security arrangements at the facility, the official, who asked not to be identified, added that Rajak managed to go in and come out of the COD at least five times with the parts still lying in his car.

Queries sent to the army authorities in this regard remained unanswered.

In September, Rajak was finally picked up by the Bihar police which was keeping an eye on his associates in Munger, one of the biggest hubs of illegal arms manufacturing in the country. The associate, Mohammed Irfan, arrested on August 29 with three AK-47 rifles from Jamalpur of Munger, revealed the alleged involvement of Rajak and another COD storekeeper, Suresh Thakur, in the case.

Due to its cross-country and national security ramifications, the ministry of home affairs asked NIA to investigate the case.

Initial estimates from the Bihar police and NIA reveal that more than 125 AK-47 weapons, fabricated from the parts of phased-out assault rifles by the Army and dumped in its stores in Jabalpur, may have reached Munger in the last five years.

Investigators in NIA and Bihar police say that having been an armourer himself, Rajak knew how to fabricate a weapon using spares from different weapons.

Investigators say Rajak retired in 2008 but was re-employed by the COD on contract.

The Bihar police and the NIA have managed to recover around two dozen AK-47 rifles so far in the case.
An Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harassment case.

The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 am today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force, sources told ANI in New Delhi.

He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but the court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC, they said.

As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to change the sentence.

Advocate Anand Kumar, representing the Maj Gen in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the (GCM) court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and decision has been passed in a haste.

The Maj Gen was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under the Armys Western Command for disciplinary proceedings.

Sources said the officer has denied charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer.

In a plea filed before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of the Army Chief that year.

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by authorities concerned. The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter.

The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years. In 2007, a Maj Gen had to quit the Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
The BJP has been pressurised by its NDA partners in Bihar - Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan - to give their parties more Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections, opposition leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Upendra Kushwaha alleged on Sunday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) will contest on 17 seats each out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party will contest the remaining 6, the NDA leaders said at a press conference at BJP chief Amit Shahs residence in New Delhi.

Kushwaha, who led his Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) out of the NDA over seat allocation for 2019 and joined the opposition Mahagatbandhan earlier this week, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had succumbed to the demands of Nitish Kumar.

In a veiled dig at PM Modi, Kushwaha told ANI that it seems that the one with the 56-inch chest had bowed his head before Nitish Kumar and agreed to contest an equal number of seats. What difference does it make to the people, he asked.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also took a jibe at the BJP for agreeing to contest only 17 seats in Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls next year, despite having won 22 in the last general election.

The leader of the opposition in the state assembly also alleged that the BJP gave in to arm-twisting by Nitish Kumar and Paswan.

After stealing the mandate (of the 2015 assembly elections), the BJP has become so strong that even with 22 sitting MPs, it will contest 17 seats (in 2019) and Nitishji, with 2 seats, will now fight 17. Understand what dire straits the NDA is in, he said in a tweet.

Ending its 17-year-old alliance with the NDA, the JD(U) had contested 2014 Lok Sabha polls alone. Following its poor performance, it forged the mahagathbandhan with the RJD and the Congress and the alliance achieved a handsome victory in 2015 Bihar assembly polls.

Nitish Kumar walked out of the alliance last year following corruption allegations against Yadav, his then deputy, and then stitched a new alliance with the BJP.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expanded his cabinet with the swearing in of 23 ministers - 13 cabinet and 10 state ministers. His Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh counterparts, Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel, are expected to follow suit a day later on December 25.

The three chief ministers, who were sworn in on December 17 after the Congresss win in three out of the five states that went to the polls in November and December, are expected to prefer experience over youth. The Congress has decided against making first-time legislators ministers, according to a leader aware of the developments. (Live updates)

In Rajasthan, Gehlot had forwarded a list of 40 contenders for ministerial berths to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the cabinet expansion. Gehlot and his deputy, Sachin Pilot, returned to Jaipur on Sunday after Gandhi approved the list of the inductees.

The strength of the council of ministers in Rajasthan cannot exceed 30 or 15% of the total number of seats in the 200-member state assembly. The Congress is unlikely to fill all the ministerial vacancies.

Pilot, who was sworn in along with Gehlot, is learnt to have reiterated his demand for 50% berths for his loyalists during the discussions for the cabinet expansion. He insisted this will ensure a respectable power-sharing mechanism between two rival Congress camps  his and Gehlots  in Rajasthan.

It is not [going to be] a full-fledged cabinet [expansion]. More ministers may be inducted later, a Congress leader said. The leader said Gehlots cabinet is expected to have 20-25 ministers mostly experienced leaders.

The council of ministers is likely to have three women: Mamta Bhupesh, Shakuntala Rawat and Zahida Khan. Former union minister CP Joshi, Lal Chand Kataria, B D Kalla, Shanti Dhariwal and Jitendra Singh Shekhawat are also expected to be inducted into Gehlots ministry.

In Chhattisgarh, chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel would include 10 remaining ministers in his cabinet. The state, which has a 90-member assembly, can have 13 ministers including the chief minister. T S Singhdeo and Tamradhwaj Sahu were sworn in last Monday along with Bhagel.

The Congress, which had won only one Lok Sabha seat in 2014, has decided to have a representative each from Chhattisgarhs all 11 Parliamentary constituencies in Baghels Cabinet. We have tried to give representation to leaders from all the communities [and] to cover all 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Cabinet formation keeping in mind the next years general election, said a Chhattisgarh Congress leader.

Nath is also expected to induct about 25-30 ministers on Tuesday. He was sworn-in alone last Monday.

Some of the young leaders, who may not get Cabinet berths, are expected to be accommodated in the party organisation. An organisational reshuffle will soon take place in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as state unit chiefs, Nath and Baghel, have taken over as chief ministers. Gehlot was the Congresss national general secretary in-charge of organisation and training before taking over as the chief minister for the third time.

(With inputs from reporters in Jaipur and Raipur)
Telangana chief minister and TRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday met his Odisha counterpart and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik for exploring an alternative front to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances.

KCR, as the TRS chief is popularly known, met Patnaik this evening at the latters residence, saying the regional parties should come together as the country needs a change.

The dialogue for a new front has begun. We are making efforts to bring like-minded parties together though nothing concrete has come out. We will meet again in the upcoming days, said Rao, congratulating Patnaik for his initiative to get the womens reservation bill passed in the Lok Sabha. My party fully support the cause of women, he added.

The BJD, however, said Raos visit was purely personal. The visit is totally personal and there is no political motive behind it.Its a courtesy visit on chief minister Naveen Patnaik, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said.

KCR, who led TRS to a massive victory in recently concluded assembly elections, had said that a consortium of regional parties would soon emerge to challenge both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

The Telengana CMs visit to Odisha comes a day ahead of PM Narendra Modis visit to Odisha where he would address a public meeting near Khurda, where the Paikas rebelled against the oppression of British in 1817. Modi would also unveil several developmental projects worth Rs 15,000 crore. The PM would come back to Odisha again on January 5 and 16 to address two separate public meetings as part of BJPs focus on the eastern states.

Political analyst Panchanan Kanungo said the both Patnaik and KCR, who are likely to hold fort in their respective states, could play an important role after 2019 elections if the BJP and Congress-led alliances fail to get majority.

The TRS chief would spend a night in Bhubaneswar before heading for Sun Temple at Konark and Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri on Monday. He is also expected to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday.
The 18-year-old girl, who was allegedly set afire by a stalker in Uttarakhands Pauri Garhwal district Sunday and sustained around 80% burns, succumbed to her injuries in Delhis Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday morning.

The incident, which occurred on December 16 as she was returning from her college, had shocked the people of the state and was condemned by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat who assured all government assistance in her treatment. She was initially undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Rishikesh from where she was airlifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday.

Senior superintendent of police, Pauri Garhwal, Jagat Ram Joshi, said, the girl died at around 9.30 am.

Her family members have left Delhi with her body in the afternoon at around 3 and would be reaching the village at night around 11. The police have made all the arrangements so that the girls body could reach her village for last rites without any problems, he said.

The police are also on alert so as to avoid any untoward incident in the area as residents were angry over the incident which is usually unheard in the hills. The accused Manoj Singh, is already behind the bars and investigations are on, he added.

Hindustan Times tried to contact the authorities of Safdarjung Hospital but were not able to.

The incident happened last Sunday at around 8pm when the girl was returning home on her two-wheeler after appearing in her practical examinations of B.Sc second year. Singh, who was harassing her since last few days, then stopped her and proposed to her.

The 31-year-old Singh, who is married and used to live in the neighbouring village, had proposed her several times earlier but she refused her every time. On Sunday evening also, she refused after which he poured petrol on her and set her on fire. He was later nabbed by police on the same night and produced before a court the next day which sent him to jail.
The city may see a return of its mounted police unit, last disbanded in 1932 when it was still a part of the British Raj. The police now wants to use it to control crowds and patrolling in certain areas.

Mumbai police commissioner Subodh Jaiswal put forward this proposal recently to the state government for its approval.

Mounted police means policemen mounted on horses. It will be a specialised unit comprising trained staff and horses. The basic purpose of the unit is to patrol and also to control a large group of people who are part of a gathering or a protest, confirmed a joint commissioner of police, requesting anonymity.

The mounted police unit, which was last seen in the city 86 years ago, will not be unique to Mumbai if it returns. Other state forces such as Kerala Police, Karnataka Police and city forces such as the Chennai Police and Kolkata Police have equestrian units.

Neighbouring Gujarat has the largest mounted police unit in the country, with 600 horses.

Earlier proposals for a mounted unit in the 1990s and 2009 never saw any implementation due to a shortage of funds. In order for Jaiswals proposal to come through, it has to be forwarded by Maharashtras home department to its finance department and then, finally to the chief ministers office for final approval. Jaiswal did not reply to HTs calls and messages.

Jaiswals proposal says no new officers need to be recruited because the existing force can be trained.

However, it says trained horses are required for the force. A senior home department official said the existing stables at Mahalaxmi Race Course can be used for the horses of this unit.

Former Mumbai police commissioner MN Singh said that it would be unfair to comment on the proposal. I can only say that I didnt feel handicapped while handling the Mumbai police force as its chief. Also, after independence, most of the states had done away with mounted police units, Singh.

Former IPS officer AA Khan said the unit may have to face a lot of difficulties as Mumbai streets are much too crowded now.

One cannot deny the possibility of a horse getting agitated and charging on crowds, Khan said.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India was the most tolerant nation in the world, rejecting claims that intolerance was rising in the country.

Singhs statement came two days after actor Naseeruddin Shah expressed concern that poison has so 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. He had expressed anxiety over the well-being of his children, who he said had not been brought up as followers of any particular religion and would not be able to identify themselves on religious lines if confronted by a bloodthirsty mob.

The tolerance that exists in India is unmatchedsuch tolerance is not found in any corner of the world. Perhaps, India is the only country, where people from all religions co-exist peacefully since ages. All of them have contributed in prosperity, empowerment of the country and have worked to make India self reliant. I am confident they would continue to do so, said the home minister while answering a question from the media at the 114th Foundation Day function of King Georges Medical University in Lucknow.

There are 72 sects in Islam, all of them are found here, not even the Islamic countries have all. Theres no question of intolerance in the country, he said, reported ANI news agency.

Asked about the cyber surveillance order, Singh said, Things have been clarified, I cannot speak more as the parliament session is on. Whatever I have to say, I will say in the Parliament.

The order says that 10 central agencies authorised by the government would have the authority to monitor and intercept any information from any computer.

This has set off a political storm with the opposition accusing the government of snooping computers.

During his address as chief guest of the function, the minister said he would be the happiest person if the 114-year-old KGMU got AIIMS-like status. He said he could not promise this status as it would require changes in policies and only a few months were left for the elections, while policy changes required more time.

Earlier, KGMU vice-chancellor professor MLB Bhatt had handed over a memorandum to the home minister seeking AIIMS-like status for the university..

On the occasion, Rajnath Singh also gave medals to 86 top students of the institute.
India has been prepared for a long time now for an eventual pullout of American troops from Afghanistan but surprised by the Trump administrations sudden decision, as the rest of the world, it wants to know more about the nature and the time-frame of the cut-back to assess implications for its involvement.

Indians are concerned about the security of four consulates  Jalalabad (in the east), Herat (west), Mazar-e-Sharif (north) and Kandahar (in the south)  and the embassy in Kabul, personnel manning them and the projects India is running there as part of the reconstruction effort, as a top partner.

There has been no communication from the United States to India yet about the impending pullout, and its been noted in New Delhi. But,people in the know said, assuming the Trump administration had indeed taken a call  there has been no tweet or announcement as about the Syrian pullout  they want to see which troops are being pulled out, those involved in counter-terrorism or those advising Afghanistan combat troops, or both.

India also wants to know about the time-frame of the cut back and whether American troops, marked for pullout, 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 their legitimacy and the outcome, said a person familiar with the deliberations.

These two factors are critical to assessing the repercussion for India  whether the troop-cut would be hugely consequential or one that can be managed.

Afghan presidential elections are due next April, and Indian officials dealing with South Asia fear most a US drawdown in the first quarter of 2019, which they have considered more as a possibility.

US President Trump has been keen to pullout of Afghanistan, as was his predecessor 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 that whether its linked to improvement 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 thinking on the matter.

India has invested heavily in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and from much before, the Trump administration sought to accord India a larger role there.

India helped the central bank of Afghanistan find its feet, starting just days after the Taliban were chased out of the country in late 2001  with the help of government bankers from Indian staying four to a room in a Kabul property - rebuild schools (former president Hamid Karzais school, to begin with), get the transportation system running  with the help of the Tata company  and resurrect Kabuls main hospital, quietly and without fanfare.

But it has not been easy, or safe. There have been multiple attacks on Indian missions in Afghanistan, the embassy and consulates. And just this past May, six engineers of a private Indian company were abducted by the Taliban in Baghlan province of Afghanistan.
The Bandra police on Friday arrested a 36-year-old man, Asif Shaikh, for allegedly hanging his 30-year-old brother, Riyaz, to death in their home in Rahul Nagar, Bandra (West). The murder was reported by their mother who tried to make it look like an accident to protect the elder son.

Shaikh saw Riyaz was not in his senses. He tied a knot to the ceiling and hanged him, said a police officer. The victim has 10 cases of theft registered against him.

On Friday, at around 4pm, Asif Shaikh got into a fight with his younger brother, Riyaz, in their home in Rahul Nagar, Bandra (West). The police believe Riyaz may have been under the influence of drugs when the fight broke out. Shaikh, the elder brother and the victim, got into a fight. He saw Riyaz was not in his senses. Sometime later, he tied a knot to the ceiling and hanged him to death, said a police officer familiar with the case.

When their mother found out what had happened between her two sons, she confronted Shaikh, but eventually decided to try and save him. Instead of reporting the murder to the police, their mother went to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra with Riyazs body. The hospital declared Riyaz dead on arrival.

Then the elderly woman went to Bandra police station with the death certificate and told the police that she didnt know the actual cause of Riyazs death, but that she suspected he had fallen off a stool while at home.

However, the police found ligature marks on the deceaseds neck and the post-mortem report confirmed that Riyazs death was due to hanging. The police then interrogated Riyazs mother and brother, which was when the duo came clean about what had happened. Riyaz was known to the police because he has previously been booked for multiple cases of theft.

Shaikh was charged with murder of his brother and was presented before a local court on Saturday. He has been remanded to police custody. No charges have been filed against their mother.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) will contest 17 seats each in Bihar in next years Lok Sabha elections, leaving the remaining six for Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced on Sunday, allaying apprehensions of unease in the ruling coalition after the desertion of Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP).

Union minister Paswan will not contest the Lok Sabha polls, due in April-May, and will get a nomination in the Rajya Sabha at the earliest opportunity.

We will win more than the 31 seats that we clinched in the 2014 elections, BJP president Amit Shah told a press conference attended by Kumar and Paswan in Delhi.

Shah was referring to the combined NDA tally in Bihar five years ago, when the RLSP was a part of the alliance and the JD(U) fought the elections independently. After an hour-long meeting with the allies, Shah said the three parties will soon identify the seats they will contest and make an announcement. Bihar sends 40 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha.

The BJP contested 30 seats and won 22 in 2014, and the new deal meant that it will fight fewer seats than it bagged five years ago to make way for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars JD(U).

The LJP won six of the seven seats it contested and the RLSP, which is now a part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), bagged all three seats that it fought.

The agreement is a victory of sorts for the JD(U), which has two members in the Lok Sabha but wanted to contest the same number of seats as the BJP.

Watch: Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP, JD(U) will fight at 17, & LJP at 6 seats in Bihar

In 2013, Kumar walked out of the NDA and joined hands with arch-rival Lalu Prasads Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress two years later.vh The alliance swept the Bihar assembly elections in 2015, but it suffered a big blow after Kumar returned to the NDA last year.

We will form a government under [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi, Paswan said in the Capital, stressing that there was no strain in the alliance. He also thanked finance minister Arun Jaitley, who played a key role in sealing the deal with the BJP.

Chirag, his son and a Lok Sabha member, triggered a flutter last week, asking the Centres ruling BJP to treat allies with respect. He appeared displeased that a seat-sharing formula was not agreed upon despite several rounds of talks. His party also asked the BJP to announce a deal by December 31.

As the NDA put up a united front in Delhi, Bihar CM Kumar said, We will jointly campaign and form the government at the Centre.

He added that the decision to send Paswan, a nine-time Lok Sabha MP, to the Upper House was a recognition of his long service to the nation.

In Patna, JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Paswans continuation in the NDA will give the alliance a psychological edge.

More than the agreement, the very fact that the LJP will be in the NDA will now nullify the advantage the grand alliance was expecting [in case of Paswans desertion], he said.

But the opposition targeted the BJP for agreeing to contest just 17 seats. On Twitter, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the deal proved the NDA was in a bad shape in the state.

Kushwaha, who is now an ally of Tejashwi, said, As far as Ram Vilas Paswan is concerned, he foresees the weather. The NDA is not going to win a single seat in Bihar. He knows it. That is why he did the right thing by asking for a Rajya Sabha berth.

Political expert Saibal Gupta said the deal, for now, will help in the consolidation of the NDA, especially after Chirag struck a discordant note and Kushwaha severed ties with the coalition over apprehensions of getting a raw deal.

And once consolidation starts, the alliance will be strengthened, said Gupta, a member-secretary of the Asian Development Research Institute in Patna.
The Shiv Sena, currently a part of the NDA government at the Centre, has announced that it will contest all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

The announcement was made by the partys state unit president Kaushlendra Sharma after a meeting of party leaders at Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district, on Friday.

In 2014, the Shiv Sena, which has a marginal presence in Bihar, had contested five Lok Sabha seats of Munger, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Ujiyarpur and Jehanabad and could manage only one lakh votes. The party also tried its luck in state assembly elections in 2015 and contested 72 seats, polling 2,11000 votes.

In 12 assembly constituencies, Shiv Sena was on third position while on one (Bochaha of Muzaffarpur district), it came second, Sharma said. We will contest on the plank of nationalism and pride of Biharis.

Incidentally, people from Bihar have been targeted by Shiv Sainiks in Maharashtra and attacked several times.

Sharma, however, denies this. Shiv Sena never misbehaved with Biharis, he said, alleging that Raj Thackerays party was behind such attacks.

Sharma also blamed Congress and BJP for demoralising people from Bihar in different states. He cited Madhya Pradeshs newly appointed chief minister Kamal Naths recent statement about Biharis. In Delhi and in Gujarat too, BJP activists and leaders have targeted Biharis on several occasions, he said.

The BJP played down Senas plans to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Shiv Sena has no base in Bihar. It will hardly make any impact on the prospects of the BJP and the NDA, said state president of BJPs legal cell, Tarkeshwar Thakur. They are our partner in the NDA and we are together working on Mission 2019 to make Narendra Modi prime minister again. But as an independent political organisation, they are free to plan their politics, said BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand.

The residents of Ara also are not enthused by Shiv Senas plans.
A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he would show the Narendra Modi government how to treat minorities, Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah responded saying that he shouldnt be commenting on issues that dont concern him.

I think Mr Khan should be walking the talk in his own country instead of commenting on issues that dont concern him. We have been a democracy for 70 years and we know how to look after ourselves, Naseeruddin Shah told the Sunday Express.

Imran Khans statement had come after the veteran Bollywood actor had expressed concern over mob violence in India following the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr earlier this month.

Khan had said, 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 Shahs statement, while emphasising that his government will ensure that the minorities feel safe, protected and have equal rights in New Pakistan. Khan said this while addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore.

In a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, Naseeruddin Shah had said that 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 now be 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 dont see the situation improving anytime soon, Shah added.

Also read | Will show the Modi government how to treat minorities: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
In yet another instance of a honour killing, a 22-year old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her parents and relatives for marrying her lover against their wishes in Telanganas Mancherial district late on Saturday.

According to Mancherial police, Pindi Anuradha of Kalamadugu village had been in love with Ayyoru Lakshirajam alias Lakshman (26) of the same village for the last few years. While Anuradha belongs to Padmashali (weavers) community, Lakshman belongs to Yadava community, both falling under OBC category.

On December 3, the couple eloped to Hyderabad and got married at an Arya Samaj temple in the presence of their friends. After spending three weeks in Hyderabad, they came back to Jannaram and approached the local police station seeking protection.

At around 7 pm on Saturday, the police escorted the newly-wed couple to the village and left them with Lakshmans parents. On coming to know of the couples arrival, Anuradhas parents  Sathanna and Lakshmi, along with some other relatives, went to Lakshmans house and assaulted him.

They forcibly took away Anuradha to her house, beating her mercilessly on the streets in the presence of the villagers. They continued to thrash her till she died. They later took her body to the hillocks at Mallapur village in Nirmal district late in the night and set it ablaze. They returned home on Sunday morning only after immersing her ashes in the nearby stream, the police said.

Following a complaint from Lakshman, the police took Anuradhas parents into custody and they admitted to the ghastly murder.

Senior police officials visited the village to take up the investigation.
On Saturday afternoon, Mumbais Sakinaka police found the dead body of a 10-year-old boy in a nullah at Andheri Kurla Road. According to police, the boy was strangled to death and may have been sexually assaulted by a 15-year-old boy who was his neighbour in Sakinaka.

The accused has been charged with murder and a post-mortem is being conducted. During questioning, he told us that he got the idea of covering up the incident from crime shows, said inspector Sunil Mane of Sakinaka police station.

Navinchandra Reddy, deputy commissioner of police, zone 10, said that a case of murder has been registered against the 15-year-old minor and he is being interrogated further in the presence of his parents.

The 10-year-old was last seen on Thursday evening and that night, at 10.30pm, his parents received a ransom call which demanded Rs 5 lakh for the missing boy. The father, a shop owner, filed a kidnapping complaint with the police.

The police traced the call back to a teenaged boy in the same locality who used his mothers phone to make the ransom call. This teenager told the police that he had called at the behest of his friend, the 15-year-old whom the police would later charge with murder.

Initial investigations suggest the 15-year-old tried to sexually assault the 10-year-old on Thursday evening.

When he resisted, the 15-year-old strangled the younger boy to death. He then put the dead body in a suitcase, borrowed an acquaintances two-wheeler and dumped the suitcase in a nullah at Andheri Kurla Road. We suspect that the minor found in conflict with the law tried to sexually exploit the deceased, which led to a fight eventually leading to the death of the 10-year-old, said a police officer.

According to the police, the 15-year-old then told his friend about the murder and asked him to make the ransom call to make it seem as though the 10-year-old had been kidnapped.

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The Gujarati Christian community in the east Midlands city of Leicester paid tributes to Rajesh Tarsis Priskel Ramses, who was among 270 passengers who died when the New York-bound Pan Am flight 103 blew up in the sky over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988.

Memorials were held across the world on the 30th anniversary of the bombing over the town in southwest Scotland. Ramses was among seven Indian-origin passengers on the flight. The late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2003 owned responsibility for the tragedy.

Ramses, a 35-year-old computer operator based in Leicester, was planning to start a new life in America. Candles were lit and flowers placed during a brief memorial services close to where he lived on London Road, reports from Leicester said.

Marcus Solanki, a friend of Rajesh, described him as a popular and well-known member of the citys Gujarati Christian community: I knew Rajesh well. He was a dear friend and a much-loved member of our community. He had moved to England from India in the late 1970s.

He told Leicester Mercury, a leading local daily: He lived in London Road and later moved to Hinckley Road. In those days, the community used to meet at the old St Barnabas Church Hall, off Uppingham Road.

Although we were, and still are, quite a small community, a few hundred families strong, everyone was always very close and supportive of each other. Rajesh was one of our brothers, Solanki said, adding that Ramses worked for the British Shoe Corporation.

I remember the horror at learning that had been killed when the plane was blown upWe dont want him to be forgotten and, on the 30 anniversary of the bombing, Rajesh, and all the others who lost their lives that night, are at the very forefront of our thoughts.

Besides Ramses, the other Indian-origin victims of the bombing were Surinder Mohan Bhatia, Shanty Dixit, Anmol Rattan, Garima Rattan, Suruchi Rattan, and Mridula Shastri.

A service was held in the Dryfesdale Cemetery in Lockerbie, where the Lord Lieutenant for Dumfriesshire, Fiona Armstrong, read out a message from Queen Elizabeth and paid tribute to the remarkable community in the town.

Please convey my warm thanks to the people of Dumfriesshire for their kind message, sent on the occasion of their Remembrance service to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing, which is being held today, the Queen said.

I send my prayers and good wishes to all those who will be marking this solemn anniversary.
Jagdev Singh Virdee, editor of the British Sikh Report (BSR) that provides an insight into the life of the community in the UK, has received the royal honour of MBE (Member of British Empire) from Prince Charles at an investiture ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

Virdee, a senior statistician and fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, has been honoured for services to statistics and to the Sikh community. He has edited the BSR since 2015, providing key figures and insights into various aspects of the community.

After the ceremony, Virdee said, The day was a memorable and humbling one, meeting other recipients who have excelled in serving the public in various fields. It was good to discuss the BSR with Prince Charles.

Jagdev Singh Virdee, a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and editor of the British Sikh Report, being conferred the MBE for services to statistics and the Sikh community by Prince Charles (HT)

Jasvir Singh, chair of the BSR, added: I am extremely proud of Jagdev and his unwavering efforts for the benefit of the Sikh community since the 1970s.

His energy and commitment levels are infectious, and his hard work has helped ensure that the British Sikh Report has become a pioneering research project respected equally by Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike.
Paddy Ashdown, who galvanised the Liberal Democrats to become the third pole in British politics as party leader between 1988 and 1999, passed away on Saturday after living a life that spanned politics, diplomacy, special forces and peacemaking.

Ashdown, 77, was born in New Delhi on February 27, 1941, in a family of soldiers and colonial administrators who spent most of their lives in the Indian sub-continent. His father was an officer of the 14th Punjab Regiment and the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.

One of the prominent liberal figures in British politics, Ashdown was respected across the political spectrum, reflected in the outpouring of tributes. He revealed recently that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

A critic of immigration policies under Prime Minister Theresa May, Ashdown called her 2016 visit to India shambolic. He was in favour of the UK remaining in the European Union and often criticised promises made by pro-Brexit campaigners.

Leading Brexiteers like Priti Patel said a vote to Leave would save British curry houses struggling with a shortage of skilled chefs; now as senior ministers at the heart of this government these Brexiteers are failing the very businesses they promised to help, he said after the 2016 referendum.

The Liberal Democrats is the third major party in British politics after Labour and Conservative. It was in a coalition government between 2010 and 2015 with David Cameron (Conservative) as prime minister and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) as the deputy prime minister.

Clegg, who led the party from 2007 to 2015, said that Ashdown was the most heartfelt person I have known and the reason I entered politics. He was the reason I became a liberal. And he became a lifelong mentor, friend and guide.

Vince Cable, current leader of the party, said: Paddy 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 Commons. Few people know how hard he fought to get into politics following his service in the marines and diplomatic service.

Prime Minister May said: 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 Prime Minister Tony 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 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.

The first Indian elected to the House of Commons was from the Liberal Party  the earlier incarnation of Liberal Democrats  when Dadabhai Naoroji was elected from Finsbury Central in 1892.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday named Patrick Shanahan as acting secretary of defense to succeed James Mattis and said the pullout of US troops from Syria, which caused the Pentagon upheaval, will be slow and coordinated, in recognition perhaps of the criticism he has faced since.

After a phone conversation with Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said Sunday morning in a tweet, that, we discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. But, he added, they are coming home.

President Trump announced earlier in the week, also after a phone call with President Erdogan, that the US will be pulling out its 2,000 troops stationed in Syria to fight the Islamic State (which is also called ISIS  Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). No timelines had been offered since.

But the stunning decision, which was opposed by most of the presidents senior aides and advisers and was not discussed with allies, was greeted by a storm of criticism at home and abroad.

Secretary Mattis, who had opposed the decision, resigned in protest after failing to persuade the president to change his mind. He should get himself some one who was more aligned with his own thinking, he told the president in a resignation letter that has received widespread attention, and irritated Trump.

So much that he wants him out sooner than February till when Mattis had offered to stay to enable the president to look for a successor. Trump announced on Twitter that Shanahan, who is currently serving as deputy secretary of defense, will take charge from January 1. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!

Before moving to the Pentagon, Shanahan had served as senior vice president for supply chain and operations at Boeing, starting at the company in 1986, according to his biography on the US department of defense website. His assignments there included a stint as vice president and general manager of the 787 Dreamliner, leading the programme during a critical period.

Shanahan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, and two advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, and an MBA from MITs Sloan School of Management.

Mattis, his predecessor, was a celebrated US marine general.

Shanahan is now the third senior member of the Trump administration charged with an acting assignment, following  acting chief of staff of White House Mick Mulvaney and acting attorney general Matt Whittaker (Trump has named William Barr to assume full-time charge when confirmed by the senate).
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While an outpour of anticipation and excitement have come attached to the live remake of The Lion King, Disney is also facing renewed backlash over the use and trademark of the Swahili "hakuna matata" phrase. In 1994, the company trademarked the phrase and now many have once more issued an outcry over what is perceived to be cultural appropriation and exploitation with opposition citing that Disney cannot trademark something it did not create.

Now a new element has been tossed into the mix as Kenyan band Them Mushrooms have prominently come forward by asserting that they popularized the use of the phrase "hakuna matata" 14 years before Disney ever filed for a trademark. While the melody isn't the same, "hakuna matata" is used in the group's 1980s track "Jambo Bwana."

"Disney's first registration, as we've come to learn, was in 1994. This is 14 years after we had recorded the song. This song went platinum in the country. This is our national tourism anthem in Kenya," frontman John Katana said. "[...] We were a bit surprised, you know, because we said, 'Hey, these guys are have taken our phrase, but they've changed the tune.'"

Katana explains that as he and his bandmates were not as well versed in copyright law when the song was first recorded, they weren't fully aware of the options they could explore in order to take legal action early on. However, TMZ reports that the band plans to seek legal action against Disney now.
Kanye West seems to be on a positive vibe lately, making sightings of a smiling Yeezy less of a rarity. Yesterday, he was gassing up some OGs by acknowledging their greatness and today he shares more joyful content. The rapper tweeted a clip of himself in San Francisco riding tandem bikes with some buddies.

He held up the camera to his face as he shared his enthusiasm for their daylit stroll. Ye referred to Maybach, a defunct luxury car manufacturer that became a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, to describe their rides.

"Yo, we in San Fran. I'm on a Maybike," he said as his voice became increasingly high-pitched with glee. "I got the Maybach, I'm on the Maybike. Look at that." The smiling Kanye continues his jive as he laughs. He even sticks out his tongue a bit. How cheeky.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1076643585926275073



Based on the responses to his post, fans appreciate the lighthearted vibe. People chimed in with their own jokes, many of which referred to Rick Ross. One tweeted back, My money on a lower level. Another shared a photo montage captioned " May Bike Music" that illustrated Ye riding on the back of a bicycle driven by Ross. More puns and funny memes followed from there.
The photos poured in from the Chihuahuan Desert to the Gulf of Mexico and through all the canyons in between, snapshots of a nearly 2,000-mile border now at the center of a potential government shutdown Friday.

For the better part of the last month, the scenes along the U.S.-Mexico border playing on cable television have featured migrants fleeing tear gas or climbing fences as President Trump escalates his demands that Congress fund the wall. But late Thursday, Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, who fell short last month in his Senate bid against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sought to offer an alternative vision.

"Where would they build the wall?" O'Rourke wrote on Twitter. "Whose home or ranch or farm are they going to take to build it? Which communities and habitats are they going to destroy?"

"Let the rest of the country see what's at stake," he said.

The dozens of photos that Twitter followers sent in response, featuring ankles dangling from cliffs in Big Bend National Park and kids wading in the Rio Grande, might as well have been a tourism ad for the border, leading some to pledge a visit or to "admit I had no idea how beautiful the border is." Some posted photos of the kayaking spot that "CHANGED MY LIFE!" or the spot where a grandfather once owned a ranch overlooking Mexico.

But while the photos are unlikely to sway congressional debate on the wall, they did illuminate some of the habitats most threatened by Trump's border wall, such as the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the National Butterfly Center in Texas. The Trump administration has been able to bypass dozens of environmental laws ranging from the Endangered Species Act to the Clean Air Act thanks to 1996 and 2005 legislation that gives precedence to border-security concerns. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court left in place a February ruling upholding the Trump administration's authority to waive the environmental rules, a major blow to groups seeking to save natural habitats along the border they fear will be destroyed by the president's wall.

O'Rourke's tweet, which drew close to 800 replies and more than 29,000 likes as of early Friday morning, gave voice to many of those who worry the ecotourism destinations will be irreparably harmed by the wall.

"I do not see where a wall would go without disrupting everything," wrote one woman, sharing video footage from a valley in Lajitas, Texas.

"Couldn't imagine an ugly cement barrier running through this beautiful stretch of Texas," wrote one person from Big Bend National Park.

"It will destroy the National Butterfly Center, which is home to endangered monarchs as well as to a whole ecosystem of wildlife," said the actress Katharine Towne.

Of all those locations, the National Butterfly Center is perhaps imperiled most immediately. Funding for 33 miles of fencing in the Rio Grande Valley, where the center is located, was already approved as part of the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March, and construction on parts of the barrier is expected to begin in February.

As the San Antonio Express-News reported earlier this month, the wall could be as tall as three stories high, consisting of 18-foot steel beams called bollards melded into a concrete base. It is expected to slash the 100-acre butterfly sanctuary by 70 percent, leaving most of the habitat on the Mexican side of the wall.

Luciano Guerra, an employee at the butterfly center and a Trump voter, wrote in a guest column for The Washington Post this week that "we dread the destruction that will come when the bulldozers arrive. ... That loud, heavy machinery will cause irreparable damage to the habitat we've worked so hard to restore." He said he fears that if the wall goes up, his grandchildren's "only experience of the Rio Grande Valley's natural beauty will be through the photographs I take today."

Nearby, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tried to warn U.S. Customs and Border Protection about the environmental threats the border wall poses to animals and their habitats in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. But Interior Department officials edited the Service's letter to remove some of those concerns so that CBP apparently never saw them, as The Post's Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin reported last week, citing documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Biologists and wildlife managers for the Service said in a 2017 draft letter that the proposed 28-mile levee wall in Hidalgo County could leave animals trapped in the event of a wildfire or "catastrophic" flood, with the former being difficult to stop if a wall bisects the ecosystem. The levee wall would also have a 150-foot concrete enforcement area with bright floodlights, severely disrupting the habitats for nocturnal animals. Endangered species that live there, including the ocelot and jaguarundi cats, would be especially at risk, the scientists warned.

"The Lower Rio Grande Valley is a flood-prone area. The Service is concerned the levee wall in Hidalgo County could be subject to catastrophic natural flood events, leaving terrestrial wildlife trapped behind the levee wall to drown or starve," the Service wrote. "This project will likely cause widespread mortality for terrestrial organisms during catastrophic flood events."

But concerns about the trapped animals and wildfire hazards ultimately did not make it into the letter ultimately submitted to CBP, documents obtained by The Post showed.

For now the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refugee is safe; the omnibus spending bill in March included a provision specifically restricting the Trump administration from using the $1.7 billion for border security to go toward any wall construction there.

In October, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying that although the agency is waiving various environmental laws to build the bollard wall in Hidalgo County, "DHS remains committed to environmental stewardship" and protecting wildlife.

But whether Trump will ever have a chance to build his wall through other sensitive environments is unclear. The border wall is on shaky ground, with Democrats taking over the House next month. The GOP-controlled House passed a deal including $5.7 billion for the wall on Thursday, but the Senate looks unlikely to pass it Friday, potentially leading to a government shutdown.

On Tuesday, Trump appeared to suggest that those worried the wall will obstruct their views of nature should not be concerned. He said he'd build a wall that they could see through.

"The Democrats, are saying loud and clear that they do not want to build a Concrete Wall - but we are not building a Concrete Wall, we are building artistically designed steel slats, so that you can easily through it," he said, an apparent reference to the bollard wall.

"It will be beautiful," he added.
Tamina needs a champion.

The tiny Montgomery County community, founded in 1871 by freed slaves, is imperiled on many fronts, but its most urgent need is a modern sewer system to replace the aging, inadequate septic tanks serving its 200 or so remaining houses.

Last month, the years-long struggle toward this goal advanced a bit with the settlement of a lawsuit filed by Tamina's nonprofit water agency against the neighboring city of Shenandoah, which had backed out of a deal to treat Tamina's sewage. A new arrangement with a municipal utility district is in the works, but many financial and practical obstacles remain.

On the surface, it's hard to see why this is such an overwhelming challenge. Dozens of times a year, Texas real estate developers create special districts that provide utility service to new subdivisions in unincorporated areas like Tamina.

Granted, the process is a bit more complicated in an established community, particularly one where the per-capita income is about $17,000 a year. But is it unreasonable to hope that a leader with a creative solution might emerge in one of the state's fastest-growing counties?

The stakes certainly justify bold action on someone's part. Tamina, along with a few other "freedmen's towns" scattered across the country, is a monument to the struggle of African-Americans to build a life for their families after their emancipation. These communities are rapidly disappearing, but a few longtime residents are determined to keep Tamina alive.

"The land represents the blood, heart and soul of our African-American heritage," Tamina resident Annette Hardin told Houston photographer Marti Corn for Corn's book of Tamina images, the subject of a column I wrote last June.

Among those struggling to preserve that heritage is James Leveston, a 73-year-old retired airline mechanic who has lived in Tamina for most of his life. As president of the Old Tamina Water Supply Corp., Leveston has led the negotiations with neighboring communities and state regulators to bring sewer service to Tamina.

"If we don't get this done," Leveston told me, "I can't see a future for our community."

The reasons are pretty clear. Leveston and his neighbors won't live forever, and new investment is unlikely in the absence of basic infrastructure. Development pressure is mounting from the prosperous, rapidly growing communities on every side of Tamina.

Real estate professionals like to talk about the "highest and best use" of property. Someone who failed to consider Tamina's history might conclude that its narrow, rutted streets, poor drainage and crumbling buildings fall short of this standard. Perhaps the community's disappearance would not be universally lamented.

Fears of 'conspiracy'

Here's how a frustrated Leveston put it in a 2014 letter to a state environmental official:

"The entire Tamina community feels as though there is a joint conspiracy between the various cities surrounding Tamina to prevent us from getting service, and to drive us out and commercialize the whole west side of Tamina from the railroad track to the I-45 freeway for now, and the rest of the community later."

"Conspiracy" is a strong word, but it's fair to say that the preservation of Tamina never seems to be important enough for any of the other players in this drama to look beyond narrow self-interest. Shenandoah backed out of its sewer service deal after learning that the terms of a federal grant to pay for the sewer lines would have required the city to permanently forgo annexing Tamina.

"No responsible City Council would agree to that," said Shenandoah's attorney, William Ferebee.

Perhaps not. But justifying a decision to say "no" is a lot easier than finding a way to say "yes." And it's not hard to find examples of area leaders who saw the big picture and took decisive action to solve difficult problems.

Vision and influence

Houston needed more parks, so the late Councilwoman Eleanor Tinsley created a way for neighborhoods to use school playgrounds. Buffalo Bayou was a languishing asset, so philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder supplied money and creative talent to develop Buffalo Bayou Park. Roy Hofheinz: Astrodome. Jesse Jones: Houston Ship Channel.

Where are the leaders like these in Montgomery County? Who has the will, the vision and the influence to ensure that Tamina, a shrine to courage and resilience that's already greatly diminished, doesn't simply melt into its surroundings?

Tamina's residents are certainly doing their part. Instead of relaxing in their retirement, Leveston and his wife, Julia, have plunged into the minutiae of utility regulation, spending countless hours consulting with lawyers and writing letters to state and local officials.

Tamina doesn't need a savior, but it does need help. Who will step up?
Billy Smith II/Staff

Juneteenth has long held special significance for the residents of Tamina, a Montgomery County community founded by freed slaves that is struggling for survival, as I explored in my Tuesday column.

Juneteenth celebrates the events of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers landed at Galveston bearing the news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves had been freed. (President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years previously.)
Beneath ice, mud and at least a foot of water, the headstones of former slaves, Native Americans, veterans, law enforcement officials and original settlers of the Tamina community peeked through the surface of the now-submerged Sweet Rest Cemetery on Saturday morning.

"It literally brings tears to my eyes to see this condition in 2018 as if it was 1918," said 52-year-old Tamina resident Elijah Easley as he waded through the cold, murky water and growth where his father, mother, maternal grandparents and great grandparents were laid to rest.

Easley's family is among an estimated 261 buried in graves now covered in water.

The gravesites date back to 1870 and include those of Tamina's founding fathers, such as Easley's grandfather, Romie Hollins Sr., whose names can be found on street signs of the post-Civil War Freedman's settlement. Tamina's history can be traced back to R.B. Smith, an educator from the city of Montgomery; John Nilor, a Houston-area businessman and to 1871 when freed slaves who moved to the area helped build the railroad. Many past Tamina residents worked for Grogan's mill, a part of Grogan Cochran Lumber Co.

For the past 10 years, the roughly 12-acre cemetery, which does not have an owner, has been left dormant and exposed to the elements without a caretaker aside from the occasional volunteers who try to help. Some of the graves are inaccessible due to the standing water and grassy growth, which Easley believes may be because the natural water flow has been blocked on various sides.

An effort to save the cemetery came to light after three siblings, descendants of an original Tamina settler, died in a house fire in May 2017. Terrance "TJ" Mitchell, 13, Kaila Mitchell, 6, and Kyle Mitchell, 5, were trapped in their room on their home's second floor.

The children's grandfather, Bobby Johnson Jr., was able to get most of the family, including Adrian, a fourth child, out of the home after breaking a second-floor window, family members said at the time. Johnson, his wife, Carrie, and their 34-year-old son, Jarvis Johnson, were all injured as they tried to rescue the three trapped children.

The Johnsons are descendants of an original settler of Tamina and lived on a road named for one of their ancestors.

The late Mitchell children have several family members buried in Sweet Rest Cemetery. Due to the poor conditions of the cemetery, however, no one has been laid to rest there for nearly a decade.

'Disrupted' flow

Easley is the board chairman of a new nonprofit called the Tamina Cemetery Project Community Development Corp., which includes other relatives of the Mitchell children on the board. The corporation is comprised of descendants from Tamina's forefathers, churches, community members and others, including Georgia Carroll, chairwoman of Hundred Hands Alliance, an organization that advances community health and well-being.

"We have (descendants) of forefathers that are here in this community some 90, almost 100 years old that would have a desire to be buried here, but they can't be because of these current conditions," Easley said. "If we can get that corrected, I have an uncle (Romie Hollins Jr.) who's 88 years old whose father is one of the founding fathers of this community, the Hollins family. I know if my uncle was given the opportunity, he would care to be buried there."

The 501(c)3 nonprofit is on a mission to collaborate with elected officials, community leaders and others to fix the drainage issue.

"It's about honoring our ancestors," said board treasurer Victor Harris, 34. "It's about honoring our legacy."

Community leaders believe drainage and environmental issues are contributing to the flooded cemetery, which still has not recovered from the rainfall during Hurricane Harvey in late August.

"I don't even know where Uncle Will is at," said Vanesta Davis, 55, an advisory board member, as she pushed through mud. "It's because they covered up the lake. The natural water flow has been disrupted."

Easley and board members are asking for support, including from the county.

Advisory board member James Leveston, 75, said the board feels like the county should put a lot of attention on the project because they believe illegal dumping is a cause of the environment issues.

'This is our start'

During a Jan. 11 Montgomery County Eagle Forum with Precinct 4 Commissioner candidates Jim Clark and challenger Bob Bagley in Shenandoah, the advisory board members and several Tamina residents discussed the cemetery with the candidates.

Easley said he felt there was a genuine response from the community, from nonresidents of Tamina and from the candidates in attendance. James Metts, who is also running for the position, did not attend the forum.

"The candidates are committed to assist the civic and humanitarian cause, not with taxpayer dollars, but with their time and talent," Easley said.

The board also has an interest in connecting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the first step to solving the drainage problem.

"This is our start," Vanesta Davis said. "First, last and everything. We want to pass this on to future generations. We want this to be something to be proud of, not to have this go on and keep repeating itself."

Tax deductible donations can be mailed to the nonprofit at the following address: The Tamina Cemetery and Community Project CDC, 29526 Legends Line Drive, Spring, TX 77386. For more information, contact Easley at Easley.elijah@gmail.com or 832-342-0404.
The three women crossed the Home Depot parking lot, headed for the men clustered around the trees lining the lots driveway. They stopped before two men leaning against a car.

Elvia Escobar stepped forward. She pulled out a square booklet from her tote bag. She cleared her throat.

Good morning, comrades, she said. Were volunteers with the Fe y Justicia Worker Center.

She then launched into the script she would repeat multiple times across three hours that Wednesday as she, Silvia Rangel, and Kendra Baldazo reached as many day laborers as possible, asking them if they knew their worker rights.

The Fe y Justicia Worker Center has run its esquinas, or corners, program for well over a decade. About a dozen volunteers are dispatched each week to 36 known sites across Houston where day laborers gather to get picked up for construction and other hard labor jobs. Within two weeks, volunteers can easily reach 200 workers.

The volunteers educate the workers on their rights and on resources available to them should they become victims of wage theft, suffer a workplace injury or other related concerns. They even provide food, water and safety supplies when available.

As Escobar explained the state agencies responsible for reviewing labor violations, Baldazo, one of the worker centers organizers, handed out safety goggles, masks and even professional grade work gloves to the men now gathering around them.

The men tried on the gloves, turning their hands over again and again, getting a feel for the texture.

Escobar reminded them their employers must provide safety equipment when going to a work site, especially at sites hit hard by Hurricane Harvey.

They dont even give us this, said Javier Molerio holding up his new mask.

Molerio, 45, said hed been working at a demolition site months earlier but was never given a mask to wear. He wasnt too worried at first, but a cough persisted weeks later.

Often day laborers, whose legal status varies, arent properly informed of workplace standards or where they can turn should they face a labor violation, said Alejandro Zuniga, the esquinas program director.

Zuniga himself once got exposed to carbon monoxide at a worksite years ago. He said he never would have known to report the incident had it not been for Fe y Justicia.

I didnt even know OSHA existed, Zuniga said.

The whole esquinas effort began prior to Fe Y Justicias creation in 2006 under a volunteer project called El Agua Sagrada, or Sacred Water. Zuniga said the projects original goal was to identify the workers needs and help wherever possible.

Once the projects leaders formed the worker center, the esquinas program became more formalized, focusing on providing legal resources to a vulnerable population. Four years ago the center even created a map tracking where day laborers gather as the locations can often shift over time.

Theyve been a local model for national response, said Joseph Chip Hughes, director of the worker training program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Services.

The institute has regularly partnered with Fe Y Justicia (Faith and Justice), offering grants through Harris County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support safety training for day laborers across the city. Most recently, the institute helped provide some of the safety equipment Escobar and her fellow volunteers continue to hand out to workers in need.

In the immediate aftermath of Harvey, hundreds of day laborers based both locally and from out of state were at risk of illness from exposure to mold and other environmental hazards. They were also at risk of wage theft.

A report commissioned by Fe y Justicia and published by the University of Illinois at Chicago, found that more than a quarter of Houstons day laborers suffered wage theft of anywhere from $212 to $2,700 within the first four weeks of Harvey recovery.

Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America, said that while members of the association would be less inclined to hire day laborers over skilled employees, given their commercial projects, unscrupulous labor practices hurt the overall construction industry.

Anytime a worker is put in harms way, its a concern for us, Turmail said.

Once Escobar and Baldazo fielded questions from the men at the outskirts of the North Houston Home Depot lot, Rangel stepped forward to collect names and contact information. The worker center later uses these details to invite workers to safety and legal rights workshops.

Rangel has only recently been volunteering. She partakes because she understands the workers concerns. Once during a nanny job, she said she declined to extend her work hours  to her employers displeasure. By the time she cashed in her check for the hours worked, it had been canceled.

As Escobar and Baldazo left Home Depot to cross over into another commerical lot, Rangel flagged down a lone man standing under the shade of a tree.

Want some water comrade?

ileana.najarro@chron.com

twitter.com/IleanaNajarro
Regarding Federal judge delays Flynns sentencing (Nation/World, Wednesday): For days, conservative media commentators were having a field day assuming that the conservative judge overseeing the Michael Flynn case was going to tear into the prosecutors for prosecutorial misconduct. They assumed he was going to grab the red meat issues brought up by Flynns defense attorneys when they suggested Flynn was trapped into lying.

However, the consoling result was that the judge asked pointed questions to determine whether the former national security adviser to President Trump felt trapped by the FBI process, and Flynn said no. The judge also had access to the redacted facts of the case and was disturbed by Flynns actions.

This is going to be a problem going forward for the Trump administration if cold hard facts continue to rule the day.

Ron Curtis, Houston

China and meds

Regarding Some pharmacies put Texans at risk (Outlook, Tuesday): The risk to Texans and all Americans from medication dangers is much larger than many suppose. The two major risks are 1) the manufacture of medications in China where the monitoring of supplies of active ingredients is poor, and the manufacturing plants have little oversight from American inspectors, and 2) China has plans to capture monopolies on the manufacture of key medications essential to the well-being of Americans. This invites the possibility of China being able to manipulate access of Americans to drugs made in China, resulting in a powerful means of blackmail.

John T. James, founder, Patient Safety America, Houston

Protests

Regarding Frances Yellow Vest protests dwindle amid concessions, security warnings (Nation/World, Dec. 16): I oppose protests where violence takes place. I am a proponent of nonviolence as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Violence is wrong and usually counterproductive. However, nonviolent protests can be effective in bringing about social change.

I support the protests in Paris but not the violence associated with them. Social and economic disparities have grown tremendously around the world, including in the United States. When this happens, it is inevitable that protests will occur and, unfortunately, it is also inevitable that violence will occasionally occur.

The way to avoid this is for the wealthy and the politicians who support them to join in the important work of achieving justice for all people. However, the wealthy are often unwilling to do this and when this happens, protests are often necessary. Of course, political change is also very important if the politicians elected into office are serious about bringing about change.

The wealthy cannot expect ordinary citizens to accept social and economic disparities that continue to grow and become more and more egregious every day. People who live in beautiful homes, have great health care and can send their children to the best schools cannot expect people who are just barely getting by to continue to accept these inequalities forever.

David Atwood, Houston
Christmas remains wondrous, but it arrives at a difficult moment for Christianity in the United States.

We still see Christmas trees strapped to the tops of cars, neighbors lighting up their homes and kids getting as excited as ever. And the churches will be unusually full. This last point is revealing: A relative decline of religious observance has brought forth the Chreasters, Christians who attend services only on Christmas and Easter.

Regular worshipers can be disdainful of the Chreasters. They make it hard for the loyalists to find seats in the pews and are, in a sense, free riding on those who, week in and week out, keep the institutions going. The Chreasters participation on special days is often written off as little more than a gush of sentiment inspired by warm childhood memories or an affection for the Christmas story and the songs and ceremonies we have developed around it.

But these twice-a-year visitors deserve our attention and, Id argue, our respect. While they do teach us a good deal about Christianitys challenges in our time, their semiannual presence is also testimony to the enduring hunger for the experience of the sacred.

Organized Christianitys problems are obvious. Consider that the most widely discussed and fastest growing religious group in the country is not, strictly speaking, a religious group at all. The nones are the people who tell pollsters that they are not formally affiliated with any religious tradition. They now account for more than a quarter of the population, and around 40 percent of Americans under 30.

Religious disaffiliation has many causes, including a belief among progressive young people that Christianity is a fundamentally conservative force (particularly on LGBTQ issues) and a widespread mistrust of institutions of all kinds. For those of us who are Catholic, the suspicion of religious authorities is aggravated by the child-abuse scandal that never seems to go away because the churchs leadership has still not taken full responsibility for its failures.

Dan Cox, a scholar who is writing a book on the nones, also points to changes in family life, the prevalence of divorce and the rising number of religiously blended families as disrupting organized religions traditional transmission lines.

All this culminates in the increasingly popular view that it is perfectly possible to live a rich spiritual life without becoming entangled in the complicated and compromised structures of churches and denominations.

What the theologian Gabriel Vahanian observed decades ago in his influential book The Death of God explains the larger context: Christianity has long since ceased to be coextensive with our culture, he wrote, and our age is post-Christian both theologically and culturally.

The Chreasters, with their thin attachments to religious tradition, might be fairly viewed as a product of this transformation. But if they have simply chucked the whole thing, why do they keep coming back?

The great sociologist of religion Peter Berger offers a clue in A Rumor of Angels, his 1969 book about the persistence of faith in the face of rapid secularization. The Chreasters reflect the stubborn refusal of human beings to give up on the transcendent. As the Christian writer Joseph Bottum put it last week in the (sadly) final issue of The Weekly Standard, Christmas sketches a picture of a cosmos capable of love. Even doubters and tepid believers would rather not abandon the possibility that this very large claim is true.

The biblical scholar and former Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright sees the longing for justice, the quest for spirituality, the hunger for relationships and the delight in beauty as human aspirations beyond the material that can be heard as echoes of a voice pointing toward God.

Of course, non-believers revere justice, relationships and beauty, too. But my hunch is that Chreasters show up twice a year because some part of them is in rebellion against a society defined solely by self-interest and calculation, by the visible, the measurable and the tangible. They have an intimation that the world is made up, in the words of the Nicene Creed, of both the seen and unseen.

I am, perhaps, risking a sin, common among those who write columns, by overanalyzing the Chreasters. Maybe most do show up mainly for the music and the memories. But the regulars would do well to cut them some slack. In a reading often used at Christmas services, Johns Gospel tells us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In seeking and celebrating that light, we should stand in solidarity.

Dionne is on Twitter: @EJDionne (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group
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.
It's that time of year again. You and the other leaders at your company are spending time looking back on the year's performance--what went well, what could be improved, what you'll make room for in the budget, etc.--to prepare for the new year. If you want to be fully prepared, though, you need to add one more element to the mix: the latest trends.

Yes, it's always good to look back and use historical data to help you set benchmarks and measure progress. But you also need to look ahead and understand what's coming next in your industry. To help, here are seven PR trends that need to be on your radar to succeed in 2019:

1. PR will continue its alignment with content marketing.

One of the most important changes that's happened in public relations over the years is the mentality shift away from self-promotion at your audience's expense. Yes, your job is still to promote your brand--but it's also about knocking down trust barriers and giving your audience the chance to connect with you. To reach your audiences, you have to do more than shout the loudest; you have to deliver value, too.

And that's why the industry will continue to see increasing alignment with content marketing. Content marketing has always been about using content to educate, engage, and deliver value to your audience. As that becomes a greater priority for PR, the two will need to work together more closely.

After all, PR positions your brand positively in the eyes of the audiences that matter most to you, and content marketing is what turns that reputation into revenue. The two need to be on the same page to work their best, and having a modern PR plan in place is crucial.

2. Personal branding for business leaders will remain a PR priority.

Public relations is all about how the people in your audience view your brand. For better or worse, that perception includes their views of the people leading your company. So the way your key employees and company leaders brand themselves plays a big role in the way your audience connects with and trusts your brand. As a result, thought leadership and personal branding have become important functions of modern PR teams.

I mentioned that PR and content marketing are aligning more and more, and this is another specific example of where that overlap is helpful. PR teams need to be ready to work alongside marketing to help key employees create content that builds their thought leadership and connects them to their audiences.

3. Demands for accountability will increase.

Consistent pitching is absolutely part of the PR process. But if all you can deliver at the end of the day are pitch emails to media contacts, then you're going to have a hard time demonstrating your value to clients and staying competitive.

Tangible deliverables are what matters. Your clients are much more interested in receiving a published press mention than they are in hearing that you pitched 200 reporters with no results. PR leaders need to take into account increasing demands for accountability and develop processes that can deliver the actual results clients are after. With digital ROI becoming easier to measure, this need for accountability will only keep growing.

4. PR will have to play a role in content performance, not just publication.

The performance of those deliverables is a growing priority for PR leaders, too. That's because media contacts and editors at online publications are becoming more concerned with content performance. If the media contacts you're reaching out to are being held to certain metrics--like page views, social shares, time on site, etc.--then your best bet for strengthening your relationships would be to look to those metrics, too.

To turn a published press mention into a true win for everyone, start finding ways to help your clients make the most of their deliverables. A content distribution plan and an engaged following, for example, can help that content reach more of the right people--and that's good news for your client, your media contact, and you.

5. Linkless mentions are starting to carry weight.

In the digital world, backlinks are one of the strongest signals of a website's quality and trustworthiness. That meant that for a long time, securing a press mention or write-up that linked to your website was the ultimate goal. Brands and their PR teams would work really hard to squeeze in a link (or two or three) to their website in their pitches to journalists. The problem with that approach was that the link was often the priority, not necessarily the pitch quality or audience value.

Thankfully, linkless mentions are beginning to carry more weight in the world of search. Search engines are getting smarter, and they're better able to understand the context of a mention even without a link to your website. This is a great signal that the industry is moving toward the understanding that true quality and audience value are important, not just getting a link in a mention. PR teams need to be aware of this change.

6. PR technology will improve efficiency and relationships.

Public relations is about relationships. Because your success in PR is so dependent on your ability to meaningfully connect with people, help others, and manage relationships, I've seen some PR folks who are skeptical of bringing technology into the mix. But relationships and technology aren't opposing concepts. Used correctly, technology can make your relationships stronger.

Just as the right customer relationship management system can help a sales team, the right PR tools can help PR professionals. For example, AI and machine learning tools can help teams with tasks as simple as curating media contact lists and automating certain touchpoints to bigger projects, like predicting a potential PR crisis before it's too late. Public relations teams will need to get more comfortable with the idea of integrating tools and tech if they want to stay competitive in 2019.

7. The loss of trust in media will be an ongoing challenge.

Trust is getting harder and harder to earn, and it's never been easier to lose. The "2018 Edelman Trust Barometer" study found that trust is down around the globe--and for the first time, media is the least-trusted institution.

This obviously complicates the job of PR leaders. Thankfully, the same report found that there is a rise in trust in one important area: experts. In fact, trust in technical experts, CEOs, and successful entrepreneurs has risen since 2017. When I read this, it was an immediate reminder of the value of sharing your knowledge and insights with your audience. At a time when trust is so fragile, it's important for everyone in PR and communications to understand what audiences are looking for in the voices they trust.
Star Trek actor William Shatner has received widespread criticism for his comments on #MeToo, stating there are women who use it as a weapon.

The 87-year-old was speaking to DailyMailTV when he argued that the movement, while progressive, is taking things out of context.

If you look back at things that were written and said 20, 30 years ago, its a different context, he said. And youve got to judge it by that context. Rape and pillage, absolutely not, those are crimes against humanity. But saying would you make love with me? and the opposing party says yes or no, I cant fathom whats wrong with that.

He continued: Its like saying would you have dinner, would you like to write a song with me, would you do an interview? Im not insulted by you asking me to do an interview. Maybe its my mindset based on the years Ive lived, but Im trying to be fair and I dont see the problem.

It was his comments on Twitter following the interview that truly ruffled feathers. Replying to his critics, Shatner expressed the belief that the movement is used by women holding a grudge for disparate reasons.

He wrote: Women use #MeToo as a weapon when they dont get an autograph, when they dont get their way.

I keep asking who is policing it because theres a lot using it for their own personal vendettas that have nothing to do with the points of the movement.

The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Show all 12 1 /12 The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Anne Hathaway The 32-year-old actress said she has already experiences job rejections because of her age. Now I'm in my early thirties and I'm like, 'Why did that 24-year-old get that part? I was that 24-year-old once. I can't be upset about it, it's the way things are, she told Glamour. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Helen Mirren On news that Maggie Gyllenhaal had been turned down for being too old, aged 37, to play a 55-year-old mans partner: Its f***ing outrageous. Its ridiculous. Honestly, its so annoying. And twas ever thus. We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. Its so annoying. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Maggie Gyllenhaal Gyllenhaal revealed she was told by a Hollywood producer that she was too old, aged 37, to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made feel angry, and then it made me laugh, she said at the time. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Meryl Streep Meryl Streep has helped fund an all-female screenwriters group called The Writers Lab to encourage more women to pen Hollywood scripts. She previously told Vogue in 2011: Once women pass childbearing age they could only be seen as grotesque on some level. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Emma Thompson The actress said she thought Hollywood is still completely s*** when it comes to treating women equally to men. When I was younger, I really did think we were on our way to a better world. And when I look at it now, it is in a worse state than I have known it, particularly for women, and I find that very disturbing and sad. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Elizabeth Banks Banks said she was driven from acting to directing due to the lack of roles for older women in Hollywood. "[Industry sexism] drove me to direct for sure. I definitely was feeling that I was unfulfilled and a little bit bored by the things that were coming across my desk. I mean look at Gwyneth Paltrow who has her Oscar [for Shakespeare in Love] and played fifth banana to Iron Man, she told Deadline. PA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Viola Davis I had never seen a 49-year-old, dark-skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualised role in TV or film. I'm a sexual woman, but nothing in my career has ever identified me as a sexualised woman. I was the prototype of the mommified role, she told The Hollywood Reporter. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Liv Tyler The Lord of the Rings actress said she only get cast in roles where she is treated as a second class citizen at the age of 38. When youre in your teens or twenties, there is an abundance of ingenue parts which are exciting to play. But at [my age], youre usually the wife or the girlfriend - a sort of second-class citizen. There are more interesting roles for women when they get a bit older, she told More magazine. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Cate Blanchett The actress famously called out sexism on the red carpet at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards. When a camera operator scanned her up and down, she said: Do you do this to the guys? In her Oscar acceptance speech for Blue Jasmine, she reminded the film industry that movies with leading women can still be successful. And thank you to... those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the centre, are niche experiences. They are not -- audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people. Gareth Cattermole/Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Ellen Page Asked if she had ever encountered sexism in Hollywood, Page told The Guardian: Oh my God, yeah! It's constant! It's how you're treated, it's how you're looked at, how you're expected to look in a photoshoot, it's how you're expected to shut up and not have an opinion, it's how you... If you're a girl and you don't fit the very specific vision of what a girl should be, which is always from a man's perspective, then you're a little bit at a loss. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Zoe Saldana The actress says she refuses roles where she has to play the generic girlfriend, wife or sexy bombshell. "It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognised it was a man's world even when I was a kid. It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against  and I've always been outspoken, she told Manhattan magazine. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Charlize Theron The actress spoke to ELLE about negotiating equal pay for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel: "This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn't mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you're doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way." Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

He went onto compare it to the French Revolution because it started with trying to right noble injustices and descended into chaos.

Shatner had earlier praised the movement for exposing hidden forces of sexual harassment in the industry, but expressed the belief that firebrands who have led the charge should let business-like people take over.

Shatner added: Ive got three daughters and Im glad that they have more opportunity. At the same time, its become hysterical. Its a whole new culture. The whole business has changed. The whole man-woman relationship has changed to a severe degree.
S is for... Sex

May the wine go straight to my beloved, flowing gently over lips and teeth.

I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.

Song of Songs 7: 9-10
Somewhere deep within the bowels of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, or perhaps in a vault in one the offices of the Defence Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon, there might lie a thick three-ring binder assessing what it would mean in case there is massive, cataclysmic regime change in Iran.

In it, possibly, are prognostications of how the collapse of the clerical regime would play out among Irans ethnic, ideological, or class groups; how it would impact capital markets and oil prices, refugee flows from the Middle East or the balance of power in Eurasia. Appendices of the study might include sage wisdom from top analysts about what the United States should do in each scenario.
A man and a woman arrested over the drone activity that prompted days of chaos at Gatwick Airport have been released without charge, Sussex Police have said.

Their release comes after several sightings of a drone around the airport caused around 1,000 flights to be cancelled, affecting 140,000 passengers ahead of the years busiest weekend of travel.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said both people arrested over the illegal use of drones co-operated with detectives enquiries.

The police have also found a damaged drone on the airfield which will now be forensically examined.

He said: I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

It is important to remember that when people are arrested in an effort to make further enquiries it does not mean that they are guilty of an offence and Sussex Police would not seek to make their identity public.

The airport has offered a 50,000 reward through Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the widespread disruption.

On Sunday, Mr Tingley said: Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation.

We ask for the publics continued support by reporting anything suspicious, contacting us with any information in relation to the drone incidents at Gatwick.

He added: "[Saturday] morning we discovered a damaged drone close to the perimeter of Gatwick Airport and that is of course a significant line of enquiry.

"We are not back to square one. Whilst these two people have been in custody, we have a number of lines of enquiry and persons of interest."

Paul Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine Kirk, 54, were detained by Sussex Police at their home in the town of Crawley, west Sussex  just five miles from the runway  on Friday night.

Mr Gait, a father-of-two who works as a window fitter, was known by neighbours to be keen on flying model planes and helicopters.

But his boss had insisted he was working at the time the drones were spotted in Gatwick airspace.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or diverted after drones were first spotted inside the perimeter of the UKs second biggest airport on Wednesday.

Labour has called for an independent inquiry after accusing the government of failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed there were missed opportunities to prevent the airport from coming under such an attack.

The government was repeatedly warned about the risks posed by drones to aviation but failed to act, he said.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA UK news in pictures 12 November 2021 Peter Green protesting outside the Cop26 gates during the official final day of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2021 Seagulls fly around the statue entitled 'Tommy', a first World War soldier by artist Ray Lonsdale at dawn in Seaham, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 10 November 2021 Climate activists dressed as characters inspired by the Netflix series Squid Game protest as they ask Samsung to go 100% renewable energy, outside the venue for COP26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 9 November 2021 A deer statue silhouetted at Loch Faskally in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 8 November 2021 Sunrise over St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2021 Activists from Friends of the Earth during a demonstration calling for an end to all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea outside the UK Government's Cop26 hub during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2021 Protesters take part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow demanding global climate justice PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2021 Final touches are made to a life sized Sir David Attenborough cake surrounded by animals as part of a display created by a group of cake artists during Cake International at NEC Birmingham PA UK news in pictures 4 November 2021 A spectacular display of the Northern Lights seen over Derwentwater, near Keswick in the Lake District PA UK news in pictures 3 November 2021 Police and demonstrators at a Extinction Rebellion protest on Buchanan Street, during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 2 November 2021 A person walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 1 November 2021 Sir David Attenborough delivers a speech during Cop26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 31 October 2021 Extinction Rebellion activists protest in Edinburgh as the Cop26 conference begins in Glasgow Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2021 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with Mapuche leader and Minga Indigena Lead Coordinator Claflin Lafkenche (right) alongside indigenous delegates at a ceremonial gathering at the Tramway in Glasgow in a symbolic gesture to mark a unified demand for climate justice PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2021 Ocean Rebellion put on a display of puking oil heads ahead of climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow EPA UK news in pictures 28 October 2021 A man dressed as Santa Claus outside Selfridges in London as the department store unveils its Christmas windows on Oxford Street PA UK news in pictures 27 October 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak during a visit to Fourpure Brewery in Bermondsey, London, after the chancellor announced a cut to beer taxes in his budget PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2021 Activist Steve Bray demonstrates with a toilet outside the gates of Downing Street, after MPs voted in Parliament against the Environment Bill, allowing companies to pump raw sewage into UK rivers and seas, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 October 2021 Second World War veteran James White, 96, at the opening of the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance, marking the start of the remembrance period PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2021 Richard Ratcliffe holds up a photo of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as he protests outside the Foreign Office while on hunger strike, part of an effort to lobby the UK foreign secretary to bring his wife home from detention in Iran Getty UK news in pictures 23 October 2021 Partner of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Stella Morris and Editor in Chief of WikiLeaks Kristinn Hrafnsson attend a protest ahead of the appeal hearing over Assange's extradition, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 22 October 2021 Palace Gardener Justine Howlett adds the finishing touches to pumpkins bearing the face of Henry VIII and his wives, at Hampton Court Palace. PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2021 Flooded fields near Lingfield in Surrey, after southern England was hit overnight by heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Aurore moving in from France PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2021 A wing surfer enjoys the strong winds as they surf in the sea off of Hayling Island in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 19 October 2021 Actor Jude Law holds hands with Little Amal, a 3.5-metre-tall puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian girl, as it arrives in Folkestone, Kent, as part of the Handspring Puppet Company's 'The Walk' PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2021 A view over Southend-on-Sea in Essex, which is set to become a city in tribute to Sir David Amess MP, who spent years campaigning for the change Getty UK news in pictures 17 October 2021 Members of the Essex Bangladeshi Welfare Association pay their respects by floral tributes laid at the scene where Sir David Amess MP was killed at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea Reuters UK news in pictures 16 October 2021 Boris Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer, Priti Patel and Lindsay Hoyle pay respects to Sir David Amess at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea, the site of his death EPA UK news in pictures 15 October 2021 A person lays flowers at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after he was stabbed several times at a constituency surgery. A man has been arrested and officers are not looking for anyone else PA UK news in pictures 14 October 2021 A red deer stag during rutting season in Bushy Park, Richmond, south west London, which is home to over 300 red and fallow deer PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2021 Police officers detain a man as Insulate Britain activists block a roundabout at a junction on the M25 motorway during a protest in Thurrock Reuters UK news in pictures 12 October 2021 The aerial climate installation by Swiss artivist Dan Acher 'We Are Watching' is unveiled at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2021 A young girl is helped by a Border Force officer as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel. PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2021 People walk past a life-size sculpture of British singer John Lennon entitled "Imagine", by sculptor Lawrence Holofcener, displayed to mark what would have been the 81st birthday for the former member of the Beatles in Carnaby Street Reuters UK news in pictures 8 October 2021 WW II veteran, 96-year-old Lorna Cockayne, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), popularly and officially known as the Wrens, as a Bletchley Park codebreaker, poses for a photograph with the Legion d'honneur after receiving it during a ceremony at the Pear at Parley in Ferndown, Bournemouth PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2021 British comedian Jo Brand poses with cut-out silhouettes representing women outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters New Scotland Yard, to highlight violence against women by male police officers or former police officers AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 6 October 2021 A protester, wearing a mask of Johnson, holds a sign reading Question it all on the final day of the Tory conference Getty UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA

Mr McDonald added: 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.
Theresa May has shelved flagship policies that promised help to workers, householders and abused women as the Brexit crisis has devoured her government, The Independent can reveal.

A batch of key pledges  now dubbed ghost policies  have hit the buffers as the huge task of leaving the EU has sidelined her other priorities.

Among them are moves to prevent restaurant and bar bosses snatching workers tips, to stop residents being exploited by ripoff leases or rogue bailiffs and to ban wild animals from circuses.

Other crucial policies gathering dust would use schools to tackle childhood obesity and help women suffering sexual, psychological and violent abuse.

The delays are being seen as further evidence that Ms Mays celebrated pledge to tackle societys burning injustices  rather than be remembered as the Brexit prime minister  has had to be abandoned.

Civil service resources and time have been diverted to preparing for EU withdrawal and the governments legislative programme has been dominated by Brexit bills.

The ghost policies are in addition to better-known examples of pledges on hold  including long-term plans for the NHS and social care, both postponed until the new year.

Labour seized on the logjam as evidence that Ms Mays flagship pledges have sunk without trace  while the Liberal Democrats said it strengthened the case for a Final Say referendum on Brexit to end the paralysis.

Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience"

The ghost policies include:

* Stopping restaurant and bar bosses from exploiting staff by snatching tips to top up their wages. Many major chains have been named-and-shamed for deducting up to 10 per cent.

A consultation first proposed outlawing the practice way back in 2016. Ms May pledged to act in October  a promise repeated in an official government response this week  but only when parliamentary time allows.

* Preventing house buyers being exploited by rip-off leases, which allow ground rents to double every 10 years and residents to be charged tens of thousands of pounds to buy freeholds.

The government promised it would legislate exactly one year ago  but instead, in October, announced a fresh consultation near-identical to the one staged in 2017.

* Tackling domestic violence  through such measures as electronic tags and mandatory drug and alcohol treatment for abusers, with tougher sentences where their crimes affect children.

Back in May 2017, the prime minister promised to put an end to this abhorrent crime for good, a consultation closed seven months ago  but not even a draft bill has been published.

* Tackling rogue bailiffs  whose aggressive tactics against people who fall behind on household bills have been blamed for further debt and mental health problems.

Ministers issued a call for evidence in April, after 2014 reforms were deemed to have fallen short  which was followed by another call for evidence seven months later.

* Banning wild animals from circuses  Michael Gove promised a bill in January, after 94.5 per cent of the public backed a ban in a consultation, but no legislation has followed.

For years, campaigners have protested that camels, zebra and reindeer are beaten, starved and keep in unsanitary conditions while made to perform for crowds. David Cameron first pledged to act in 2010.

* A healthy rating scheme to ensure schools are tackling childhood obesity by helping children to eat better and move more.

First proposed in August 2016, the department for education said this month it was still preparing our scheme based on testing and stakeholder feedback. Progress was promised shortly  the same word used in June.

Stephanie Peacock, a Labour whip, said: It appears the Tories are so divided and distracted that they can only offer ghost policies, with repeated consultations, endless delays and vague promises of legislation that simply never appear.

Its just the latest sign that the government has ground to a halt, brought to its knees by its own shambolic Brexit mess. The prime minister may still be clinging to office but her flagship pledges have sunk without trace.

And Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: The Tories Brexit-induced paralysis is delaying vital legislation and letting people down. The failure to bring forward the domestic abuse bill, for example, is deeply serious.

The only way to break the parliamentary deadlock on Brexit, so MPs can progress legislation, is a peoples vote with the option to remain in the EU.

But a government spokesperson said: As well as delivering on the vote of the British people to leave the EU, the government is driving forward domestic reform  bearing fruit in the largest new investment in the NHSs history, rising school standards, with a strongly growing economy and unemployment at a record low.

The gridlock is set to worsen in the new year, after the prime ministers decision to ramp up preparations for a no-deal Brexit, as her deal appears doomed to defeat in the second week of January.

A further cull of manifesto promises is expected, to clear the way for the emergency legislation that will be needed if the UK is to crash out of the EU without a deal.
MPs cannot prevent no-deal Brexit if they fail to approve Mays plan screamed the headline tweeted approvingly by Andrea Leadsom, the indefatigable Commons leader.

The link takes readers to an interview in which Ms Leadsom appears to toughen the governments line on the consequences of throwing out Theresa Mays agreement with the EU, in that crucial vote next month.

She reminds the public that crashing out without a deal  with all the dangers for food and medicine supplies  is the legal default position next March, if nothing else intervenes.
Donald Trumps incoming chief of staff has said that the partial government shutdown could stretch into 2019.

Mick Mulvaney said that it is very possible that the shutdown will continue into the next session of congress as the president and Democrats have failed to end a dispute over funding for Mr Trumps proposed wall on the US-Mexico border.

Speaking on the second day of the shutdown, Mr Mulvaney said that the president will not back down from his demand for wall funding as part of any spending bill that would allow the government to reopen.

Last week, Mr Trump had appeared resigned to the fact that a $5bn specific funding pledge for the wall would not be in any agreement. However, after negative reaction from many of his biggest supporters over the lack of funding for one of Mr Trumps biggest campaign promises, the presidents stance hardened.

Democrats have refused to sanction spending specifically for the wall but have indicated they are open to an amount for border security in general.

Mr Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday that the White House had moved down from its demand for $5bn and hoped Democrats would move up from their offer for $1.3bn in border security funding.

In an interview on ABCs This Week, Mr Mulvaney said Mr Trump remained steadfast in his demand for wall funding.

The presidents not going to not accept money for a border wall, Mr Mulvaney said.

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

President Trump made that clear in a tweet of his own on Sunday morning, call for a god old-fashioned wall.

The only way to stop drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into our Country is with a Wall or Barrier, Mr Trump wrote. Drones and all of the rest are wonderful and lots of fun, but it is only a good old fashioned Wall that works!

However, the president was willing to discuss a larger immigration solution, Mr Mulvaney said, if it helped to end the standoff

 Mick Mulvaney says he talked with Trump about the 2016 clip in which he called Trump 'a terrible human being.'

Mr Mulvaney also sought to shift blame for the partial shutdown to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic nominee for speaker of the US House of Representatives, saying she might hold up negotiations to ensure she secures the position.

I think shes in that unfortunate position of being beholden to her left wing to where she cannot be seen as agreeing with the president on anything until after she is speaker, Mr Mulvaney said. If thats the case, again, theres a chance we go into the next congress.

Ms Pelosis spokesman Drew Hammill disputed that account, saying in a statement: As Mr Mulvaney well knows, House Democrats are united in their opposition to the presidents immoral, expensive and ineffective wall.

The White House should stop the posturing and start serious bipartisan talks, Hammill said.

Illinoiss Dick Durbin, the Senates number two Democrat, said in an interview on NBCs Meet the Press that his partys leadership refused to give Mr Trump money for the wall but were open to other border security funding.

Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have both told the president we are not going to build a wall, period, Mr Durbin said. Secondly, if you want to talk about border security, there are many things we can do.

The Senate, which must pass any deal, is adjourned until Thursday.

It is very possible that the shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new congress, Mr Mulvaney said.

When speaking to ABC, Mr Mulvaney was asked about Mr Trumps oft-repeated promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. He pointed, as the president has, towards the newly negotiated trade deal with both Mexico and Canada.

Mr Mulvaney claimed the savings from the deal would indirectly amount to Mexico paying for the wall. When challenged that this is not the same as Mexico directly paying for the wall he conceded that: Technically [we] know that it cannot work exactly like that.

Department of Homeland Security cant actually spend money from Mexico, Mr Mulvaney said. We have to get it from [the] Treasury.

Reuters contributed to this report
Donald Trump has been told to drop his demands for $5.7bn (4.5bn) to build a wall along the border with Mexico if he wants to end the government shutdown.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the US presidents proposal  which was central to his election campaign  would never pass a vote.

President Trump, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple, he said.

Mr Schumer said Democrats supported proposals for $1.3bn for border security as long as they dont include funding for the wall. He added they were open to further discussion with Mr Trump.

The Trump shutdown is not about border security, he told the floor of the Senate. Its because President Trump is demanding billions of dollars for an expensive, ineffective wall that the majority of Americans dont support.

It will never pass the Senate, not today, not next week, not next year.

Mr Schumer also claimed that Mr Trump had agreed to previous proposals, only to change his mind after being criticised by allies on the far right.

It came after the president said the shutdown  which has so far affected one quarter of the federal government  could be a long stay.

Both the House and Senate returned to business for a rare weekend session as talks continued between congressional leaders and the White House.

However, no votes are scheduled on Saturday and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said any deal to re-open government would need Democratic support and Trumps signature to be signed into law.

On Saturday, Mr Trump tweeted: I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay.

The president has given different opinions on the wall and the shutdown over time. During his presidential campaign he said he would force Mexico to pay for the wall.

Most recently, however, he 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 recent poll by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut found that 43 per cent of registered voters supported building the wall and 54 per cent opposed it.

Democrat leaders said Mr Trumps remarkable two-week temper tantrum was to blame for the shutdown. This may have been the most chaotic week of whats undoubtedly the most chaotic presidency ever in the history of the United States, said Mr Schumer.

In a joint statement with House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Mr Schumer added: 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.

The gridlock blocks money for nine of 15 cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies  including transportation, agriculture, and state and justice.

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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.

However virtually every essential government agency, including the FBI, Border Patrol and Coast Guard, will remain open. Nearly all of the Department of Homeland Securitys 240,000 employees will be at work and the air traffic control system, food inspection, and Medicare programs will run as usual.

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

Special counsel Robert Muellers office, which is investigating potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, is also unaffected.

The government shutdown is set to last until after Christmas after the Senate adjourned on Saturday without a deal being reached.

The Senate is due to hold a brief pro forma session on Christmas Eve but the next full session is not scheduled until 27 December.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
When President Donald Trump grows frustrated with advisers during meetings, which is not an uncommon occurrence, he sits back in his chair, crosses his arms and scowls. Often he erupts. Freaking idiots! he calls his aides. Except he uses a more pungent word than freaking.

For two years, Mr Trump has waged war against his own government, convinced that people around him are fools. Angry that they resist his wishes, uninterested in the details of their briefings, he becomes especially agitated when they tell him he does not have the power to do what he wants, which makes him suspicious that they are secretly undermining him.

Now, the president who once declared that I alone can fix the system increasingly stands alone in a system that seems as broken as ever. The swirl of recent days  a government shutdown, spiralling scandals, tumbling stock markets, abrupt troop withdrawals and the resignation of his alienated defence secretary  has left the impression of a presidency at risk of spinning out of control.

At the midpoint of his term, Mr Trump has grown more sure of his own judgment and more cut off from anyone elses than at any point since taking office. He spends ever more time in front of a television, often retreating to his residence out of concern that he is being watched too closely. As he sheds advisers at a head-spinning rate, he reaches out to old associates, complaining that few of the people around him were there at the beginning.

Mr Trump is said by advisers to be consumed by the multiplying investigations that have taken down his personal lawyer, campaign chairman, national security adviser and family foundation. He rails against enemies, who often were once friends, nursing a deep sense of betrayal and grievance as they turn on him.

Can you believe this? he has said as he scanned the torrent of headlines. Im doing great, but its a war every day.

Why is it like this? he has asked aides, with no acknowledgement that he might have played a role. The aides, many of whom believe he has been treated unfairly by the news media, have replied that journalists are angry that he won and proved them wrong. He nods in agreement at such explanations.

As the president vents, he constantly rattles off what he sees as underappreciated accomplishments. Look what I did for Mexico and Canada, he has told allies. Look whats happened with terrorism.

US President Donald Trump listens during a phone conversation with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on trade in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 27 August 2018 ((Mandel Ngan/ AFP/Getty Images))

The portrait that emerges from interviews with about 30 current and former administration officials, personal friends, political allies, lawmakers and congressional aides suggests a president who revels in sharp swings in direction, feels free to disregard historic allies and presides over near constant turmoil within his own team as he follows his own instincts.

White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. But as the president struggles to find a way forward, the path is about to become much more hazardous. As tumultuous as events have been so far, Mr Trumps first two years may ultimately look calm compared to what lies ahead.

In less than two weeks, Democrat Nancy Pelosi will take the speakers gavel held until now by the outgoing Republican Paul Ryan and subpoena-wielding House Democrats will be empowered to investigate Mr Trumps family, business, campaign and administration. At some point after that, he will face the results of whatever Robert Mueller, the special counsel, finds about campaign ties to Russia and obstruction of justice.

At some point after that, Ms Pelosi may come under enormous pressure from her liberal base to open an impeachment inquiry and many Republicans anticipate a battle over whether Mr Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanours even if they hold enough votes in the Senate to block removal. Amid all that is a rising budget deficit that will shrink Mr Trumps domestic options and signs of a possible economic downturn that would undercut his most potent bragging point.

Nothing hes going to face in the next two years is going to be like the challenges of the previous two years, said Michael Steel, a longtime adviser to Republicans like Mr Ryan and former Speaker John Boehner. Given the staff turnover and the increasing feeling that the president is encircled or cornered by legal and political enemies, its entirely possible it gets worse, not better.

Yet even with a 38 percent approval rating in Gallup polling, Mr Trump has dominated the national conversation as no other modern president has, and his base thrills at his fights with the establishment, seeing him as a warrior against self-satisfied elites who look down on many Americans. Determined to maintain that base, he has insisted  despite the seemingly long odds  on his pledge of a border wall, aware that abandoning his signature campaign promise would make him less authentic, the quality that his voters often cite as his appeal.

As a result, a partisan war may be just what he wants. He has privately told associates that he is glad Democrats won the House in last months midterm elections, saying he thinks that guarantees his re-election because they will serve as a useful antagonist. That may be bravado, but history provides some support. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, his Democratic predecessors, both endured even bigger midterm setbacks and went on to win re-election.

Its absolutely fair to say that its better to have Nancy Pelosi as a foil than Paul Ryan as a foil, said Marc Short, the presidents former legislative affairs director. Its better for the party and its better for unity. He added: The reality is the Democrats could overplay their hand.

Both sides gamely talk about possible cooperation on issues like rebuilding the nations tattered network of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The opportunity in the era of divided government is to work with both sides to get something done for the country, said Representative Josh Gottheimer, co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

Recent days showed the possibilities when Congress overhauled the criminal justice system, the most significant bipartisan domestic legislation of Mr Trumps tenure. Mr Trump has hopes of winning bipartisan support for his new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. But one congressional Democrat said the party has gone from thinking it could make discrete deals with Mr Trump to believing he must be stopped at all costs because he is so dangerous.

Mr Trump has struggled with fellow Republicans lately too. They objected loudly to his decisions to draw down troops from Syria and Afghanistan and pushed through a Senate resolution essentially rebuking his handling of Saudi Arabia after the assassination of dissident Jamal Khashoggi. The departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who protested the troop pullouts and Mr Trumps cavalier approach to Americas alliances, sent shudders through Republican ranks.

House conservatives, meanwhile, revolted against Mr Trump when he seemed to retreat on his demand for border wall funding to avert a government shutdown. At the same time, Senate Republicans, who had voted unanimously to keep the government open without the wall money Mr Mr Trump had demanded, were angry when he reversed course and refused to sign such a measure.

Such conflict comes with a cost. Mr Trump has a way of stepping on his own successes. The border wall fight overshadowed his signing of the criminal justice overhaul. The abrupt way he decided to withdraw from Syria overshadowed the military victories against the Islamic State group. Mr Trumps focus during the midterm campaign on a caravan of migrants overshadowed the positive economic story he had to tell before the latest stock market gyrations.

 Advert featured in Times Square slams Donald Trump for migrant deaths and border wall

When hes talking about the economy, hes gotten a much more positive reaction, said David Winston, a Republican pollster. Obviously on other topics he hasnt been able to get it to the point where hes able to create an overall job approval. The question is do you address weaknesses or do you play to your strengths?

Always impulsive, the president increasingly believes he does not need advisers, according to people close to him. He is on his third chief of staff, third national security adviser, sixth communications director, second secretary of state, second attorney general and soon his second defence secretary. Turnover at the top has reached 65 percent, according to the Brookings Institution.

Some left in a cloud of corruption allegations, including his health and human services secretary, his Environmental Protection Agency chief and, most recently, his interior secretary. Others left after clashing with Mr Trump. Mr Mattis was the last of the so-called axis of adults seen by some as tempering a volatile president, following the ouster of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, H.R McMaster as national security adviser and John Kelly as chief of staff.

Rex Tillerson and Jim Mattis are two of the finest people ever to serve in government, said Steve Goldstein, who was undersecretary of state until he was fired along with Mr Tillerson. They were very close and worked hard at trying to do what was best for the country and sometimes that meant being brutally honest with folks at the White House.

But Fred Fleitz, who worked for nearly six months this year as chief of staff for John Bolton, the current national security adviser, said the new team is more cohesive and better suited to Mr Trump than one constantly undermining him.

He came in as the ultimate outsider and he brought in some unorthodox policies that worked and he tried some things that didnt work, and one of the things that didnt work was bringing in some staffers who didnt work like McMaster and Tillerson, Mr Fleitz said.

In a recent public talk, Mr Tillerson said out loud what others say in private, that Mr Trump often pushes for actions that exceed his authority and does not like it when told he cannot do something. He bristles at constraints and expresses envy of autocrats like President Xi Jinping of China who do not have to deal with independent power centres like the Federal Reserve or the courts.

In recent days, Mr Trump has asked aides whether he can fire Jerome Powell, the Fed chairman he appointed, telling advisers that Powell will turn me into Hoover, a reference to the Great Depression-era president. During a meeting with German car executives this month, Mr Trump threatened to impose higher fuel efficiency standards on their imported cars than required on American vehicles even though aides told him he could not do that.

And he can be hard on his staff. He regularly curses at them, some say. Even his humour can be abrasive. When Larry Kudlow, his economics adviser, returned after a heart attack this year, the president ribbed him in front of aides. Larry, youre here six weeks and you had a heart attack? Others laughed uncomfortably.

More recently, the president has told associates he feels totally and completely abandoned, as one put it, complaining that no one is on his side and that many around him have ulterior motives. That extends even to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who was credited for helping push through the criminal justice bill, praise that Mr Trump took note of.

Longtime associates said Mr Trumps relationship with his children has grown more removed and that he feels he does not have a friend in the White House. He disagrees with Kushner and Ivanka Mr Trump much of the time, but cannot bring himself to tell them no, leaving that instead to Mr Kelly, according to former aides. That made Mr Kelly the heavy, they said, and therefore the target of their ire until he was finally forced out.

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

Mr Trump has spent far less time lately with older friends. The sense of isolation was on display at this months holiday parties when he appeared for a few minutes, took a few perfunctory photographs with preselected guests and then disappeared back upstairs rather than mingle. He spent part of this pre-holiday shutdown weekend alone until Melania could return from Florida.

Mr Trump still views the presidency through the lens of a television showman. He told his staff that he wanted a fireworks display over Mount Rushmore. Before signing the farm bill, he posted a goofy video of himself at the 2005 Emmy Awards dressed in overalls and a straw hat, holding a pitchfork and singing the theme song to the old television show Green Acres.

For election night in November, he insisted on throwing a lavish party in the East Room and originally wanted aides to be on display for his guests, a simulation of officials gathering election return information like aides did at MrTrump Tower in 2016. When White House officials warned that a party would look discordant given the likelihood of losing the House, he insisted on going forward anyway.

By all accounts, Mr Trumps consumption of cable television has actually increased in recent months as his first scheduled meetings of the day have slid back from the 9 or 9.30am set by Reince Priebus, his first chief of staff, to roughly 11am many mornings. During executive time, Mr Trump watches television in the residence for hours, reacting to what he sees on Fox News. While in the West Wing, he leaves it on during most meetings in the dining room off the Oval Office, one ear attuned to what is being said.

Of late, allies concede, the news has been particularly grim. He was infuriated by his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to organising an illegal scheme to pay hush money to women to keep quiet about alleged affairs with Mr Trump before the 2016 election, a scheme he said Mr Trump had directed.

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, 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 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 authorities, cheated on their taxes, skirted campaign finance laws and secretly worked for foreign interests. The question is what 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 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.

But those highs have been hard to recapture. The days are filled with conflict, much of it of his own making. More advisers are heading for the door. The divisions are widening, not closing. If it is a war every day, there are no signs of peace.

What Im trying to figure out is where does it end, Mr Goldstein said. The language gets coarser on all sides. The respect for the office of the presidency seems less to me than it was. How do we move people back? Or are we in the new reality?

The New York Times
Bangladesh goes to the polls in a week for its first contested general election in a decade, amid growing international concern at a process that critics say is stacked in favour of the ruling party.

The vote on 30 December will pit the incumbent Awami League of prime minister Sheikh Hasina against an opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the last election in 2014.

Candidates and activists for the opposition say they have faced attacks from pro-government thugs and harassment from the police. The BNPs leader, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is in jail on corruption charges that supporters say are politically motivated, and was handed a new seven-year term in November.

Asked by a journalist if he was aware of the issues in Bangladesh, where a fair and credible election is beyond imagination, a spokesperson for UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the UN was following the situation closely.

It is very important as a matter of principle that anywhere there are elections, that they be conducted freely and fairly, and that the space be given for people to express themselves, he said.

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On Friday, Facebook and Twitter said they had shut down around 30 accounts that had been spreading fake news against the Bangladeshi opposition, some of which appeared to be linked to government figures.

The accounts included Facebook pages designed to mimic legitimate news outlets, among them the BBC. False stories included accounts of deep divisions within the BNPs organisational structure, and a made-up tale about Ms Zia firing the partys general secretary in a videotaped message from prison.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, told the Associated Press the people who created and managed the fake news sites were associated with the government, declining to provide further detail.

Twitter, in a statement posted on the social media site, said it was suspending 15 accounts for engaging in coordinated platform manipulation, and that they may have ties to state-sponsored actors.

Politics in Bangladesh has been dominated for years by the rivalry between Ms Hasinas centre-left, socially and economically liberal Awami League and the more right-wing BNP with Ms Zia at its helm.

The last 10 years under the Awami League have been characterised by increasing authoritarianism, with harsh crackdowns on protest and several arrests for online posts critical of the government, including a prominent photographer released last month after more than 100 days in prison.

At the same time, the country has been held up as an example in the region for its remarkable economic growth, consistently achieving between 7 and 8 per cent annual rises in GDP and historic lows for poverty rates.

It has also achieved international plaudits for its role in supporting a million Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighbouring Myanmar. Domestically, Bangladeshis are proud their country has offered a safe haven but support the prompt repatriation of the refugees.

A lack of reliable polling ahead of the election means it is impossible to know whether voters will put economic growth or personal freedoms first when they get to the ballot box, said Dr Gareth Price, senior research fellow in Chatham Houses Asia-Pacific Programme.

If Ms Hasina wins the vote as expected, he told The Independent: I am sure there will be some protests and I am sure they will be suppressed.

It goes to the question of whether the average Bangladeshi thinks the present government has had 10 years and now it is time for a change, or whether they think the party is delivering well.

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If there is desire for a change but the election result goes very much in favour of the ruling party, then it could be quite unpleasant.

Whats certain is that it has been an ugly election campaign so far. The opposition said on Wednesday that 14 of its candidates had been arrested and 1,500 injured in attacks this month by ruling party workers, while police said at least five people have died in political clashes since 10 December.

Human Rights Watch has accused the ruling party and its supporters of creating an atmosphere of fear for opposition activists.

The government has denied involvement in any harassment. The violence also has not been one-way  two Awami League supporters have been killed in clashes, according to the AFP news agency.

Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the Awami League, told the agency his party did not tell its workers to attack opponents.

I wont say all [the allegations] are false. But ... we did not give any order, he said.
Emmanuel Macron has hit out at Donald Trumps decision to withdrawal US troops from the conflict in Syria, saying an ally should be dependable.

The French president said that he deeply regretted the decision to abruptly change a pillar of US foreign policy in the region by bringing home the 2,000 troops.

Mr Trumps decision, announced on Wednesday, has alarmed US allies both in the Middle East and Europe with the president having declared victory over the jihadi group Isis.

Both US defence secretary James Mattis and the US envoy to the coalition fighting Isis, Brett McGurk, have resigned in the wake of the move.

I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria, Mr Macron said during a news conference in Chad.

To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. Its the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military, he said. An ally should be dependable.

Mr Mattis had said in his resignation letter that the president needed a defence secretary whose views better aligned with his own. Mr Mattis also reiterated that America should use all the alliances at its disposal  including Nato  to ensure America is kept safe.

Mr McGurk described Mr Trumps decision as a shock with experienced national security personnel having made clear that while Isis had been significantly weakened, they could still pose a threat.

Only 11 days ago, Mr McGurk had said it would be reckless to consider Isis defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home.

"War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Show all 20 1 /20 "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria A child injured by an IED explosion in Raqqa Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Children riding a bicycle among destroyed buildings in Raqqa Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Entire neighbourhoods in Raqqa are damaged beyond repair Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the house where seven members of the Badran family were killed in a Coalition strike on 18 July 2017, before the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the house where seven members of the Badran family were killed in a Coalition strike on 18 July 2017, after the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Members of the Badran family killed in three separate Coalition air strike on 18 July and 20 August 2017 in Raqqa Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria The city of Raqqa in northern Syria has become hardly recognizable to those who try to return after months battle between US-backed forces and the Islamic State terrorist group for control of it. The city has no running water or electricity and homes, business and public squares are mere rubble and debris Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the houses where 16 members of the Fayad family and neighbours were killed in Coalition strikes on 12 October 2017, before the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the houses where 16 members of the Fayad family and neighbours were killed in Coalition strikes on 12 October 2017, after the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Fayad Mohammed and his daughters Wafa, Fadda and Tamam; Ammar al-Faris; Reem al-Maddad, Yusra Abd-al-Aziz, and baby Razqiya Habib; Jasim Hamal and Salem Hamad. They were among the 16 civilians killed in Coalition air strikes on 12 October 2017 in Raqqa Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Men wait by the side of the road for casual labour in Raqqa. Many end up clearing partially destroyed or damaged buildings, a very risky endeavour as many building were mined by IS and civilians are frequently killed and injured by mines Amnesty "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite images showing the Aswad familys building before it was destroyed in a Coalition air strike which killed eight civilians, five of them children, on 28 June 2017 CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the Aswad familys building after it was destroyed in a Coalition air strike which killed eight civilians, five of them children, on 28 June 2017 CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Amal Othman, 13, and her brothers Ammar, 8 and Mahmoud, 17; and Jamal Aswad, 41  four of the eight victims killed in a Coalition air strike on 28 June 2017 in Raqqa Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Low-income district west of the Jezra intersection on the western outskirts of Raqqa city destroyed by the Coalition shelling started in June 2017 Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the houses where 16 members of the Fayad family and neighbours were killed in Coalition strikes on 12 October 2017, before the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Satellite image showing the houses where 16 members of the Fayad family and neighbours were killed in Coalition strikes on 12 October 2017, after the strike CNES/Airbus DS "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Ali Hassan Nafa; Mahdia Hashish and her husband Hussein Ali; Hussein Hashish, Mohammed Hashish and Hussein Ibrahim Hashish, and Mohammed Ali Hashish Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Harat al Badu, a built up area in central Raqqa, next to the stadium. It was the scene of the final battle in the city between SDF/Coalition forces and IS Amnesty International "War of Annihilation"  devastating toll on civilians in Raqqa, Syria Map showing where the Badran, Hashish, Aswad and Fayab families were living before the coalition air strikes Unosat /Amnesty International

Mr McGurk, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama in 2015, has decided to speed up his original plan to leave the Trump administration in 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.

Mr Trumps announcement of the withdrawal left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences, the email went on.

Mr Trump and the White House have sought to play down the departure of Mr McGurk amid mounting international unease. The president tweeted on Saturday night: I do not know the envoy. He added that it was a nothing event and called Mr McGurk a grandstander.

Mr Trumps acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, told ABCs This Week on Sunday morning: I have no idea who that person is. Never heard of him... until yesterday.

In his press conference on Sunday, Mr Macron pointed out the debt the international coalition owes to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have captured large parts of northern and eastern Syria from Isis with support from the US and other partners.

I call on everyone... not to forget what we owe them, Mr Macron said.

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With the US withdrawal, the Kurdish-led forces fear military action by Turkey, with its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan having vowed to take out the SDF, whom Ankara views as an extension of the Kurdish insurgency within its borders.

On Sunday, it was reported by local media and a war monitoring group that Turkey is amassing troops near a town in northern Syria held by the SDF. The build-up comes despite recent promises by Turkey to postpone an offensive into northern Syria in the wake of the US troop withdrawal decision.

Turkey already has troops in northwestern Syria and has backed Syrian fighters there to clear towns and villages of Isis militants and Kurdish fighters.

The Turkish IHA news agency reported a commando unit of troops had been sent into Syria overnight. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the reinforcements, numbering dozens of vehicles, were sent to the frontline with Manbij, where US troops have been based.

Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon that he spoken by phone with Mr Erdogan claiming they discussed Isis, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area.

The spokesman for the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council, Sharfan Darwish, said Turkish reinforcements have arrived in the area. We are taking necessary measures to defend ourselves if we are attacked, he said.
Who doesnt have a small pile of unused airline loyalty points in a frequent flyer account? If you fly occasionally for leisure, chances are you havent earned enough points to do anything meaningful with them, such as buying an actual flight ticket.

Plus, there are the laborious redemption processes, some with convoluted restrictions.

The answer could be blockchain  the technology behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies  which operates as a distributed ledger. With blockchain, airlines will be able to interact instantaneously with their partners and enable passengers to do something useful with those points.

What blockchain does that current systems cannot was recently highlighted in a Blockchain in Aviation white paper published in August by the International Air Transport Association, which said that blockchain has the capability to tokenise frequent flyer miles.

Thats the essence of the blockchain benefit to airlines. For passengers, this tokenisation of points means that rather than languishing unused or forgotten, the passengers frequent flyer points become more of a portable and accessible asset. And the biggest potential of blockchain for travellers who want to redeem their points is that the companies offering goods and services in exchange for those points no longer need to be deeply entrenched into the airlines booking system.

In July, Singapore Airlines became the worlds first carrier to launch a blockchain-based airline loyalty digital wallet capability called KrisPay to help unlock the value of KrisFlyer miles to enable everyday spending at retail partners.

The secret behind this leveraging of blockchain is new technology developed in a proof-of-concept exercise, which the airline carried out in collaboration with KPMG Digital Village and Microsoft.

With the blockchain-based digital wallet, it is a straightforward process for participating merchants to connect with the program and for customers to make purchases with their tokenised miles, said Jan Reinmueller, head of KPMGs Digital Village in Singapore. The blockchain provides a distributed ledger that time-stamps every customer transaction in real-time, which provides significant cost and time efficiencies.

By downloading the KrisPay app, members can convert their KrisFlyer miles into KrisPay miles using the apps instant top-up function. To make purchases, members scan the KrisPay QR code at the merchant and key in the amount they wish to pay with KrisPay miles. Eighteen merchants spanning beauty services, food and beverage, petrol and retail are already accessible and more merchants will be added in the coming months.

Even if youve only got a few points in your account, the system will allow members to choose from using as little as 15 KrisPay miles (equivalent to about S$0.10) to pay for their purchases at partner merchants, says Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.

Industry insiders are enthusiastic. According to Sherry Stein, senior manager, projects and innovation at aviation IT provider Sita, the appeal of blockchain-based airline loyalty programmes is the ability to provide travellers with instant access to their points while reducing the chances of fraud or dispute.

If you want to cash in your miles on car rental, for example, blockchain allows transactions to happen seamlessly and instantly, updating all the stakeholders without dependency on offline review and reconciliation processes, Stein says. The key rationale for loyalty programmes is to help airlines provide differentiated value or experience that improves customer retention. When we look at technologies that can help, blockchain is a perfect fit and the reason why were looking closely at how to leverage its many benefits.

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Another industry perspective on this comes from Rashesh Jethi, head of innovation at Amadeus, a company that provides airline ticket booking infrastructure. Jethi sees blockchain opening up a new world where points can be redeemed with smaller partners, rather than big international brands. If you have a blockchain based system, smaller and local partners could become part of the platform and offer their products and services and allow consumers to redeem the points, he says.

Jethi gives the example of a flight from London to San Francisco, where a passenger might want to visit Napa Valley or Yosemite National Park, but not enough miles to pay for a flight.

What if you could redeem those points for a day-trip to the vineyards in Napa, Jethi says. But excursions are usually operated by smaller outfits, theyre not normally going to show up on any standardised airline loyalty platform. However, if airlines were able to enable smaller and local providers to join the programme  by using blockchain  then you could redeem your points and that would be very positive for all involved.

Singapore Airlines may have first mover advantage with KrisPay, but other airlines are catching up.

In May, Cathay Pacific and its reward programme, Asia Miles, launched a blockchain-powered campaign called Unlock More Miles. The campaign is a dining promotion in Hong Kong where Asia Miles were credited the following day.

On the heels of Singapore and Cathay, Air New Zealand revealed that it was looking at uses for blockchain, including baggage tracking, retail and its loyalty programme. And in Europe, Lufthansa has teamed up with SAP to launch an Aviation Blockchain Challenge, encouraging startups to pitch ideas around using blockchain to do things like book flights.

As for what UK airlines might be up to with their plans for frequent flyer blockchain-based programmes  for the time being its a case of watch this space.
On 19 November Carlos Ghosn, the most famous man in the global automotive industry, touched down at Haneda airport in his private jet and was immediately arrested by Japanese prosecutors. That was the last time he was seen in public.

Ghosn has now spent more than 30 days in detention, where he has been subject to questioning by the Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office. He has not been allowed to have a lawyer present during those interrogations. Access to his family has been tightly limited.

Meanwhile, details of the allegations of what Ghosn is supposed to have done have been released by prosecutors to the media. We have heard nothing from Ghosn himself except a second-hand report of a denial of wrongdoing.

It appeared that Ghosn was going to be released on bail last week, but fresh evidence produced by prosecutors at the last minute has kept him detained this weekend. In Japan suspects can be re-arrested on different allegations, which restarts the clock again on their maximum 23-day detention.

Ghosn has not even been formally charged yet. Detention is essentially an investigative tool used to interrogate suspects and develop evidence, explains Colin Jones, a professor of the Doshisha Law School in Kyoto and an expert on the Japanese legal system.

Leave aside the issue of whether or not Ghosn is guilty of the allegations of under-reporting his Nissan income by tens of millions of dollars over many years, what does this kind of treatment of a suspect say about the state of the Japanese criminal justice system?

The prolonged and indefinite detention without charge constitutes a punishment in itself. The majority of indicted detainees confess while in custody, during unrecorded interrogations. Rights groups have long complained of the risk that these confessions are extracted under duress.

According to some legal scholars, trial procedures favour the prosecution. There is a notorious 99 per cent conviction rate.

Most Japanese criminal trials are just about sentencing decisions, says Mr Jones. A defendant may, of course, challenge the validity of their confession at trial, but the burden of proof is on them  they must prove they are innocent in the face of it.

Some have suggested that in understating his remuneration Ghosn was simply doing what many other executives in Japan do and that this is a case of selective justice, and therefore no justice at all, similar to the way formal corruption prosecutions in authoritarian regimes like China and Russia are about eliminating political rivals rather than tackling graft.

Others have claimed that Ghosn has been a victimised because he is a foreigner.

Another view is that one has to understand his downfall in the context of a power struggle between France and Japan over the future of the Renault-Nissan alliance.

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There are questions about Japanese corporate governance. Does this show there has been no improvement since the 2011 Olympus scandal that exposed astonishing levels of fraud in a Japanese boardroom?

Or is the fact that this alleged scandal has been exposed, supposedly after a whistle-blower came forward, demonstrate the opposite?

But we should keep the issues separate. Its possible that Ghosn is guilty of corruption, that the issue was brought to a head by a global corporate power struggle, that Japanese corporate governance is still deficient  and also that the Japanese legal system is in need of reform.

Japans legal system is based on the imperial German inquisitorial model, where the courts are involved in investigating facts. Yet it also has elements of the US adversarial system, laid over the top after the Second World War. The result is a hybrid system that seems to give an unhealthy amount of latitude to prosecutors but with insufficient checks on their behaviour.

A former Japanese civil servant, Kazuo Yawata, has asked whether Ghosns high-profile treatment might constitute the suicide of Japans judicial system. On the evidence we have, hara-kiri would seem to be rather welcome.
Garda at the scene of a shooting in Blanchardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in his 30s in Dublin are appealing for witnesses.

The victim was shot dead outside a house at Blakestown Cottages in Blanchardstown shortly before 7pm on Saturday.

Gardai were called to the scene where they found his body on the driveway of one of the cottages.

The victim had been shot a number of times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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A murder investigation has been launched and an incident room has been set up in Blanchardstown garda station.

Gardai investigating the shooting say they want to speak to any members of the public who were in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St Peregrines Gaelic Club on Saturday between 5pm and 7pm.

They have also appealed to any drivers who travelled on the Blakestown Road between 5pm and 7pm, particularly cars with dash cameras.

Gardai say they are attempting to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta with the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from December 18 until 7pm on Saturday.

The Volkswagen was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent in Clonee shortly after the shooting.

A spokesman for the Gardai said: We are appealing to anyone with information who saw people fleeing from this car or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder.

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact Blanchardstown garda station on 01 6667000 or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.
People attend a protest in Strokestown against the handling of a high-profile eviction (Brian Lawless/PA)

Over 700 people have taken part in a protest in Co Roscommon calling for forced evictions to end.

It comes weeks after a private security firm evicted an elderly family from their farm near Strokestown.

The incident sparked a major police operation after a number of people were taken to hospital with injuries and a dog with the security personnel was killed.

Two members of the family have since moved back into their home.

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Hundreds of people took to the streets of Strokestown on Sunday where a number of public representatives addressed the crowd.

Padraig ATailliura O Conghaile, from protest group Glor na Tuaithe (Rural Voice) said the public had been left angered at the forced evictions.

People are really angry at what is happening and this is definitely the start of evictions, he said.

The people are very angry about what the Government is doing to them. We must stand firm and the only way we will win is through people power.

We elected these people in and we can get them out. We paid off the bankers and yet they have thrown these people out of their homes.

There are thousands of homes in Ireland at risk of being taken over. Its scandalous.

This is only the tip of the iceberg what happened here, it's a national issueIvan Connaughton

Speaking to the crowd, local councillor Ivan Connaughton said: I am here to stand with the people of Strokestown and the people of Roscommon and Ireland.

This is only the tip of the iceberg what happened here, its a national issue.

I am asking the representatives in Dail Eireann to stand with the people of Roscommon and Ireland.

They need to implement legislation to ensure no person has to leave their home or farm in this country.

Dan Hoban, from Republican Sinn Fein, said he had not lost faith in the Irish people.

I am proud of you all here today in support of the McGann family, he said.

When a crowd came in to this town a short time ago and moved in to the McGann home and forcibly removed them on to the road, it was no crime scene then, but a fortnight after when people went in to reinstate the McGann family it was deemed a crime scene.

The power of the people is going to win in the end.
The Taoiseach has said that the Irish parliament may have to limit debate on new legislation as Brexit looks set to take up more Dail time.

The current Government has been dubbed by some critics as a do-nothing Dail due to lengthy debates and filibusters creating a backlog.

Mr Varadkar was asked how new Brexit legislation, which could see almost 50 bills debated, would further exacerbate the issue during a media briefing on Thursday.

Weve had a bit of a legislative logjam already this year, largely because of effective filibusters on a few bills, he said.

While people may feel very strongly about this legislation, by holding it up they actually hold up everything else too.

Mr Varadkar went on to suggest the big problem could be remedied by bringing back allocation of time or guillotine motions.

Under the last government I was a member of with Fine Gael and Labour we used the guillotine and used it copiously, and perhaps used it too much. And we rushed things through and they didnt get proper consideration, Mr Varadkar added.

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I think we now have the other extreme where we never put a time limit on debates and that allows that legislation to be held up and other legislation not to get done. I think thats something were going to have to give some consideration to in the new year and the new session.

We dont have a majority in either house so we cant impose a guillotine anymore. But perhaps at the Business Committee or among the major parties or groups we could agree that an issue deserves 20 hours debate, but 20 should be enough.

So perhaps we can do something to improve the pipeline and flow of legislation next year on that basis.

On the Brexit legislation, the Taoiseach said the Government was still working out how that will go.

Ideally wed do it in one single omnibus bill, one Brexit bill.

Im told by the AG (Attorney General) that we mightnt be able to do that but were going to try do it in maybe three or four or perhaps five.

When you consider that a parliament passes about 40-50 pieces of primary legislation any one year, four or five would be maybe 10 or 12% of the load.

Wed rather not have to use parliamentary time on it. Its not going to stop everything but it will take up time.
Irish tech startup Pointy has criticised the rigid nature of commercial leases in Ireland, which its says does not suit startups.

The company currently employs 70 people at its offices on Amiens Street in Dublin's north inner city, more than three times the number of employees it had a year ago.

Co-founder and chief executive Mark Cummins said the company is looking at moving offices but has faced difficulties securing an appropriate lease.

"The inflexibility of leases is actually a huge problem. We're weighing up different options at the moment," he said. "It's a tough problem for a startup because a lot of the leases are 10 years with a five-year break, and for a startup you're either going to definitely be too big or you won't be here."

Cummins said there was "some headroom" in the existing headquarters but that he envisaged hiring hundreds of people in the years to come.

"When we were 10 people I couldn't imagine us being 20 people," he said. "But now that we're at 70 people, it's quite easy seeing us get to hundreds of people. When you're so small, everything is on fire and there's no real structure but at this stage there's a structure in place. Now it feels like it has good foundations." During the year, Pointy, which counts Google Maps founder Lars Rasmussen and Bebo founder Michael Birch among its backers, agreed a deal with Google to display its ads in the search engine's "knowledge panel".

The panel runs alongside the search results processed for a product and allows users to see if the item they're looking for is locally available in stores that have signed up to Pointy.

"We see it as a massively under-served market. People pull out their phones out for everything but they may not want to buy online. If it's five minutes' walk away they might be keen to just go and get it straight away," he said.

"Google approached us - we spent a long time working with that product, almost two years. They approached us very soon after we launched and at the time we said that we couldn't deal with you because we didn't have the scale."

The company meets with Google's sales team each week. When asked about it becoming a potential acquisition target, Cummins said that "anything can happen, but you can't predict these things". Pointy also partnered with a number of significant point-of-sale partners during the year including Clover, Lightspeed and Square. The connected tills allows users to download the Pointy app for free, making it easier for it to connect with retailers.
Limerick dairy farmer Jim O'Brien is on a "career break" from running the home farm and is flat out developing his O'Brien Artisan Farmhouse Cheese enterprise which is being well received in Munster and, in small quantities thus far, in the Middle East.

"I decided to take a career break five years ago and leave the running of the dairy herd to my son James, and go into the cheesemaking business, and so far, things are going well," says Jim (65), who has 180 acres at Hazel Cottage Farm in Ballyhahill, between Foynes and Tarbert.

"We won a cheese award last year at the Kerrygold Food Festival in Listowel, and sales to restaurants in Kerry and Limerick are going well.

"We retain 10pc of our milk for the cheesemaking."

Cheddar, brie and feta-style salad cheeses are being produced. The enterprise, which stands 130 head of British Friesian with some Jersey crosses, supplies the rest of the milk to the Kerry Group.

Jim started farming at the age of 15 when his father John Snr had a heart attack and had to step back from front-line farming, and Jim's education was put on hold so he could fill the breach.

The farm was only 25 acres back then but Jim gradually built it up, and by the age of 21 had resumed his education to achieve a diploma in Social and Rural studies - which may explain his entrepreneurial streak today.

"We ran pigs at the time but that became unprofitable and we diverted into dairying and gradually built up the farm," he says.

"When I was 21, my mother brought me into the local bank and set up a 1,000 overdraft for me and ever since I have been owing money to the banks. I am not complaining - the banks are good."

Jim has an original view on the economics of dairy farming and the relationship between farmers and the banks.

"Put simply, 30 of the cows are mine and the other 100 are the bank's," he laughs.

Jim is not a man to do things half-heartedly and he is thoroughly engrossed in his new cheese enterprise to the extent that he was an adjudicator at last week's Irish Quality Food and Drinks awards in Dublin, having just returned from an artisan food conference in Sweden.

"I enjoy meeting new customers for our cheese at food fairs, and I find that once we make a connection with new customers, they tend to stay with us," Jim adds.

"There is a great future for Irish farmers adding value to their milk. The golden tint of our butter and cheeses are loved by Europeans."

Certainly that's the feedback he is getting from his customers, especially the German and American tourist who come to the family's on-farm holiday home which is run by Jim's wife Marie, who he describes as an "absolute Trojan" when it comes to helping with the cows, cheeses and tourists.

They have four children - John is an electrician, James is the farmer, Gemma is a teacher in Ennis and Sarah is a lecturer in history and English at Trinity College and the author of two books on the Irish diaspora in Europe and Argentina.

Jim says James qualified as an accountant but found the work so boring that he begged to get back to the farm: "This work is driving me mad," he told Jim, who gladly acceded to his request.

Off-farm, Jim's only interest is cheese and the brain-melting Brexit process which he predicts will be "ironed out- eventually".
Agricultural emissions in Ireland are largely a methane problem associated with ruminant livestock production. Total agricultural emissions measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) amounted to just over 20.2m tonnes in 2017, or 33pc of total national emissions.

Around 13m tonnes of this are due to methane arising from enteric fermentation (11.5m tonnes CO2 eq) and manure management (1.5m tonnes). The remaining 6.3m tonnes are accounted for by the release of nitrous oxide following the application of manure and fertiliser to agricultural soils.

Total methane emissions from agriculture rose in the period 1990-1998, then fell in the period to 2011 after which they started to rise again. In 2017, methane emissions were 2pc above their 1990 level.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It is estimated to be 84 times more potent a warming agent than CO2 over a 20-year period, and 28 times more potent than CO2 over a 100-year period. In addition to its significant climate impacts, methane contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone, so there are health benefits from its reduction.

Methane has another important difference with CO2. For all practical purposes CO2 essentially stays in the atmosphere once it is emitted, but methane although a more powerful climate change agent disappears after around 10 years.

The rate at which global warming occurs is directly related to the amount of CO2 emitted. This is not the case for methane because of its short lifetime in the atmosphere. For methane, temperature change is a function of the rate at which methane emissions are changing, and not to the actual amount of methane emissions.

This means that if methane emissions are stable over time, they do not contribute to increased temperature. If methane emissions increase in a sustained manner, that increase has a very large impact on future temperature and much larger than a unit increase in CO2. Conversely, if methane emissions decrease in a sustained way, this will contribute to global cooling.

Methane emissions from Irish agriculture remained more or less stable over the period 1990-2017. This means that agricultural methane has not contributed to global warming over this period.

But this does not mean that we can ignore the potential to reduce methane emissions. Lower methane emissions mean lower future temperatures, provided CO2 emissions are also falling.

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 report points out that to stabilise temperature at increases well below 2 will require both near zero net emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases and deep reductions in short-lived emissions such as methane.

From an Irish perspective, agricultural methane emissions alone contribute 30pc of the emissions covered by the EU 2030 target for the sectors outside the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The Irish target is to reduce non-ETS emissions by 20.5pc in 2030 compared to 2005 if all flexibilities are used, or by 30pc otherwise. It is hard to see how this target can be achieved without some reduction in methane emissions in absolute terms.

The Citizens' Assembly recommended that financial penalties and rewards should be introduced to incentivise the necessary changes in farm practices. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action is currently discussing its recommendations with stakeholders.

Carbon leakage

The farm organisations have strongly opposed the recommendation in their evidence to the committee, largely on the grounds that it would lead to carbon leakage if it meant production simply shifted to other countries with possibly higher emissions per unit of output.

The intention of the recommendation is to reduce emissions, rather than to target production as such.

Its purpose is to provide a signal and an incentive to farmers to act, rather than to raise money for the government.

It is difficult to reduce agricultural methane emissions. Although research is continuing into methane-reducing technologies like a methane vaccine and inhibitor from grazing systems they do not yet exist.

Yet there are differences even between farms in the same system in the carbon intensity of production. If all farmers could be brought up to the same performance level as the top third, emissions savings could be made.

The Teagasc/Bord Bia Carbon Navigator identifies win-win measures that farmers could take, but it has no mechanism to encourage farmers to adopt its recommendations. Even though profitability would improve, we know not all farmers will make use of these opportunities. This is the rationale for the Citizens' Assembly proposal.

Price signals

One way in which a price signal - which is a very powerful motivator of changes in behaviour - might be introduced which would avoid the carbon leakage objection would be to apply a bonus/malus system to product prices depending on a farmer's emissions performance relative to a national reference standard (initially set equal to the national average value).

For example, dairy farmers whose carbon footprint per kg of product was lower than the reference standard for milk would gain a premium in their milk cheque, while those with a higher carbon footprint would be penalised.

As and when new technologies became available, the reference standard would be lowered to provide a continual incentive for improvement.

Where farmers were able to show carbon offsets, such as through tree planting or the conversion of methane to biogas, this should be included as part of their credits.

I don't underestimate the practical difficulties of implementing such a system, but we need to think out of the box if we are to get agricultural emissions on to a downward trajectory.

Alan Matthews is Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin
Mike Sweeney, President of Muintir na Tire at the Educational Remembrance Gardens set up following the closure of Kilross National School in Tipperary. Photo: Liam Burke/Press 22

In Michael Shiel's book A Quiet Revolution, he calls the electrification of Ireland's countryside "the greatest social and economic revolution in rural Ireland since the Land War."

In 1947 Muintir na Tire, an up-and-coming rural empowerment organisation, was a key driver in encouraging communities to take part in the new rural electrification scheme.

Now over 70 years later, Muintir na Tire CEO Niall Garvey says he won't accept the popular opinion that rural Ireland is dead or dying and feels that the organisation can play a huge part leading another social revolution in the region.

Muintir na Tire has been in existence since 1937 and has over 200 community councils operating in virtually every parish in the country. These councils are involved in setting up community creches and playgrounds and work in conjunction with the Gardai in sending vital community text alerts.

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Neil says that these text alerts offer a lifeline to those who are vulnerable or fearful of rural crime.

"The community text reduces fear for elderly people or those who are vulnerable, even if they are on their own they will be aware of what is happening," says Neil.

"At times I think there is a fear of crime in rural Ireland rather than a fear of actual crime. In reality crime in rural areas here is much less than in other countries, but if someone doesn't have a neighbour when they read about high-profile violent crimes of someone being tied up or beaten, they often think: 'that could be me'.

"Some people in communities do sleep with bolts on the door and with a shotgun by their bed because if intruders get in to their house, at least they won't get them in their room."

In October, Muintir na Tire president Mike Sweeney, an agricultural consultant based in Kilross, Co Tipperary, told the Oireachtas Justice Committee that crime gangs use drones to target rural areas.

He told the Farming Independent that crime gangs are "better financed and are better equipped" than the Gardai and that's why they outsmart them.

"Communities are in constant fear of professional criminals who are targeting rural areas. These criminals are better financed and better equipped than the Gardai and have the latest technology," he points out.

In an effort to reduce the fear of crime that is felt by many in rural Ireland and to help give isolated people a sense of belonging, Muintir na Tire have developed an app called Cairde which is running in three pilot areas in Wexford, Cork and Kildare.

The app involves every member having a cairde on their phones which is a group of people who have agreed to come to your aid if there is an emergency.

The app also allows unlimited messages to be sent to your cairde or community group. A panic button feature can also be pressed to alert the cairde or Gardai when a person is in danger and needs help.

Suckler farmer and poultry producer Paddy Byrne is a Muintir na Tire member in Askamore, Co Wexford where Cairde is being trialled. He says the app is making people feel safer in their own homes and feels that it could be rolled out to other areas in the future.

Askamore member Helen Kearney adds that since the recent trial began: "We have been able to use Cairde to post about social events, upcoming trips, electrical outages, fallen trees, classes and courses, and new transport services within our area.

"This has been a great way for us to ensure that everyone in our area knows what's happening and that we have more people informed on a daily/weekly basis. It is also hugely successful in reaching people who would otherwise not be aware of these community alerts."

Paddy says it's easy for the doom and gloom of suckler prices to get you down but feels its organisations like Muintir na Tire that help bring rural Ireland together during tough times.

Battering

"With Brexit and everything in farming, organisations like Muintir na Tire are more important than ever. Rural areas really took a battering since the last recession with Garda station closures and post offices shutting down," he says.

"Local TDs make so many promises at local meetings but nothing ever changes and there seems to be no urgency around broadband or rural services either."

President Mike, who works with pig farmers, agrees that his work with the Muintir na Tire branch in Lisvernane, tucked in the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary, provides moments of reprieve from the difficult situation the Irish pig industry is facing at the moment.

"Prices of pigs are very difficult at the moment. Numbers of pig farmers are dropping at a frightening rate. It will all depend on the outcome of Brexit but everyone has an opinion on that and nothing is being done. Pig farmers are survivors."

Mike says that revamping GAA pitches and Tidy Towns projects are just some of the initiatives that the Liservane group has undertaken. He feels that all of these activities help reduce rural isolation but that the government has to do more to help.

"There's a lack of transport and this adds to isolation. Local pubs and shops are finding it difficult to stay open. Rural Ireland has so much potential but the government has to play its part."

Education

Neil adds that the organisation would be more than willing to give education programmes on broadband to rural people if a National Scheme were to be rolled out, just like it did for rural electrification and for the switch to Saorview television in 2011.

"Broadband is a big issue in rural Ireland and if we had better broadband it would solve a lot of issues such as employment. Muintir na Tire is all about empowering communities so if there was any way we could help with broadband, we would be more than willing," says Neil.

"Obviously if it was a State broadband service that was rolled out we would be able to help but that would be more difficult if it was a commercial process."

Neil, who is from Co Clare, is able to work remotely from home some days of the week due to good broadband access and feels if it was better in other parts of rural Ireland it would lead to an increase in remote workers.

"My working week is an example of what could be achieved in rural Ireland if better broadband was widespread. It would lead to better certainty for people to work from home and increase the number of young people living in the countryside."

Neil points out that access to basic services is a must if the gap between development in Dublin and development in rural Ireland is ever going to be filled.

"If rural Ireland is going to be a viable place to live hospitals are needed within a reasonable distance and long waiting times for ambulances aren't acceptable. It can be achieved with imaginative thinking."
The Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCoI) is working on plans to secure special EU protection for a number of Irish crafts.

The organisation has identified three uniquely Irish crafts which it believes should qualify for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

It is a form of official EU protection available to qualifying EU agricultural products but the European Commission is considering expanding it to other industries.

The Waterford blaa is among the Irish goods to have already achieved that status, while, in Europe, Parmesan cheese is among the best-known protected products.

DCCoI is working with Irish producers to prepare a detailed feasibility study examining the business opportunity for Donegal tweed and Connemara marble so that the Irish submissions can be in the first group for consideration by the EU should the PGI system be expanded. Aran knitwear is another craft which the body may seek the status at a later date.

DCCoI chief executive Karen Hennessy said: "The European Commission has been looking at this space, and looking to introduce it beyond agricultural products.

"We've become interested in seeing how this could impact on some of our clients," she told the Sunday Independent.

"What has happened for agricultural products is where they have got the PGI status, it has facilitated fairer competition and consumers have been better informed. It has combated counterfeiting and has promoted quality products."

Typically businesses which qualify for PGIs are in regional areas. "It has delivered tangible benefits for producers and consumers and that's around the local infrastructure and local employment," she added.

Almost four in five (79pc) of craft businesses are based outside Dublin and the council is hopeful PGI status would boost demand and employment in the regions.

"This is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on what is happening in the regions but also a protection of those heritage or traditional skills sets that are in the regions."

Ms Hennessy said the plan is in its early stages and would need to be pushed on at Government level, which would submit proposals to the European Commission.

However, the DCCoI has already had some engagement on the issue at European Commission level. It is working with marketing and business consultant Muiris Kennedy, who is a specialist in the area of PGI. He previously worked on securing protection for blaa bread rolls from Waterford.

"We see the potential for our clients but it is going to have to be government-led and we are acting as a catalyst," she said.

It will also require a number of producers to come together to push for the plan. "The EU will require a collective approach," said Hennessy.

The DCCoI has discussed the matter with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Employment, under whose remit it falls, and it is supportive of the initiative. "But we have to do a bit of work at this stage to make it happen," she added.

PGI is not a trademark owned by one company and carries no costs for the producers who gain its protection.

The European Commission has published a Green Paper on the possible extension of geographical indication protection for non-food products. Irish craft businesses will attend trade fair Showcase next month. Buying teams from more than 2,580 retailers from across the world, including Ireland, the UK, USA, mainland Europe and the Far East will attend the expo.

The event generates sales orders of more than 20m during four days. It runs in the RDS, Dublin, from Sunday, January 20, to Wednesday, January 23, and is for trade buyers only.
'The European Commission has given its backing to proposals that would force companies within the EU to have at least 40pc female representation on their boards by 2020.' Photo: Stock Image

Female representation in Irish boardrooms increased marginally last year, new research has found.

Of the 408 members on ISEQ boards in 2018, 69 of them were female, according to a study by executive recruitment firm Accreate.

Over the course of the year, 39 new board members were appointed to Irish listed companies, 12 of which were women. Around 7pc of all ISEQ companies have no female representation at all at board level. During 2018, female representation on non-executive boards increased by two percentage points to 17pc.

The European Commission has given its backing to proposals that would force companies within the EU to have at least 40pc female representation on their boards by 2020.

Accreate partner Caroline Baldwin said Ireland is still lacking diversity on boards when compared to other countries.

"At European level the number of female board members has increased from 9pc in 2004 to 32pc at the beginning of 2018," she said.

"While we have noted an increasing focus on gender diversity and representation at board level in Ireland, as we move toward 2020, ISEQ-listed companies face a significant challenge in meeting the 40pc threshold as stated by the EU."

Baldwin said representation jumped by seven percentage points to 43pc in France and by two percentage points to 35pc in Italy in the years between 2004 and 2018. She said the two examples "emphasised the overall slow rate of change in Ireland".

"Overall, the key to an effective and successful board is one that blends a variety of factors such as background, experience, ethnicity, gender and age," she said. "By embracing such diversity, there is an opportunity for boards to effectively meet their strategic aims while also future-proofing their companies."

Anne Heraty of CPL, Siobhan Talbot of Glanbia, and Fiona Muldoon of FBD are among the female CEOs of Irish listed companies.

The representation figures for Irish companies differ significantly to State boards, which has exceeded 40pc for the first time, according to the latest figures from the Department of Justice.

A survey carried out last July showed the female share of State board membership is now up at 40.7pc, up 2.3 percentage points from February 2017. Women accounted for 52pc of all appointments made to State boards last year.
Rural areas need Government help if they are to slow the movement of people and jobs to Dublin, which has a population of 1.17 million  and counting

Last week's decision by Irish Ferries to pull its French-bound service out of Rosslare and move it to Dublin highlights once again just how dominant the capital has become. Can, or indeed should, anything be done to stop Dublin pulling even further ahead of the regions?

Irish Ferries' announcement last Tuesday that it was "unlikely" to operate a service between Rosslare and France in 2019 and that its new 144m WB Yeats superferry would sail from Dublin instead, caused consternation throughout the south-east - quite how Dublin Port and the M50 will cope with the extra congestion resulting from the new ferry service remains to be seen.

When even a prosperous region such as the south-east is losing out to the capital, the issue of Dublin's growing economic dominance over the rest of the country can no longer be ignored.

The Rosslare ferry saga looks set to join rural broadband in the charge sheet of those who believe that Dublin has become too big for its boots.

So just how dominant is Dublin in the Irish economy? Unfortunately, the CSO doesn't produce regional economic or income statistics. However, even on the basis of the statistics that are publicly available, Dublin's towering position vis-a-vis the rest of the country is immediately apparent.

There were 1.17 million people living in Dublin city and county on the date of the last Census in April 2016. That was up 9pc on the figure recorded in the 2011 Census and represented just under a quarter of the total population of 4.76 million.

Throw in Co Meath, Co Kildare and Co Meath and the combined population of the Mid-East region rises to 1.74 million, 36pc of the national total.

But Dublin accounts for a larger proportion of the country's jobs with 692,000 of the 2.27 million people employed in Ireland in the third quarter of 2018, more than 30pc, working in the capital.

Add in the three surrounding counties and the total rises to 1.02 million, 45pc of all jobs.

Even in the absence of regional income statistics, it is clear that not only does Dublin have an above-average share of the country's jobs, but jobs in Dublin are much better-paid than those in the rest of the country. In 2017, nationwide net receipts of PAYE income tax and USC totalled 16.2bn, of which almost 8.5bn (52pc) were collected in Dublin.

It is a similar story with most other taxes, with 44pc of self-employed income tax, 61pc of corporation tax, 60pc of VAT and 43pc of capital gains tax being collected in Dublin. Overall 22bn (56pc) of the total 2017 net tax take of 39.2bn was collected in Dublin. The tax take from the three surrounding counties raises the total to almost 63pc.

Property costs also indicate that the Dublin regional economy is performing much more strongly than most of the rest of the country. The median Dublin house and apartment price now ranges from "only" 324,000 in Fingal to as high as 545,000 in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. This compares to a median price of just 185,000 in the West of Ireland and 257,000 in Cork city, the country's second-largest city.

Dublin rents are also much higher than those in the rest of the country, ranging from an average of 1,215 a month in north Co Dublin to 1,981 in Dublin 4 for a one-bedroomed apartment.

The rent on a comparable property in Cork city is 972 and 895 in Galway city.

This willingness to pay much higher purchase prices and rents is further evidence of much higher incomes in Dublin than in the rest of the country.

As Dublin surges further ahead, it is the smaller towns, those with populations of fewer than 10,000 outside the catchment areas of Dublin and the other large cities, that are among the areas worst affected.

In a report published last month, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland pointed out that 55 of the 79 towns recorded by GeoDirectory have recorded an increase in commercial vacancy rates since 2013.

"Regional high streets have been significantly affected by the recent economic downturn. The impact has been felt throughout Ireland with increased vacancy rates and a decline in the vibrancy of many rural communities."

The SCSI report made a number of recommendations to help smaller towns to compete with larger urban centres including restrictions on the development of new out-of-town shopping centres on the outskirts of smaller towns and making traditional town centres more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

An ESRI research paper published last January forecast that, by 2040, 42pc of the country's population will be living in the Mid-East region (Dublin and the three surrounding counties). The report also forecast an increase in the national population of more than 900,000 to more than 5.6 million over the same period, meaning the total population of the Mid-East region will increase to more than 2.3 million over the next 22 years.

"Dublin and the Mid-East are projected to have above average jobs growth [between now and 2040]", according to the ESRI.

So what can be done to halt or at least slow Dublin's seemingly inexorable advance? The paper's author Edgar Morgenroth, then of the ESRI and now economics professor at DCU, recommends developing the other larger urban areas such as Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford to take some of the pressure off Dublin.

"Developing scale in the second-tier cities will enable them to benefit from greater agglomeration economies. This has a benefit for the wider region as larger second-tier cities are able to provide services and functions that are currently only available in Dublin."

Unfortunately, we have been here before. In 2002, just as the Celtic Tiger was about to enter its final manic phase the Government of the day published the National Spatial Strategy. The NSS was supposed to be "a coherent national planning framework for Ireland for the next 20 years".

The reality was somewhat different. Instead of providing coherence, the NSS sought to placate every conceivable local interest group. The most notorious example was in the Midlands where instead of designating Athlone, by far the largest town in the region, as the main growth centre, Tullamore and Mullingar were also deemed to be "gateways". This something-for-everyone approach reached its apotheosis when then Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy unveiled his decentralisation policy in the December 2003 Budget.

Instead of moving entire departments or large stand-alone administrative units to other major urban areas, McCreevy scattered small units here, there and everywhere with 10,300 civil servants and other public sector workers moved to 53 different centres spread across 25 counties.

A 2012 report on the affair by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was scathing, The report found that the McCreevy decentralisation had led to a "major haemorrhaging" of corporate knowledge and resulted in significant additional costs.

More recently, the current regional development signature policy, rural broadband, has hit choppy waters. The cost, initially projected at between 500m and 1bn, is now expected to run as high as 3bn, most of the original bidders have withdrawn and Communications Minister Denis Naughten was forced to resign in October.

So is it possible to overcome the intense local rivalries that have largely derailed previous efforts to divert at least some growth away from Dublin? While the NSS and decentralisation may have helped to give regional policy a bad name, the fact remains that Ireland is much more capital city-dependent than most other small European countries. Doing nothing will result in ever more people and jobs migrating to the east coast.

In July, the Government published the National Planning Framework. Projected to run until 2040, the NPF supersedes the National Spatial Strategy. While paying lip service to the smaller towns, unlike its predecessor, the NPF focuses largely on the other large cities, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

"We need to do an awful lot more to invest in the regions. The regions have suffered more than Dublin from a lack of investment over the past decade," says IBEC head of policy Fergal O'Brien. He believes that it is not a case of Dublin versus the rest of the country.

"Dublin is becoming very expensive. Indigenous companies are looking at locating outside of Dublin. We are seeing a big surge by Irish companies moving outside of Dublin. That is the biggest opportunity for the regions."

What many critics of Dublin's economic dominance fail to grasp is that the capital has become a major international city. It isn't competing with Cork or Limerick but with Barcelona, Amsterdam or Berlin in a sort of European FDI super league.

It is hard to see the likes of Google or Facebook, both of which employ several thousand people in the capital, locating anywhere else in Ireland. If they hadn't come to Dublin, then they wouldn't have come here at all.

If the regions are to attract indigenous companies relocating from Dublin, then there needs to be major infrastructure investment, particularly in roads and broadband.

One of the projects that needs to be speeded up is the Cork-Limerick motorway, which when completed will result in a continuous motorway from Cork to Galway, the southern half of the proposed Atlantic Corridor along the west coast.

"The biggest thing the Government can do for the regions is to get these investment projects to happen," says O'Brien.

"If the regional cities get scale they will be great drivers or growth for the regions."
I have been in love with Van Morrison and his music for decades. For at least 20 years, I have been trying to get an interview with him, but he rarely gives interviews, and in recent years I had almost given up trying. And then it happened, when I least expected it.

It was in the early 1990s while I was working for BBC Newsnight and responsible for all of their Northern Irish coverage, that my love affair with Van began. Here was this remarkable Belfast talent, who sang about his home place with such beauty and tenderness and reverence - it made me realise that one day things could be better there.

And they are.

When peace did eventually come dropping slowly, it was Van Morrison's song Days Like This that became the unofficial anthem of the Northern Irish peace process right across the world. The lyrics just fitted perfectly

''When no one steps on my dreams there'll be days like this

When people understand what I mean there'll be days like this

When you ring out the changes of how everything is

Well my mama told me there'll be days like this'.

It was also around this time that I first tried to get an interview with Van and over the following 20 years I never gave up, believing one day that he might say yes, but all to no avail.

In recent years, I was lucky enough to go to some small concerts Van gives in Belfast, mostly in aid of good causes, with my husband Steve, another Belfast boy. A sensational day was when Van went back to near his home where it all began and had a special concert on Cyprus Avenue organised by East Belfast Arts - the sun shone and at that moment, it was the best place to be in the world.

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I remember being at one of the small concerts in The Europa Hotel in Belfast a few years back again with Steve, and met Van just before the gig. I hadn't asked to meet him, I just enjoyed the moment. It turned out to be a particularly precious meeting as his Mum was standing alongside him and he introduced her, Violet Morrison. I asked if it was from his mother that Van got his majestic voice, and he said probably yes and that his Mum had a beautiful voice. I returned to my seat more determined than ever to pursue an interview with Van, if only to talk about his Mum and his and her voice.

I think, like many people, the music of Van Morrison has been an incredibly important soundtrack to my life. Different songs at different times, and for different reasons, many very romantic, others incredibly soothing and healing, some exhilarating, many mystical. I can play his songs over and over again, never tiring of them. I was too young when it first came out to be aware of Astral Weeks, but in recent years I have realised that it is regarded by many as perhaps the greatest album ever made.

But Van does come with a reputation, for being very difficult, rude even - apparently he loathes the media most of the time. That's probably why he rarely gives interviews.

In truth, in recent times I have been so busy that I stopped asking for him.

Then on Friday, November 30, at 9pm I was sitting at home in my kitchen drinking a glass of wine when I got a text from a great RTE radio producer called Alan Torney, who used to produce my Sunday with Miriam show, wondering if I had put a bid in for Van recently as he noticed that he had a new album out. He also sent me the email of the person now looking after him. So, thinking that after 20 years of trying I hadn't anything to lose, I sent a short paragraph to Kerry - the person looking after Van's requests - asking for an interview. I let my wonderful radio producer Sian O'Gorman know, then I went back to my wine and an Indian takeaway, and I thought no more of it.

The following Thursday, when I was preparing to present that night's Prime Time, I got a really lovely mail back from Kerry saying yes, Van would be very happy to do the interview, and would December 15 at 3pm in The Culloden Hotel in Belfast suit? Happy days I thought. I let Sian know immediately and we were both very excited. Mick McLoughlin, a superb RTE Radio sound OB engineer, was brought on board and we all looked forward to our date with Van. Sian produced a wonderful interview brief for me, I added some questions, the day arrived, and we all headed up. My daughter Jessica, who is also a big fan, came along too and helped share the driving so I could concentrate on my questions.

I was nervous, very nervous, and I don't do nervous. But this man rarely gives interviews and I have loved his music for years. Also, almost every person I met spoke about how difficult he apparently can be. The general consensus was definitely that it's great he was doing an interview, but it was unlikely to go well.

So in that room in The Culloden last weekend, I was excited but worried - and so was everyone with me - that he would live up to the difficult reputation. I prayed it would go really well.

At 2.50pm exactly, I heard him outside the room talking - it's such a distinctive speaking voice - and then he and Kerry came in. They could not have been nicer. Van was very warm, chatted to everyone and we did the interview. It lasted for nearly an hour and I honestly think he would have been happy to chat for longer. He wasn't plugging his album at all - I brought it up - he was just happy to chat about music, his influences, his work, the Belfast of his childhood and his parents. He was gentle, thoughtful, kind and oh so polite. Reserved, even a little shy.

Van was everything I prayed he would be. At the end, he was very happy to pose for photos, sign some vinyl, and even said he enjoyed the interview.

Everyone has a favourite Van Morrison song and in my last question, I told him that mine was his love anthem Have I Told You Lately that I Love You. I fell in love with my husband Steve listening to that beautiful song. I didn't tell him that, but I did ask Van if it meant a lot to him that so very many people have fallen in love listening to that song, and, really gently, he said yes. Also many people who had spoken to me beforehand said how some of his songs had helped them through very difficult times, so I also mentioned this, and he responded again very gently saying that it was good to hear and that things like that keep him going when the going gets tough.

As a touching postscript, on Monday afternoon last week, Sian and I unexpectedly received an email from Kate Cody who works with Van. In it, she attached a beautiful old recording of Van's mother Violet, who died in 2016, singing a song called St Louis Blues. Kate said Van asked her to send it on to us, as Van and I had talked about his Mum during the interview.

I had heard, of course, that she had a great singing voice. When you listen to this recording, which we have now included in our interview, there is no doubt where Van Morrison got his majestic voice.

Do meet your heroes. Van the Man was a joy to meet and interview. There are Days Like This.

'Sunday with Miriam' goes out on RTE Radio One at 10am this morning. The show is also available online from 10am on the RTE Player at RTE.ie
Little Mix star Jesy Nelson donned a Union Jack dress as she paid tribute to her idol Geri Horner (Ian West/PA)

Little Mix star Jesy Nelson donned a Union Jack dress as she paid tribute to her idol Geri Horner.

The pop star, 27, dressed up as the Spice Girl on Saturday, sharing pictures of the outfit with her 4.7 million Instagram followers.

Nelson wore a dress made famous by Horner  known as Ginger Spice  during the 1990s at the height of the Spice Girls fame.

The Romford-born star captioned the post: So, since I was five years old all Ive ever wanted to be was Ginger Spice. She was my ultimate idol because she was bold, fearless and the ultimate girl power pin up.

My mum took me to Romford Market to get a Union Jack dress but theyd all sold out so I cried the whole way home.

In a reference to TV talent show Stars In Their Eyes, which was hosted by Matthew Kelly, Nelson added: Well tonight Matthew, I am Ginger Spice.

Nelson shared another picture, tagging Horner and writing: Its a dream come true being you tonight.

Her Little Mix bandmate Perrie Edwards commented: Unreal.

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The Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all-time, with about 85 million records sold worldwide.

In November, the band announced they were reuniting for a UK tour in 2019, minus Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice.

Instead, Horner will be joined by Scary Spice Mel B, Sporty Spice Melanie Chisholm (Mel C) and Baby Spice Emma Bunton.
Eric Fowler (inset) was gunned down outside his home at Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla.

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in west Dublin last night believe he was shot dead as part of a gangland feud.

The victim, named locally as Eric Fowler (34), was gunned down outside his home at Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla.

He was struck a number of times, including at least once in the head, shortly before 7pm.

The murder victim was well-known to gardai and had been investigated for his involvement in serious organised crime in recent years.

Expand Close Gun victim Eric Fowler / Facebook

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Sources said he had close links to the Kinahan cartel but was also associated with criminals involved in a separate feud in the Finglas and Blanchardstown areas.

He had previously been warned that there was a credible threat to his life, and detectives are now probing if last night's killing is connected to either the Hutch/Kinahan feud or the west Dublin feud.

Only this month Fowler had appeared in court and received a two-year driving ban for drink driving.

Gardai have officially opened a murder investigation and have set up an incident room at Blanchardstown Garda Station.

Gardai are appealing to members of the public for assistance on the below;

Gardai would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St. Peregrines GAA Club yesterday between the hours of 5pm and 7pm. Any drivers who travelled the Blakestown Road during 5pm and 7pm particularly vehicles with dash cameras

Gardai are appealing to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta bearing the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from the 18th of December 2018 until 7pm last night

The Volkswagen Jetta was then found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent Clonee, Dublin 15 at 7pm. Gardai are appealing to anyone with information of seeing people fleeing from this car or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact the Incident Room at Blanchardstown Garda Station on 01 6667000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
General view of burnt-out car being towed from Rusheeney Crescent in Huntstown, Dublin Picture: Caroline Quinn

Gardai are appealing for information about a car that was was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent shortly after the killing Picture: Caroline Quinn

Eric Fowler (inset) was gunned down outside his home at Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla.

EXTRA armed garda patrols will be rolled out across the Blanchardstown area over Christmas following the murder of Eric Fowler last night.

Eric Fowler (34) was gunned down outside his home at Blakestown Cottages, Clonsilla.

He was struck a number of times, including at least once in the head, shortly before 7pm.

The murder victim was well-known to gardai and had been investigated for his involvement in serious organised crime in recent years.

Expand Close Gun victim Eric Fowler / Facebook

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Sources said he had close links to the Kinahan cartel but was also associated with criminals involved in a separate feud in the Finglas and Blanchardstown areas.

He had previously been warned that there was a credible threat to his life, and detectives are now probing if last night's killing is connected to either the Hutch/Kinahan feud or the west Dublin feud.

Only this month Fowler had appeared in court and received a two-year driving ban for drink driving.

Supt Liam Carolan confirmed that a murder investigation was underway and appealed for anyone with information to contact gardai.

Expand Close General view of Garda examining scene of burnt-out car from Rusheeney Crescent, Huntstown, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp General view of Garda examining scene of burnt-out car from Rusheeney Crescent, Huntstown, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

The senior officer said that a prime focus of the investigation today was to recover CCTV and that "organised crime is an avenue" of the garda probe.

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"It's early days in the investigation the main tasks today are harvesting CCTV and that should give us some indication," Supt Liam Carolan said.

"There are a number of strands in the investigation. Were not going to focus on just one but clearly organised crime is an avenue. But there could be multiple other reasons so rather than focus on one several avenues will be explored.

"We are putting in place a number of armed patrols over the Christmas in the area and also high visibility policing to ensure the community there will be a presence on the ground and just to allay those fears," he added.

When asked if there were fears of retaliation to the killing, Supt Carolan said: "Well in all of these its a possibility, the main thing is the community know the guards are out there protecting them in the aftermath of this incident."

As part of the investigation gardai are appealing for information on a silver Volkswagen Jetta bearing the registration plate 06-MH-3192.

Expand Close Gardai are appealing for information about a car that was was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent shortly after the killing Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai are appealing for information about a car that was was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent shortly after the killing Picture: Caroline Quinn

This car, which was purchased on December 18, was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent, Clonee shortly after the killing.

"At approximately 7pm last night gardai responded to a call of a shooting at Blakestown Cottages.

"They arrived very shortly after and found a male in his 30s lying in the driveway of one of the cottages.

"He had been shot multiple times; he was pronounced dead at the scene," Supt Liam Carolan said.

"A murder investigation has now commenced and an incident room has been set up at Blanchardstown garda station."

Gardai also want to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St. Peregrines GAA Club yesterday between 5pm and 7pm.

Gardai are appealing to members of the public for assistance on the below;

Gardai would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St. Peregrines GAA Club yesterday between the hours of 5pm and 7pm. Any drivers who travelled the Blakestown Road during 5pm and 7pm particularly vehicles with dash cameras

Gardai are appealing to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta bearing the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from the 18th of December 2018 until 7pm last night

The Volkswagen Jetta was then found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent Clonee, Dublin 15 at 7pm. Gardai are appealing to anyone with information of seeing people fleeing from this car or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact the Incident Room at Blanchardstown Garda Station on 01 6667000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
An 84-year-old woman has told of how loneliness began to make her feel depressed but she felt it too burdensome to ask her family to help.

Having lost her life partner, Dun Laoghaire retiree Joan Kelly said that her physical and mental health deteriorated as a result of her loneliness.

Feeling that she would be putting too much pressure on her family to ask for their company, she decided to live with her loneliness.

"I just thought I was getting depressed and I didnt want that," Joan said.

"I was trying not to put too much pressure on my children. The time will come when I will, you know and I hope if Gods going to take me he takes me in my sleep because I dont want to be trouble for anybody.

"Although I have five daughters that devote all their time to me at the weekends, theyre all working during the week and then they have to come home and deal with their families and I dont like to put pressure on them, but Im somebody that loves company."

Joans story is not uncommon. Though she has a loving family who enjoy her company she, like many elderly people are, was afraid of inconveniencing them.

According to a study by TILDA (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing), around 400,000 people in Ireland suffer from loneliness. The study found that the chance of loneliness increases with age and almost half of those above the age of 74 in Ireland say they are lonely.

Joan said that having heard about the charity Alone while in hospital, she decided she would make an effort to curb her loneliness.

The charity provides support to people living alone. One particular service that the charity provides is a call-out companion for the people suffering. Joan said that meeting her partner in Alone completely changed her life.

"We had a very bad winter and I was getting a bit depressed. I had heard about Alone and I decided to ring them. They came out to see me in the New Year; they wanted to see what kind of person I was to match me up with somebody.

"The minute the girl walked in the door I said thats my girl.

"Nessa comes out to me once a week and I absolutely love it. She had recently lost her grandmother and wanted another grandmother so I was happy to fill the space. I consider her now one of my granddaughters," she continued.

"Im crippled with arthritis and I have a walker so Im not able to get up on planes and stuff anymore. Alone organises a holiday.

"They look after you so well. I love being with people my age because they are able to walk at my pace and you can relate so much to them. You dont feel either, like you are holding them back or anything like that. I find it changed my life."

Loneliness is something TV chef Kevin Dundon is passionate about. His role as brand ambassador for Supervalu, has seen the supermarket partner up with Alone, donating 20c for every packet of Signature Tastes mince pies sold this year.

Mr Dundon actively uses his own personal experience as a chef to do what he can to combat the problem. Last year he invited two foreign nationals into his home for Christmas dinner and he is appealing for others to follow suit this year.

The Dublin celebrity chef said that the thought of people living on their own, with no one to eat Christmas dinner with upsets him and he urged everyone to think of their lonely neighbours this year.

"At Christmas time, we all get so involved in our own selves or our family that we seem to forget our poor neighbour thats sitting on their own," he said.

"I always say with Christmas dinner, you always cook too much anyway. Theres always loads left over, so what difference does it make to bring someone into your house to have your dinner?

"Youve made their day. You might have lost your partner, your kids could be living away and suddenly you find yourself alone, and all of the memories come back to you on Christmas so it becomes a very long day for some people."

"There will be none of it going towards my wage," he continued.

"The money from this event will go to developing more volunteers, more relationships and more support in the community. Up to now, 100pc of the donations have gone to services.

"The measure of an organisation is not what I get paid. Were really strong on transparency. I think in a ranking of 30 CEOs of charity organisations I came third from the bottom and I think the two below me are rich enough to not get paid at all."

Mr Moynihan, who has been recognised as having a wage that falls in the bottom five for CEOs of charity organisations, added that serious research has gone into how loneliness can affect both sufferers mental and physical health. He says that the charity is devoted to improving these peoples lives as whole.

"Weve been campaigning all year on loneliness as a health issue," he said.

"It has been proven that loneliness will damage your physical and mental health. Weve been promoting the action that needs to be taken because there is no policy in this area.

"There is no funding in this area or even a government department responsible.

"We have around 1,500 volunteers up and down the country helping older people. Whether the older people have housing issues, transport issues, homelessness issues, loneliness issues, health issues, we go work with the older people to help resolve that."
Irish soldiers have taken responsibility for an entire battalion in one of the most volatile areas of Lebanon as tensions rise in the region.

An additional 106 soldiers were sent to the Middle East country in the last month as part of a ramped-up effort to maintain peace in the area.

Defence Forces personnel are generally supported on UN peace-keeping missions by soldiers from other nations.

However, Defence Minister Paul Kehoe took the decision to deploy additional troops to Lebanon after Estonian and Finnish soldiers pulled out of the mission, citing domestic security concerns.

There are now 462 Irish soldiers serving in what is called the 'Irish Batt' as part of the Unifil mission in Lebanon.

It is understood talks are now at an advanced stage, with Poland to serve alongside the Irish from November 2019.

Poland has a long tradition of participating in international crisis management missions and has served alongside Irish Defence Force personnel in both EU and UN-led missions over the years. It's understood that the proposal will also see a number of Hungarian personnel deployed.

The Irish Battalion is based in Sector West of Unifil's area of operations, in the vicinity of At Tiri, and with posts on the 'Blue Line', which separates Lebanon and Israel.

Minister Kehoe said: "In the year Ireland celebrates its 60th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping, this was an important decision to take.

"The presence of the Unifil mission is vital to maintaining peace and security, providing support to the Lebanese government and stability in the wider region.

"Of course, Ireland's peacekeeping story first began in Lebanon in 1958 when 50 members of the Permanent Defence Force were deployed as military observers with the UN Observer Group in Lebanon.

"Now, as 2018 draws to a close, we are stepping up to the mark and living up to our reputation as a peace-keeping nation."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has insisted Jean-Claude Juncker has never been "anything other than sober" at meetings he attended with the EU Commission President.

The Taoiseach's comments follow long-running commentary about Mr Juncker's consumption of alcohol after he was filmed on a number of occasions stumbling in public.

Mr Juncker has always insisted he does not have issues with alcohol, but maintains he suffers from sciatica which sometimes causes him to struggle when he walks.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent last week, the Taoiseach said: "I have never once seen him anything other than sober and he has sciatica and walks in particular way and some elements of the media make that out to be related to alcohol.

"It's not. I know it's not," he added.

The Taoiseach said he has "absolute and immense" confidence in Mr Juncker who he added was a "very good colleague" and a "very good supporter of Ireland".

However, Mr Varadkar said the Commission President's behaviour towards a senior female official at a recent EU summit was "ill-advised".

Mr Juncker has come under pressure after he was filmed erratically ruffling a senior female EU official's hair before kissing her on the cheek after he arrived for a meeting in Brussels.

"Probably ill-advised to fluff other people's hair though," Mr Varadkar said, adding: "I wouldn't do that myself."

Yesterday, UK Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd described Mr Juncker's behaviour towards EU's deputy head of protocol Pernilla Sjolin as "grotesque".

"I mean, if that happened in our parliament I hope there would be a formal complaint," Ms Rudd added.

She said she would often feign having a "terrible cold" to avoid getting a "bear hug" at EU summits.

She also said the way Mr Juncker embraced UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the last EU summit was "ghastly".

The prime minister and the Commission President clashed at the December EU summit over claims Mr Juncker described her as "nebulous" during a private meeting.

Video footage emerged of Ms May involved in a heated exchange with Mr Juncker over her belief that he described her personal position on Brexit as nebulous. Mr Juncker said he was referring to the Britain's position on Brexit.

Last week, the Taoiseach backed Mr Juncker's position.

"I think he was referring to some of the requests or demands from the UK but that wasn't a remark about her personally," he said.

When he addressed the Dail in June, the former Luxembourg prime minister began his address by saying: "I have some difficulties in walking. I am not drunk; I have sciatica. I would prefer to be drunk."

In July, Mr Juncker asked for "respect" when he was asked if he was drunk when he was pictured staggering at a Nato summit.

Mr Juncker has been the subject of criticism from right-wing politicians who have used images of the commission president struggling to walk to make comments about his alcohol consumption.
Leo Varadkar is considering the introduction of time limits on Dail debates to prevent TDs from filibustering legislation.

The Taoiseach said there was a "legislative logjam" due to TDs and senators delaying new laws on abortion, drink-driving and judicial appointments by making lengthy contributions during debates.

"We don't have a majority in either house so we can't impose a guillotine anymore," Mr Varadkar said.

"But perhaps at the Business Committee, or among the major parties or groups, we could agree that an issue deserves 20 hours' debate but 20 should be enough you know," he added.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Shane Ross has attacked senators seeking to delay reforms of how judges are appointed.

"By delaying the judicial bill in the Seanad, they're perpetuating political patronage, they're perpetuating political favours," the minister said in an interview with the Sunday Independent.

"That is what they are doing. So, if that's what they want to do, let them say so," he added.

"They're not dictating policy because they are not introducing new policies. They're quite destructive, that's all."

Mr Ross said those behind the delaying of legislation are "horribly powerful", before adding: "We beat the vintners and we're going to beat the judges and barristers."

He said the arithmetic of the Dail is a good thing as it means the Government does not dictate its will on the Houses of the Oireachtas. But he added: "Unfortunately, a kind of rag-bag of people... like Danny Healy-Rae and Mattie McGrath, you know, and a few lawyers in the Seanad, have exploited that fact.

"Not to make constructive suggestions about what's going on, not to get legislation amended in a constructive way, but simply to wreck it and delay it."

Mr Ross also stood over his decision to call Mattie McGrath a "b***ox" after they clashed following a Dail debate on drink-driving legislation.

He said it was a show of "absolute exasperation" over delays to the new laws. The Judicial Appointments Bill has been debated for more than 70 hours in the Seanad and it will be back before the upper house once the Dail returns in the new year.

Last Thursday, senators voted to cancel a scheduled four debates on the legislation and begin their Christmas holidays early.
Ministerial office can be a lonely place. TDs work day and night to become ministers but when they get there, the job consumes them. It's not a nine-to-five job. Work doesn't end when they get home. Friendships and personal relationships can suffer.

Sitting in a coffee shop in Ballinteer in South Dublin, Shane Ross is in a reflective mood about his three years serving as Transport Minister. "When people come into this, it is very difficult to retain all your personal friendships," the minister says.

"You have to do what you have to do as minister and people feel passionate and they have expectations of you which are unrealistic.

"They believe you'll do things which they feel passionate about and all of a sudden you can't do things and you can't fulfil their ambitions for you and so you do lose friends," he adds.

Ross's friendship with his old drinking buddy Eamon Dunphy is one that has faded since he came into office.

Ross stopped drinking 30 years ago but up until the mid-1980s, he could be regularly found in Scruffy Murphy's bar near Merrion Square with Dunphy, Fianna Fail adviser PJ Mara and former Sunday Independent editor Michael Hand. Ross describes his former drinking buddies as a "really wild group of people".

More recently, Dunphy campaigned for the Independent Alliance during the 2016 General Election. But since then, Dunphy has described Ross in Government as an "embarrassment" and a "fool".

"I don't read his columns but he seems to be currently kind of annoyed at my political stance," Ross says. "Eamon's a volatile individual and I am very fond of him, yes, but he can be fiery from time to time," he adds.

"I haven't talked to him for a long time but he is very passionate about politics, and if he gets quite fired up about things from time to time that is fine, that's up to him," he adds.

Ross gave up drinking because he was "waking up with hangovers and doing all sorts" which was affecting his work. He didn't get help or see a therapist. Instead, he made a bet with PJ Mara that he could stay off the drink longer than him. "I have never had a drink since, and he - I came into the bar in Leinster House the next day and he, there he was, he was drinking," he says.

The introduction of stricter drink-driving laws, Ross believes, is one of his greatest achievements in office. He plans to follow up these with a range of new anti-speeding laws which he hopes will save lives. However, the new legislation has already put him on a collision course with his rural Fine Gael Cabinet colleagues.

"Speeding kills as many people as drunk driving, it's an absolute curse and if you'd seen some of the victims of speeding - they're going through exactly the same grief as those who have been victims of drunk driving," he says.

Among those who may have issue with the speeding laws is Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan.

Ross and Flanagan regularly work with each other on legislation from driving laws to judicial appointments and their meetings are said to be robust affairs to say the least.

"I've a great affection for him and he has quite a short fuse, but so have I, and if those two short fuses explode at the same time you have a temporary somewhat entertaining explosion but it would be only temporary," he says.

"We're good friends actually but we do have differences about things from time to time but we've never had a row that's lasted more than two minutes," he adds.

He may have taken a bit of convincing but Flanagan has come around to Ross's judicial appointment reforms and the Justice Minister is now more determined than anyone in Government to see the legislation passed.

The reforms will see the establishment of a new judicial appointment body overseen by a non-legal chairperson. There will also be a lay majority on the board of the organisation.

However, the law is moving at a snail's pace through the Houses of the Oireachtas due to an orchestrated campaign by TDs and senators to delay the legislation.

"By delaying the judicial bill in the Seanad, they're perpetuating political patronage, they're perpetuating political favours. That is what they are doing. So, if that's what they want to do, let them say so," Ross says. "They're not dictating policy because they are not introducing new policies. They're quite destructive, that's all."

Ross says those behind delaying of the legislation are "horribly powerful" before adding: "We beat the vintners and we're going to beat the judges and barristers."

He also takes aim at The Irish Times newspaper which he says has been "ranting and raving in a kind of almost fervent zealotry" about his judicial reforms.

"They're very keen to stop it and they expressed that editorial opinion in the last year and that's their point of view, I don't think it's the case with rest of the media," he adds.

He says the arithmetic of the Dail in the era of ''New Politics'' is a good thing as it means the Government doesn't dictate its will on the Houses of the Oireachtas.

But he adds: "Unfortunately, a kind of rag-bag of people, with vested interests, like Danny Healy-Rae and Mattie McGrath, you know, and a few lawyers in the Seanad, have exploited that fact.

"Not to make constructed suggestions about what's going on, not to get legislation amended in a constructed way, but simply to wreck it and delay it."

Ross famously called Mattie McGrath a "bo***cks" after one round of particularly long debates in the Dail.

"I stand 100pc behind it," he says. "That was in a show of absolute exasperation when the drink-driving bill had been postponed and late, day after day after day, week after week after week. I met him in the Dail bar and I did use the 'B' word. And no, I don't think it's the first time he's ever heard it," he adds.

He says his opposite number in Fianna Fail, the party's transport spokesperson Robert Troy, "amuses" him.

"I mean I really like Robert Troy. Troy is somewhat shallow in his approach to politics because he personalises every debate. I think maybe he should be in a county council rather than the Dail, because that's the sort of standard we get," he adds.

Ross says Micheal Martin's decision to extend the confidence and supply agreement is a "do or die" move for the Fianna Fail leader who he adds will be "toast" if he is not Taoiseach after the next election. He also brands the review of the deal an "anti climax".

"You know you negotiate for weeks and then you negotiate nothing.

"So, you wonder what Fianna Fail were actually looking for, or if they were just looking for some sort of cover," he adds.

"They've got plenty of cover, they were saying they won't do it because of Brexit, and so it certainly appears like a very responsible decision, but it also coincides with what's political convenience," he adds.
"You can write your own Ulysses," PJ Murphy grinned.

An American visitor had just stepped into Sweny's, the Lincoln Place pharmacy that features in James Joyce's masterpiece, seeking a literary souvenir. At the time, I was interviewing PJ, one of the volunteers running the shop. I loved his suggestion: a diary with an image of Ulysses as its cover.

Sweny's is dyed-in-the-wool Dublin. A pharmacy dating from 1847, immortalised by Joyce ('Smell almost cure you like the dentist's doorbell,' Leopold Bloom muses), closed in 2009 but rescued from oblivion by a group of volunteers who have sold books and soap, held readings, sang songs and poured cups of tea ever since. That moment was a year ago, and it couldn't have happened anywhere else.

Soon, it may not happen anywhere at all. Because there's a chance that Sweny's will close by summer.

Until recently, the not-for-profit has survived on small sales and donations. But the rental market in Dublin "has gone bonkers," its team wrote recently on patreon.com.

"As a result, our rent has doubled. Yes, doubled."

It is now calling for donations, inviting people to become patrons for as little as 1 a month (you can help at sweny.ie). But for how long can this tiny institution survive?

Sweny's isn't alone. Last week also saw the abrupt liquidation of the Jo'Burger Group, an independent clutch of restaurants - including Jo'Burger, Hey Donna and Crackbird - that was influential in rebooting Dublin's post-Celtic Tiger casual dining scene. The closures were due to several factors, including "challenging trading conditions", it said.

Coming so close to Christmas, the developments feel ominous. Along with rising rents and rates, January will usher in a higher VAT rate just as Brexit comes to the boil and consumers suffer a seasonal hangover. There is dark chatter on social media about the outlook for small food and retail businesses.

Cities need change. They also need malls, chains and international brands. But small businesses like Sweny's and Jo'Burger balance those big, bland storefronts with local colour and creative ideas. They support community and foster social fabric. They are the kind of places Dublin needs more, not less, of.

The Starbucks and H&Ms of this world can ride out all kinds of "trading conditions", but do we really want Dublin to become a Dundrum Town Centre?

This also matters from a tourism point of view.

Dublin needs to distinguish itself from cheaper competitor cities like Prague, Valencia and Edinburgh. We may not see the urgency to this now, with visitor numbers booming, but we will when the inevitable slowdown comes.

As a visitor destination, Dublin can't compete on price, transport or cultural infrastructure. Beyond big hits like the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College and St Patrick's Cathedral, tourists love the city for its atmosphere, its rich tapestry of streets, pubs, shops and restaurants. To stand apart, Dublin needs to preserve and develop that, to support quirky shops, independent restaurants serving Irish food, unique strips like Capel, Drury and Parnell Streets, or enclaves like the Blackrock Market. It doesn't need more Starbucks and superpubs.

As an individual, it's easy to feel helpless. What can one person do with Dublin's destiny in the hands of developers, chains and faceless 'investors'? We can protest, of course. But we can also snap out of our fog of distractedness, break habits of convenience and actually re-engage with the small businesses that make our city special.

You don't have to upend your life. But one small change can make a difference. Starting in January, why not make an effort, once a week, to support a small business in one new way? Buy your meat at a butcher instead of the supermarket; eat at an independent restaurant rather than a big franchise, shop at the Gutter Bookshop rather than Amazon, try a small cafe over a big chain. In a small way, you'll support community... and you'll feel a little better, too.

Not all of us can write our own Ulysses, but we can help create our city. Sadly, it's too late to drop into Jo'Burger. But there's still time to buy a bar of soap in Sweny's.

We get the Dublin we deserve.

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Children from An Mac Leinn Beag in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo signing 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'

This is an example of inclusion at its best.

Its the moment where a class of Irish montessori children perform a Christmas song through sign language along with their four-year-old classmate Eoghan, who is profoundly deaf.

The group of four-year-olds from An Mac Leinn Beag in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, have been learning Irish sign language (ISL) this year.

And this week, they performed We Wish You a Merry Christmas through sign language.

Orla Freeman, Eoghans mother who posted this video online, described the moment as what dreams are made of.

This is inclusion, where everyone is given equal access to learn and children with ability can learn from those with disability and vice versa.

Eoghan sees his ISL tutor twice a week at the montessori, while the other children also learn by observing and with the support of the montessoris owner Mary and their teacher Julie.

"Its what [the teachers] give to it, they try to use it at every opportunity. If they dont know a sign theyll ask Tara the tutor for that sign.

Every week the parents receive a video of the signs that the children will have learnt during the week. These children are going to grow up with Eoghan in the same town and I dont think they even see the difference with Eoghan and thats inclusion isnt it. Where everyone just grows up together and learns together.

Each morning my heart melts as I catch a glimpse of the way they communicate so effectively and affectionately with Eoghan.

When Eoghan was born profoundly deaf and his parents were told a cochlear implant wouldnt be of benefit to him, Orla admits they feared for his future.

As a parent you worry whether hell fit in as he gets older. This is the first time hes started school with children of his own age, and to see him on the same level as children on the stage is amazing.

Eoghan was born in November and I often think of people getting the diagnosis at Christmas and my message to them is to never give up on hope, I see where Eoghan is now and hes only four. I see where he is now and the support he's getting and I cant imagine what its going to be like when hes 14 or 21. I don't fear for him anymore.
Four more years, thrummed the train to Cork last Monday as I headed south on my annual Christmas trip.

The refrain did not refer to Trump's electoral prospects. I am not one of those columnists who beats up on Trump or the Brits to no effect except to inflate the ego of the authors.

The reference was to the forthcoming four years of Bloody Sunday every bloody night as RTE and an agreement of academics conspire to work up the next generation into a green frenzy as they expand the sardine tin of our struggle for independence into a shipping container.

RTE's recent Ar Son Na Poblachta was a foretaste of the cheerleading to come. Some historians I had never heard of, but all had the same green glint of eye and Pearsean pump of voice when dealing with Michael Collins and Bloody Sunday.

Gone are the days when historians like Theo Moody, Robin Dudley Edwards and FSL Lyons turned down the tribal temperature by focusing on facts that did not fit the green narrative.

But since Peter Hart's The IRA And Its Enemies, no academic historian has challenged the Old IRA's self-serving narrative, certainly none as ruthlessly as non-academic Gerard Murphy's The Year of Disappearances.

In Ireland, a plurality of voices has always been anathema to the political and media class. Both RTE and the academy favour a cagey policy of uno voce.

Admittedly I have an axe to grind with RTE for its Putin-style censorship in keeping my revisionist views on Irish nationalism - and the backstop - off the air.

But I will not lower myself to their level so I always put my axe away when RTE rises courageously to a challenge.

Election '18 was such an exquisite salmon's leap, a shining moment that made sense of that much-abused phrase, public service broadcasting.

Colm O'Callaghan, who commissioned it for RTE, showed bottle in backing Cormac Hargaden of Loosehorse in covering the 1918 General Election as if it were live, complete with filmed reports on all the major players - Sinn Feiners, Redmondites and Ulster Protestants.

Naturally, I was quite confident that RTE's superb technical crews would not be found wanting. But would we become bored by blurry black footage and hammy reconstructions?

But I relaxed when I realised Ruan Magan was the director. A genius at authentic reconstructions, he merged sometimes-colourised footage seamlessly with fictional scenes that stayed true to the facts, not least in its authentic portrayal of Ulster Protestants at work. The show was superbly served by writer Hugh Travers.

David McCullagh did a deft job in getting the best from a panel which had luckily put away the green flags peeping from so many breast pockets in Ar Son Na Poblachta.

As a bonus, Harry McGee, Diarmaid Ferriter, Mark Duncan, Gary Murphy and especially Theresa Reidy (who gave a tour de force performance) stayed in character from start to finish with a discipline some Irish actors could emulate.

There was rightly a strong feminist theme in the show. But for balance the relevant panel of women historians might have pointed out that the franchise for women was brought in by the British government of its own accord and not under pressure from Irish nationalists or suffragettes.

This progressive measure was a credit to British parliamentary democracy and applied to the UK as a whole. As did the equally progressive old age pension of 10 years earlier which was of great benefit to my grandfather and grandmother's generation.

The only downside of the main panel having to stay in character was that it could not freely talk about the future, especially the almost casual way we drifted into a violent campaign.

PS O'Hegarty, who saw it all first hand, was characteristically brisk in his classic account, The Victory of Sinn Fein, where he called the General Election "not a victory of conviction, but of emotion".

He went on to say: "It is questionable whether the Irish people, when they voted Sinn Fein, knew they were voting for war... the actual growth of war was so gradual as to be almost imperceptible."

He also categorically dismissed the apologists for armed struggle. "After 1916, there should not have been a shot fired... Without firing a shot we could have forced from England anything that we have forced from her by the gun policy and more."

By some serendipity, after Limerick Junction I fell into conversation with a former Presentation Brother who, referring to a range of problems from housing to Brexit, remarked: "I wonder how Michael Collins would have handled it all?"

Based on Collins's belief in deeds not words, as well as his habit of being "loyal to the facts", we can safely conclude he would have given short shrifts to blocks on housing, brought his Treaty pragmatism to Brexit, and by now would have wriggled off the backstop.

Arriving at Kent Station, the freezing rain meant that the racists who reject black taxi drivers had to put their pointy hoods in their pockets and be glad they had a guy from Ghana.

At the Imperial Hotel, Tim Herlihy tried to take the case, but I am from a generation that feels guilty about taking taxis and carries its own bags, so I was happy to let Tim help me catch up with local politics.

In the foyer, a painting of a boyish Michael Collins gazes across at a plaque erected by the Cork Anti-Slavery Society, recalling the visit to the Imperial of the famous anti-slavery black activist, William Douglass.

As I look up at the plaque with pride, Tim reminds me that December is the anniversary of the US Congress ratification of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, but alas, not racism.

Reluctantly I leave the snug sanctuary of the Imperial for a rainy walk along the South Mall starting with the 1916 memorial to the First Cork Brigade with the name of my grandfather Pat Harris. Across the road is Barry O'Meara Solicitors, who gave him back his job after he came home from Frongoch, just as the Cork Examiner did when his brother Tommy came out of jail.

Passing the plaque to Denny Lane, author of Carrigdhoun - Seamus Mallon's favourite song - I head for the Christmas blaze of Oliver Plunkett Street and Uneeda Books where my old friend John Coffey gifts me Mario Vargas Llosa's new novel on Roger Casement.

To Waterstones to check that Gerard Murphy's two books, The Year of Disappearances and The Great Cover-Up, are surviving on shelves stuffed with sardine can books.

To my chagrin I am mistaken for Tim Pat Coogan - which bears out what Nietzsche nearly said, that if you gaze into the abyss long enough Tim Pat Coogan will gaze back at you.

Next morning I take the train home laden with spiced beef from the English Market, reluctantly ready to return to reality.

My Irish Independent carries an incisive letter from Peter Cassells, former general secretary of the ICTU, an expert at negotiation, warning that the backstop is backing the Brits, and us, into a corner.

Time for comfort food. Time for my compact packet of Cork nostalgia. Happily I open the Holly Bough.
US actress and fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry Meghan Markle (2R) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) curtsey flanked by Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (2L), and Britain's Prince Harry (2R) who bow as they see off Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaving after the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, eastern England, on December 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (right), Prince George, Princess Charlotte followed by Carole, James and Michael Middleton arrive to attend the morning Christmas Day service at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire.

(L-R) Lady Louise Windsor, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Employees pose with a 20ft Nordmann Fir tree from Windsor Great Park in St George's Hall which has been decorated for the Christmas period on November 23, 2017 in Windsor Castle, England

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (2L), US actress and fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry Meghan Markle (2R) and Britain's Prince Harry (R) stand together in front of other members of the family as they wait to see off Britain's Queen Elizabeth II after attending the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, eastern England, on December 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

An employee poses with a 15ft Christmas tree in the Crimson Drawing Room which has been decorated for the Christmas period on November 23, 2017 in Windsor Castle, England

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrive for the Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2013 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

This photograph taken in the Autumn by Matt Porteous, shows The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George (right) at Anmer Hall in Norfolk

Queen Elizabeth II (R) and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2013 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Christmas can be a daunting task, no matter where you live.

But, when you spend most of your time behind palace gates, the normal procedures of the festive season can be even more complex. There are ways of doing things - as they have been done for decades - ways to dress, knowing when to curtsy and to whom, and their idea of a good time doesn't involve overindulging in hot whiskey and mulled wine.

Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler gave some insight into the goings on of a British royal Christmas in which all the high ranking royal family members and select guests celebrate the occasion at Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate; which, on paper, sounds great.

As is the case with flesh coloured tights, hemline length and nail polish colour, there's no day off for protocol, even on Christmas Day. Burrell described it as "Downton Abbey on speed", saying that some of the more ambitious representatives in the inner circle take advantage of having unbridled access to the monarch and "it's the one time that they can sit down with the head of the family and make an impression".

Who's on the guestlist?

Expand Close Prince Harry and Zara Phillips arrive at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, 26 December 2004, to attend the sunday service. AFP PHOTO POOL MICHAEL / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prince Harry and Zara Phillips arrive at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, 26 December 2004, to attend the sunday service. AFP PHOTO POOL MICHAEL

As expected, Queen Elizabeth will be hosting the festivities alongside husband Prince Philip, and will be joined by next in line to the throne Prince Charles, who has been a mainstay at the festive celebrations for years, alongside his wife Camilla. Like most couples, Kate Middleton and Prince William alternate between families every year in order to keep everyone happy. After spending 2016 with the Middletons in Bucklebury, Berkshire, it was expected they would return there once again, but Kensington Palace confirmed they are on the list for Sandringham, as are their children Prince George (five), Princess Charlotte (three) and Prince Louis (seven months).

Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle will also be attending together for the second year in a row, so she is already familiar with the customs. It was reported earlier this year that her mother Doria Ragland, who splits her time between London and Los Angeles, would be joining her only child, but now that looks uncertain.

Royal correspondent Victoria Murphy said on Yahoo UK's The Royal Box, "My understanding is that shes not going. I dont think thats because they werent able to or anything like that, I just think its not usual for in-laws to go."

In addition the 'Fab Four', Prince Andrew and daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are both normally in attendance, as are Princess Anne and husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Zara and Mike Tindall and their children Mia and Lena, Peter and Autumn Philips and their children Savannah and Isla, among others, rounding off a guestlist of approximately 30 people.

What do they get up to?

Expand Close Queen Elizabeth II (R) and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2013 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Queen Elizabeth II (R) and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2013 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Throughout the day on December 23, royals begin to arrive by order of rank, as they do all public events (the highest ranking is usually the last to arrive) and Kate and William prefer staying at their nearby home at Amner Hall with their children. Last year, it was believed that Meghan and Harry stayed at the Norfolk estate, but, amid rumours of an ongoing rift between the couples, it's more likely they will be holed up somewhere in the expansive property, set on 20,000 acres. On Christmas Eve, the royals lay out their presents on the table and exchange gifts at 5pm. It's the children's duty to put the finishing touches on the tree, which is set up in the White Drawing Room. At 8pm, a black tie dinner begins, with men in tuxedos and women in gowns, and ends at approximately 10pm.

Come the morning of Christmas Day, they attend a morning service at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, a building which dates back to the 16th century, and greet waiting crowds who gather in the cold for a glimpse. Their full lunch is served at 1pm before nestling in to watch the Queen's speech, which airs in Britain at 3pm, and afterwards, they enjoy a buffet diiner.

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Christmas traditions

Expand Close An employee poses with a 15ft Christmas tree in the Crimson Drawing Room which has been decorated for the Christmas period on November 23, 2017 in Windsor Castle, England / Facebook

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Whatsapp An employee poses with a 15ft Christmas tree in the Crimson Drawing Room which has been decorated for the Christmas period on November 23, 2017 in Windsor Castle, England

Every year, Queen Elizabeth gives puddings to her staff, which is paired with a personalised card. She personally hands out gifts to staff at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Elizabeth and Philip tend to head to the country estate a few days before in advance of the influx of activity. They also host a lunch at the palace this week to accommodate guests who won't be able to make the Sandringham event.

They began celebrating at Sandringham in 1988 after Windsor Castle, which had hosted the festivities from the 1960s, was undergoing restoration construction.

"I first came here for Christmas as a grandchild. Nowadays my children come here for the same family festival. To me, this continuity is a great source of comfort in a world of tension and violence," she said in 1995. Andrew said that Monopoly has been banned from the day as the competitions gets "too vicious" between the family.

On St Stephen's Day, the male royals go on an annual pheasant shoot, but this year, after 20 years of taking part, Harry will be skipping it at his wife's behest. Meghan is an animal rights activist and he declined to participate last year as well, when he was joined by his fiancee. "Harrys always loved hunting and it has provided them with a great chance to bond as brothers," a source told the Sunday Mirror.

"But now it looks like Harrys shooting days are over. Its the latest point of contention between the princes." The Middletons have also been known to join the family on the second day celebrations.
DOYLESTOWN >> This month is all about dogs in Bucks County Treasurer Kris Ballerinis office. Starting December 1, dog owners can purchase their 2022 license from the County Treasurers Office. State law requires that all dogs three months and older be licensed by January 1 of each year. An annual dog license is $8.50, or $6.50 if the animal is...
Grace Mugabe, Zimbabwe's millionaire former First Lady forced from power in last year's coup, has not paid her farm workers for months, despite living a luxury lifestyle paid for by the state she and her husband once ruled.

Workers on the Mugabes's network of Zimbabwean farms - several of which were appropriated from white farmers - have not received salaries for three months.

Robert and Grace Mugabe have a vast property portfolio in Zimbabwe and South Africa worth more than 60m.

Despite being ousted last year, the Zimbabwean state still spends millions flying the couple by private jet for medical treatment in Singapore.

Zimbabwe's government also said this week that it would not extradite Mrs Mugabe (53) to South Africa, which issued an arrest warrant last Wednesday for allegedly attacking a 21-year-old model with an electrical extension chord in a Johannesburg hotel last year.

Mrs Mugabe is deeply unpopular in Zimbabwe, where she was seen by many as a free-spending, greedy, aloof and arrogant puppet master operating in the shadows behind her husband.

Known as 'Gucci Grace', her excessive spending - including on Rolls-Royces - was shamelessly flaunted while millions went without basics amid grinding poverty.

However, her 94-year-old husband, who can reportedly no longer walk, still has many supporters among the people and in the government. Zimbabwean officials are unlikely to move against Mrs Mugabe while her husband is still alive.

South African prosecutors allege that Mrs Mugabe burst into a hotel room where her sons, Robert Jr (26) and Chatunga Bellarmine (21) were drinking with Gabriella Engels, a 21-year-old model.

Mrs Mugabe allegedly struck Ms Engels with a power chord, leaving her with injuries to her forehead and to the back of her head, as her sons looked on. She faces up to two years in prison if convicted on charges of grievous bodily harm.

South African police allowed Mrs Mugabe to leave the country, which had become the base for her second home, after the incident when she claimed diplomatic immunity. Her diplomatic status was revoked by a South African court following last year's coup which forced the Mugabes from power.

Zimbabwe's deputy information minister said his country would view any attempt to extradite Mrs Mugabe as "harassment".

"We will not smile on any attempt to embarrass, ill-treat or diminish the image of former president Robert Mugabe or his immediate family members," they said. "An attack on Grace Mugabe is an attack on the former president... our founding father and liberation icon and his misery is undesirable to us."

Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe's replacement as Zimbabwe's president, pledged to continue supporting the Mugabes's generous pension package which includes healthcare for both of them in Singapore.

The couple dislike commercial travel and so Mr Mnangagwa hired private jets several times this year which flew Mr and Mrs Mugabe directly from Harare to Singapore's exclusive Gleneagles Hospital. The medical treatments and travel cost Zimbabwe at least 30m this year.

Zimbabwe cannot afford to import basic medication for its public hospitals and most state medical staff, including senior doctors, are on strike over poor wages. Sources close to Mrs Mugabe in Singapore say she "spends money like water". The Mugabe cash is reportedly held outside the country.

Mr Mugabe bought a farm in 2000 but went on to seize a further four adjoining properties from white farmers, who were expelled without compensation. They employ 100 workers across 12 farms.

The state ran the farms for the Mugabes and also secretly bought Zimbabwe's most successful dairy in 2003 for Mrs Mugabe from a white farmer. She invested heavily in the dairy, but it has never yet covered its costs.

Most of their rural assets and the two expensive schools built by Mrs Mugabe on appropriated land are no longer fully operational since Mr Mugabe was ousted from power in last November's coup.

Farmers told reporters they were hoping Mrs Mugabe would pay them by Christmas Eve.

"We are worried for the last months, but we got a message we will be paid next week," said one worker.

Mrs Mugabe, her associates, and the Zimbabwean government, did not respond to requests for comment.

Telegraph
A soldier examines as he takes care of a local resident who was injured following a tsunami which hit at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

A house and a small shop is seen after hit by tsunami at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

A local walks near her damaged house hit by tsunami at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

A soldier examines as he takes care of a local resident who was injured following a tsunami which hit at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

A house is seen damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

Cars are covered by debris at an area ravaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018.(AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

A resident injured by a tsunami is treated at a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS

Residents inspect body bags as they search for family members outside a local health center following a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Adi Kurniawan

A resident searches for items among the ruins of a villa after the area was hit by a tsunami, at Carita beach in Padeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, Decemnber 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Asep Fathulrahman/ via REUTERS

Residents injured by a tsunami are treated outside a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS

Residents search for victims among the ruins of collapsed houses after the area was hit by a tsunami at Carita beach in Padeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, Decemnber 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Asep Fathulrahman/ via REUTERS

Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

The death toll in the Indonesia tsunami has risen to 222, with 843 injured and 28 missing, the countrys disaster agency has said.

The tsunami occurred on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, officials and media said on Sunday.

Hundreds of homes and other buildings were "heavily damaged" when the tsunami struck along the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said.

Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground. There was no estimate on the number of missing.

Expand Close Residents injured by a tsunami are treated outside a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Residents injured by a tsunami are treated outside a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS

TV images showed the seconds when the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris, and large chunks of wood and metal.

On December 26 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

Expand Close Residents inspect body bags as they search for family members outside a local health center following a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Adi Kurniawan / Facebook

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Whatsapp Residents inspect body bags as they search for family members outside a local health center following a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Adi Kurniawan

The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.

Saturday's tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year. Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.

Expand Close A resident injured by a tsunami is treated at a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp A resident injured by a tsunami is treated at a health center in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Basarnas/ via REUTERS

Authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches and a high-tide warning remained in place through till Dec. 25.

"Those who have evacuated, please do not return yet," said Rahmat Triyono, an official at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, said on Twitter that he had "ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured".

Vice President Jusuf Kalla told a news conference the death toll would "likely increase".

Expand Close Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

Rescue workers and ambulances were finding it difficult to reach affected areas because some roads were blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees.

The waves washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing in Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, a popular tourist getaway not far from the capital, Jakarta, killing at least one musician. Others were missing.

Expand Close Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Residents collect debris from their collapsed house after it was hit by a tsunami at Panimbang district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/ via REUTERS

The western coast of Banten province in Java was the worst-hit area, Nugroho told reporters in Yogyakarta. He said at least 35 people were reported dead in Lampung in southern Sumatra.

Around 250 employees of the state utility company PLN had gathered in Tanjung Lesung for an end-of-year event, company spokesman I Made Suprateka told Reuters. At least seven people were killed, and around 89 are missing, he said.

Dramatic TV footage showed the seconds when the tsunami hit a concert at the event and washed away the stage where local rock band Seventeen was performing.

"The water washed away the stage which was located very close to the sea," the band said in a statement. "The water rose and dragged away everyone at the location. We have lost loved ones, including our bassist and manager...and others are missing."

ystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian holidaymaker, was in Anyer town with his family when Saturday's tsunami struck.

Expand Close Residents walk past a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Residents walk past a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20 metres inland. Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it," he said on Facebook. "Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground through forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of by the locals."

Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs, like receding water or an earthquake, before waves of up to two metres washed ashore, according to media.

But authorities said a warning siren went off in some areas.

Expand Close A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

Officials were trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster. Anak Krakatau, an active volcano roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been spewing ash and lava for months. It erupted again just after 9 p.m. on Saturday and the tsunami struck at around 9.30 p.m., according to BMKG.

The tsunami was caused by "an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau" and was exacerbated by abnormally high tide because of the full moon, Nugroho said.

Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a "partial collapse" of Anak Krakatau.

"Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water," he said.

Neighbouring Malaysia and Australia both said they were ready to provide assistance if needed.

The eruption of Krakatau, previously known as Krakatoa, in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis.

Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.
A German journalist who was found to have made up information for numerous articles may now be charged with allegedly soliciting donations for Syrian orphans from his readers.

The German magazine Der Spiegel said its award-winning former reporter Claas Relotius asked readers by email from his private account for donations to be transferred to his personal bank account.

Der Spiegel said it is not clear how many people donated money, how much Relotius collected or what happened to the money.

But the magazine said it will press charges and will work with prosecutors to find out the details.

Der Spiegel announced on Wednesday that Relotius, 33, who worked first as a freelancer and later full-time, had fabricated interviews and facts in at least 14 articles. It has since fired him.
Passengers wait around in the South Terminal building at Gatwick Airport REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Passengers stranded at Gatwick airport which has been closed after drones were spotted over the airfield Photo credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

No fly zone: Passengers caught in the Gatwick chaos wait for more information. Picture: Getty

Gatwick airport remains closed this morning after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire

The arrivals board at Gatwick Airport this morning, showing cancelled, diverted and delayed flights, as the airport remains closed after drones were spotted over the airfield last night and this morning. Photo: Thomas Hornall/PA Wire

Queues of passengers in the check in area at Gatwick Airport when the airport was closed after drones were spotted over the airfield Photo: Thomas Hornall/PA Wire

A man and a woman arrested over the disruption caused by drones at Gatwick Airport have been released without charge.

Sussex Police said both the 47-year-old man and 54-year-old woman had co-operated fully and were no longer suspects in the case.

It comes as the airport offered a 50,000 reward through Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the chaos.

Around 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted after drones were spotted inside the perimeter of the UK's second biggest airport on Wednesday and approximately 140,000 passengers were affected.

Police searched a house in Crawley on Saturday as the pair were held on suspicion of "disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons".

But on Sunday, Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said: "Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

"It is important to remember that when people are arrested in an effort to make further enquiries it does not mean that they are guilty of an offence and Sussex Police would not seek to make their identity public.

"Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation.

"We ask for the public's continued support by reporting anything suspicious, contacting us with any information in relation to the drone incidents at Gatwick."

Labour has called for an independent inquiry after accusing the Government of failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed there were missed opportunities to prevent the airport from coming under such an attack.

"The Government was repeatedly warned about the risks posed by drones to aviation but failed to act," he said.

"The delay in bringing forward legislation is indicative of this Government's 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."

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 couldn't be any more clear."
Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the Russian dissident, who has died aged 91, fought for civil and human rights from the Khrushchev era of the 1950s and refused to let up after the end of communism, becoming a prominent thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin.

She was co-founder, and later chairman, of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), Russia's oldest and most respected human rights organisation, set up in 1976 to demand the observance of the Helsinki Accords of 1975, to which the Soviet Union was a signatory, notably the principle of "respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief".

Her struggle to do the right thing lasted more than half a century, during which she endured harassment, death threats and years of exile. Yet she remained optimistic, observing that however bad things had become under Putin, the Soviet Union had been far worse.

Russia, she told an interviewer in 2017, quoting Alexander Herzen, needed two generations to grow up in freedom to realise the dream of building a country rooted in the rule of law, and "we're already halfway there."

Lyudmila Mikhaylovna Alexeyeva was born on July 20, 1927 in Eupatoria, Crimea, in modern-day Ukraine. Her father was an economist who would be killed in World War II; her mother was a mathematician.

The family moved to Moscow when she was four and she went on to study history and archaeology at Moscow State University, later doing postgraduate work at the Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics.

After a short stint as a high-school history teacher, she became an editor at a scientific publishing house. In 1952, she joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, but subsequently became involved in the dissident movement during the period of relaxed censorship under President Khrushchev.

She became part of a Moscow circle that included the biologist Sergei Kovalyov and the physicist Andrei Sakharov, working in secret cells to deter arrests and taking part in campaigns in support of writers and intellectuals who had fallen foul of the authorities.

In 1968, after signing a letter in defence of two writers who had been jailed in 1968 for "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda", she was expelled from the Communist Party and kicked out of her job.

From then until 1972 she worked undercover as a typist for the samizdat bulletin The Chronicle of Current Events, which gathered and circulated information about human rights violations in the USSR.

Repeatedly hauled in for questioning by the KGB, she developed a strategy to disconcert her interrogators by arriving equipped with a ham sandwich and an orange - luxuries in the Soviet Union at the time.

"They reacted very nervously when they started to smell ham," she told The New York Times in 2010. "Then I would start eating the orange, and the aroma would start dissipating through the room." It was, she said, a way to play on her interrogators' nerves.

When she co-founded the MHG (originally called "Soviet Public Support Group for Implementation of Helsinki Accords"), however, the authorities' patience snapped. Branded an "enemy agent" by the Soviet press and threatened with arrest by the KGB, she fled the country with the younger of her two sons.

She eventually settled in the US, where she would remain until the fall of communism and where she published a memoir, The Thaw Generation: Coming of Age in the Post-Stalin Era and wrote a book, Soviet Dissent. Returning to Russia in 1993, three years later she was appointed chairman of the MHG.

She admired the Russian leader Boris Yeltsin, arguing that, given the magnitude of the system he tried to destroy, a period of chaos had always been inevitable. "We have to thank Yeltsin for the democratic breakthrough he made," she told The Daily Telegraph in 2007. "Now we are steadily rolling back from those achievements. Even so, he managed to do so much in such a historically short period that a complete reversal is already impossible.''

She had a complicated relationship with Putin, earning criticism in 2000 when she agreed to join a government commission set up to advise him on human rights issues, though she continued to criticise the Kremlin's human rights record, including during the war in Chechnya.

She was said to have persuaded the president to tear up plans to evict thousands of Chechen refugees from camps and to withdraw a bill that would have expanded the definition of treason.

In 2006, however, she was accused by the Russian authorities of involvement with British intelligence and received death threats from nationalist groups.

In 2012 the Russian parliament passed a measure branding the MHG and other NGOs as "foreign agents", making it difficult for them to accept foreign donations. As a result staff had to be laid off, while others saw their pay cut.

In her eighties Lyudmila Alexeyeva became prominent in the Strategy-31 civil rights group, which holds protests on Moscow's Triumfalnaya Square every 31st of the month in a nod to the 31st article of the Russian constitution that guarantees freedom of assembly.

On December 31, 2009, attending one such event dressed as Father Christmas's assistant, the Snow Maiden, in a light blue, sparkly coat with matching muff, she was bundled away by police and detained for a few hours.

Two years later, however, she welcomed the fact that where only a few dozen people would turn out for New Year's demonstrations a couple of years before, now there were tens of thousands at similar events. Moreover, she observed: "Now every policeman knows what human rights means. He doesn't enforce them, but he knows. That is why I think that today is much easier for us than in the Soviet times."

On her 90th birthday in 2017, Lyudmila received a surprise visit from Vladimir Putin, who turned up with Champagne and a painting of her native Crimea - a sly effort, suggested critics, to co-opt her support for Russia's 2014 annexation of the peninsula.

If so, it did not work. The annexation, Lyudmila Alexeyeva declared, had been a "crazy endeavour" that would cost both Russia and Ukraine dearly in the long run.

Among other accolades, Lyudmila Alexeyeva won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2009, the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize in 2015 and the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2017.

She died on December 8 and is survived by two sons.

Telegraph

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An aeroplane lands at Gatwick Airport, after the airport reopened to flights following its forced closure because of drone activity, in Gatwick, Britain, December 21, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Aviation officials are confident a copycat drone attack similar to the one that grounded flights in Gatwick last week could be halted more quickly in Irish airspace. They say the location of Irish airports means it is easier to shoot down or tackle rogue objects here than it is in the UK.

It comes after a spate of flight cancellations in the UK following sightings of drones near Gatwick Airport amid concerns they could interfere with planes during take-off and landing.

Sources told the Sunday Independent that it would be easier to manage such a situation in Ireland because the environments around Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports are not as built up as at Gatwick.

Officials in the UK expressed a reluctance to shoot down drones last week because of fears about stray bullets.

"That would be less of an issue here," one source told the Sunday Independent. "The areas around our airports are very different to cases in the UK, especially Gatwick, where there is nearby housing and concern about where drones or bullets may land.

"Our airports are a little bit more isolated so that would certainly make it easier to tackle such an incident here."

The sources also pointed to the fact there is more stringent regulation of drones in Ireland, with the country leading the way in regulating and registering the devices.

A 2015 law means that any drone weighing 1kg or more must be registered. Aligned with this is a regulation that any aircraft capable of reaching an altitude of 50 feet must also be registered, regardless of weight.

The Small Unmanned Aircraft (Drones) and Rockets Order governing the use of small unmanned aircraft in Ireland also prevents drones from being used within 5km of an aerodrome or controlled airspace.

The Irish Aviation Authority said it proactively promoted the safe use of drones and had participated in a number of safety initiatives across the State with key stakeholders.

"Illegal use of drones can be reported to An Garda Siochana for investigation," a spokesman said.

"Penalties for the illegal operation of drones are a matter for judiciary following prosecution."

Dublin Airport Authority said it also participated in drone awareness schemes, but would not discuss the issue of drones entering its airspace.
A Japanese court has approved prosecutors request to keep Nissans former chairman Carlos Ghosn in detention for another 10 days.

The Tokyo District Court said that the approval is for prosecutors to investigate further his third allegation of breach of trust for causing Nissan a loss of 1.8 billion yen (12 million) in 2008.

Sundays extension allows prosecutors to keep Ghosn at the Tokyo detention house until New Years Day.

Ghosn and another executive Greg Kelly were arrested on November 19 and charged with underreporting Ghosns income for 2011-2015 by about five billion yen (35 million).

Other charges for additional underreporting of Ghosns pay by about four billion yen (28 million) are pending.

Expand Close The latest allegation only applies to Carlos Ghosn (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp The latest allegation only applies to Carlos Ghosn (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

The latest allegation filed on Friday only applies to Ghosn and came a day after the court rejected prosecutors request for a longer detention of Ghosn and Kelly.

Kellys bail request filed by his lawyer on Friday is still pending and could come sometime after Christmas.

Prosecutors allege that Ghosn in 2008 transferred a private investment loss worth more than 1.8 billion yen to Nissan by manipulating an unspecified swap contract.

Ghosn also profited by having the car maker transfer a total of 14.7 million dollars (11.6 million) to another company to benefit himself and that companys owner, who helped in the deal, prosecutors said.

Japans NHK public television said the company owner is a Saudi Arabian acquaintance of Ghosn.

The arrest of an industry icon has triggered international attention.

Prosecutors have been criticised for separating the same allegation into two periods as a tactic to detain Ghosn and Kelly longer.

They say Ghosn and Kelly are flight risks. No trial date has been set.

Nissan has dismissed Ghosn as chairman and Kelly as a representative director since the allegations were made. Nissan has put off a decision on Ghosns replacement.
Isil fighters in Syria have been waging a fierce counter-attack with suicide bombers and armoured vehicles in the days since Donald Trump declared the jihadist group was "defeated" in Syria.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Isil fighters were emboldened by the news of the US withdrawal and were fighting to retake Hajin in Deir Ezzor just days after they were driven out of the last town they held.

"They got high morale from US decision to withdraw from Syria," said an SDF spokesman. "Isil is still strong in the region."

The SDF, who are backed by the US, said yesterday that it was facing "a fierce and intense attack" by Isil fighters, who launched a wave of at least 17 suicide bombers at their lines followed by shelling and a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades.

Kurdish forces held the line and said they killed "dozens" of jihadist fighters with support by US air strikes.

US officials fear that the SDF will not be able to hold the territory it has taken from Isil, especially if it is forced to divert forces to the north in face of a threatened offensive by Turkey.

Shortly before Trump's surprise withdrawal announcement General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said that there was "a long way to go" to train local forces to hold territory taken from Isil.

He said the US was aiming to train around 40,000 local fighters in Syria to prevent Isil from regrouping - but that only around 8,000 were ready.

Aldar Khalil, a senior Kurdish official, urged the US to stop Turkey from moving ahead with its plans for a major attack against Kurdish groups - which it considers to be terrorist organisations - in northern Syria. "It's the duty of the US to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats," Khalil said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly warned of launching a new offensive against the Kurds and in recent days has stepped up the rhetoric, threatening that an assault could begin "at any moment".

In fact reports from Washington paint a chaotic scene where US attempts nine days ago to forestall any Turkish attack on the Kurds actually led to the US withdrawing from the region.

Accounts in the US and Turkish press of a phone call between Trump and Erdogan which took place on December 14 show the US president complying with the Turkish leader's demands and taking his own advisers by surprise.

According to a version of events in the Associated Press, the US position going into the call was to demand that Turkey stall a planned offensive into Syria aimed at US-backed Kurdish elements of the SDF, which Ankara sees as indistinguishable from the Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey.

"The talking points were very firm," one of the US officials quoted said. "Everybody said push back and try to offer [Turkey] something that's a small win, possibly holding territory on the border, something like that."

Erdogan responded by saying that Isis had been 99pc defeated.

"Why are you still there?" Erdogan demanded.

With the Turkish leader still on the line, Trump asked the same question of his national security adviser, John Bolton, who repeated that US policy was that the defeat of Isil had to be "enduring", preventing the possibility of a resurgence.

To the surprise of Bolton and Erdogan, Trump instantly sided with the authoritarian Turkish president.

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, whose account is similar to AP's, Trump declared: "OK - do it."

Not hearing an instant response from Bolton, Trump demanded to know whether his national security adviser was still on the line. When Bolton said he was, Trump ordered: "Start the work."

Bolton and his Turkish counterpart were left to sort out the details.

It is the latest example of a pattern in which Trump tends to side with authoritarian foreign leaders, over the advice of US officials.

The decision to abandon the region led to the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last week, followed yesterday by that of Brett McGurk, US envoy to the global coalition fighting Isil.

Last week Trump wrote in a tweet that "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy" about the planned US withdrawal. However, military analysts consider the opposite to be the case.

Yesterday 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 what remains."

Trump has also ordered the withdrawal of half the 14,000 US military presence in Afghanistan. The Taliban welcomed the news, with a Taliban official telling AFP news agency: "Frankly speaking, we weren't expecting that immediate US response... we are more than happy."

Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the country's beleaguered security forces. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani emphasised that Afghan security forces had borne the highest casualties in the battle against the Taliban. He added that his country did not want "charity" from the US, but a "partnership that is meaningful".

"Countries don't have permanent friends or permanent enemies, they have permanent interests," he said. "The US is here because of its global and national security interests."

 Telegraph
America's 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 Trump's demands for US$5bn (4.1bn) 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, Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney left the US Capitol Building late last Friday 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" - though he wrote that administration officials are "hopeful that this lapse in appropriations will be of short duration". Both the US House and Senate scheduled rare sessions yesterday for the politicians who rarely work weekends.

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 US 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.

Federal employees had already been granted an extra day of holiday on Christmas Eve, thanks to an executive order Trump signed last week. The president did not go to Florida last 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.

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 last Friday said he was "totally prepared for a very long" closure.

Many of Congress's 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 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 bear responsibility.

He said now is the time for Congress to provide taxpayer money for the wall, even though he has long claimed Mexico would pay for it.

Mexico rebuffed that idea.

"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," Mr Trump said last Friday.

Democrats, who opposed major funding for wall construction, will take control of the House on January 3.

 Press Association
FILE  In this April 9, 2018, file photo, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington. A U.S. administration official says that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave his post Jan. 1, 2019, as Trump is expected to name Shanahan as acting secretary. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

US defence secretary Jim Mattis will now leave his post on January 1, with deputy Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan taking over as acting secretary to cover the accelerated departure.

The move comes just three days after Mr Mattis resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps decision to pull all US troops out of Syria and delivered a blistering letter to the president that roiled Washington and reportedly angered the White House.

Mr Mattis originally said he would stay through February to ensure an orderly transition but officials said the fallout of his decision to leave  including the shock and dismay expressed on Capitol Hill  annoyed Mr Trump and likely led to Mr Mattis leaving earlier than planned.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Buccino, a spokesman for Mr Shanahan, said the former Boeing executive will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

(The) deputy secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defence will remain focused on the defence of the nation, Mr Buccino said on Sunday.

Expand Close Jim Mattis will leave his post on January 1 (Susan Walsh/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Jim Mattis will leave his post on January 1 (Susan Walsh/AP)

While Mr Mattiss resignation followed Mr Trumps announcement he would soon pull all of the approximately 2,000 US troops out of Syria, officials said the resignation was the result of an accumulation of disagreements.

In a stunning resignation letter, Mr Mattis made clear he did not see eye-to-eye with a president who has expressed disdain for Nato and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Trumps acting chief of staff said the president had known for quite some time now that he and Mr Mattis did not share some of the same philosophies  have the same world view.

Mick Mulvaney told ABCs This Week the president and his defence chief just could never get on the same page on Syria, adding Mr Trump had said since his presidential campaign that he wanted to get out of Syria.

I've encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but don't see the world in lockstep with himMick Mulvaney's advice to Donald Trump

Mr Mulvaney said the president is entitled to have a secretary of defence who is committed to that same end.

Asked whether Mr Trump wanted a Pentagon leader willing to challenge him or someone in lock step with his views, Mr Mulvaney said a little bit of both.

Ive encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but dont see the world in lockstep with him, Mr Mulvaney said.

Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell joined leading Republicans on foreign affairs in urging Mr Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria.

Mr Mulvaney, asked on ABC whether there was any chance the president might change his mind on Syria decision, said: No. I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesnt want us to stay in Syria forever.

Youre seeing the end result now of two years worth of work. But keep in mind its not unusual for a president to lose members of the Cabinet over these types of disagreements.
Mr McGurk, whose resignation is effective from December 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February (Hadi Mizban/AP)

The US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group has resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Brett McGurk, who described Trumps decision as a shock, joins Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

Only 11 days ago, Mr McGurk said it would be reckless to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home.

The 45-year-old has decided to speed up his original plan to leave the post in mid-February.

In an email to his staff, he said: The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy.

It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences.

Mr Trumps announcement of the withdrawal left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences, the email went on.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Mr Trump, Mr McGurk said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and the premature pullout of US forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS.

Mr Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that I do not know the envoy and its a nothing event.

He noted Mr McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: Grandstander?

Shortly after news of the resignation broke, Mr Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 US 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, Mr 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. Were coming home!

Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the US did not begin launching airstrikes against IS until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015.

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 felt he could continue no longer after Mr Trumps decision to withdraw from Syria and Mr Mattis resignation.

Mr McGurk also said in the email: 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.

Mr Trumps 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.

Mr 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 he was departing because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours.

Expand Close Mr Mattis, right, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February (Tatyana Zenkovich/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mr Mattis, right, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February (Tatyana Zenkovich/AP)

The withdrawal decision will fulfil Mr Trumps goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syrias long-running civil war.

US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated.

Among officials key concerns is that a US pullout will leave US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces vulnerable to attacks by Turkey, the Syrian government and remaining IS fighters.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, is Americas only military partner in Syria.

Mr 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'.

He 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.

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. Bushs 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 Mr Bushs 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 Lieutenant general 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 US-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 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.
New Year comes every year, right? Still, we have so many expectations, apprehensions about the next year that will greet us. Many look at it as a new life if the current one didnt go well.

When it comes to realm of Indian politics and government, it was quite an interesting year. Former Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra delivered historic verdicts including decriminalisation of consensual gay sex, not considering adultery as an offence anymore, recognising an individuals right to privacy in the Aadhaar case, making instant triple talaq a legal offence and most recently giving women the right to enter the Sabrimala temple.

The decriminalisation of IPC's Section 377, which considered consensual sex between homosexuals as unnatural and a criminal offence has significant importance, given the verdict had already been once repealed in 2013.

Members of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community thronged streets as they rejoiced in colours of love and pride. As we passed this test with rainbow colours, we speak to Mr Gay World India 2016, Anwesh Sahoo to share if things have changed only on paper this year. Here are the key lessons he learnt in 2018:

Photo: Facebook/Anwesh Sahoo

Workplaces Have Become More Inclusive Of LGBTQ Community

There has been a drastic change in the corporate culture, believes Anwesh since the verdict has come out. Multinational Corporations have started changing their policies to make them more inclusive for the LGBTQ community. Whenever he goes for a job interview, the only question that he is being asked is, When can you join us?

This is imperative given todays workspace is so fast-paced, where employees are doing a nine-to-nine shift, one could actually discover their LGBTQ partner in office. It opens many avenues and provides them with an opportunity to live a dignified, respected life.

Partners Are No Longer Apprehensive Of Public Display Of Affection

Anwesh is proud to inform that he has a boyfriend, Pance Naumov, who is currently a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard (Well, we all wish we were gay to have a boyfriend studying at Harvard) who no longer shies away from expressing his love for him in public. We met two years ago at a Bombay pride parade and since then we havent stopped talking. Earlier, he wouldnt hold my hand in public and he was very apprehensive because of the culture here but now it isnt the same for the couple.

Though, he adds that it might take years for India to build a society where it would be completely normal for us to have a trans teacher at school and taking children to pride parades, the law does matter. The law sends a clear signal that bigotry against LGBTQ community is unacceptable.

Photo: Anwesh with his partner Pance

Message For Other Mr Gay Aspirants

Battling taboos and an archaic law around the binary concept of sexuality hasnt been easy for Anwesh. However, he acknowledges himself to be a headstrong person who has learnt to embrace his uniqueness and continues to experiment with life.

For someone who has worn many hats, Mr Gay India has three things to say to his peers:

If you can afford to then please come out and embrace your uniqueness. Though, the situation isnt the same for everyone but if you can then you should in order to live a dignified life.

Be very very proud of yourself

And a message for other members of the society is that when these people do come out, they should be given the space they need and not ridiculed in any way for being the way they are.

Best Memory Of 2018: I was on a radio show speaking to a variety of people when the verdict came out (September 06) and my phone was flooded with texts from people- congratulating me and sending love. That was also the first time I talked about my boyfriend on a public platform and that too on a show I have grown up listening to.

Best Place Visited In 2018: We were touring with a UK based dance company in India. They needed language assistance and I got to meet four other gay persons who were a part of the dance group. We travelled from Delhi to Bhopal to Jabalpur and Kurukshetra. I had a gala time in Bhopal and Jabalpur especially, trying everything, their food, culture, places. It was the best experience of the year.

What Do I Look Forward To In 2019: As I enter the second year of my masters programme, I really want to intern abroad this time.

What We Still Lack In LGBTQ+ Realm: We need introduction of sex education in schools in order to build a system where it is completely normal for teachers to take their students to pride parades and show them the LGBTQ culture. This binary concept where we believe pink is not meant for men and a man cannot be effeminate needs to eliminated. Many people had one bad experience with an LGBTQ member which led to the formation of a public opinion.

The danger of a single story which makes or mars a persons experience also needs to be taken care of. A new LGBTQ chapter is opening up in our country and more and more number of people are finding acceptance in the city.

On Representation Of LGBTQ In Digital Medium: I am still waiting for that day when LGBTQ members are represented in a dignified and empowered manner in regular, mainstream films. The fact that the last movie in which we had a gay couple came out a decade ago speaks volumes about the representation of our community in mainstream media.

On LGBTQ Taking Refuge In Dating Apps: I do not support members taking refuge in dating apps because I believe it crushes your ego and it brings your self-pride down. Though, it can vary from person to person.

On Most Popular Term Within The Gay Community: Straight-Acting Gay Man

Anwesh, who has a knack for illustrating art designs, web designing and digital sketching believes in giving his best to every thing that he does. Despite having limited help, Anwesh has explored unlimited opportunities through campaign designing, TED talks, coloring and most importantly by being an effeminate.
Car buyers in Delhi will have to shell out some extra bucks as one-time parking charges in 2019 have been increased.

The Delhi Transport Department has approved a recommendation for a hike by three municipal corporations of the city. According to the order, the charges will now range between Rs 6,000 to Rs 75,000.

The new parking charges will be applicable starting January 1, 2019.

The transport department collects the parking charges on behalf of the municipal corporations, 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, an official told PTI.

The order angered bus and taxi operators as the annual parking fee for different categories of commercial vehicles will 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 -- 18 times the existing rate of Rs 4,000.

The process of charging the money during vehicle registration is prescribed through notification of Union Urban Affairs Ministry, not by the transport department, Joshi, who has taken charge as North Delhi Municipal Corporation's commissioner, told PTI. The transport department only acts as the post office in the process, she said.

The parking charges mechanism will be replaced by spot parking fees after new parking regulations are notified by the Delhi government, she said.

"Till then this mechanism will be applicable. So we followed an urban affairs ministry notification and issued these orders," Joshi added.

Displeased by the government order, transporters in the city threatened to stage a protest the hike. "We will meet the Chief Minister and the transport minister on Monday against the hike because it will impact us negatively. If need be, we will resort to a strike also," said Shyam Lal Gola, spokesperson of State Transport Authority Operators Ekta Manch.
One of the two cubs of Tigress T1, popularly known as Anvi, who was killed last month in Yavatamal, has been caught. Madhya Pradesh special team conducted an operation and found the female cub. The cub that weighs 80 kgs, has been sent to Pench Tiger Reserve for rehabilitation.

The Madhya Pradesh special team, which was called for the operation, carried out the operation at around 3 pm on Saturday. She was tranquilised after being cornered with the help of four elephants. She was later revived and has been sent to Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) as per the rehabilitation plan. The team will resume the operation to catch the other cub, the male, tomorrow, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) A K Mishra told Indian Express.

AFP





He added that an enclosure has been prepared at Pench.

The capture comes after an intensive search operation.

Anvis killing had resulted in a massive outrage from animal rights activists and people across the country who opposed the manner in which she was put down.

reuetrs/representational image





A report released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in the wake of Avni's death revealed gross violations of protocols laid down by the Supreme Court concerning the tigress' capture and death.
Imran Qureshi Warsi, who was lodged in Bhopal jail for the last 10 years over forgery of documents and espionage, will be set free after serving his jail term. India is releasing the Pakistani national days after Pakistan released Hamid Nehal Ansari after six years.

Warsi is set to return to Pakistan on December 26 from the Attari-Wagah border  the same place from where Ansari returned to India. However, there is a stark difference in the manner the two have been treated across the border.

Also Read: After Spending 6 Years In Pakistani Jail, Mumbais Hamid Nehal Ansari Returns Home

ANI

Ansari narrated that he had to undergo some hard time in Pakistan, however, Warsi praised Indian authority for their attitude towards him, knowing that he hails from an 'enemy country'.

He has said that the Indian authorities treated him well  just like a family.

ANI

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 was quoted as saying by ANI.
In today's episode of Tech Probe, we're looking at two very different kinds of technology.

One looks to help the visually impaired gain self-sufficiency early on, and the other looks to help with automating machines. Both of them however, will get smarter over time.

Thinkerbell Labs

Take Annie, described as the world's first self-learning Braille device. A product of Thinkerbell Labs, it's basically a digital learning aid to teach blind children the language quickly and efficiently. It's composed of a simple Braille-specific keyboard, and a pair of Braille embossers at the top. A built-in interactive software module guides the child through beginner Braille lessons, using audio output. The kid is taught by running their fingers across the embossed output, and then keying in the corresponding letters.

Even better though is that Annie also has a self-learning component. "Annie tells you exactly what needs to be done,"says founder and CEO Aman Srivastava. "The moment you go wrong, she realises what you did wrong, and tells you oh what you should have typed was this." Additionally, because it's an IoT device, Annie can constantly receive newer software updates and components OTA.

Thinkerbell Labs

Srivastava believes his company's product tackles a neglected sector of education. "The current problem is that there's an acute shortage of special educators across the world, and there are almost 15-16 million blind people and about 60 million visually impaired in India," he says. "We let the child learn on their own, and in a day the children get used to it. What we're doing essentially is democratising that aspect."

Next up is Rapyuta Robotics, a company looking to make it easier for even people without expertise in the are to automate their machines. Bhananjay Sathe the Executive director (India) for the company, says the idea draws from the movie 'The Matrix'.

When Trinity is running from Agent Smith, her only escape route is a helicopter. So she just requests data on how to fly it from her operator, and it's downloaded straight to her brain. "Imagine if all our robots could do that," he says. "That's exciting right?"

Rapyuta has basically set up a library of algorithms and functions that robot can access through the cloud. The idea is, even without expertise in robotics, you should be able to find the commands for actions you need your robot to do, and then have it pull the instructions to do it, all from your browser.

Their ultimate vision though, is for the robots to bypass us entirely. Instead of just collecting data, Sathe says, robots should be able to learn from it on the fly. He imagines a world where our robots and IoT devices are learning from libraries like Rapyuta's as well as from each other. They only need to be told what to do then, not instructed how to do it. That they can learn for themselves almost instantly.

Say hello to Skynet for me.
Indian American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addresses the UNSC during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Ukraine Nov. 26, 2018 at the United Nations in New York. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)
Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic...
Latest: Gardai are to step up armed patrols over the coming days following the murder of Eric Fowler in west Dublin on Saturday night, write Cate McCurry and Stephen Rogers.

The father of two was shot dead outside a house at Blakestown Cottages in Blanchardstown shortly before 7pm in what is believed to have been a gangland killing possibly linked to the Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Gardai were called to the scene where they found the mans body on the driveway of one of the cottages.

He had been shot a number of times, including in the head, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardai say they want to speak to any members of the public who were in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Rd, Hartstown Park, and St Peregrines GAA Club on Saturday between 5pm and 7pm.

They have also appealed to any drivers who travelled on the Blakestown Rd between 5pm and 7pm, particularly those driving cars with dash cams.

Gardai are attempting to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta with the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from December 18 until 7pm on Saturday.

It was found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent in Clonee shortly after the shooting.

A garda spokesman said: We are appealing to anyone with information who saw people fleeing from this car or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown Garda Station on 01 6667000.

Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Dublin shooting victim named; Gardai appeal for public's help after body found in driveway

Update 8am: Gardai have launched a murder investigation and appealed for information following the shooting dead of Eric Fowler in West Dublin.

The 34-year-old was gunned down outside his home in Blanchardstown's Blakestown Cottages last night. His body was found in the driveway. He had been shot a number of times, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A car, believed to have been used in the incident, was later found burnt out in Clonee.

Investigating officers believe two people were involved in the killing, and are looking into possible links to an ongoing gangland feud.

Garda Superintendent Liam Carolan said confirmed a murder investigation is underway with an incident room at Blanchardstown garda station.

Gardai today asked for information on three specific points:

Gardai would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Blakestown Cottages, Blakestown Road, Hartstown Park and St. Peregrines GAA Club yesterday between the hours of 5pm and 7pm. Any drivers who travelled the Blakestown Road during 5pm and 7pm particularly vehicles with dash cameras.

Gardai are trying to trace the movements of a silver Volkswagen Jetta with the registration plate 06-MH-3192 from Tuesday, December 18 until 7pm last night.

The Volkswagen Jetta was then found burnt out at Rusheeney Crescent Clonee, Dublin 15 at 7pm. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have seen people fleeing from this car, or any other suspicious activity in the Rusheeney area in the days leading up to this murder.

Gardai at the scene in Blanchardstown last night. Pictures: PA

Earlier: 'At least two' involved in fatal Dublin shooting

A major security operation is underway after a man was shot dead last night in Dublin.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was shot in the head outside a house at Blakestown Cottages in Blanchardstown at about 7pm last night.

A second crime scene has been preserved in Clonee in Co Meath, where a car - a Volkswagen Jetta - was later found burnt out.

Gardai say at least two people were involved in last night's fatal attack.

They are looking for the person who carried out the shooting, and a getaway driver, and are appealing for witnesses to contact Blanchardstown garda station on 01 6667000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

The victim was treated by emergency teams but declared dead at the scene. The body has been taken to the city mortuary from the scene, which remains sealed off this morning for a technical examination.

A second scene has also been preserved at Rushenney Estate in nearby Clonee, where a Volkswagon Jetta was found burnt out.

Gardai at about 7pm believe it may have been involved in the earlier shooting.

They say it is too early to identify a motive but it is understood the shooting could be connected to the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan feud - or to local criminal feuds in the West Dublin area.
Despite being diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease, broadcaster Gareth OCallaghan is determined to make the new year the greatest year of his life so far.

The author and broadcaster left his role in Classic Hits FM several months ago after receiving a diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative illness.

The progressive disease results in a loss of function and death of different types of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Around 3,000 people in Ireland and the UK have been diagnosed with it.

Mr OCallaghan, 57, took to Twitter to say: Despite all that has happened this year, I have decided that 2019 is going to be the greatest year of my life so far.

A year of discovery, and belongings, and new beginnings; a year to take on the greatest challenge of my life so far and learn new strength and courage from it.

Despite all that has happened this year, I have decided that 2019 is going to be the greatest year of my life so far - a year of discovery, and belongings, and new beginnings; a year to take on the greatest challenge of my life so far and learn new strength and courage from it  Gareth O'Callaghan (@GarethOCal) December 19, 2018

He has previously said that he was devastated at being diagnosed with the incurable illness and added that he thought he might have been able to continue working, but unfortunately the pace and the painful decline of this awful thing has really taken us by surprise.

Over the past few days, Mr OCallaghan expanded how he is feeling in a post on his Facebook page saying there is a sense of urgency to get things done and how surprised he is that some friends have vanished out of his life when he thought they would always be there to support him.

I'm learning as I move out along this new direction that I never imagined I would take that the way I see life now is so utterly different to how everything appeared to be to me this time last year.

There is a sense of urgency to get things done. Time becomes valuable; more valuable than money. Looking ahead becomes more refined and finely tuned. Precious loved ones become pricelessly precious. Special events become crucial hallmarks of your time remaining.

Photos are no longer random; they are now footprints. Conversations are no longer taken for granted - they become the building blocks of the memories you will leave to others.

I suppose I've had to learn and accept quickly that life doesn't always turn out how you expect it to. Many of the people you thought would always be there to support you seem to vanish.

But you learn to accept that as a fact of your new life. It doesn't change how you feel about them. They're still fine and good people. It just makes you realise that you are on a journey that is unique to you.

When you get bad news, many good things can come from it. That might sound like a contradiction but it's true. Realising that you now have limitations and huge challenges to face ahead makes you focus on the choices you are left with. Do I stay strong or do I fall apart? Do I allow other people's issues, and prejudices, and resentments affect me, or do I keep moving forward?

Yes, I keep moving forward. No, I won't look back. Often when you receive a chronic diagnosis other people's reactions can blur and blunt your view of what lies ahead, of how you need to adapt and cope; but only you know how to deal with what's ahead of you. Only you."

You can be given the best advice, but your body will never lie to you. Your inner voice will always tell you if your decisions are the right ones.

That 2019 will be my year of discovery and new beginnings. I look ahead to a year of challenges and insight, strength and hope, and laughs and loving.

"2018 was a shit year for quite a few reasons. I'm not going to rake back over the coals here, but let's just say it was a year that I will happily move on from and leave behind.

Live in real time. Listen to what Gareth is saying.

The father of three pointed out that he believes positivity and intuition remain the cornerstones of everything. Otherwise the bridge that carries you from one end of the day to the other, from the darkness of the night to the light of the morning, collapses.

And the words 'I love you' take on a giant importance and urgency like never before. These three simple words are a way of ensuring that those you really love will be forever in your heart...and you in theirs forever.

He also praised his partner Paula for her continuing love and support to him. I really dont know where my life would be without her. We have come through so much together since we met.

Niamh Fitzpatrick, a leading psychologist and who lost her sister Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, who died on board the ill-fated Rescue 116 helicopter off the coast of Mayo last year said of the popular broadcasters outlook on life, Want to see courage, dignity, strength and resilience in action?

Live in real time. Listen to what Gareth is saying.
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.
A mum and her two children who are battling an illness that is consuming their lives for several years are so thankful for one of the best years of their lives.

Evie Nevin, 31, her son Alexander, 9, and three-year-old daughter Olivia are living their lives with the rare and debilitating Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).

EDS is a connective tissue disorder, which causes the body to produce faulty collagen and are susceptible to joint dislocations, chronic pain and fatigue. Collagen is the "glue" that holds our bodies together.

Although the syndrome is slowly becoming more widely known here in Ireland, there are still no specialists or facilities in the country to help people with this condition, and there is no cure. Evie travels to London for specialist care, which she finances through fundraising.

Evie, from Clonakilty, Co Cork, is very prone to hip dislocations on almost a weekly basis. She is extremely affected by changes to pressure and can be bed ridden with pain from something as small as a rain shower. Her children Alex (9) and Olivia (3) are also affected by the condition. Olivia has dislocated her elbow on a number of occasions while Alex is more affected by sensory issues and has many difficulties in school.

The family had even considered moving abroad so they could access vital multi-disciplinary care.

Due to her desire to raise the profile of people trying to live and work with disabilities, Evie has decided to run in the local elections next summer for the Social Democrats.

Weve had a really good year and Im learning to cope with my and my childrens illness," she said. "As a result, thankfully, there havent been any trips to the hospital A&E.

"My hips are still very problematic but Ive learned to deal with it a bit better this year, especially with the use of mobility aids. Alex hasnt had many injuries. Olivia has dislocated her elbow on two or three occasions now, but was able to pop it back in to place herself.

Olivia, makes very little of what happens to her now, which is both relieving to know she is coping with her health but so sad to that a little girl is having to deal with a life-altering situation.

Olivia is also taking part in ballet which is good to build up her muscles as my husband Martin and I were told it may help her deal with EDS as long as she isnt overextending her joints too much.

As for myself because I now have an electric wheelchair which is such a massive deal for me to have, Im able to get around so much easier, and Im not tiring myself out too quickly.

Im also listening to my body a lot more and taking rests when I need them. Obviously all of us will always have these health concerns and having to deal with hospital consultants but energy levels are improving once we manage ourselves better.

I was diagnosed five years ago with EDS but its only now Ive accepted whats happened to me. I changed from being an outgoing person to being afraid to do anything. I had all these work skills as a journalist but ended up losing my confidence.

But now, Im grabbing everything that comes my way with both hands and Im not turning down anything because Im afraid of it. That was my new years resolution last Christmas and I plan to bring that into 2019 with me as well.

I know now I can deal with and cope with the year ahead and thats why I want to highlight and show people that people with disabilities can bring a fresh new perspective to the table.

I feel we are seen as an afterthought. People in all walks of life want change and want inclusivity.

If someone had told me two years ago that I would be running for election, standing up in front of thousands of people at marches, I would have told them there was no chance of that. There is so much frustration experienced by people with disabilities when dealing with our society as a whole.

Those with disabilities feel as if they are being dismissed in so many walks of life and that they dont really have enough political representation, especially for women. In the West Cork area alone, there are 11,000 people with disabilities. Nationally it stands at 13%.

Despite the numbers nationally, I feel we are seen as an afterthought. People in all walks of life want change and want inclusivity. Just because we have a disability doesnt mean we cant contribute to the economy and society on so many different levels.

Im so thankful to the team behind me wanting to help with my campaign. My Dad, husband Martin, one of my campaign managers Elaine OConnell and the children have especially been 100% behind me in what I want to achieve. I want 2019 to be even better than this year.

Martin was named Cork Carer of the Year last year. He said home life could be tough and stressful at times, but he did his best to do what was expected of a father, husband, and carer.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday lambasted the Israeli prime minister as an oppressor after he accused Turkey of massacres against Kurds in a new war of words.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have been tense this year over multiple issues including a controversial law passed by the Israeli parliament in July which defined the country as the nation state of the Jewish people.

You are an oppressor, cruel and at the head of state terror, Erdogan told Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a televised speech in Istanbul, the president also accused Israel of occupying Palestine as well as committing sins, crimes against humanity, massacres.

The latest diplomatic row began after Erdogan warned young Turks on Saturday: Do not kick the enemy you have brought down to the ground. You are not a Jew in Israel.

Netanyahu told Erdogan in a tweet late on Saturday that he should not preach to Israel as the occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey.

Before Erdogans comments on Sunday, his chief advisor Ibrahim Kalin hit out in a tweet at Netanyahu who he accused of using Erdogan bashing as a political chip in a bid to save himself from his domestic troubles.

On December 14, Erdogan also said Palestinians were subjected to pressures, violence and intimidation policies no less grave than the oppression done to the Jews during the Second World War, referring to the Holocaust.

Turkey-Israel ties have been strained since Ankara ordered the Israeli ambassador to leave Turkey in May over the killing of protesters along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinians, has bitterly criticised Israel previously, calling it in July the worlds most fascist and racist state.

However despite the heated rhetoric, experts point to strong economic ties and robust trade between the two countries.
SHADY COVE, Ore. --

UPDATE 9:00 am 12/23

Jackson County Sheriff's Office identified the woman as Tori Lynn Anderson. The case is still under investigation.

---

Jackson County Sheriffs Office (JCSO) deputies say they are investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that happened on Highway 62 early Saturday morning. One passenger died while the driver and second passenger were taken to the hospital.

Just before 2:30am, deputies say dispatch received a 911 call of a crash on Highway 62 just south of Brophy Way. A northbound 2017 Honda Accord sedan left the roadway and crashed into the back of a semi-truck trailer parked on the shoulder.

A 25-year-old Shady Cove woman riding in the front passenger seat was partially ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. Investigators say she was not wearing a seat belt.

The driver, Cody Dylan Lowe, 24, of Shady Cove, was transported to Rogue Regional Medical Center (RRMC) for treatment for a possible arm fracture and other minor injuries. He was wearing a seat belt.

The back seat passenger, Tyler Robert Van Houten, 25, of Shady Cove, was transported to RRMC for treatment for minor injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt.

JCSO detectives, a medical examiner investigator, and members of the Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team responded. At the time of the crash, the roadway was not affected by ice or other weather-related conditions. Deputies are investigating whether impairment contributed to the crash.

The identity of the decedent will be released at a later time to allow family and friends to be notified.
MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Medford Police Department said at around 12:45pm Saturday, officers from the Medford Police Department were dispatched to the report of a vehicle which had crashed into Sherm's Food 4 Less on Biddle Road in Medford.

The driver, 68-year-old Jerrie Saewert, was rushed to the hospital and is currently undergoing treatment.

Officers arrived on scene and found the driver of the vehicle was unconscious and not breathing.

Officers said an ordinary citizen and a Medford Police Office performed CPR on the driver. Medford Fire and Mercy Flights personnel later took over upon their arrival.

The initial investigation determined the driver of the involved vehicle suffered a medical emergency which caused her to crash into the building. No other vehicles were involved and no one inside the business was injured.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Quebec's 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 spokesman 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 spokeswoman 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 Quebec's 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 don't 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.

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 don't 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 doesn't know how many there are and where they are.

"We've 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."

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version gave an incorrect date for a cancelled rally.
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A New Mexico woman, suffering from Dercums disease (adiposis dolorosa) which causes painful fatty tumors, is suing a Santa Fe hospital and an emergency physician claiming she was the victim of two negligent acts in 2016.

One, according to the Albuquerque Journal, she told hospital personnel she was allergic to Dilaudid but went into cardiac arrest after receiving an injection of the drug.

Two, despite the presence of a lawfully executed do not resuscitate (DNR) advance directive, she was successfully resuscitated and now faces continued pain and medical bills.

The staff had been aware of her DNR order and had even issued her a purple bracelet labeled DNR. However since the cardiac arrest was allegedly caused by an allergic reaction to Dilaudid, the staff may have felt her problem was not related to her illness and would likely result in a successful resuscitation.

While researching this subject, I found several instances of patients or families suing hospitals and doctors for failing to heed a DNR order or what some have called wrongful life.

However, I found only one major case that had gone to conclusion. A Georgia woman had both an advance directive and a health care proxyher granddaughter. She was admitted to a hospital for a cough and eventually required a thoracentesis. The health care proxy agreed to allow the procedure to be done but specifically said her grandmother did not want intubation or mechanical ventilation.

A 2017 paper in The Journal of Clinical Ethics said the patient was temporarily intubated and ventilated during the thoracentesis. She was extubated, but a bout of respiratory distress was treated with intubation and mechanical ventilation again without consulting the granddaughter. The patient died two weeks later.

The granddaughter sued, and the hospital settled for $1,000,000. I believe this is the first such case settled for that much money. The biggest problem was failure of the doctor to communicate with the health care proxy.

Many issues in medicine are not black or white. Heres the other side of the story. An elderly Boston man suffered a cardiac arrest in a hospital CT scanner and was resuscitated. The resident who treated him wrote that during the code, a nurse discovered a 6-year-old advance directive saying he did not want to be resuscitated in his chart.

But the code team noted he had walked into the hospital for the test and felt certain they could save him. They contacted his son and health care proxy who said: My father would want everything done to save his life. The code was successful. He was weaned from mechanical ventilation and extubated after a few hours. He thanked his doctor and was discharged from the hospital two days later.

Some take-home points:

A DNR order and an advance directive may not necessarily be the same. For more information, read an interview with the plaintiffs lawyer in the Georgia case.

Whether to resuscitate a patient or not may depend on the circumstances (e.g., whether an event is likely reversible or not), the wording of an advance directive, and/or the wishes of the health care proxy.

If possible, explain the possible scenarios and outcomes of resuscitation and DNR to your patients and their families well before a cardiac arrest occurs.

Communicate with patients and their health care proxies.

Skeptical Scalpel is a surgeon who blogs at his self-titled site, Skeptical Scalpel. This article originally appeared in Physicians Weekly.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Photo: The Canadian Press 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.

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, a U.S. official said, joining Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

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.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk 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. He 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.

In a tweet 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, according to the official.

Trump 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 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 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

A second official said McGurk on Friday was pushing for the U.S. to allow the SDF to reach out to troops allied with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government for protection. McGurk argued that America had a moral obligation to help prevent the allied fighters from being slaughtered by Turkey, which considers the SDF an enemy.

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 per cent 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. Military officials have also made it clear that IS fighters fleeing Euphrates River region have found refuge in other areas of the country, fueling concerns that they could regroup and rise again.

The SDF said Thursday: "The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated."
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Stefania was a 17-year-old Russian girl who presented herself to a port of entry in the United States seeking asylum. Stefanias journey to this point was an unimaginable one. In her home country of Russia, she was a happy high school student living with her mother. Her father died of a heart attack six months prior. Then one day on her way home from school, she was kidnapped by the Russian mafia and forced into sex trafficking.

However, Stefania would probably tell you she was one of the lucky ones because, after four days of captivity, one of the mafia members had pity on her and helped her escape. Her mother, fearing she wasnt safe in their small town, decided to send Stefania unaccompanied to the United States with the hope of her reuniting with her mothers sister who had established herself in the United States five years prior. The other real concern for her mother was that the mafia gang members knew exactly where she lived. She was deeply concerned it wouldnt take long before they began harassing Stefanias mother for her whereabouts. Stefania and her mother both understood very clearly that this decision was a matter of life and death. Unfortunately for Stefania she also turned 18 years of age one day after reaching the border and needed to be processed as an adult. The question we are asking ourselves today is should Stefania be granted asylum in the United States knowing the grave situation she has found herself in?

Now, what if I told you that Stefania wasnt Russian but Salvadorian and this happened in El Salvador and not Russia. If there is a change in the place of origin, identity of oppressor, or ethnicity of the adolescent, is there a deviation in your mindset and empathy towards her? This is what is at the heart of the immigration crisis and what is going on at the border. We are literally battling over which children and adolescents have more worth to us as a country. Are we a country that only cares about the sexual assault, violence or kidnapping of children that look like us or speak the same language as we do?

El Salvador, for example, has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence. It continues to be a very dangerous place for women and girls and is listed as one of the worlds deadliest countries for women. We turn on our television and watch what appears to be the new culture in America when it comes to immigrants. Over the past 10 years, I have listened to and watched children of all ages attempt to reach their parents and family members who left long ago for a better life or just a chance at the American dream through education and hard work. Many of these children risk life and limb to escape the pressures and torture of gang members, poverty and complex politics.

The journey for these women and girls from El Salvador, as well as other Central American countries, doesnt begin at the border. It is riddled with traumas that start in the home country. They have to make the decision to take a journey across various terrains, deserts, and rivers that can take 2 to 3 weeks. Most girls know that along the way sexual assault may be a hazard of the journey in the hope of reaching this land of perceived dreams and opportunities, only to find the third phase of migration trauma: the capture by Border Patrol with possible temporary placement. It is a journey of trauma, necessity, resiliency, and childhood all wrapped into images of immigration at the southern border.

In Stefanias story, she turned 18 one day after arriving at the border making her ineligible to be categorized as an unaccompanied child under Health and Human Services. So what happens to Stefania if she is not given the mere opportunity to seek asylum in a court of law in the same country that prides itself on the words scrolled across the Statue of Liberty? Is there any difference developmentally between the age she is today and the one she was yesterday? The notion that there is an arbitrary legal difference when there isnt a developmental one has always seemed absurd and becomes even more preposterous in stories like Stefanias. Anyone who is a parent or guardian may often ponder about these ambiguous timelines of legality since theyre truly not based on science, medicine; understand of cognitive growth or development. Truthfully any childs age that still has teen at the end of it should never find themselves in a jail with adults 25 years of age and older.

There needs to be a team of experts as part of the immigration conversation around children and adolescents. Or are we really saying the value of children doesnt matter if the place or origin, identity of oppressor, or ethnicity somehow doesnt meet our valued scale of humanity. The truth is everyone cant be permitted admission freely into any country including the United States of America. However, there must be an unbiased process of law that doesnt lack humanity, especially towards children. Each mother and each child is an individual person with an individual story that brings them to this moment of time. We have to decide whether a history of bias and historical trauma towards specific groups, slavery, internments, and new prison pipelines are still who we are in 2018.

Traci Furbert Gardner is a pediatrician and director of community engagement, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
EUGENE, Ore. -- The holiday travel rush has begun but at the Eugene Airport on Saturday it was a lot more laid-back, putting travelers in a cheery mood with their loved ones greeting them when they land.

"It's great to be home for the holidays," said traveler Duke Bennett.

Unlike PDX or SeaTac you won't find long lines to check your bags or even get through security. Traveler Jeff DeGroot said it's that convenience that has him coming back to the Eugene Airport flight after flight

"We just flew in from Seattle and the airport was crazy, Degroot said. "Long lines at security....here it's just easy to go right to your luggage and get your bags. "

Roseburg resident Gordon Goodal who was picking up friends at the airport said it's not only convenient to fly in and out of Eugene, but when you add in the costs of traveling to a larger airport, it can even be cheaper.

"When you go to Portland or Seattle you have to do park and fly," Goodal said. "Here... I got lots of friends in the area, and they'll bring us to the airport."

With the Eugene Airport expected to add a nonstop flight to Chicago in June, travelers say they'll be using it even more.

To get the latest flight information, click here.
MILLE LACS COUNTY, Minn.  A child from Albert Lea is hurt in a two-vehicle collision north of the Twin Cities.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened around 11:05 am Sunday on Highway 169 in Onamia Township.

Mercedes Michelle Bain, 28 of Albert Lea, was turning to go south on 169 and pulled out in front of a southbound van driven by Joanne Kay Dahinden, 59 of Hillman. A nine-year-old passenger in Bains vehicle was taken to Onamia Hospital for treatment of an arm injury.

No one else was hurt. The State Patrol says all three people were wearing their seat belts.

The Mille Lacs County Sheriffs Office assisted at the scene.
CRYSTAL LAKE, Iowa - It's a way to ensure safety this holiday season, as well as spready cheer.

Firefighters in Crystal Lake spent their Saturday going around knocking on doors to check on smoke detectors, as well as drop off goody bags filled with peanuts, fruit and candy.

It's a tradition dating back at least 20 years, something former firefighter Paul Pergande says is a positive every year.

"I think it's helped a lot for people to check their smoke detectors and make sure they're all working correctly," Pergande said.
FOREST CITY, Iowa  A Winnebago teen is sentenced after police find a sizable amount of marijuana in his vehicle at school.

Ramiro Tiverio Resendiz, 19 of Rake, was charged after Buffalo Center police found the marijuana on March 8.

Resendiz pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and has now been sentenced to three years of probation. Hes been given a deferred judgment, which means this conviction will be wiped from Resendiz record if he successfully completes his probation.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  The family of a man who went missing last month while hunting in eastern Minnesota is still hoping for answers.

Lee Peltier was accompanied by three friends while visiting Nemadji State Forest near Hinckley on Nov. 3, The Pioneer Press reported . The forest encompasses nearly 93,000 acres in Pine and Carlton counties.

Peltier's family said the group purposefully split up while they were hunting to try and flush out some deer. The family said the 59-year-old was an experienced outdoorsman. He never returned to the group. He was reported missing the next day.

"It's just like this big feeling of emptiness," said Peltier's daughter Katie Nelson. "We have no idea what happened. We have no idea where he ended up. Every time we walked out of that forest, I just felt like we were leaving him behind. It was awful. It's really important that we recover him because he's just out there. He's still out there."

The Pine County sheriff's office led a search of the area that included more than 100 volunteers. The weather dropped to 21 degrees, which made the search difficult. No trace of Peltier was found.

Son David Peltier believes his father may have become hypothermic.

The sheriff's office called off the search on Nov. 9, but Sheriff Jeff Nelson said the office would continue to investigate any new leads.

Peltier's daughter Megan DeCorsey said he has nine grandchildren who range in age from 6 months to 11 years old.

"They know he's missing, and that he was lost hunting, but they don't know the severity of it," DeCorsey said. "We haven't mentioned that we think he's dead. They know that we're looking for him."
NORTHWOOD, Iowa  A man caught with marijuana in his pants is pleading guilty.

Daniel A. Dozier, 34 of Mason City, was arrested on October 2 after a Worth County sheriffs deputy says he was driving erratically. While alone in the booking room of the Worth County Jail, Dozier was seen on camera placing a plastic baggie of marijuana in his pants.

Dozier has pleaded guilty to possession of contraband in a county jail. His sentencing is set for February 9, 2019.
Photo: Contributed

A federal offender who was wanted nationwide after he failed to return for curfew in Vancouver early on Saturday has been apprehended.

Edward Vincent, 45, was on statutory release and was due at his Vancouver halfway house just after midnight Saturday, but failed to appear.

The public was asked to watch for him early Saturday afternoon, and a tip came in which led to his arrest.

Vancouver police described him as a "high-risk offender" and he now remains in custody.

-With files from CTV Vancouver
MASON CITY, Iowa - Shots were fired outside a Mason City bar early Sunday morning, and the Mason City Police Department is looking for more information.

Police say there was an altercation and shots were fired at 1:53 a.m. at Spikes, located at 18 7th St. SE.

Several people were taken to the hospital and treated for injuries. None of the injuries were related to gunfire, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mason City police at 641-421-3636.
Photo: CTV News Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart

Coquitlam residents should be aware that their mayor is not soliciting gift cards from them.

In fact, Mayor Richard Stewart has been warning people on social media that scammers have been posing as him and asking people to purchase gift cards on his behalf and email him the identification numbers.

"It was a cause of concern, obviously. We dont want well-meaning people, who are trying to help, being put in a position where they could lose a lot of money," Stewart told CTV News.

The email being sent out has a subject line of "Benevolence," and asks the reader to urgently go out and purchase gift cards at any nearby store.

Stewart made clear he would never make such a request, and added jokingly that if he were going to ask for anything it would be dark chocolate.

He also had nothing but strong words for the scammers using his name to prey on kind-hearted people.

"I would call them scum," he said. "If you're targeting people during the holiday season  if you're simply trying to steal stuff that doesnt belong to you  this is really despicable stuff."

-With files from CTV Vancouver
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 31F. Winds light and variable.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The U.S. dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the company's biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.

Some European governments and telecom companies are following the U.S.'s lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government.

Bans in Europe could significantly increase the financial pressures on Huawei. They would also cost Europe tens of billions of dollars as the region looks to build up "5G" networks, which are meant to support a vast expansion in internet-connected things, from self-driving cars to factory robots and remote surgery.

"Europe is still divided over Huawei, but the trendline is moving in a fairly clear direction" as the U.S. exerts pressure on allies to block it, said Thorsten Benner, director of the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute think-tank .

Geopolitical tensions over Huawei intensified after its chief financial officer, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested Dec. 1 in Canada in connection with U.S. accusations that the company violated restrictions on sales of American technology to Iran.

Huawei has been blocked in the U.S. since 2012, when a House Intelligence Committee report found it was a security risk and recommended that the government and private companies stop buying its network equipment.

Germany's Deutsche Telekom said last week it "takes the global discussion about the security of network elements from Chinese manufacturers very seriously." The company said it uses multiple companies to build its network, including Ericsson, Nokia and Cisco.

"Nevertheless, we are currently reevaluating our procurement strategy," the company said.

The statement is significant because until recently it had been one of Huawei's "biggest cheerleaders" based on its cheap and reliable equipment, said Benner.

It came shortly after Alex Younger, the director of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, said in a speech that Britain needs "to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies," according to local media reports.

At about the same time, mobile provider British Telecom said it was removing Huawei equipment from key parts of its current 3G and 4G networks as part of an internal policy not to use it for core infrastructure, which will also apply to 5G networks.

The British government-run centre that tests the company's equipment and software this summer identified "shortcomings in Huawei's engineering processes that have exposed new risks" in U.K. networks. Huawei said it's working on fixing those issues.

Norway's telecom ministry said it was considering clarifying requirements from network operators, without being more specific.

Belgium's cybersecurity agency is reportedly considering a ban on Huawei. And the Czech Republic's prime minister ordered his government office on Tuesday to stop using Huawei mobile phones, after the national cybersecurity agency warned that products by Huawei and another Chinese telecom company, ZTE, pose "a security threat."

The European Union's head of technology policies, Andrus Ansip, said "we have to be worried" about possible security risks from Huawei when asked about the company's role in European 5G and driverless car projects.
Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump tried to downplay and distance himself from the resignation of Brett McGurk, presidential special envoy to the global coalition to counter ISIS, late Saturday. McGurk submitted a letter of resignation on Friday in protest of Trump's decision to immediately begin removing troops from Syria, according to a State Department official.



Trump announced on Wednesday that ISIS had been "defeated" and it was time to bring troops home. The announcement came in direct opposition to his own military leaders, including McGurk, and ignored calls from many Republicans to keep troops engaged.



"We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he tweeted.



McGurk, 45, follows Defense Secretary James Mattis out the door. Mattis resigned earlier this week over the same decision to pull troops from Syria.



Mattis specifically referred to the importance of relying on McGurk's "Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations" in his resignation letter.



McGurk's resignation is effective Dec. 31.



McGurk, who served repeatedly as a government official in Iraq since 2004, informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of his decision to leave Friday night.



Trump tried to downplay McGurk's exit, saying he planned to leave next year anyway -- and pointed to him as being an appointee of then-President Barack Obama in 2015.



"The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!" he tweeted.



McGurk was going to retire in early 2019, but he made the decision to leave now instead because he felt he couldnt carry out the presidents order and maintain my integrity, as he wrote to colleagues in a letter confirmed to ABC News by a government official. The New York Times was first to report the details of McGurk's resignation letter.



There are about 2,000 U.S. troops in eastern Syria advising and assisting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS. The withdrawal of troops could be completed within 30 days of Mattis giving the official order.



McGurk made statements earlier this month completely contradicting Trump's claim of the fight with ISIS being finished, saying -- in an echo of then-President George W. Bush's famous blunder -- that "nobody is declaring a mission accomplished." About 2,000 ISIS fighters remain in Syria, according to State Department and Pentagon officials.



"Even as the end of the physical caliphate is clearly now coming into sight, the end of ISIS will be a much more long-term initiative," McGurk said at a State Department briefing last week. "Weve talked about that many times. Nobody working on these issues day to day is complacent. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished."



Despite Trump's attack on the media, even many of his allies in Congress immediately condemned the decision to remove troops from Syria.



"If this decision stands, I can't imagine being able to sign up many people in the future to serve with us to defeat enemies that threaten us after today," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on the Senate floor Wednesday.



"We have been dishonorable," he added. "This is a stain on the honor of the United States. I hope and pray the president will reconsider this."



Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida told Politico the decision was "a major mistake," saying "it will haunt this administration."



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Photo: Contributed

Natural gas prices in Western Canada are so low that a partner in the country's first LNG export project is shutting off money-losing wells and throttling back its exploration program.

Malaysian-owned Petronas, which has a 25 per cent interest in the $40-billion LNG Canada project, has been curtailing production by between 50 and 200 million cubic feet per day from wells in northeastern B.C. capable of producing 700 million cf/d, the CEO of its Canadian branch says.

The practice is one being adopted by a growing number of western Canadian producers to avoid selling their natural gas at prices that often don't even cover the cost of pipeline transportation.

"We talk a lot about oil infrastructure," said CEO Mark Fitzgerald of Petronas Energy Canada Ltd. in an interview, referring to oil price discounts in Western Canada blamed on full crude pipelines.

"Gas is trapped as well and if you compare the prices that Canadian gas producers are receiving against our U.S. peers, the differentials are significant and costing us a significant amount of money."

The company invested heavily in natural gas exploration in northeastern B.C. from 2012 to 2016, employing more than 25 drilling rigs at peak times to prove the resource potential as part of its longer-term plan to build a liquefied natural gas export terminal. It is running only one rig now, Fitzgerald said.

Petronas backed out of its $36-billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project in 2017, but joined the LNG Canada partnership led by Royal Dutch Shell last May.

The partners agreed to go ahead with their project this fall, but it isn't expected to be ready to begin supercooling natural gas and shipping it out until late 2023 or early 2024.

Ian Archer, an associate director with IHS Markit, said Western Canada's gas industry was stable from 2000 to 2008, with production of about 16 billion cf/d and prices of around $10 per gigajoule, but that changed when new drilling and well completion technologies emerged that allowed the U.S. to dramatically grow shale gas production.

Cheaper U.S. gas began displacing western Canadian gas in markets like California, Eastern Canada and New York, and the price in Western Canada dropped by half, with production falling to around 13 billion cf/d by 2012, he said.

The trend worsened when the new drilling technologies began to be used in northeastern B.C. and northwestern Alberta to produce light oil products like condensate, which is in demand as a diluent to mix with raw bitumen from the oilsands to allow it to flow in a pipeline.

Condensate wells also typically contain high levels of natural gas and the boost in gas production back to over 16 billion cf/d has overwhelmed pipeline capacity and dropped gas prices this year to a projected $1.43 per gigajoule, about one-third of the price in 2014, said Archer.

Meanwhile, the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub spot price is forecast to average US$3.17 per GJ in 2018 (about C$4.12), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Pipeline companies are spending billions of dollars to expand their gas systems in B.C. and Alberta, which will improve market access, but it's difficult to see where the gas can be sent to win better prices, Archer said.

LNG Canada's first phase is expected to require about two billion cf/d of gas to produce about 14 million tonnes per year of LNG, but most of that gas is expected to come from the partners, so a big price improvement isn't expected, he said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Passengers wait to check in at Gatwick Airport in England, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018..(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

London's Gatwick Airport was operating without problems Sunday, but the fugitive drone operators who brought incoming and outgoing flights to a standstill over multiple days remained at large  and a potential threat  after police cleared two local residents who were arrested as suspects.

Sussex Police were hopeful they had halted the disruptive and costly drone incursions during one of the heaviest travel periods of the year with Friday's arrests of a couple who live near the airport. But they were released Sunday, and police said they were no longer suspects.

Tens of thousands of passengers suffered through long flight delays or were stranded by cancellations after two drones were reported seen above the airfield at Gatwick on Wednesday night, prompting an immediate suspension of all air traffic.

Sussex Chief Detective Jason Tingley said Sunday he could not rule out new drone activity at Gatwick or other U.K. airports. He also said it was possible that witnesses who reported sightings after the first ones aroused alarm were mistaken.

"Of course, that's a possibility. We are working with human beings saying they have seen something," Tingley told the BBC.

At the same, he said police were making progress in a three-pronged investigation: tracking "persons of interest," investigating 67 reported drone sightings, and examining a damaged drone found near Gatwick.

The drone in police hands may provide useful forensic clues, such as the DNA of people who handled it, Tingley said. But the rain the London area got on Friday and Saturday might have washed away some evidence, he said.

Airport authorities consider drones a menace because they could damage a plane in flight or be sucked into a plane's engine, causing a deadly crash

After the shutdown extended into Thursday, increased military protection was brought in Thursday night to watch for more drones while planes resumed taking off and landing at Britain's second-busiest airport.

The government has kept the details of the security operation secret, but the military equipment is thought to offer better tracking capabilities and give authorities early warning if drones approach Gatwick, located 30 miles (45 kilometres) south of London.

At the airport on Sunday, flight arrival and departure boards showed fewer delays than on Saturday. Additional tracking gear at the periphery of the runway and an increased police presence were the only clear signs of the headaches experienced there in the past four days. But officials have stepped up surveillance of the surrounding airspace behind-the-scenes.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said the unspecified "military measures" have bolstered confidence that the airport will be able to remain open without further interruptions. But anti-drone technology is a relatively new, imperfect field, Grayling said.

It is not clear how officials will respond if another drone gets too close. The best guide may be what happened on Friday night, when the airport was shut down for 70 minutes after a drone was spotted. The military deployment allowed the airport to reopen relatively quickly, authorities have said.

No confirmed drone incursions have taken place since then  a factor that led many to assume police had found the responsible operators when they arrested the two suspects Friday night.

That hope ended Sunday when the couple  a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman  was allowed to return to their home in Crawley, a 5-minute drive from Gatwick.

Detective Tingley said he is satisfied the two were not involved. He is hoping a tip will provide a crucial lead.

Tingley said police did not identify the suspects but The Mail on Sunday tabloid named them and published a large front-page photo of them with the headline, "Are These the Morons Who Ruined Christmas?"

The crisis at Gatwick marked the first time drones caused sustained disruption at a major airport. There is not much data on the dangers drones pose to airplanes because they are a relatively new phenomenon.

Police say the motive for the drone incursion is not yet known but they do not believe it is "terror-related."

Gatwick Airport, which handles roughly 43 million passengers per year, has offered a 50,000 pound ($63,000) reward through Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the drone operators.
New Delhi, December 23: In a big development, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harrassment case.

"The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 AM today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," sources told ANI here. Major General Among Seven Given Life Sentence by Army Court in Fake Encounter Case.

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," they said. As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence.

Adv Anand Kumar, representing the Maj Gen in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the "(GCM) court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and decision has been passed in a haste."

The Maj Gen was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under Army's Western Command for the disciplinary proceedings. Sources said the officer has denied the charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer.

In a plea filed before the before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of Army Chief in that year.

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned.

The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him the documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter.

The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years. In 2007, a Maj Gen had to quit Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.
New Delhi, December 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today slammed opposition for forming a grand alliance ahead of Lok Sabha elections of 2019. The Prime Minister termed it an Unholy alliance. PM Modi while interacting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers through video conferencing said, Several leaders are talking about a grand alliance. It's for personal survival, not ideology based support. It's for power, not for people. The Prime Minister today interacted with the party workers from Chennai Central, Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchirappally and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP Offers Two Seats to RLSP in Bihar

PM Modi also took a dig at the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He said that the TDP was formed against the very "high-handedness" of the Congress by the veteran, late chief minister N T Rama Rao but said the party was now keen to join hands with the Congress. While taking a jibe at various opposition parties, the PM said that some parties in the Mahagatbandhan claimed to be inspired by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran himself opposed the Congress and its ideologies. He further stated that many leaders in the Congress-led coalition were "arrested and tortured" during the emergency.

PM Modi while interacting with BJP workers from Chennai Central & North, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli & Tiruvallur: Several leaders are talking about a grand alliance. It's for personal survival,not ideology based support. It's for power,not for people. pic.twitter.com/liJPbjyhRS  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

Meanwhile, today, BJP decided has formally announced seat shares in Bihar for the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. The BJP and the Janata Dal (United) gets 17 seats each, while the Lok Janshakti Party will be contesting on 6 seats. However, on December 20, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president Upendra Kushwaha joined the grand alliance in Bihar. While joining the alliance, Kushwaha slammed PM Modi. He said that the PM had promised during the 2014 election campaign that he would address the issues of education, jobs and healthcare for the people of Bihar, but on all fronts, he failed to fulfil his promises.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2018 02:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Food is great and best when it comes with a surprise-filled inside. No, we are not talking about any extra cheese or chocolates filled in your cupcakes here. But something entirely unusual for which you really got to be one lucky person! New York City is making headlines for surprising diners with pearls. Yes, in real. After a 66-year-old man who discovered a gem in his oyster reportedly, at Grand Central Oyster Bar, now it was a 29-year-old woman finding her own bivalve beauty. The discovery occurred at Williamsburg bar Maison Premiere, Brooklyn. 8 Superfoods That Will Make Your Hair Stronger, Longer and Healthier.

Experts say that the chances of finding a pearl in an oyster is about 1 in 10,000. Identified as Kristin Pulaski by the New York Post, she initially thought the pea-sized object to be a screw. My first thought was, Is this like a screw or something in here? And I took it out and saw that it couldnt have been anything else [but a pearl]. It was pearly white and round. She was definitely shocked and even more when she came across to the earlier news of 66-year-old Rick Antosh finding the sea-object like her. McDonald's Introduces McAloo Tikki as a Vegan Burger in the US.

When Pulaski took the pearl to get her prize appraised, she was a bit disappointed as it was not much, she was hoping. Antoshs pearl was valued up to 4,000 dollars (over Rs. 2.8 lakhs). But in comparison, Pulaskis was way less as one of pearls store owner, Eddy Livi who found the recent sea-object to be less shiny. Natural pearls can be very valuable, but when they come in shapes that are imperfect like this and dont have that sheen, it would only be worth about $200, (Rs. 4,000 approximately) Livi explained.

But never mind! Since it has such a good story behind it, Pulaski has better plans. She might get it to a jeweller to make it into a statement piece. Meanwhile, Maison Premieres co-founder Joshua Boissy reported, Weve served over 4 million oysters, [and] this is the first time a pearl has ever been found. So, easy the next time you decide on an oyster. You never know. You might swallow pearls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2018 03:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
- Nigerian soldiers have begun intense lobbying to escape deployments into the northeast region of the country

- This is due to the escalating wave of Boko Haram attacks on military formations in the region

- Also, a significant number of the soldiers presently stationed in the region are lobbying for redeployment

A report by The Punch indicates that Nigerian soldiers have begun intense lobbying to escape deployments into the northeast, following the escalating wave of Boko Haram attacks on military formations in the region.

According to the report, as part of the fallout of the Boko Haram attacks on military formations in some areas of Borno and Yobe states in November, more soldiers were now lobbying to avoid postings to the volatile northeast region.

Also, It was learnt that a significant number of the soldiers presently stationed in the northeast were lobbying for redeployment.

A Brigadier-General quoted in the report but spoke on condition of anonymity, said a significant number of personnel were influencing their posting against the northeast while some were deserting the military.

READ ALSO: 5 Nigerian soldiers beat up driver in Lagos (video)

His words: In the military doctrine, we have what is called cowardice. Soldiers can exhibit cowardice when they hear negative reports.

Let me tell you why we have been experiencing attacks in those Lake Chad areas. Those army deployments were intentionally made around Lake Chad to block the Boko Harams channels of supply.

The Boko Haram understands why the military are blocking their channels and they therefore ensure they keep attacking those bases to open up their own channels of supply.

There is a way some people have been glorifying the attacks and this makes the soldiers who are there to be afraid. These are very young military officers with families and they can be afraid. Most times when I as a general say I am on my way to the northeast, I get messages from friends and families to be careful. But I am going under escort.

Now, imagine soldiers who are just deployed to actually go and fight. This is why some reports are not helpful because they are escalating these attacks, glorifying the terrorists and putting fear in our soldiers. Some of these soldiers read all these online reports and they are afraid. They are now avoiding going to the northeast like a disease.

I just came back home and learnt that one of my cousins whom I brought into the army was redeployed. He was supposed to go to the northeast. He ran away. He is in the village in the south-south riding motorcycle, because he does not want to die.

Now, if we have such incidences all over, what will become of our security architecture? Our worries are that while the terrorists are doing theirs, so many media reports reaching soldiers in the northeast are disturbing and pulling down their morale.

A colonel also quoted in the report, said personnel were now increasingly influencing their postings to avoid the northeast.

He said: Soldiers are trained to die in the course of defending the countrys territorial integrity, but not when you die because there are no adequate equipment. The terrorists know how to strike because they have informants who leak the strengths and weaknesses of the army to them.

Since there is no specific time frame for soldiers serving in the northeast, some of them are disgruntled and they are lobbying not to be posted there. The increasing attacks in the northeast are dampening the morale of troops and this is why the military authorities usually send the service chiefs to visit and talk to them.

Further findings also revealed that a number of the soldiers serving in troubled areas were considering the option of deserting due to the renewed attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Specifically, a soldier in the Maimalari Barracks quoted in the report on condition of anonymity, said although the insurgents had yet to invade the area, their activities in neighbouring communities had raised concern over the safety of army personnel in the area.

According to the soldier, the prevalence of these fearful developments has led to a situation where more soldiers now lobby to be redeployed out of the northeast.

His words: Honestly, I am even thinking of leaving (the military). They (insurgents) are coming close to the barracks. When I made an enquiry about my posting, I was told that I must complete four years (in Maiduguri); but I have spent two years. I do not know what to do.

I will not make it (my quitting) official. I have made up my mind to go. But the problem I have is: what will I fall back to?

He added: At first, the Boko Haram (insurgents) were in the villages. But they are coming close to the town now. And whenever they capture any soldier, they do not shoot the soldier; they just slaughter the soldier with knives.

I know some soldiers who have blocked their posting to Borno. They have godfathers. I also know many soldiers who influenced their posting after our training at the depot (in Kaduna). One of the female soldiers just told me that she was working to get posted to Lagos.

A corporal, who served in the North-East between 2011 and 2016, also interviewed, said troops were lobbying because of inadequate weapons to defend themselves and the communities.

You are given only AK-47 rifles to face the Boko Haram terrorists who have machine guns, GPMG, gun trucks and anti-aircraft guns. You are not going to return alive from that war. This is why some soldiers are willing to be redeployed, if it is possible.

The terrain is not friendly. The land is desert and you need both adequate military and welfare provisions to survive. But these things are mostly not there, he said.

Reacting, the army spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman, said there was no specific time frame for rotation of troops deployed in the northeast, noting that soldiers could get a leave or pass from the theatre, depending on their circumstances.

According to him, some personnel in the north-east theatre of war were specialists, whose jobs are very critical to the performance of a particular unit and formation.

If you are talking about the duration, there is no specific time frame. However, there are provisions where soldiers are allowed to go on passes whenever the need arises. They are also allowed to go on a leave.

The bottom line is that we are fighting a war and we are defending the territorial sovereignty of our country. I cannot speak on the longest duration anyone has stayed. It depends on the individual. It is not everyone who has duration. Military rotation has no time frame that you say, you must rotate people, he said.

PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

Meanwhile, a report based on an analysis by Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) data has revealed that sectarian violence in the Middle Belt of Nigeria increased significantly in the year 2018.

According to the report, the violence is said to have eclipsed the Boko Haram conflict and almost doubled since 2017.

The NST documented 1,949 deaths through October 2018, compared to 1,041 sectarian-related deaths in all of 2017. The violence is about even with Boko Haram, in terms of the number of conflict-related victims. Deaths related to the Boko Haram conflict through October 2018 are roughly 1,900.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Leadership of Nigeria is not meant for our forefathers| Legit TV

Source: Legit
- Chief Bode George said Yoruba people have endorsed Atiku Abubakar for 2019

- The former PDP deputy chairman claimed Yorubas have not benefitted from APC government

- The PDP chieftain accused APC of fielding non-Lagosians as party candidates

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has claimed that Yoruba people have endorsed Atiku Abubakar for 2019 [residency while also claiming that Chief Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates are not from the state.

In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, the former deputy national chairman of the PDP rejected the Senator Ayo Fasanmi-led Afenifere endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for second term.

READ ALSO: Fear of Yahoo boys, ritualists forced female students in Delta state tertiary schools to stop wearing pants

George insisted that the only recognised Afenifere group wre the ones that endorsed Atiku.

He said: "You know, the real Afenifere with the founders were the one that joined with us. Can you mention Afenifere without Baba Ayo Adebanjo? Can you mention Afenifere without Baba Reuben Fasoranti in Akure? These were the people after Baba Awolowo and Baba Olaniwun Ajayi, Baba Abraham Adesanya had found the group; these are household names.

"Yes, you could find some other names. Senator Bode Durojaiye was also part of the names; he joined them later. Then you have Senator Ayo Fasanmi from Osogbo. He is based in Osogbo but he came from Ekiti. When you talk about Afenifere, this other one that calls itself the Renewal Group, the real stems are the people we spoke with and they believe in our cause. The Renewal Group is different from the real group, igi imu jina sori, that is what the Yoruba say and then of course, you cannot write the history of Yorubas without those names being there and those are the people that we have since known when the struggle was heavy, and they would forever be on the pages of history. When you say breakaway, and that is what the other group is, that is like what you call peeling off the overused cover of the unions, the real onion would still remain there.

"The PDP chieftain accused Bola Tinubu of controlling the state claiming some of the partys candidates are not even from Lagos.

He said: He is now the one who is deciding this governor must go, that one must not. Look at what has happened in Lagos State, because of culture of Lagos, we normally accommodate people, but it has gotten to a disgraceful level that is very disturbing. The governorship candidate Bola Tinubu nominated is from Ijebu; he is from Ogun State. The deputy governorship candidate, Hamzat, his father, today, is the Oba of Ewekoro in Ogun State. So, he is also from Ogun State, from Egba side.

Now, the three senatorial candidates, Olamilekan Adeola Yayi is from Yewa in Ogun State; Senator Oluremi Tinubu is from either Edo or Delta State; Hon. Pepper is from Ijebu in Ogun State, so there are no indigenous Lagosians anymore. Enough is enough. This insult is getting too much. He himself is from Iragbiji in Osun State; I went to his village in Osun State. The fact that Lagos is so accommodating doesnt make us a fool. How much will they be that committed to serving the people of this state? How much?

George insisted that the Yorubas have not benefitted from the APC government as claied by their supporters.

He said: Have they forgotten history? Why are they trying to rewrite history? Why are they trying to distort history? If you are saying Buhari has done this and that and he is the closest to Yoruba because he put Yemi Osinbajo in office, what has been Osinbajos impact in Yorubaland? So the only thing I saw Osinbajo that he has done was to go to the markets in Lagos to be distributing N10, 000. Is that governance?

First of all, I challenge and I ask; was the money budgeted for? Where did he get the money? How would a whole vice-president, a professor of Law, descend so low as to be distributing N10,000 to market women now trying to woo them? That is politics of the primitive age. Show them how to fish and you will feed them forever. Where is the skill acquisition? Lagos is in state of reject. I went to my local government, I saw these people, they were eager looking for something to do, but no jobs. They are able-bodied boys. You can train in whatever trade, so what has happened? Go to anywhere in any part of Lagos and you can see the number of people who have no jobs, these young men. I am not even talking about graduates who are wasting away. He wants votes; this is not the way to acquire votes. And so if Baba Fasanmi and co are saying Buhari did this and that, haba! Let them wait and they would see what people would do.

The PDP chieftain insisted that only Atiku would benefit all Nigerian considering he has a Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa wives.

He said: Atiku would be one unique Nigerian whose home, his own family home is a thoroughbred Nigerian. His first wife is a Yoruba from Ilesa in Osun State; he has a wife who is of Igbo extraction, he has other two wives who are Northerners. So, his children who are running round his house, the Nigerian blood is flowing in their veins, would he discountenance any zone? He cannot be hijacked by anybody, by any two men as we are being told that my oga (Buhari) is hijacked. Even if anybody hijacks him, the wife from South-West would wake him up in the night and say this man wake up, my people are demanding for A, B, C, D. The Igbo wife too would do same and say my people are demanding for A, B, C, D. So even in household, his children have the blood of Yoruba flowing in them. I am not a young man, thats what I am saying, let our people see it. In each zone, he has the family blood inside his house, what could be more asserting than that?

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Meanwhile, American congressman, Christopher Smith, has urged President Donald Trump to use his sanctioning authority to hold accountable any Nigerian official who subverts the 2019 electoral process or foment violence against citizens.

Smith who is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa, gave the advise in a statement published on his personal website on Saturday, December 21.

I call upon the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that elections will be free and fair, and for the commission to remain impartial, the lawmaker said.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Nigeria Latest News: Father Mbaka On Buhari, Atiku In Nigeria Election 2019 | Legit TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- President Muhammadu Buhari may have approved a six-month tenure extension for the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris

- The move has attracted criticisms from opposition political parties, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties

- The parties are threatening to drag the president before the court over the planned tenure extension

A report by The Punch indicates that President Muhammadu Buhari may have approved a six-month tenure extension for the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The move has, however, attracted criticisms from opposition political parties, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

The parties are threatening to drag the president before the court over the planned tenure extension.

According to the report, the president has agreed in principle to grant the IG additional six months in office to enable him to coordinate and supervise the forthcoming general elections in the country.

Officially, Idris is due to retire from the Nigeria Police Force on January 3, 2019, having put in the mandatory 35 years in service.

READ ALSO: Any staff who compromises electoral process will be disciplined - INEC

He was, however, said to have lobbied some senior presidency functionaries, who, in turn, got the president to extend the IGs tenure.

A source quoted in the report said: It is a done deal; the IGs tenure has already been extended because the presidency has confidence in him. He would get the official confirmation any moment from now; that is if he hasnt received it already.

Extending the IGs tenure is not unexpected. The other service chiefs had their tenure extended by a year. So, giving Idris the same privilege is nothing out of the ordinary.

Reacting, the planned extension of tenure, the CUPP said, would only afford the police boss the opportunity to do the presidents bidding and work for the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2019 general elections.

The CUPP further stated that Nigerias constitution does not make any provision for tenure extension for the office of the IG.

The spokesperson for the CUPP, Imo Ugochinyere, said the opposition parties were shifting their attention to the leadership of the force following Buharis decision not to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and the inability of federal lawmakers to override his veto.

His words: We are insisting that the Inspector-General of Police, whose tenure is expiring in January, must leave the office.

So, we are demanding that the president should not extend his tenure because there is no such provision in the constitution. A former police officer cannot be an Inspector-General of Police. We will be filing an action in court to ensure that he leaves office in January.

Also, the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution (CDNDC) has kicked against the alleged tenure elongation, noting that Idris had so far demonstrated lack of capacity and inability to effectively police Nigeria as the IG.

The CDNDC coordinator, Dare Atoye, argued that wanton killings and criminality had increased under Idris leadership of the police, adding that there were more competent officers in the NPF that could do the job better.

His words: The only good thing that can happen to the Nigeria police is for the government of President Buhari to look for a competent replacement; somebody who has the discipline and the character to lead the force.

I believe many Nigerians would agree with me that the wanton killings in the country and the lack of training without equipment have been aggravated under his leadership.

Appraising the alleged reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the activist observed that no reform had taken place, noting that the impunity being carried out by the squad was merely suppressed.

On his part, the secretary-general, Basic Rights Enlightenment Foundation, Ikechukwu Maduike, also kicked against the governments decision, stressing that the police had become worse under the IG.

We need someone who has new ideas so we can see something new in the force. I dont think this IG has what it takes to transform the police force, he said.

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Meanwhile, a report based on an analysis by Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) data has revealed that sectarian violence in the Middle Belt of Nigeria increased significantly in the year 2018.

According to the report, the violence is said to have eclipsed the Boko Haram conflict and almost doubled since 2017.

The NST documented 1,949 deaths through October 2018, compared to 1,041 sectarian-related deaths in all of 2017. The violence is about even with Boko Haram, in terms of the number of conflict-related victims. Deaths related to the Boko Haram conflict through October 2018 are roughly 1,900.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Leadership of Nigeria is not meant for our forefathers| Legit TV

Source: Legit
Patrons of the Friendlys at the Phillipsburg Mall will have to seek another place to get their fix of burgers, tuna melts, candy shop sundaes and Fribble shakes.

The restaurant closed its doors sometime Saturday, shutting down operations immediately, confirmed chain spokeswoman Alyssa Stevens. Stevens did not provide a reason for the closure of the establishment at 1186 Route 22 at the border of Lopatcong and Pohatcong townships, but said patrons can visit the Friendlys along William Penn Highway in Palmer Township.

It was just the latest business to close at the mall. The restaurant has been a fixture there since at least 2011-2012. The mall itself opened in 1989.

The Friendlys chain was established by two brothers who opened the first Friendlys ice cream shop in Massachusetts in 1935. The name, "Friendly, was a promise that the small ice cream shop would be a friendly place for families to enjoy a meal together, according to the chains website.

In 2011, the Associated Press reported the parent company of Friendlys filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, closing 63 of its stores. Each store employed about 20 people, so about 1,260 jobs were lost at the time. Friendlys had said the economic downturn coupled with higher costs and high rents drove it to file for bankruptcy protection.

Friendly Ice Cream Corp. later announced it secured $70 million in financing and that its 424 remaining restaurants would stay open and pay its estimated 9,000 employee salaries and benefits as it reorganized under bankruptcy protection, according to the Associated Press report.

But several businesses have been closing in the vicinity of the Phillipsburg Mall.

Fashion store H&M will close its gates for the last time on Jan. 12, a manager there confirmed last week. The Hallmark store also posted signs saying it will close up shop Jan. 28. Old Navy left the mall in September for the Pohatcong Plaza, less than half a mile down Route 22.

These all followed more store closings over the past year. Bon-Ton announced in February it would shut down its Phillipsburg Mall location. And the mall lost Sears, one of its original anchors, in January. (That empty store caused even more problems when its roof caved in after heavy rain in August.)

Also unclear are future plans for the Phillipsburg Mall.

Mason Asset Management, based in Great Neck, N.Y., bought the mall property in 2013 for $11.5 million. Masons president, Elliot Nassim, at the time said the firm planned to upgrade the mall, which by that point had already been beset with sizable vacancies for years.

Nassim in February said his company was exploring alternatives for the site, including redevelopment.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
In an effort to curtail plastic straw use, which contributes to dangerous plastic waste in the oceans, universities in the Lehigh Valley are making the switch to paper straws and promoting the use of reusable metal straws.

At Lehigh University, the initiative began at the start of the fall 2018 semester, after Jason Lenig, the director of retail dining services, watched the infamous sea turtle video, in which a sea turtle had a plastic straw wedged deep inside its nostril.

I met with the sustainability group over the summer and brought it up as an opportunity to be proactive and commit to doing the right thing, says Lenig.

Once Lenig crunched the numbers, he saw Lehigh was using 50,000 straws annually.

I knew we could really make an impact, he says of the decision to ban plastic straws.

And the effect could be far-reaching, says freshman Liv Newman, the reporting assistant for the data and metrics team for the colleges office of sustainability.

The college hosts 7,000 students from all over the country and world, she says. Lehigh has a wide-reaching impact on many groups of people. This lesson in sustainability is something they can take home with them and spread there.

Campuses on both sides of the mountain are making similar efforts to reduce single-use plastic consumption.

At Lafayette College in Easton, the move to reduce plastic straw use comes from the top. The colleges dining vendor, Bon Appetit Management Company, aims to phase out all plastic straws and drink stirrers in its 1,000 cafes and restaurants across 33 states, including 100 higher education clients, by September 2019.

We will be eliminating most of the 90,000 straws we used last year at Lafayette, says Bonnie Powell, director of communications for Bon Appetit Management Company. We also hope it increases acceptance and adoption of the reusable programs on campus, such as the reusable metal straws for sale, reusable mug incentive program, and reusable eco-to-go.

The company notes it will make a small reserve of plastic straws available for people with disabilities or access issues.

Many students are pleased, says Carolyn Karwick, Bon Appetit resident district manager at Lafayette College. They support the initiative and appreciate the reasoning behind it.

At Muhlenberg College in Allentown, making the move to paper straws is just part of a larger campus initiative to reduce waste, says Kalyna Procyk, sustainability coordinator and adjunct professor of political science and sustainability studies.

Since the campus decided to ditch plastic and offer safer, more sustainable paper straws a year ago, straw consumption has gone down 50 percent, says Procyk, or about 150,000 per year.

While I dont have specific insight on why weve seen the significant decrease in consumption, people may be saying, Do I really need this straw or I dont like these (paper straws) as much, and theyre using less of them, she says.

Dining places on campus offer reusable to-go containers for food leftovers and glass mason jars for beverages, and many students are opting for reusable bags instead of the single-use plastic, which are slowly being banned across the country. In 2014, California became the first state to ban the bags.

Northampton County is hearing a resolution proposed by County Councilwoman Tara Zrinski that would ban plastic bags and straws and push to make replacements biodegradable, according to the Lehigh Valley Sustainability Network. (The resolution was scheduled to be heard Dec. 13, but has been postponed.)

The students are really in favor of these simple changes, says Procyk. Its a gateway change, where if you do one little thing, it really opens your eyes to other kinds of behaviors you may want to consider changing.

One of the student leaders of the initiative at Muhlenberg is junior Mimi Salters, who served as the sustainability intern for the colleges dining services. She penned the marketing campaign, Think Before You Sip, to educate on and promote the move to paper straws.

This initiative is important because it educates students on the impacts of their daily choices, which are not given much thought otherwise, Salters says. Its not about forcing students to use paper straws, but about behavior change. We want students to be educated with the choices they make and understand the costs and benefits of each choice.
Croi Laighean Credit Union is suffering some growing pains judging by comments at its Annual General Meeting, held in St Mary Secondary School in Edenderry on December 12.

Members agreed to the 2 deduction from saving accounts towards the community fund.

They agreed to a 0.25% dividend on member shares and a 10% rebate on the interest paid by the 7,165 people in the 40,000 member Credit Union, who are borrowers at the moment.

There are now around 10,000 transactions per week in the eight branches and around 12,500 online.

But there was criticism of the phone system from some members. The credit union said that it experienced staff problems at Leixlip.

The former Leixlip & District Credit Union merged into Croi Laighean (then a merger of Coill Dubh and Edenderry) last March.

Leixlip member, Kathleen King, said she preferred to speak to people who knew her in the Leixlip branch.

Board chairman, Brian Manning, said there were plans to improve the telephone service.

Former Leixlip board member, Marlene Travers, said the previous Saturday, there were only two staff in Leixlip, due to illness, and a sick person had to come in. She thought the merger would mean people could move between branches.

Mr Manning said they had problems in Leixlip which was last in to CLCU, but would sort them out. He said there was sick staff elsewhere too.

Some members asked about the salary of the CEO but Mr Manning and others said this was unfair.
Keith Barry will bring his new show Deception to Kildare in the Glenroyal Hotel on December 30.

The internationally acclaimed Mind Magicians new show is billed as his biggest and most spectacular production yet.

The show, which starts its tour across Ireland on December 28 will include the themse of mind control, brainwashing, subliminal messaging, cults, and every form of deception imaginable.

The show advertises that Mr Barry will blur the line between reality and deception.

The 42-year-old Waterford man has had a high profile television career in Europe and especially in the US where he has had shows on both several of the large networks.

The Leinster Leader spoke to Mr Barry who explained that he came up with the idea for the show first when I examined all different areas of deception, so I examined everything from cults to brain-washing to conspiracy theories and then I developed a routine around all those different areas and topics.

I figured out that were in a more deceptive world now than weve ever been in. For instance, one of the routines is based around social media.

I have another routine based around the Jones Cult, when in 1978 the Jonestown Massacre he (Jones) got all his followers to drink Kool Aid which was actually cyanide.

So I create a Russian Roulette style effect with hydrochloric acid and water.

And every night Im putting 10,000 up for grabs cash if somebody can even manage to deceive me in a routine.

It all culminates in a crazy bizarre weird experiment at the end of the whole show, probably the weirdest end Ive ever come up with on a show.

Although this is the first time he has put up 10,000, he says that people have won cash from me on stage before.

Two people in the Olympia won 500 each, and then last year a guy in the west won 1,000 on stage, so people can certainly win the cash alright.

Mr Barry has played in the Glenroyal a couple of times before, and Ive played in a few of the hotels around Kildare over the years.

This is probably my third time playing in the Glenroyal, he explained.

Im just going to tour Ireland with this show, and theres other stuff Ill be doing abroad, mainly television. Ive also doing a lot of corporate work and keynote speeches abroad also.

If you miss the show in the Glenroyal, it runs across 24 dates to right through until March 16 in Cork. You can book tickets to the show via keithbarry.com

Blazing a trail

Keith Barry has been blazing a trail across the globe for many years.

His skills have been showcased in over forty international television shows, including his most recent series, Youre Back in the Room which was the first hypnotism format on TV in the UK for several years.

As well as his own successful US TV series, Deception with Keith Barry, Keith has appeared many times on some of the most prestigious US shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Jimmy Kimmel Show and The Conan OBrien Show.

He has also brain-hacked many celebrities including Woody Harrelson, Bono, Nicole Scherzinger, Morgan Freeman and many more.

Keith has written, produced and performed many of his own stage shows in the last fifteen years and has sold out venues in the US, Australia, Canada, Spain, South Africa, the UK and of course in Ireland.

He presented his keynote speech Mind Magic at The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, The Pendulum Summit and The Dublin Tech Summit.

His TED Talk has been in the top 25 TED Talks since 2008 and it boasts over 25 million views.
On Christmas Day over 40 hearty souls will brave the cold waters of Lough MacNean, Blacklion at 12.30pm to raise funds for the RNLI. This years swim marks the 25th year of this charity event.

The event was started back in 1993 when 14 locals entered the waters on Christmas morning raising money for Concern.

Over the years they have gathered money for various charities, both local and national. One of their most successful years saw over 80 swimmers raise 9,000 for Holles Street Neo Natal Unit.

Theyve had all types of weather over the years and they lived up to their name on two separate occasions when they actually had to break the ice to allow swimmers into the water.

Huge crowds turn out every year to support the participants and it has turned into an excellent social event where neighbours and friends get to meet up on Christmas morning.

They would like to thank everyone who has supported them over the years, from the organisers, people that donated, the swimmers and those who provided the much needed hot punch at the end of the swim. Without all of their support every year the event wouldnt be possible.

This year marks their 25th year and they wanted to select a charity they had never picked before.

They have swimmers from Cavan, Fermanagh and Leitrim so they thought the RNLI was the perfect charity. It relies heavily on voluntary contributions so they are happy to be able to help.

They have set up a registration process this year and have a free goodie bag for the first 50 people to register. They have a very limited number of these left so act fast!

The event kicks off at 12.30pm and all swimmers are asked to sign in, drop off their sponsorship money and pick up their goodie bags before this.

Anyone interested can register online at www.macneanicebreakers.eventbrite.ie

They are also taking online donations on https://ie.gofundme.com/mac-nean-icebreaker-christmas-swim Facebook page - MacNeanIceBreakers

l MacNean Ice Breakers 25th Christmas Swim on Christmas Day at Lough MacNean, Blacklion at 12.30pm.
Let me make it quite clear, when you are in this jurisdiction you will respect the law and the Guards, said Judge Kevin P Kilrane prior to imposing a conviction against Sean Hegarty in relation to a charge of threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in Kinlough in June of this year when he appeared before Manorhamilton District Court.

Giving evidence in the case against the defendant at last week's sitting, Frank McGovern said on June 2, 2018 he was in his sitting room at Aughamore, Kinlough when his wife arrived home saying there was someone outside taking photos of their house.

Mr McGovern said he went outside to the gateway and noticed a gentleman with a mobile phone or a camera. When he asked if he could help the man, the reply he received was mind your own business.

Mr McGoverns wife came out of the house a short time later, saying she was going to phone the Gardai. Mr McGovern told the Court the defendant said you know who I am, to which he replied, I dont.

Continuing his evidence Mr McGovern said his wife attempted to phone the Gardai with Mr Hegarty informing them that would not be a good idea.

He said where he comes from they deal with things without the use of guards.

Mr Hegarty was said to have then leaned towards a wall and picked up a hammer.

He came within three or four yards implying we should settle things one to one.

Mr McGovern added, Rosemary (his wife) said the Guards were on the way, with Mr Hegarty allegedly then waving the hammer saying that was a bad idea and to go 'back across the water'.

Under cross-examination from Insp Paul Kilcoyne, Mr McGovern said, Rosemary said he looked like he had taken drink. I personally hadnt noticed that.

Under cross-examination from defending solicitor Gerry McGovern, Frank McGovern said his relationship with his neighbours was Not particularly good.

He agreed that he had called the Gardai on a number of occasions.

When asked where the neighbour who had lived next door to them, Yvonne James, was, the witness said she had moved out.

Mr McGovern (solicitor) said, She moved out because she couldnt put up with living next door to neighbours from hell.

Frank McGoverns wife, Rosemary, gave evidence saying when she returned home on the evening in question she observed a gentleman outside their property who appeared to be taking pictures.

Ms McGovern said she joined her husband outside while he was in conversation with the defendant and was told, If you phone the Guards, that will be the biggest mistake of your life.

When asked to detail the conversation that took place outside she said, I wasnt really listening. I was more concerned about getting my husband to take a step back.

Under cross-examination from Insp Kilcoyne she added, He was telling my husband to go back to where he came from. He was talking to us with a Northern Irish accent - how dare he.

Under cross-examination from Gerry McGovern (defending), the witness said, This man threatened me with a hammer. I dont know who he is, where he is from or what he is capable of.

Mr McGovern (solicitor) said there was no attempt to threaten the McGovern family saying, If someone has a hammer in their hand it looks threatening. You came out of your house and walked towards him.

Gda Bernard Kenny gave evidence saying he received a phone call to Kinlough Garda Station at approximately 7pm on the date in question and spoke to Mr and Mrs McGovern and on June 24 he took possession of cctv belonging to the McGoverns.

Gda Kenny also attended the property of Yvonne James and spoke to the defendant, Sean Hegarty, who has an address at 2 Casement View, Larne, Co Antrim.

The defendant was invited to make a statement but wanted to consult with his solicitor before doing so. The Court heard he did not make a statement.

Mr Hegarty told Gda Kenny he was thinking of erecting a sign and he showed Gda Kenny his camera which contained seven photos of the McGovern property, the wall and the roadway.

Gda Kenny added he could smell alcohol from the defendant but noted, He was very much able to hold down a conversation.

Insp Kilcoyne added that he had viewed cctv footage taken from the McGovern property saying, I think the movement of the defendant, carrying the hammer in a manner that wouldn't be usual, I would construe that as threatening in the very least.

Insp Kilcoyne added that the defendant picked up the hammer from the adjacent wall during the conversation with the McGoverns.

The defendant, Mr Hegarty, gave evidence saying he had been visiting the property next door to the McGoverns since the previous September and had stayed there for several weeks at a time.

Explaining his actions he said, I was going to erect a sign about parking because its on a bend. Its dangerous.

He added that he took measurements and photographs of the bend adding, They came out and it all kicked off.

Mr Hegarty insisted he was not on property belonging to the McGoverns at any stage noting, The only time I wasnt on private property (belonging to Ms James) was when I crossed the road to take pictures of the bend.

When asked if he intended to cause any harm he replied, Not in the slightest. Like a lot of people sometimes I would talk with my hands.

Mr Hegarty was then asked if he made threats to injure or harm the McGoverns to which he replied, No. As far as I was concerned it was handbags at dawn.

Insp Kilcoyne expressed the belief the conversation between the parties was at the heart of the dispute asking, What were your comments?

In reply Mr Hegarty said, I did say a few things - who the f*** do you think you are'.

She accused me of drink driving, my father was killed by a drink driver. I got upset by that, as I am now. I told him I was measuring the wall.

When asked again to detail the conversation between the parties Mr Hegarty replied, I cant remember word for word.

Following further questioning Mr Hegarty denied that he was intoxicated or that he had an intoxicant taken at the time.

When it was put to him that on the cctv footage he appears to stumble on a few occasions, Mr Hegarty replied that was due to the uneven ground he was walking on.

Having heard the evidence Judge Kevin P Kilrane said, This is somewhat of a powderkeg, years of difficulties.

He noted there had been A lot of ill-will between the parties.

Judge Kilrane continued, On the occasion in question the defendant did have alcohol taken and was going to erect a sign. Not necessarily an offensive sign but in some way connected to protecting property. I do not think the photos were being taken maliciously.

Judge Kilrane formed the opinion frustration and annoyance flared up, with Mr Hegarty having wrongly come to the conclusion he was being accused of drink driving.

Something cracked in his mind - they are his own words.

Judge Kilrane added, I dont think he was gone to the point where he was ever going to use the hammer, although he added, It wouldnt have taken a lot longer before Mr Hegarty would have lost control completely.

He grabbed the hammer, waved the hammer and approached the McGoverns. One doesnt do that sort of thing and it is frightening.

Imposing a conviction against the defendant who has no previous convictions in this jurisdiction but has three convictions in Northern Ireland - two for disorderly behaviour and one for assault causing actual bodily harm - Judge Kilrane stated firmly,

Let me make it quite clear, when you are in this jurisdiction you will respect the law and the Guards.

You will respect the police force known as An Garda Siochana and no implication there is another way of dealing with matters.

Imposing a conviction and a 200 fine Judge Kilrane said, That is the end of this particular dispute.
AN INPATIENT facility in America named after a Limerick native celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary this month.

Everystep Kavanagh House, named after Sister Eve Kavanagh RSCJ, located in Des Moines, Iowa opened back in 1993 by nurse Joyce Hutchinson and Sr Kavanaghs other colleagues.

Sr Kavanagh was born on Christmas Eve in 1937, named after the day she was born to Frank Kavanagh Snr., a sausage butcher in Roches Street and his wife Monica, she and her five siblings, lived most of their young lives in the South Circular Road area.

After entering the Sacred Heart order in England, her nursing experience garnered the invitation from Sr Margaret Smith RSCJ to establish a hospice in Iowa back in 1977, with the first care centre officially opening in 1978.

Hospice care was a new concept in the United States at that period, Sr Kavanagh and her fellow staff laid the foundation to what will eventually expand into seven care facilities in Des Moines, including Kavanagh House.

Following the passing of a patient with no nearby family she cared for, Sr Kavanagh would leave the state of Iowa in 1983 for upstate New York where she later retired.

The South Circular Road natives legacy of selfless care for others lives on through her former co-workers.
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UP to 40 older people from across West Limerick are set for a New Year boost after being picked for a unique computer skills programme.

They will link up with 40 Transition Year students of Desmond College, Newcastle West, for a groundbreaking intergenerational learning programme, with the hope the youngsters can get the older folks up to speed.

Limerick City and County Council has teamed up with partners in Fermanagh, Sweden and Iceland to help deliver the first ever Place-EE European Research Project.

Funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctiv Programme, its a pilot test for residents of sparsely populated areas.

Residents in Newcastle West, Athea, Glin, Loughill, Ballyhahill, Foynes, Carrigkerry, Shanagolden, Kilcolman and the surrounding areas have been targeted, says Jillian Robinson, the councils community engagement officer leading the programme.

The project is looking to touch on loneliness and social exclusion, and the experiences of people in rural regions, she explained, We want to produce innovative solutions to building computer literacy.

As part of the programme, there will be a series of workshops  four with the older people on their own, looking at questions of what services are needed in West Limerick, as well as two workshops for the youngsters.

The two groups will then unite, and Ms Robinson hopes both parties can benefit from each others experience.

It creates mutual respect and learning from each other. Skills, both practical and emotional are learnt. Not every young person would have a grandparent alive for example, or they might not be in contact with each other. They dont realise what they have to offer, she added.

Ms Robinson has identified people to benefit from the programme by reaching out to West Limerick Resources, local libraries, health centres, and faith-based groups.

There will be a cultural heritage archive put together as part of the project, documenting cultural storytelling, and key cultural ideas they the old people have that they want to share with the younger people.

Asked why West Limericks heartlands were picked for the project, Ms Robinson added: It straddles two municipal districts [Adare/Rathkeale and Newcastle West] and its unique as its party coastal. Its on the periphery of the Limerick county border which is in line with other project demonstration borders."

Its expected to kick into action early in the New Year.
TRANSPORT Minister Shane Ross got a drubbing from councillors in Limerick this week when he was called on to step down and was accused of being arrogant and carrying out a deliberate assault on rural Ireland.

Fine Gael counillor Adam Teskey led the attack on the minister over his proposals for penalty points and increased fines for speeding and for non-carrying of a driving licence. And at a meeting of Adare Rathkeale Municipal District, he called for the ministers resignation.

We are going to be going back to the days of the ass and cart, he declared this Tuesday when his demand was unanimously supported by the other councillors.

Cllr Teskey also called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to consider Minister Ross position.

The call comes amid increased speculation that government ministers and TDs are being spooked by reaction to Minister Ross proposals which are now due to go before a Cabinet sub-committee.

Minister Ross proposals had generated huge frustration and disappointment, Cllr Teskey said but he was particularly incensed by the proposal on carrying a driving licence at all times.

If you are stopped and you are not carrying your driving licence, you would have two to three penalty points imposed and a fine, Cllr Teskey said.

On a journey from Rathkeale to Limerick, a person could clock up enough points to lose their licence, he declared. And he argued that by removing a gardas discretion on the matter, Minister Ross was demonstrating his arrogance.

The proposals, he said, were all about raising revenue and had nothing to do with road safety, Cllr Teskey argued.

This is not the first time this Minister has aggravated the people of rural Ireland, Cllr Kevin Sheahan said. There is an arrogance in Mr Ross I dont like.

If it is road safety he is concerned about, how many people have lost their lives on our roads and dont have a licence in their pockets?, he demanded.

This is comic-book stuff. It is Fr Ted stuff, Cllr Sheahan said and he called on his own party leader, Micheal Martin to approach the Taoiseach and have Minister Ross switched to another department or dropped.

If he walks, it will not bring down the government, he pointed out, thanks to Deputy Martins patriotic stance in continuing the confidence and supply agreement. In fact, he argued, the Taoiseachs hand had been strengthened.

The proposals demonstrated complete and utter disregard for rural Ireland, Cllr Ciara McMahon said and she accused Minister Ross of living in a cocoon, in a city where he could get buses, trams and trains easily.

Down here we are lucky to get street lights, she said. We are rural people. We need to start protecting our livelihood.

Cllr Emmett OBrien described the proposals as a deliberate assault on the working men and women of rural Ireland.

The original purpose of penalty points was to penalise serious offences such as dangerous driving or drunken driving, he said, but it had now turned into a litany of penalty points.

Misdemeanours will now have penalty points, Cllr OBrien declared. We have to the point where we have lost the run of ourselves.

It is like the Highland Clearances in Scotland in the 1830s, he added.

Drivers should be able to download their licence to their mobile phone, instead of having to carry their licence at all times, Cllr Stephen Keary said.

Councillors agreed to contact the Taoiseach and Deputy Micheal Martin on the matter and to circulate the motion to other local authorities.
PAT McDonagh is a man who doesnt have much time for a holiday as he has agreed to purchase his second hotel in County Limerick.

The Supermacs boss exclusively confirmed to the Limerick Leader that he had signed on the dotted line to buy the Castle Oaks House Hotel in Castleconnell. It is understood the sale price is in the region of 3.5 million. CBRE Hotels, who handled the process, were guiding the 64-bedroom hotel on extensive grounds at 2.5m to 2.75m.

Mr McDonagh and wife, Una, already own the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick and the Charleville Park Hotel, located a few miles from the county bounds.

Castleconnell is a coveted area to live in. That is why we see the increased opportunity for growth in the area, said Mr McDonagh.

The entrepreneur said it is an excellent location beside the Shannon in the picturesque village  and in close proximity to Limerick city.

It is a nice hotel. We like the location. It is ideal for weddings and functions. We are very happy with it. There is a lot of potential there. Its a beautiful old period house that has obviously been converted in to a hotel. There is a lot of history attached to it. Were delighted, he continued.

Mr McDonagh said Limerick is on the up and up.

That area of Limerick, the east part of the city is thriving. A lot of new industries and new jobs are being created there. Business is growing in the area - you have Troy Studios expanding, that is creating a lot of jobs. Plassey Business Park is there, the university, obviously, and a lot of major employers like Northern Trust. Limerick is on the up and up, said Mr McDonagh.

He describes the Castle Oaks as ideal for weddings and functions. The hotel has established itself as a venue for couples celebrating their nuptials. It is understood that by the end of the year it will have hosted 70 weddings in the Stradbally suite, which can accommodate 280 guests.

Mr McDonagh moved to assure those who have weddings booked in 2019 and beyond that it is going to be business as normal.

All bookings will be honoured and whatever price has been agreed with the previous management, we will adhere to that, he said.

The sale will be now referred to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

Mr McDonagh plans a major investment into the hotel.

We probably wont get possession for two or three months. It depends on the competition authority. Hopefully we will get possession in March and start fairly much straight away. We will be investing to upgrade the facilities over the next 12 months, said Mr McDonagh.

Dee Ryan, chief executive of Limerick Chamber, knows the hotel well. She celebrated her own wedding there and resides in Castleconnell.

Im delighted to welcome this announcement from Mr McDonagh and his leadership team of their further investment in the Limerick region. The Castle Oaks House Hotel on the banks of the river Shannon is a key economic driver locally, with a trade comprising business events, weddings and international bus tours.

To get the backing of one of the countrys highest profile entrepreneurs, who has done an incredible job with other hotel properties, is a boost to the regional business community and great news as we come to the end of the year, said Ms Ryan, who is also a committee member of Love Castleconnell  an initiative and brand set up by the local community to promote and preserve the character of the village.

Mr McDonagh, renowned for his savvy investments and his innovative approach, has many times stated that he views Limerick as a good place to do business in. With this acquisition of the Castle Oaks House Hotel, on top of his investment at the Castletroy Park Hotel and his multiple Supermacs outlets, Mr McDonagh has deepened his commitment to the Limerick region as a key hub for his group. We look forward to his investment plans at the Castle Oaks and raising the bar for a property with enormous further potential, said Ms Ryan.

John Hughes, of CBRE Hotels, handled the sale on behalf of the receiver  Tom Kavanagh of Deloitte Ireland.

We were very pleased with how the sale went. There was a lot of interest in the Castle Oaks, primarily from existing Irish hotel groups who are expanding their current portfolios. There were viewers on behalf of international buyers as well but they would have been outnumbered by Irish interest, said Mr Hughes.

Like Mr McDonagh and Ms Ryan, he said Limericks reputation was reflected by the number of enquiries.

A lot of people were looking at the developments taking place with Limerick 2030. The Castle Oaks is only 10kms from Limerick city and it certainly benefitted from the uplift in the city as it is in close proximity to the university, industry and tourism is on the up, said Mr Hughes.
Australians are very environmentally conscious, he said. We care a lot about our land, and I think a lot of that stemmed from the first people of Australia and how the land means so much to them. Its something that is sacred and that you should treat with respect, and Australians, we sort of grow up with that mentality.
The sky was clear and the moon had risen high, but Capt. W.J. Watson of the British ship Charles Bal noticed that the Java Sea had "suddenly assumed a milky-white appearance."

Watson commented that the sky that night - Aug. 22, 1883 - took on a pinkish hue, "as when the Aurora is showing faintly." Then, four days later, the volcanic island of Krakatau was "enveloped in heavy blackness."

"At 3.30 we heard above us and about the island a strange sound, as of a mighty crackling fire," Watson wrote, "or the discharge of heavy artillery at one or two seconds' interval ... To us it looked like blinding rain, and had the appearance of a furious squall, of ashen hue."

The volcano's eruption was one of the most catastrophic disasters of modern times. It began in May 1883 and lasted nine months, killing more than 36,000 people.

Most of Krakatau was destroyed in the cataclysm, but another island - Anak Krakatau, or "child of Krakatau" - began forming in 1927 and has erupted several times. The latest was on Saturday and potentially caused the tsunami that hit coastlines along Indonesia's Sunda Strait and killed more than 200 people.

At the peak of the 1883 eruption, which Watson witnessed from Aug. 26 to 28, Krakatau shot ash 50 miles into the sky and was heard 2,200 miles away in Australia. A black cloud covered the region and plunged everything into darkness for two and a half days. Smaller eruptions were reported through February 1884.

The whole world felt the effects of Krakatau. The volcanic debris in the air absorbed sunlight, causing global temperatures to plunge more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

The particles in the atmosphere also caused extraordinary sunsets. British poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote of an evening sky "more like inflamed flesh than the lucid reds of ordinary sunsets." In Poughkeepsie, New York, firefighters were dispatched after one resident mistook the striking sunset for a fire in the distance.

Some scholars believe that the famous painting "The Scream," by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, depicts one of the vivid sunsets that resulted in the aftermath of Krakatau's eruption.

Only a portion of Krakatau remained after the explosion. But within decades, Anak Krakatau formed in its remnants.
Washington

The partial government shutdown that began early Saturday will continue for the next several days, as Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, adjourned the Senate until Thursday and the White House indicated that President Donald Trump was sticking to his demand for $5 billion for a border wall.

In a call with reporters, administration officials indicated that the president would not relent on his signature campaign promise, saying that the only way out of the impasse was for Senate Democrats to do something they have promised never to do  grant him the $5 billion for border security.

But even as the White House officials spoke, Vice President Mike Pence was at the Capitol presenting an offer to the top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer of New York, according to Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He offered no details about the proposal, and said it would be difficult to reach any deal Saturday.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top House Democrat, suggested in an interview that if an agreement was not struck by the close of the weekend, lawmakers and staff members in her chamber should also go home for the Christmas holiday. "I really do think that if it doesn't happen today or tomorrow, then people should just be with their families and relax," she said, adding, "We have certainty we will end this the first week in January," when Democrats assume control of the House.

Large sections of the federal government closed at 12:01 a.m. Saturday in the third shutdown of Trump's 23 months in office. It was 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 Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who is departing, said in her recent farewell speech, "something is broken, and if we don't 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 Trump's 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 government's 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.

Roughly 380,000 workers were expected to be sent home, and another 420,000 considered too essential to be furloughed  including airport security officials and Customs and Border Protection officers  were to remain on the job without pay. National parks generally planned to remain open, though with reduced services in some cases and without the presence of rangers to assist visitors.

The shutdown's effects will become more pronounced Wednesday, when workers had been scheduled to return after the holiday.

After remaining publicly silent on the shutdown through much of Saturday morning, Trump took to Twitter a little before noon. "I am in the White House, working hard," tweeted the president, who canceled his Florida holiday getaway to his club Mar-a-Lago due to the shutdown. First lady Melania Trump was flying back to Washington to be with her husband.

"We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay," he wrote, not specifically mentioning his much-promised wall.

The president delayed his planned 16-day vacation to Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort, where he had intended to interview a host of possible candidates for Cabinet secretary positions.

While administration officials were negotiating with Senate Democrats, Trump hosted a Republicans-only lunch at the White House; the guests included Shelby and several leaders of the House Freedom Caucus, die-hard Trump supporters who have been leading the push for wall funding and encouraging the president to demand it.

In the Capitol, the Senate was officially in session until Saturday afternoon. The two Senate leaders  McConnell and Schumer  gave dueling speeches on the Senate floor, with McConnell pointing the finger at Democrats and Schumer pointing the finger at Trump.

"They brought this about because they're under a lot of pressure  we all know this  from their far left and feel compelled to disagree with the president," McConnell said, referring to Democrats. He said Republicans have "pushed the pause button until the president, from whom we will need a signature, and Senate Democrats, from whom we will need votes, reach agreement."

Schumer said the shutdown had occurred "because of one person and one person alone  President Trump. We arrived at this moment because the president has been on a destructive two-week temper tantrum demanding the American taxpayer pony up for an expensive, ineffective border wall that the president promised Mexico would pay for."

Saturday's negotiations followed a tumultuous week in the Capitol. On Thursday, the Republican-led House, voting mostly along party lines, passed a stopgap spending measure to fund the nine agencies, and attached $5.7 billion to it for border security and disaster relief.

The Senate on Friday voted 48-47, with Pence breaking a tie, to begin debate on that legislation. But leaders of both parties agreed the vote was largely meaningless and that the House bill had no chance of passing the Senate, because Republicans could not get help from Democrats to muster the 60 votes required under Senate rules. That sent White House and congressional officials back to the negotiating table.

With Trump publicly sticking to his demand of $5 billion for a wall  or, as he said on Twitter on Friday, "artistically designed steel slats"  there were a number of potential compromises that would have forced him to drop it, by perhaps leaving out spending on a wall while instead beefing up spending on other security measures at the border, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

Among the options discussed behind closed doors were proposals that would allocate anywhere from $1.6 billion to $2.5 billion to border security, none of which could be spent on a wall. But it was not clear that conservatives in the House, who insisted Thursday on adding the $5.7 billion for the barrier, would back that solution.

Lawmakers were exasperated and eager to head home for the Christmas holiday. Some held out hope early Saturday that Democrats would meet the White House halfway on Trump's $5 billion demand. Democrats in the Senate have offered, at various points, $1.3 billion or $1.6 billion for border security, including fencing  but not a wall.

The effects of the shutdown will spread with time, particularly once the workweek begins. The Smithsonian Institution said it had enough money that its museums, as well as the National Zoo in Washington, could remain open through Jan. 1.

Even agencies that remained open, though, said they may need to curb their operations. The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, Fla., for example, said it would still issue its usual predictions and alerts, but that it would limit social media posts "to subjects that are directly related to forecasts and warnings."

In Windsor Locks, Conn., a Transportation Security Administration agent stacked plastic bins at Bradley International Airport late Friday. The agent, Daniel Defosse, said he wasn't too upset that he would be working without pay. "It's a job. It comes with the territory, honestly," he said. Still, he added, "it's not going to be fun, but we've got to do it."

At the same time, in Washington, the blame game was under way. With Democrats set to take over the House in January, their leaders wasted little time in reminding the nation that Republicans are, for now at least, still running the show.

"Regrettably, America has now entered a Trump Shutdown," Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement late Friday.

"Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House," the statement 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."

The use of that phrase  Trump Shutdown  was a calculated effort by the Democrats to force Trump to take blame. In his much-publicized meeting with Schumer and Pelosi in the Oval Office earlier this month, the president said he would do just that, declaring, "I am proud to shut down the government for border security." He added, "I am not going to blame you for it."

But as Friday's midnight deadline drew near, Trump had reversed himself and was using the phrase "Democrat shutdown" to describe the latest turn of events.

"If enough Dems don't vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown!" Trump declared on Twitter on Friday, right before the Senate took its vote.

But Trump himself was complicating the chances of any deal; during a meeting with Republican senators on Friday morning, he refused to provide specifics about what kind of plan he could support, including how much money he would accept for fortifying the border, despite their repeated efforts to ascertain his conditions for a deal, according to a Senate official briefed on the session who insisted on anonymity to describe it.

Democrats, meanwhile, felt they had the upper hand, given the Republican majority in the House will expire in two weeks.

"Abandon your shutdown strategy," Schumer said on the Senate floor Friday, addressing his remarks to the president. "You're not getting the wall today, next week or on Jan. 3 when Democrats take control of the House."

Meanwhile, one nemesis of the president  celebrity chef Jose Andres, who backed out of a deal to open a restaurant in the Trump hotel in Washington after Trump made derogatory remarks about Mexicans  delighted in tweaking the president.

"All my beautiful hardworking people of the Federal Goverment, come to any of my places with your families at the bar between 2-5 pm for a free sandwich," Andres wrote on Twitter. "Everyday until back to work!"
The following editorial appeared in Sunday's Japan News-Yomiuri:

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The latest allegation may involve a company being made to cover personal losses incurred through private transactions. If true, this would be an act of managing the company for personal benefit.

The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has rearrested former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn on suspicion of violating the Companies Law by committing an aggravated breach of trust. This is the third time that he has been arrested.

Ghosn's previous arrests concern cases in which he allegedly violated the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law by underreporting his remuneration in securities reports. These arrests were criticized by some as steps taken against violations of procedural law, but the latest arrest concerns a case in which he allegedly violated substantive law by inflicting asset losses on Nissan. It is safe to say that the probe has reached a new phase.

Ghosn suffered appraisal losses worth about 1.85 billion yen through swap transactions conducted while managing his personal assets. In October 2008, subsequent to these losses, he allegedly replaced his own asset management company with Nissan as the party that had signed a contract with a bank, thereby shifting the losses to the automaker.

After the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission had pointed a finger at his conduct as problematic, Ghosn is then alleged to have made the asset management firm a party to the contract again. He is also suspected of having a total of about 1.6 billion yen transferred from a bank account held under the name of a Nissan subsidiary to a party of an overseas acquaintance who had cooperated in Ghosn's bid to obtain a credit guarantee.

If he actually did so as alleged, Ghosn's deed constitutes a grave breach of faith against Nissan. To what extent did the automaker's board of directors grasp the sequence of developments? There is also the possibility that the bank will face questions about the appropriateness of its response to Ghosn's request.

Despite acknowledging his action of having shifted the losses to Nissan, Ghosn is said to have told investigators that the automaker has suffered no actual damage.

The statutory penalty imposed on such figures as corporate executives for an aggravated breach of trust is even more grave than that assigned to an ordinary breach of trust. This is because the former offense will more greatly affect shareholders and people tied to corporations. Given the seriousness of the matter, thorough investigations are required.

Ghosn was first arrested on Nov. 19 for allegedly falsifying securities reports. On Dec. 10, he was arrested again over similar allegations. The time he has spent at a detention house has exceeded one month.

Ghosn's third arrest came when there was growing criticism by foreign media of his two arrests over similar allegations and his long period of detention.

During interrogations following Ghosn's second arrest, a request from the special investigation team to extend his detention was rejected by the Tokyo District Court. It is unusual that such a request in a case handled by the special investigation squad is not approved.

Partly because of the view that Ghosn could soon be released on bail, the special investigation team seems to have moved forward with this third arrest.

There is no doubt that Ghosn's third arrest will further prolong his detention. Some say the latest rearrest may have been a strong measure to prevent him from being released on bail. This observation is inevitable in some respects.

Nissan has asserted that Ghosn is responsible for cases of alleged misconduct.

The special investigation team has every reason to continue its investigations if it believes Ghosn's alleged act of running Nissan for his personal benefit is the true nature of the affair. Investigators should make efforts to uncover the whole truth behind these cases while paying due attention to proper criminal procedures.
Out of the ashes of the Enron scandal rose the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which enacted protections for investors, including prohibiting the intermingling of audit and legal consulting services for the same client. The idea was to ensure that the critical guardian of the capital markets role of the auditor wasnt unduly influenced by nonaudit services. That promise of independence is now at risk.

If someone were to ask you how many lawyers are employed in client service by the global Big Four accounting firms, would your answer be: a) zero, because the Sarbanes-Oxley Act prohibits audit firms from providing legal services to clients; b) not many, because delivering legal services isnt something accounting firms have the expertise to do and would create the appearance of a conflict of interest; or c) 2,200 lawyers working in 72 countries?

The correct answer is c, as recently reported by ALM Intelligence. According to ALM, this number of lawyers employed rivals even well-known law firms such as Jones Day and Clifford Chance.

More of us ought to be concerned about potential threats to audit quality, and should be wondering how and why this has happened. It clearly represents a potential independence problem and puts pressure on the protections the act created.

The post-Enron world has been good for the Big Four, which have gradually returned to providing nonaudit (consulting) services in a significant way. Those services now include legal assistance. But this legal assistance is provided almost entirely outside the United States.

Deloitte Legal, EY Law, KPMG Law and PwC Law  these are names you probably havent heard. And the affiliated global firms are not talking too loudly about this advance into the field of law.

It is true that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act did not prohibit accounting firms from providing legal services. Rather, the law outlines restrictions or prohibitions on specified nonaudit services (including legal) that firms can provide to audit clients. Legal services may be provided to client companies that the accounting firm doesnt audit. Importantly, although tax structuring, advising and compliance services are closely related to legal work, these services are OK, even for audit clients.

The accounting giants are primarily focusing their legal services in long-standing areas of expertise  such as taxes, business structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and employment and immigration. They have built their law practices in countries where the legal and regulatory environment is favorable to ownership by nonlawyers  e.g., the United Kingdom. They hire lawyers from competing law firms and aggressively pursue joint business relationships with smaller law firms in targeted practice areas.

PwC UK recently formed an alliance with Fragomen, a New York-based immigration specialist law firm, and Deloitte UK allied with another U.S. immigration law firm, Berry Appleman & Leiden. In 2018, EY Law acquired London-based Riverview Law. The American Lawyer reports that KPMG is aiming to almost double headcount in its global legal services arm to more than 3,000 lawyers in the next few years.

The geographic concentration of the global Big Four legal practices today is primarily in Europe, but Asia is an area of growing focus. Challenges to further expansion include possible moves by global audit regulators to further restrict nonaudit services provided to audit clients. In the U.K., a serious debate has already started relating to potentially requiring audit-only firms.

Keeping the firms in compliance with multiple jurisdictional rules is already a big challenge, and expansion of legal services makes it all the more difficult.

The U.S. auditor regulator, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, has said it is monitoring the firms compliance with independence requirements, including providing legal services. It is uncertain whether rules relating to law firm ownership and the audit regulatory environment will ever allow the provision of legal services by accounting firms or their affiliates in the U.S.

That is as it should be. Regulators and auditing firms must be committed to eliminating any possibility of inappropriate influence or bias in their critical oversight of the corporate world. That unbiased and fearless oversight is essential protection for investors large and small.

Jeff Johanns is a lecturer in the accounting department at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He previously was a partner and U.S. assurance risk management leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
When Congress eliminated the penalty for not complying with the mandate to buy health insurance in 2017, it clearly left intact the Affordable Care Acts other provisions.

This was more than a matter of impotence  previous efforts to repeal the act in its entirety having been thwarted. It was also recognition that Americans deemed many of those provisions  including essential benefits such as covering pre-existing conditions and maternity care  as, well, essential.

Another sign that the public deemed health care, including these provisions, as important was the drubbing Republicans were given in the midterm elections for the U.S. House after Democrats successfully made health care a go-to issue, sidelining the partys attempt to fearmonger over immigration and a Central American caravan.

All this makes federal Judge Reed OConnors recent ruling not just legally without foundation, but without merit on the political front, Republicans pledges to create a new health care plan notwithstanding. Simply, there is no meaningful plan without an individual mandate, and thats difficult to envision without a penalty.

Yes, in upholding the ACA in 2012, a Supreme Court majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts said Congress authority in the Constitution to regulate interstate commerce did not justify the act. Instead the mandate as a form of taxation, of the kind that Congress is clearly authorized to impose, did. OConnor then reasoned that without the tax  the penalty  the rest of the act could not pass constitutional muster.

And this ignores both the congressional action that left all other provisions intact in 2017 and the fact that the Supreme Court has always perceived that it has an obligation to salvage as much of federal legislation as it can if it is undercutting part of it.

All that makes OConnors ruling legally suspect amid charges that this particular judge  nominated by President George W. Bush  went on an ideological bender to arrive at his decision. But it is full of political problems for a GOP limping into the presidential campaigns that will begin in earnest in early 2019.

If the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturns OConnor, who is based in Fort Worth, that could diminish the potency of health care as an election-year issue early. If, however, the appeals court upholds the ruling, it wont get to the Supreme Court until its term begins in October, which means a ruling sometime in the midst of 2020 electioneering.

Repeal and replace was worthless as a slogan in the midterms  because it was not believable. It is likely to be even more unbelievable in 2020.

If this ruling is allowed to stand, nearly 20 million Americans will be without coverage, with ripple effects in employer-provided health care possible because those essential benefits will have disappeared.

If Congress  with a Democratic majority in the House and a GOP majority in the Senate  is smart, it will act to shore up the ACA to insulate it from more judicial or administration damage. Meanwhile, we have a ruling with dubious legal foundation again threatening  literally  the health of the country. This is getting old. And, by the way, this is happening because of a lawsuit by states led by, you guessed it, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

If you find yourself without health care or with inadequate coverage, please drop him a note to thank him.
The study of the housing situation in Pollensa that was presented recently by researchers at the University of the Balearic Islands indicated that 2.3% of farming land (346 hectares) has been lost since 1990 because of building.

Marti Solivellas, president of the Pollensa farmers cooperative, considers this figure to be "a genuine disaster". "It is greater than I had thought. Cowbells bother tourists, and they bring us ever more problems. Land is being lost to construction and to speculation."

Solivellas says that this has had an especially harmful impact on fig trees. In the 1960s and 1970s, Pollensa was known as the village of figs. Today, the fig trees have disappeared. This used to be an important business for Pollensa, with exports to the mainland, such as to Valencia. In addition, figs were a source of food for pigs and helped with the growth of business for local meat products. "In the 1970s there were was much export of sobrassada, but this came to an end in the 1990s."

In recent years, the cooperative has looked to revive the fig trade, but this has proven to be difficult because of import health controls for Turkey fig trees. Nowadays, only some forty or fifty farmers in Pollensa derive their main business from cattle or crops. Most are dedicated to the production of lamb under the local quality mark "Me de Pollenca".

Olives have gone the same way as figs. There used to be five olive presses in Pollensa. Now, there are none. Groves have been abandoned and pine trees have taken over the land.

Solivellas is convinced that if tourism pressure continues, the farming landscape will be lost. "We have to be aware of the fact that we live on an island with limited resources."
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Majestic Theater's Jan. 2 dress rehearsal for "The Mountaintop," an award-winning drama about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that opens the following evening, will benefit the St. Thomas More Society of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

Half of the proceeds of the evening will go to a scholarship fund maintained by the society whose members are diocesan Catholics involved in the legal profession. Other dioceses have a similar society.

"We are thrilled to team up with the Majestic Theater," said Michael McDonough, director of the society and an attorney with Springfield-based Egan, Flanagan and Cohen.

"We use the money to fund a scholarship to two students each year. Students from local high schools, colleges and graduate schools may apply annually."

McDonough said he hoped the benefit "will appeal broadly to theater lovers as well as those who would like to support social justice and education."

The play, being presented during January and into February at the Majestic, is by the American playwright Katori Hall. It presents a fictionalized depiction of King's state of mind on the last night of his life through dialogue with a hotel chamber maid at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

Earlier in the day on April 3, 1968 he had delivered his famous speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop," in support of a sanitation workers' strike. The play starred Samuel L. Jackson as King and Angela Bassett as the chamber maid when it ran on Broadway in 2011.

The society's scholarship fund is named in memory of state Appeals Court Judge Kent B. Smith, the first attorney appointed to represent indigent criminal defendants in Western Massachusetts.

Scholarship applicants must be diocesan parish members who are majoring in pre-law studies, legal studies, or criminal justice.

"The scholarships vary in amount from year to year," McDonough said.

"We have given over $11,000 since 2014."

Those reserving tickets priced at $20 for Jan. 2 are asked to mention the fund-raiser. The cafe opens at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be reserved by calling (413) 747-7797 Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5.p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The show begins at 7 p.m. with the cafe open at 6:30 p.m. The theater is located at 131 Elm St.

For further information, email McDonough at mgm@efclaw.com

The 70-member society, which is named for the 15th century saint and martyr considered the patron of those in the legal profession, has the mission to "foster and promote high ethical-moral principles and the pursuit of truth in the legal profession and the administration of justice generally and in the community of Catholic lawyers, judges and legal associates particularly."

The tradition of its annual Red Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield is said to date back to medieval times in Europe when those in the legal profession would gather for Mass before the start of each court term, and the presiding priest would wear red robes.

The event also includes an awards brunch where the society, McDonough has said, recognizes individuals who "exemplify the ideals of high ethical standards in the pursuit of truth and justice."
HOLYOKE -- Former members of the long-closed Mater Dolorosa parish will gather for a final Christmas Eve prayer service with the steeple of the mostly demolished Mater Dolorosa church in the background.

The Mater Dolorosa Church Preservation Society of Holyoke will assemble outside the church at 71 Maple St. at noon on Monday. There will be music and prayers and members who have died in the past year will be remembered, said John Fydenkevez, president of the society which tried to purchase the church from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

It will probably be the last time we will see the steeple at Christmastime, he said. We will be praying for our church and those who we have lost.

The Polish Christmas Eve celebration, called Wigilia, is a special event for families and the service will kick off that event for many. Fydenkevez said he is hoping many people who attended Mater Dolorosa in the past will attend and is reaching out to them on social media and in other ways.

The Friends of Mater Dolorosa has traditionally held a Christmas Day or Christmas Eve prayer service outside the church every year since Mater Dolorosa closed in 2011.

Former members of the parish have been fighting to try to save and preserve the church since the day the Roman Catholic Diocese merged the parish with members of the former Holy Cross Church on Appleton Street, creating a new parish named Our Lady of the Cross.

When the church closed, members formed the Friends of Mater Dolorosa and occupied the building for a year. They also filed multiple unsuccessful appeals to closure to the Vatican.

The battle ended up in court at least once and former Parish members tried to ensure the church building would be preserved by trying to have it declared a historic district to preserve Polish traditions. That effort also failed.

More recently some of the former members formed the Mater Dolorosa Church Preservation Society of Holyoke to try to buy the church to be re-purposed as a cultural center. City officials also considered purchasing the church for historical preservation, but the City Council balked at the agreement, which called for the diocese to retain ownership of the churchs stained glass windows, wall paintings, murals and lamps, and did not include the church parking lot.

In early December the Diocese had the ornate stained glass windows, the organ, religious statues and other artifacts removed from the building. Asbestos was also removed and on Dec. 11 demolition started on the building.

Now the only part of the church that is still standing is the steeple, which was the subject of years of debate over its stability.
NORADs 63-year-old tradition of following Santa Claus on Dec. 24 will continue this year even with the partial government shutdown.

Volunteers at the NORAD Tracks Santa center at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado will be ready to answer phones when children call 1-877-HI-NORAD and ask when Santa Claus is coming to their home.

Military personnel who conduct NORAD Tracks Santa are supported by approximately 1,500 volunteers who make the program possible each and every year, NORAD and U.S. Northcom said on Facebook. NORAD is a bi-national military command responsible for the aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning missions for Canada and the U.S. We are on duty 24/7, 365 days a year and are committed to protect the citizens of both our countries.

Following Santa Claus began in 1955 when a media advertisement listed a phone number for children to call Santa Claus. The only problem was the number didn't go to Santa, it rang through to the crew commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.

The tradition began. People can go to NORAD Tracks Santa online to follow Santa Clause.

See the tracking map below to follow Santa Claus on Christmas Eve:
A crash in Maine that killed a Massachusetts woman Friday night remains under investigation by authorities.

Richmond, Maine police said in a news release that 52-year-old Suzanne Forti of Abington, Massachusetts was killed when a UPS van collided with her car.

Forti was driving her 2007 Ford Taurus on Route 197 while the UPS van was driving on Route 201, police said.

The vehicles collided at the intersection around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Forti died at the scene.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, police said.
With just two days until Christmas Day, Pride Stores and its customers are helping Toy for Joy in a big way move a little closer to its goal of ensuring every child has a gift for Christmas.

The company, which has partnered with Toy for Joy for the past three years, has made a $10,000 contribution to the campaign, edging it closer to its $150,000 goal by tomorrow night.

Our employees really get behind the idea of getting our customers involved this time of year, and our customers are extremely generous, said Marsha Del Monte, president of Pride Stores.

Toy for Joy is a collaborative effort by the Salvation Army, The Republican and MassLive. The charitable campaign provides toys and books to children in need in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Its community partners include the Reading Success by 4th Grade Initiative of the Irene E. And George A. Davis Foundation and Pride Stores.

Pride Stores asked customers at its locations in Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut to help contribute to Toy for Joy by going into any Pride in the area and purchasing a $1, $5 or $10 donation card for Toy for Joy.

Our customers donate $4,500, and we added a corporate donation of $5,500, Del Monte said.

For Pride and its owner and CEO, Robert Bolduc, charities which help children across our region are very important, said Cynthia G. Simison, assistant to the publisher and managing editor of The Republican. Mr. Bolduc and his wife provide support to local efforts like ours which hope to make a difference in childrens lives. We are most appreciative of the continuing support by Pride Stores, their staff and customers.

To date, donations totaling $88,561 have been received, leaving $61,439 to be raised. Todays list, along with the contribution by the Pride Stores includes $500 from the staff at the Hampden Registry of Probate, $500 from A.L. Cignoli Co. and $250 each from Garvey Communications and the owners of M & R Transportation.

Toy for Joy is local and it reaches a lot of families in the different communities we serve, so its a good match for us and we are so happy to help," Del Monte said.

The Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative is marking its second year partnering with Toy for Joy, helping ensure there is a book for every child.

Online donations are still being here.

Todays Contributions | Amount

Happy Holidays from the customers at Pride Stores 10000

In memory of Papa Lou Cignoli who loved the magic of Christmas and the Wilbraham school children he mentored 200

Happy Holidays from A. L. Cignoli Co., Inc. 500

In loving memory of Evelyn and Frank Ryan 75

In loving memory of Alphonse (Santa Claus) Lussier from Paul and Lorraine 100

In memory of Joseph F., Claire E. an 1st Lt. Michael P. Austin from Valley Farm 30

In memory of Mary Ellen Kuzmeski 10

In memory of Mary Phelon who was a very special person 100

In memory of my beloved samoyeds, love Mom 10

In memory of Gram and Dad, love Caleb, Emmie, Matt, Heather, Pete and Dave 300

Have a wonderful life 20

In loving memory of our son Jeffrey 100

Merry Christmas 50

In loving memory of our boys, Kristofer and Andrew Petersen and their grandparents Alma and John LaVigne 100

Believe 25

In loving memory of Bea Danahey and Pam Cashman who loved children 25

Merry Christmas from the Cardwells 150

In memory of Ines Albano 1000

In loving memory of Jeff Pereira 50

In memory of Mik C. and Ken M. 25

Honor of our family 50

Merry Christmas 30

Merry Christmas 25

In memory of Mine, BaBa, Nana and Happy Hogan from Tim and Mary Kate 10

In loving memory of Michael J. Lynch, miss you Lynchie 10

In loving memory of Mary Stillwell, Louise Beachell, Babs Neary, good friends are precious gifts 10

In loving memory of Samuel and Caroline Gledhill 10

Grateful for our six healthy grandchildren 20

Our deceased family and friends, God bless you 50

Roy and Patricia 25

In memory of Jim and Julie Fitzgerald 25

For Bob D. Katt, we miss you 10

For Saint Anthony, thank you 10

For Nikkomo from the Connecticut River Inter Tribal Council 60

For Joe Conway and Mary Brown, love Chris 25

Remembering Ed and Jane Gruszka and the Bednarz and Gruszka families 250

In memory of all the children of Yemen who have lost their lives because of this despicable war from Bea Robinson 100

In loving memory of our parents, YiaYia and Popou Harriet and Socrates Babacas, and dear sister and aunt Cleo Babacas Warden, missing you at Christmastime, love Bobby, Pam, Krysten, Jen, Katie, great grandson Brayden and their families 50

Joanne and Bill 100

Anonymous 100

With love, Ketchen, Phoebe and Monet 40

From the staff at the Registry of Probate in Springfield 500

In fond memories of the Clark-Whyte families, love Wendy 50

In loving memory of Baby William J. Whyte, love his mom 50

Merry Christmas from the owners of M and R Transportation LLC 250

Anonymous 100

Happy Holidays from Garvey Communications 250

Happy Holidays from Tri-State Acceptance Corp. 100

RECEIVED: $15,180.00

TOTAL TO DATE: $88,561.00

STILL NEEDED : $61,439.00
A 5-year-old Easthampton girl, rushed to a local hospital Friday morning, was pronounced dead soon after arrival, Easthampton police said Saturday.

In a Facebook posting, Easthampton Police Chief Robert Alberti said the little girl was found unresponsive in her Treehouse Circle home shortly after 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Officers responding to the scene provided emergency medical care for the girl until she was transported by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

Alberti said the girl was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The incident remains under investigation by Easthampton Police detectives and Massachusetts State Police detectives attached to the Northwest District Attorney's Office.
S. LABROU: Today is a special day and with us we have Mr Giorgos Katrougalos, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs. Good morning Mr Katrougalos. Today takes place a meeting of the National Council on Foreign Policy and Turkish provocation has crossed the line.



G. KATROUGALOS: Good morning to you and your viewers. Yes, indeed. We have scheduled a meeting of the National Council on Foreign Policy for today. Though it is not an extraordinary one. It has been in the works. As you say, we are witnessing lately a relative resurgence of Turkish activities, but this is just part of the overall policy of the neighbouring country. In fact, 2018 is overall not different from previous years. Their air and sea movements remain more or less similar.



S. LABROU: In terms of quantity, you mean?



G. KATROUGALOS: Yes, exactly, in terms of quantity. I believe, though, that if we take a bird's-eye look at our geopolitical relationship with Turkey, and even at the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, we will not notice any strengthening of Turkeys position. On the contrary, I would say. That is precisely why in my previous statements I have interpreted these actions as a manifestation of nervousness, triggered by the fact that the neighbouring country feels powerless to frustrate Cyprus attempts to exploit, as she has every right to do under international law, its abundant natural resources. And I think that its actions towards us should also be understood in the same way, as a nervous reaction to the strengthening of our own geostrategic importance in the region, which is confirmed by many things, most recently by the successful opening of a Strategic Dialogue with the USA.



D. VERYKIOS: Let's dwell on this a little longer, because if I am to trust my many years experience, I think that this Strategic Dialogue which has begun in Washington between you and Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis on the one hand, and the American side on the other, triggered many reactions by the representatives of the status quo in Ankara.



G. KATROUGALOS: The opening of US-Greece Strategic Dialogue is not aimed against Turkey or against any other country.



D. VERYKIOS: No, but they began putting anew on their agenda the Aegean. It is no coincidence, in my opinion.



G. KATROUGALOS: I would like to insist on this: what truly matters in the US-Greek Strategic Dialogue is the confirmation that Greece plays a special role as a stabilizing power in the region. I would like to draw your attention to the recent interview with the US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr W. Mitchell, who said two quite remarkable things, of which one must have obviously annoyed the neighbouring country. He said, and this reflects the American position, that the only country capable of having a stabilizing effect in the region between Israel and Poland is Greece. He also made another important observation on how Turkeys positions are approached with regard to the continental shelf and the more general maritime affairs; namely that when it comes to these matters, Turkey is a minority of one. This, therefore, exemplifies the fundamental weakness of Turkish policy. To put it differently, it has absolutely no footing in International Law. And when a country follows such a revisionist policy, entirely divorced from international legality, it inevitably compromises its chances of ever making the necessary international alliances which in fact could confirm, not only its diplomatic prestige but its geopolitical power too. When we set out to approach the USA, therefore, our objective was neither to become the gendarme of the region nor to turn against any state. We did so because lately we are constantly emitting the signal that we are a pillar of stability, not only in the Balkans, as evidenced by the Prespa Agreement, but in the Eastern Mediterranean region too. And we have succeeded in doing so with a number of initiatives, such as the very regular trilateral cooperations Greece and Cyprus have developed.



D. VERYKIOS: Here in Greece people have yet to appreciate how important these cooperations are.



G. KATROUGALOS: Exactly.



D. VERYKIOS: What happened yesterday, for example, in Israel is not a small thing.



G. KATROUGALOS: Thats totally right. And the meeting with Cyprus and Israel is perhaps the most prominent example of these trilateral partnerships, although this week we had two more, at ministerial level. We also had one with Palestine, Jordan, and another one yet with Egypt and other countries in the region ...



D. VERYKIOS: According to European plans and the global system at large, Egypt has become an emerging economy.



G. KATROUGALOS: Necessary for the stabilization of the African continent, and as far as we are concerned, also important, as you correctly pointed out, for the economic sector in view of the future creation of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between our countries. So to sum up my own estimation of the situation, we do obviously need to approach Turkeys actions with great vigilance, and yet with the sobriety deriving from the fact that Greeces strategic position has been reinforced thanks precisely to these important, successful and well-coordinated diplomatic initiatives.



S. LABROU: Why does Turkey reach these heights of provocation at this particular time? The reason I am asking this is because it is perhaps the first time we hear Mr Apostolakis using such harsh language, or sending a message to the Turks, saying two things: The first about the rocky islet and the second on a matter I would like you to comment and expound upon..



D. VERYKIOS: In other words, to clarify Spyros intention, Minister, we are trying to suss out what pushed Mr Apostolakis to make such declaration.



G. KATROUGALOS: But, listen, diplomacy alone does not always suffice. The dissuasive power of the Armed Forces is also needed, and the statement of Mr Apostolakis is meant to make clear that the Armed Forces shall always be present and ready to repel any action that constitutes a frontal challenge to our sovereignty. We do not threaten anyone.



S. LABROU: Do you fear such action on the part of Turkey? Either by accident or calculation?



G. KATROUGALOS: We are not afraid of anything. Yet we must be prepared. And we take the indispensable preparatory steps by growing our Armed Forces, and by remembering that their protocols foresee any scenario. To be sure, we must always remind the other party that we are a pacifist power which does not stake any claim, and nor does it make any threat. But of course, if necessary, we are obviously ready to repel any challenge to our sovereignty.



S. LABROU: We have mentioned our alliances and our trilateral cooperations, but Mr Apostolakis said that in the event we have to fight, we will fight on our own.



D. VERYKIOS: That's how it is. Do you expect the others to fight for us?



S. LABROU: If they are our allies...



G. KATROUGALOS: Indeed, we need to know what the balance of power is and to always try to make the necessary alliances. But if a heated incident happens there we will be alone and thats why we must prepared to fend off any aggression. On the other hand, however, we try to strengthen, as I have already said, our diplomatic alliances. Not only with the US, but with Europe too.

There is a serious debate, which is not widely known to the Greek public, about how to grow a more autonomous European defence. It is present in the Treaty of Lisbon after it was amended. Of course, Im referring to the Treaty governing the European Union. There is a provision in Article 42, paragraph 7, which states that in the event a country of the European Union is under attack it has the right to demand and expect the solidarity and support of its allies.

The French President, Mr Macron, wants to turn this mere rhetorical phrase into a reality. So we are also moving towards this direction. Needless to say, our purpose is not to go to war with our allies, but to preserve peace.



D. VERYKIOS: I believe that Mr Apostolakis statement was designed to send this message. The festive season is upon us. Let us, we the two countries, rejoice in it with quiet and harmony. Because if you try any dangerous Tarzan-like action, be sure that we will retaliate with an immediate blitz-like response. And this has already been decided. Both the government and the Armed Forces in Athens are ready.



G. KATROUGALOS: Thats precisely what Mr Apostolakis statement meant. There is nothing new. We have the same firm policy: sobriety and vigilance. Obviously, the Chief of Staff felt compelled to respond in kind to the bellicose and blustering rhetoric of the other side.



D. VERYKIOS: Will Mr Apostolakis be present at the meeting of the Council?



G. KATROUGALOS: No, habitually the National Council on Foreign Policy (NCFP) does not invite the Chief of Staff.



D. VERYKIOS: What if he is needed at some point?



G. KATROUGALOS: If he is needed, he will be invited. Just as I said before, although we have noted a relative resurgence in Turkey's movements, it has not taken a new form to justify the invocation of a crisis situation and to require the presence of the Chief of Staff.



D. VERYKIOS: This is what I was also telling them. What we witnessed in the Aegean yesterday, with the intense presence there, has been happening for the last 45 years. It is not something new.



G. KATROUGALOS: That's how it is.



S. LABROU: Who will represent New Democracy today?



G. KATROUGALOS: I think Mr Koumoutsakos. I have not heard anything different.



S. LABROU: Let me ask you something else: How do you see the resignation of the US Defence Minister? Does it play a role? What does the removal of American troops from Syria mean? And whether this is really a removal, or perhaps simply a partial withdrawal?



G. KATROUGALOS: 2,000 US troops are due to leave from Syria. It was further announced that half of the US troops stationed in Afghanistan will also leave. As you know President Trump justified this decision by saying that Islamic terrorism had been defeated. Hence, the USA had no reason to retain there any military presence. As for the resignation of the US Defence Minister, it clearly states an opposition to this view.



S. LABROU: Not only. Personally I notice that the British, Germans, and French are not only disagreeing. They are shouting against it.



G. KATROUGALOS: All this, I think, highlights the need for a more coordinated European foreign policy. When a vacuum is created in the region, it must be filled. Nature dislikes emptiness, even in the realm of diplomacy. And I think that European foreign policy should become more active, more coordinated and above all more present.

As for us, as I said earlier, we do everything we can, and not only within the limits of our trilateral contacts. There is the multilateral and combined effort of the Rhodes Conference, which is already attended by 24 European and Arab States, and whose goal is to transform the Conference into a regional system for security. And naturally we are also trying to do something similar in the European Union.

In February, a Euro-Arab Summit will be held during which many important problems will be discussed. Among them, Palestine is undoubtedly one of the most pivotal questions if peace is to emerge in the region.

Greece, therefore, and I believe this is the most salient characteristic of recent years, is not just seeking stability in the region to cope with its bilateral problems there. Rather it seeks to become a veritable yardstick for peace. And this is precisely why its diplomatic prestige has been so upgraded.



D. VERYKIOS: Minister, the Prespa Agreement is in the home stretch. The Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Parliament in Skopje has signed the amendments on citizenship, ethnicity and borders. Therefore, it seems that on 15 January, the hot Prespa potato will fall into the hands of the Greek side. It will come before the Greek Parliament for ratification, here in Athens. Tell us, please, how you plan to proceed?



G. KATROUGALOS: Thats right. We will proceed as we have agreed, precisely because we believe that the Prespa Agreement is mutually beneficial to both countries, and good for the greatest purpose we have and which I mentioned earlier, that is, the stabilization of the wider region. Indeed, now that the discussion has come to an end, it is fully being proved that all the accusations levelled against the Agreement, especially with regard to its alleged recognition of a "Macedonian nation", were unfounded.

After all, it could not be otherwise, for as it turned out most of the amendments which were tabled, were done so by Albanian parties. The Prespa Agreement could not recognize anything other than citizenship ...



D. VERYKIOS: Nonetheless, the official Opposition here in Greece, but also the other parties, do not perceive this as a substantive matter, and persist in their view that the Prespa Agreement is detrimental to national interests.



G. KATROUGALOS: Maybe, but their argument is weak. Until recently, their argument was that the Agreement conceded the existence of a Macedonian nation. From the beginning, we have been explaining that one cannot determine the right to self-determination because its underpinnings stem from International Law. The agreement had to clarify the legal relations between the two states, and thats why, what it determined, was the citizenship. What is citizenship? It is the legal relationship between the citizen and the state. It is not related to ethnic perceptions and self-determination. And this is what the recent Constitutional Revision solemnly stated, when it confirmed that the notion of citizenship, as recognized in the Prespa Agreement, does not in any way prejudge or define ethnicity.



D. VERYKIOS: The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, denounced the death threats he has again received. First of all, could you clarify if these threats have also reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Have been subject to similar threats? What do you make of these incidents, knowing that the Prime Minister felt personally obliged to intervene on them yesterday?



G. KATROUGALOS: The Prime Minister had to intervene, even in order to state the obvious; and that is that Nikos Kotzias was absolutely instrumental in shaping the entire foreign policy we have been assessing, all these trilateral and multilateral endeavours and the Prespa Agreement.

And needless to say, a threat on the life of a politician is an assault on the very idea of democracy. I have also received anonymous phone calls. Bullies can be found everywhere, you know. Nevertheless I want to repeat this: our democracy is safe. These threats will be dealt with, and Nikos Kotzias important and indubitable contribution cannot be challenged by anyone.



D. VERYKIOS: Are you confident that the Prespa Agreement will be approved by the present government?



G. KATROUGALOS: I do not have the slightest doubt about this. Besides, the number of MPs who have already voiced their favourable position on the Agreement is greater than what is necessary in order to get a majority of 151. I have explained on other occasions that on the basis of constitutional requirements it could, theoretically, pass even with a smaller majority. However, this major political proposition cannot fail to secure more than an absolute majority. And I repeat, I harbour no doubt that the necessary limit will be exceeded.



D. VERYKIOS: of 151.



G. KATROUGALOS: Exactly.



S. LABROU: Youre confident then that you will also secure the votes of ANEL?



G. KATROUGALOS: This is a matter of conscience.



S. LABROU: Is your hypothetical majority of 151 minus ANELs support?



G. KATROUGALOS: I repeat once more that I trust that deputies will not be divided on this Agreement because it is, I believe, a question that supersedes mere party discipline. It is a matter of individual conscience. Precisely because on major national issues, as well as on other major issues, pertaining to Constitutional Revision, party discipline considerations must take a back seat and each deputy must be free to act according to what he feels is right for the nation.



D. VERYKIOS: I wish you every success today.



G. KATROUGALOS: Thank you very much. Thank you.
On December 13th, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted, on Greek initiative, a Resolution on The return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin. The said Resolution, that also encompasses the return of the Parthenon marbles, was widely endorsed by all regional groups of member states, 105 of which jointly introduced the draft Resolution.

In particular, the Resolution underlines the responsibility of States to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property during peace and war time, in light also of recent conflict in the Middle East that led to the destruction, looting, theft as well as illicit trafficking of cultural property, notably through the internet. The Resolution condemns the aforementioned illegal actions and notes the connection between trafficking of cultural property and financing of terrorism; it calls upon States to safeguard cultural property, by not only taking appropriate protection measures but also returning stolen or illicitly traded cultural property to the countries of origin.

That was an important initiative of Greece that also led the relevant negotiations. The Resolution has been consistently adopted by the General Assembly every three years, our country having systematically introduced the draft Resolution for voting to address the need to safeguard world cultural heritage.
G. KATROUGALOS: We had a very substantive and level-headed discussion at the National Council on Foreign Policy, in a spirit of national understanding, despite the differing views recorded. First of all, I would like to say that I and speakers from other parties, all underlined the important contribution of Nikos Kotzias in shaping foreign policy and everyone I repeat everyone- strongly and unreservedly condemned the recent threats made against his person.

This was a planned and not an extraordinary National Council since it was my intention to inform the party representatives about some significant recent developments, the most important being, from a strategic perspective, the upgrading of Greek-American relations within the framework of the Strategic Dialogue. Nevertheless, we also de facto discussed Greek-Turkish affairs due to the recent exacerbation of Turkeys provocative behaviour- which was also one of the topics on todays agenda.

Thus the stable position of Greeces foreign policy was confirmed, meaning that since our national laws are anchored in international law, we at least have no reason to invest in an escalation of verbal rhetoric and aggression.

It is the other side that is in actual need of rhetorical outbursts and unfounded provocation since it has adopted a revisionist policy vis-a-vis International Law. Our side, in a vigilant and sober manner, would like to confirm that our national laws are safeguarded, not only through the upgrading of our position internationally, which, as I mentioned, is also ensured through our trilateral diplomatic initiatives and the overall recognition of our country as a pillar of stability, but also through the deterrent power of our Armed Forces, which is something I would like to emphasize.

Next, I provided a detailed update to the party representatives about recent developments on a range of issues, regarding the trilateral initiatives of our government in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and placed particular emphasis on the Strategic Dialogue with the USA that does not merely highlight the fact that our relations with the said country are at their best point ever, but that they also precisely reflect the established view that Greece is not just a stable country in itself, but also exports stability and peace to the whole region.

As expected, we also discussed the Macedonian issue, and I answered questions regarding the procedural aspects of the ratification of the Agreement. I said that, in my opinion, our position has been fully verified that the Agreement consolidates citizenship and not ethnicity it could be no other way- and that this is also confirmed by the recent amendments within the framework of the Constitutional Revision.

I have no doubt that, being aware of their national responsibility, the majority of the Hellenic Parliament, will ratify the said agreement.

Finally, we were also concerned about the issue of the protection of our Minority in Albania, in view of the law, which is being brought forward in an manner unacceptable, and contrary to European legality and I am not only referring to Albanias obligations with regard to its prospects for accession to the European Union, but also its more general obligations in relation to the legal culture of Europe, including the European Convention of Human Rights.

At the same time, however, I confirmed on our side, on the side of the Greek government, that we believe that our bilateral relations also deserve protection, which is why we have repeatedly asked the other side, the government of Albania, to take this matter seriously into account. We continue to favour the European prospects of Albania and of the other countries of the Western Balkans, with the self-evident condition however, of their respecting the European institutional acquis, International Law and obviously also the rights of our Minority in that country, which, being a historical National Minority, has the roots and rights enjoyed by all European citizens.

I believe there was a climate of awareness, despite the odd differences of opinion and the more generalised differences voiced. We, the government, will continue to aim for a spirit of national consensus, at least regarding vital national issues.



JOURNALIST: Minister, does the statement of the Chief of the Defence General Staff have the support of the political leadership?



G. KATROUGALOS: We are in full agreement with the Chief of Defence. As I said earlier, we have no interest in stepping up the political rhetoric, but, on the other hand, the Chief of Defence has sent a clear message regarding the deterrent power of the Armed Forces, as well he should.



JOURNALIST: When will the Prespa Agreement come to Parliament for ratification?



G. KATROUGALOS: Right after the process is completed in our neighbouring country, which we estimate to be around the 15th of January.



JOURNALIST: So it could even be the end of January?



G. KATROUGALOS: This period will begin from the 15th of January most probably- and right after.



JOURNALIST: New Democracy claims that Greece will also need to ratify the NATO Accession Protocol at the same time, from what we understand.



G. KATROUGALOS: I shall answer this question too. I confirmed the political position that you remember New Democracy referred to as the Bucharest acquis. First the name, then accession. We did not only manage to resolve the name issue, but we also succeeded in the Revision of the Constitution and the complete elimination of any risk, any hint of irredentism. And obviously, after the fulfilment of this obligation by the other side, the NATO accession will follow, in accordance with the fixed national policy. Thank you very much.
The Chicago Bears were confident a year ago that a resistance to outside demands for change was the best approach for the organization. Eleven months later, those same demands are back and as loud as ever. Its George McCaskeys move now. Once again. So what's next for Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace and Ted Phillips?
President Trump announced Sunday that Defense Secretary James Mattis will be leaving the administration on January 1, weeks earlier than planned and just days after Mattis' bombshell resignation letter made clear his policy disagreements with the White House.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. "Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"

In his resignation letter Thursday, Mattis, 68, had said he would remain in his role for more than three months. On Thursday, Trump similarly announced that Mattis was retiring in February.

"The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed 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," Mattis wrote.

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. 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.

The news that Mattis will be leaving sooner than expected comes just days after Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State (ISIS), on Saturday accelerated his planned departure and announced his resignation.

-- Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump disputed outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on the worth of U.S. alliances and appeared to suggest that Mattis was ungrateful for having the opportunity to lead the Pentagon.

Late Saturday, Trump tweeted, "Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S."

Mattis announced his resignation last Thursday, a day after Trump said the estimated 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would be withdrawn. He had been expected to remain in the post until late February while the president considered a replacement.

However, Trump tweeted Sunday that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who never served in the military, will assume the post of acting secretary of defense on Jan. 1.

Trump has a history of making acting secretary appointments permanent. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie was acting secretary for several weeks before the president announced that he was being nominated to the permanent position, seemingly catching Wilkie by surprise.

Related content:

Trump did not spell out in his latest series of tweets how allies are taking advantage of the U.S., but he has repeatedly chastised NATO allies and South Korea for what he believes is their failure to contribute adequately to mutual defense.

In his letter of resignation, released by the Defense Department last Thursday, Mattis said, "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 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."

In his tweet, Trump appeared to suggest that Mattis was ungrateful for the opportunity to return to national service after he was pushed out by President Barack Obama as head of U.S. Central Command in 2013, reportedly over their differences on confronting Iran.

"When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn't, I thought I should," Trump wrote.

He said he had an "interesting relationship" with Mattis during the retired Marine general's nearly two years as defense secretary. "But I also gave all of the resources that he never really had," Trump said, a reference to the record $716 billion current budget for the DoD

In previous tweets, Trump said Mattis had served with "distinction" and added that he would name a replacement shortly.

Mattis' resignation immediately set off speculation on who else in the national security establishment might follow him out the door. The first was Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy for Iraq and Syria.

Reports circulated over the weekend that McGurk had issued his letter of resignation to the State Department on Friday, a day after Mattis announced he was stepping down.

In a separate tweet late Saturday, Trump said, "Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015. Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!"

Although Trump claimed not to know him, McGurk's title was "Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL [ISIS]." He is a Republican who served in the administration of former President George W. Bush, was appointed special envoy by Obama and retained in that post by the Trump administration.

On CNN's "State of the Union" program Sunday, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a frequent critic of Trump, said of McGurk, "I think he did the right thing" by resigning.

In other tweets about Syria over the weekend, Trump defended what he said would be a "slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home."

He rejected criticism of the withdrawal from Syria. "If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!"

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
TUESDAY: Per Heyman, Graveman will earn an additional $100K for each of the following performance milestones: 15 games started, 18 GS, 21 GS, 23 GS, and 25 GS. The incentives package means that Graveman can earn up to $2.5MM in 2019.

SUNDAY: Chicago has announced the signing.

SATURDAY: The Cubs have agreed to a deal with free agent pitcher Kendall Graveman, per ESPNs Jesse Rogers (via Twitter).

Graveman gets a major league contract worth $575K for 2019 with a $3MM club option for 2020. That option year does not include a buyout. Even one day on the 2019 roster, however, will trigger an escalator clause to bring Gravemans salary to $2MM, and he can earn an additional $500k in performance bonuses.

Graveman, 28, had been relatively productive the last four seasons for the Oakland As when not dogged by injury. His high water mark came in 2016, working to a 10-11 record in 186 innings over 31 starts with a 4.11 ERA (4.39 FIP). For his career, Graveman carries a 23-29 record and 4.38 ERA across 78 career starts.

The As say goodbye to another piece from the Josh Donaldson trade of 2014. Infielder Franklin Barreto is now the only player remaining from the trade that sent Oaklands star third baseman to Toronto the year before he would win the MVP award with the Blue Jays. Graveman spent four seasons in Oakland, the last of which was mostly lost to injury. He made only seven starts in 2018 with a 7.60 ERA before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

For the Cubs, they get to closely monitor the recovery of a potential rotation arm in 2020 at a very low cost. From their presumed 2019 rotation, only Hamels will be a free agent after next season, but Kyle Hendricks will be entering his final year of arbitration, and Jose Quintana will be facing the first of consecutive club options. Theres almost no downside for the Cubs here, while Graveman gets to benefit from the medical resources of the a large market team as he rehabs from Tommy John.

The timetable for his 2019 return is as of yet unclear, but its not expected he will play much of a role, if any, on the Cubs next year, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times (via Twitter).The Cubs signed Drew Smyly in a similar situation before last season, only to flip him to the Rangers to help cover the cost of Cole Hamels club option this year. Garrett Richards, in a similar situation, signed for two years and $15.5MM guaranteed with the Padres, though he carries a longer track record of success than Graveman.

The financials of the deal were first reported by 670thescore.coms Bruce Levine, while Fancreds Jon Heyman noted earlier than Graveman received a major league deal (Twitter links). Heyman added the information about the escalator clause and performance bonus (via Twitter). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.


ANN ARBOR, MI  A 500-plant marijuana grow operation is moving into a roughly 17,000-square-foot facility in an Ann Arbor research park, and some of its business neighbors arent happy.

The city Planning Commission voted unanimously this past week to approve the Scientific Method facility at 3935 Research Park Drive, off South State Street just south of I-94.

The plans show roughly 3,000 square feet of office space, with the rest of the building dedicated to growing and processing marijuana, including a large flowering room, cloning and drying rooms, large water tank storage areas, and trimming/packaging areas.

Drew Hutton is the owner of the companies behind it, including Scientific Method Research II LLC for the growing center and Scientific Method Technology LLC for the processing center.

Representatives from the Damian Farrell Design Group, the project architect, appeared before the commission, discussing landscaping improvements planned for the site, as well as a security plan that includes perimeter fencing, lighting, surveillance and alarms.

While there wont be 24-hour security personnel onsite, there will be a 360-degree camera, an alarm system that alerts police and 24-hour surveillance by a security company, they said.

Ann Arbor has approved 25 medical marijuana dispensaries this year, along with four processing facilities, three grow facilities and one safety compliance facility. The city has capped the number of allowable dispensaries in the city at 28 for now.

A representative of Zoller Inc., a global manufacturing company that has its North American headquarters across the street from the new grow operation in the research park, read a statement from the company at the Planning Commission meeting, voicing concerns.

Zoller fears having a marijuana grow operation there could bring security concerns and nuisance odors and make Zoller more vulnerable to criminal activity. The company also argues a marijuana grow operation isnt a good fit for the park and could bring down property values and cause high-tech companies to leave.

Justin Bagdady, an attorney representing Intech Ventures, a business that has two buildings next door, raised similar concerns.

Theyve put up a large masonry fence and then some wire fence with barbed wire on top. It looks, frankly, like a prison and its right next to my clients facility, staring right at it, he said.

Bagdady argued the business is illegal under federal law and if it shuts down the three-acre property will look like an abandoned prison.

He also noted Progress Park, a school for students with severe behavioral, emotional and mental health needs, is located nearby. Though it meets a 1,000-foot buffer requirement, he said, that ought to be given serious consideration.

Planning commissioners werent swayed and didnt share the same fears, though they did get the architect to agree the barbed wire would come down.

Addressing the concerns about potential marijuana odor, Brett Lenart, the citys planning manager, said city ordinances do not allow odors to emanate beyond property lines for any land use and the city could issue citations for any violations.

Commercial-grade HEPA air filtration systems with charcoal filters are to be used for odor control, with all products stored in airtight containers and marijuana waste sent off for composting.

The facilitys approved hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

If this business is operating the way that it has to under state and local law, people wont know what it is, said Zachary Ackerman, the City Councils liaison to the Planning Commission.

With respect to the high-tech nature of the area and the research district, I think whether or not we like it, marijuana is going to be here for some time, he added. And in its medical nature, processing is a medical research service. And in its recreational use, its research in a consumer good. I have a hard time drawing a line between saying that research is intended solely for high-tech companies.

Farrell pointed to an April 2018 Ann Arbor Observer article titled The Underwhelming History of the Ann Arbor Research Park, written by local historian Grace Shackman. It describes how the research park project launched by the Greater Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce in 1959 never really took off as envisioned.

The Ann Arbor Research Park was built to lure corporate research facilities to Ann Arbor, but today only six of its twenty-seven buildings are devoted to research. Most are occupied by nonprofits and others needing inexpensive office space. Four are currently for sale and others are underused, judging from the scarcity of cars in their parking lots. Five empty lots overgrown with weeds make the park look even more forlorn, Farrell read from the article.

I think that the nature of this park has changed from its original intention, Farrell told commissioners, suggesting a marijuana growing and processing facility isnt out of place there.

Farrell noted new landscaping is being added to improve the site, including planting several trees that arent required.

Commissioner Erica Briggs said she appreciated that and encouraged continued discussions with neighbors about the aesthetics and other ways to alleviate some of their concerns.

I know sometimes when these have come up before that we have seen a lot of fear around it, and a lot of it is just misunderstanding of how the process works, she said. I think those subsequent meetings could help to alleviate some of those fears, even if their desire would be to see you gone. At least they might feel more secure understanding really how the process is going to work and that its not necessarily going to end up a detriment to their own businesses.
When developers of a proposed 246-unit project containing townhomes and apartments behind Deerbrook Shopping Center asked the board to approve their projectwhich was unanimously recommended by the Plan Commissionthe trustees told them to come back with a plan for affordable units. They did so and in December the plans were moved further along in the approval process.
FLINT, MI  A Flint nutrition program that allows pediatricians to prescribe fruits and vegetables for young patients will expand nationally as a result of the recently signed U.S. Farm Bill, according to Michigan State University.

Managed by MSU and Hurley Childrens Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, the program was launched at the Hurley Childrens Clinic inside the Flint Farmers Market following the citys water crisis.

Healthy food is the best medicine, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha said in a news release from the university. "We started this program more than three years ago to make sure that Flint kids had access to nutritious foods they need to grow up healthy. We are so excited that Flint will be sharing this program with the nation.

Hanna-Attisha, a water crisis whistleblower, went on to lead the PPHI.

In Flint, the program provides parents of children with a $15 prescription that may be filled for fresh fruits and vegetables at the Flint market or through a mobile delivery service.

Details including how much money will be available for the new program and how it will be administered nationally arent yet known, an MSU spokeswoman said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal.

The announcement credited U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, for advocating to include the program in the Farm Bill, which she co-authored as ranking member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  Once upon a time, Norton Shores Police Chief Jon Gale would have close to 100 applicants for a police officer opening in his department.

Not anymore.

Now were down to a handful, Gale said. I dont see it changing anytime soon.

Like police departments across the state, Gale and his counterparts in Muskegon County are struggling with a dropping interest in law enforcement careers among young people.

Police applicants are more difficult to find than in the past, said Muskegon Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis.

To address the shortage, police departments are paying to send recruits to police academies, rethinking pay structures and even reaching out to high school students who might be interested in police work.

The Muskegon Police Department has followed the trend of paying to send promising recruits to police academy for certification. Its an expensive proposition  one that has yielded mixed results, Lewis said.

Local law enforcement officials cited a list of reasons for the reduction in interest in police careers. Among them are the physical hazards of the job, negative perceptions of police officers perpetuated by media and social media, more choices for employment, and lagging pay and benefits.

This obviously is not a career choice for everyone, said Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin.

Poulin is considering sponsoring potential deputies to attend the police academy  a practice his department already does for applicants for corrections jobs at the jail.

Its getting to the point where its almost worth the effort, Poulin said of paying police academy tuition.

Sending a candidate to the police academy costs between $7,000 and $10,000, and Muskegon pays its recruits an hourly wage while they attend, Lewis said. Once they graduate after eight months at the academy, recruits still go through five months of training with the Muskegon Police Department, he said.

That makes the practice expensive and time-consuming. Muskegon recently sent four applicants to the police academy, buying their uniforms, giving them paychecks and paying for their tuition, books and lodging while at the academy, Lewis said. Only two ended up sticking with it, he said.

When you do that, your success rate isnt quite as high as with other people who come to you (out of the academy) and are ready to go, Lewis said.

Gale said the cost of sending recruits to police academy has been prohibitive, but hes beginning to believe Norton Shores may not have much of a choice. A major downside is the legal inability to compel someone to stay with the police department despite its investment in their education, he said.

For now, Gale is using other approaches to attract candidates to the Norton Shores Police Department. He recently met with officials at Baker College in Muskegon to develop a promotional video to attract high school students to careers in law enforcement.

Muskegon County high school students with a 3.5 grade point average can qualify for a Promise scholarship to Baker or Muskegon Community College where they can earn a degree needed for a police career basically for free, Gale said. He hopes promoting that opportunity will entice more young people into careers in law enforcement.

He also mentors high school students in the Muskegon Area Career Tech Centers criminal justice program, helping them develop resumes and contacts in the criminal justice field and explore college programs.

He finds hes competing with other departments for police recruits, as well as employers outside of law enforcement who can pay more and offer a less hazardous line of work.

Kids nowadays, when they come to our (job) interviews, we feel like theyre interviewing us, Gale said.

Gale and Lewis said they are mindful of the need to offer opportunities for advancement, and the Muskegon Police Department recently started offering higher starting wages to officers who come to them with some experience.

Government isnt real good about (paying) bonuses, Lewis said.

Nor is it good at offering pensions anymore. The promise of a pension at the end of a long career helped keep officers at one department. With government ending pensions in favor of portable 401K retirement plans, local departments are seeing officers leave for higher pay and better benefits. That turnover has exacerbated shortages in some smaller departments and increased competition among them.

We have lost staff due to the elimination of pensions, said Sheriff Poulin. That was the reason they went to another agency  because it still has a pension.

Its not uncommon for the sheriffs office to not have enough suitable candidates for a job opening, and have to repost the position, he said. But in the end, it has been successful in finding quality individuals, he said.

The process just takes longer, he said.

Poulin currently has two openings for corrections officers in the Muskegon County Jail. He has a pool of eight candidates in the running.

Its not a bad pool, Poulin said. But its not what weve seen in the past.
SAGINAW, MI  For some, its a struggle to stay sober through the holidays, especially when family and friends are in town and are having fun over drinks.

Saginaws Robert Curry knows the lure of alcohol too well. His drinking, which escalated after he was shot and his sister was murdered, led to three drunk-driving arrests.

I was drinking every day, Curry said. Beers and liquor. This is the first holiday season I will be sober all the way through."

Hes getting some court-ordered help to stay sober.

Curry is the first participant in Saginaw Countys new sobriety court, the latest program offered by the county to help reduce recidivism and get offenders help to stay out of jail.

Last December, Curry was pulled over by police and charged with operating while intoxicated or impaired. He was also charged with operating with a suspended or revoked license.

Curry said he was home drinking all day and decided to make a store run for more alcohol when he was pulled over by the Michigan State Police.

Instead of a jail term, Curry was sentenced to two years of probation on July 6 and ordered to complete the 18-month sobriety court program.

Treatment vs. incarceration

Saginaw County has special courts for offenders who are veterans, have mental health issues or are in need of drug rehabilitation. Sobriety court now joins that list.

The court accepts offenders who have been charged with drinking-related misdemeanors and felonies that are non-violent.

Participants are referred by judges, attorneys, prosecutors or community agencies.

Saginaw County Circuit Court Judge Manvel Trice III believes it is cheaper to treat offenders than to incarcerate them.

Officials say it costs the state $35,000 to $47,000 per year to care for an inmate but only $10,000 to $20,000 for sobriety courts 18-month program.

We want them to recover, Trice said. ""Theyve lost family, friends, jobs as a result of their substance abuse disorder."

A coordinator prepares a treatment plan for each individual in the program.

Its not a cookie-cutter approach, Trice said.

Participants gain resources to help them to become productive citizens, Trice said.

My job and the job of the team is to protect the community, Trice said. We want our community safer.

Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel believes all of the specialty courts help free up space in his jail that is needed for those accused of violent crime.

Offenders in sobriety court wait 45 days before they qualify for a restricted license. They also wear an alcohol-detection device on their ankle or carry a breath-testing device as well as have an ignition interlocking device on their vehicle.

The breath-testing device, known as Soberlink, must be carried at all times by the offender. They have to blow into the device four times per day. The device is equipped with a camera that snaps a photo of the offender at the time of each breath test.

Larrise Ray, Prisoner Leave Under Supervision (PLUS) clerk for the Saginaw County Sheriffs Office, said she has seen people become sober and live productive lives after being sentenced in regular court to use Soberlink.

They change, Ray said. A lot of people turn their lives around.

During an orientation for a man who was sentenced to use the device, Ray explained he would have to pay a $78 connection fee and $98 per week. She also told him about the prearranged times that he would have to blow into the device.

Missing one of those times would warrant a violation and could land the man back in jail.

They know this is not a joke and I take this very seriously," Ray said.

Alcohol and crime

Jason Pate, a traffic investigator for the Saginaw Police Department, thinks sobriety court is a step in the right direction.

Drinking and driving is a common occurrence," Pate said.

But driving offenses are not the only ones that can involve alcohol.

Alcohol always seem to come into a factor from time to time in any kind of criminal activity, Pate said. "Domestic assault. Simple assault. Pretty much anything.

During his time working in probation and parole for the Michigan Department of Corrections, Pate said he witnessed numerous repeat offenders cycle through the system with alcohol-related offenses.

What they are trying to do is they are trying to prevent these individuals from being sent to prison, Pate said of sobriety court.

In the long run, a person must want to accept the help available to them, Pate said.

It comes down to the individual and whether they have the self-control to maintain a sober lifestyle, Pate said. You lock them up and they stay sober. But as soon as they are released they have a choice.

Tragedy and alcohol abuse

In 2007, Curry woke up in the intensive care unit 45 days after being shot in the face. The bullet exited through the back of his head. Hed missed his sisters funeral. She died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head from the same gunman who shot him.

He was 22. Today, hes 34.

Though his struggles with alcohol began before that tragic night on Aug. 15, 2007, they gradually became worse.

When he returned home to finish recovering, Curry had screws and pins in his face.

I started healing and I started drinking, Curry said. I had to drink to sleep. Alcohol was putting me to sleep. So thats what I did every night.

The first drunken driving offense came a few years later. That was followed by two more, the last one forced him into sobriety.

Curry spoke from the living room of his mothers cozy duplex, with family photos on display from throughout the years.

A TV in the next room blared crime stories from the Discovery ID channel.

Thats my mom, Curry said. She likes watching those murder shows.

I hope she dont get any ideas, he joked.

Curry says hes eager to see family during the holiday season, but is hesitant due to the chance of being around alcohol.

Curry recalled being sober on the Fourth of July and seeing his friend drinking an ice cold can of his favorite beer.

I looked so hard at the sweat on that can, Curry said with a laugh.

Staying sober

Each week, Curry attends three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He also must complete 40 hours of community service.

Curry also reports to Trice and other team members of sobriety court once a week.

The Thursday before Thanksgiving, Curry reported to Trice and his team. He had 126 days without alcohol.

From what Ive been told, youre off to a good start, Trice said. How do you avoid those triggers during the holidays to stay sober?

Just keep myself busy and not think too hard and keep myself occupied, Curry answered.

I have a lot of faith in you that you will complete this program and you are a shining star, Trice said. Dont let me down.

Dont worry, Curry said. You dont have to worry about that.

Sobriety Court has helped Curry stay sober for the second half of 2018 and he hopes his sobriety continues long after he completes his sentence.

He is grateful for the second chance.

Everybody aint bad because they do something wrong, he said.
Amor said that the number of student dancers increased from 20 the first year to 60 this year. Dancers are Westdale students in the Culture Club, and practice for six to eight weeks to perfect Caribbean, Indian, Korean, and Mexican dances, performing after the dinner.
Of the districts six kindergarten-through-eighth grade schools, two received the states lowest ranking of lowest performing, a new system rolled out publicly this year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. Receiving this designation means the schools are in the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools across the state.
Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. engages in the management and strategies of its group companies that is involved in the manufacture and sale of paints and fine chemicals. It offers automotive and industrial-use coatings and trade-use paints. It also provides surface treatments and fine chemical products. It operates through the following geographical segments: Japan, Asia, Americas, and Other. The company was founded by Jujiro Moteki on March 14, 1881 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan.

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iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWU shares have increased by 26.9% and is now trading at $32.48.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
GoAir

No-frills airline GoAir is offering 50 percent discount on tickets for its flights to Phuket for individuals going to attend the Thailand Yacht Show next month.

The show is to be held from January 10 to 13.

In a release, the airline said it has partnered with Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous 2019 to offer 50 percent discount on tickets for flights to Phuket.

GoAir is the first airline to start direct flights to Phuket from India.

"By making Phuket their Thailand hub, GoAir has started direct daily flights to Phuket from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. By the end of 2019 the airline will further expand its network by connecting seven more Indian cities to Phuket," the release said.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy 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.

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".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 23 hit out at the Mahagatbandhan for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying it was an "unholy alliance" of various political parties for "personal survival".

People will see through the "incoherent alliance of rich dynasties," Modi said during his interaction with booth workers from Chennai Central, Chennai North, Madurai, Tiruchirappally and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu through video conference.

The prime minister recalled that the key constituent of the mega alliance - the Telugu Desam Party-- was formed against the very "high-handedness" of the Congress by the veteran, late chief minister N T Rama Rao but said the party was now keen to join hands with the Congress.

Some parties in the Mahagatbandhan claimed to be inspired by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran himself opposed the Congress and its ideologies, Modi said.

"Today several leaders are talking about a grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan. This alliance is for personal survival, and is not ideology-based support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance for personal ambitions, not people's aspirations," he said.

While several parties and leaders in the coalition claimed to be deeply inspired by Lohia, he said "was deeply opposed to the Congress," Modi said.

Many leaders in the coalition were "arrested and tortured" during the Emergency, he said without referring to anyone.

The Congress "ecosytem" spared none, he said and pointed out at the dismissal of the AIADMK government of late chief minister MG Ramachandran in 1980 though he had people's support.

Mahagathbandhan is a grand alliance of opposition parties against the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on December 22 said he will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities", amidst 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.
A ship hired by ExxonMobil was approached by a Venezuelan naval vessel off the coast of Guyana, one of the most serious incidents yet in oil-rich waters that Venezuela has long claimed as its own.

The Venezuelans did not board the ship and have since left the area, according to a statement issued by Norway's Petroleum Geo-Services, which was performing a seismic survey on behalf of Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil.

Bard Stenberg, PSG's senior vice president for communications, declined to provide further details about the incident, but said the vessel, Ramform Tethys, had not resumed operations and was now heading eastward.

He said the ship was working under Guyanese authority and had all required permits.

ExxonMobil in a statement said that it was working to ensure the safety of all crew members.

Exxon drilled its first successful well off the coast of Guyana in 2015 and since then has made nine more discoveries, including one this month that boosted to 5 billion oil-equivalent barrels the company's estimate of reserves in the deep-water area.

The recent discoveries mean the tiny country of 750,000 people is on track to surpass Venezuela and Mexico to become Latin America's second-biggest oil producer within the next decade, behind only Brazil, energy research firm Wood MacKenzie wrote in a report this month.

But Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called the oil drilling by the US company illegal, and many fear that as his socialist-run country teeters on the edge of chaos he could seek to provoke his neighbour.

Venezuela has claimed the mineral-rich region west of the Essequibo river in Guyana as its own since the 19th Century, a view shared even by some of Maduro's fiercest opponents. An international tribunal ruled in 1899 that the area formed part of Guyana, which at the time was a British colony. The swath of disputed land makes up 40 percent of Guyana.

Earlier this year, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres sent the case to the International Court of Justice following a failed UN-sponsored attempt to broker a settlement.

Venezuela's navy actually seized a US-chartered oil research ship working in the area in 2013 and held it for more than a week before releasing the vessel and its 36 crewmembers from the US, Russia, Indonesia and Ukraine.
The partial US government shutdown is set to stretch on through Christmas as the Senate adjourned with no deal in sight to end the impasse over funding for Donald Trump's wall on the US-Mexico border.

Having postponed his holiday trip to Florida to continue talks after operations for several key US agencies ceased at 12:01 am (0501 GMT), Trump warned on December morning that "it could be a long stay."



I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay. On Syria, we were originally...

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

"I am in the White House, working hard," the Republican president tweeted. "We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay."

Trump has dug in on his demand for USD 5 billion for construction of the wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats are staunchly opposed, and the absence of an elusive deal meant federal funds for dozens of agencies lapsed at midnight on December 21.

The House of Representatives and the Senate resumed discussions at noon on December 22, but the latter chamber adjourned without a deal being reached.

"The Senate will next meet for a pro forma session on Monday, that's the 24th. The next scheduled session day will be on the 27th of December," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer blasted the president and blamed him for provoking the shutdown: "President Trump, if you want to open the government abandon the wall, plain and simple."

"The Trump shutdown isn't over border security; it's because President Trump is demanding billions of dollars for an expensive, ineffective wall that the majority of Americans don't support."

Most critical US 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 their 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.

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's 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 capital 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 per cent 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.

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 USD 1.6 billion in border security funding that was a part of pending Senate legislation, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn told AFP.
Porter Regional Hospital will host a variety of free support groups for the community during January. TBI Support Group, for those with with traumatic brain injury, will meet from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 2 at the Portage Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, 6040 Lute Road, Portage. Family members are welcome. Register at 219-764-1053. Breastfeeding Support Clinic will be held from 3-5 p.m. Jan. 3 and 15 in the Women and Childrens Classroom at the hospital, 85 E. Highway 6, Valpariso. Infant weight checks also will be available. More information is with Aleda Waggoner or Kelly Foster at 219-983-8543. Beyond the Baby Blues Support Group, for parents experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, will meet from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 7 at Childbirth Melodies, 138 S. Main St., Crown Point; and from 9:30-11 a.m. Jan. 25 in the Community Room at the hospital. More information is at 219-782-4149 or 219-331-1945. Getting to the Heart of the Matter, for those living with any type of heart disease, will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Valparaiso Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation, 2000 Roosevelt St. More information is at 219-983-8533.
Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on December 22 said American troops from Syria are coming back home after defeating the Islamic State jihadists and "local countries" like Turkey should now be able to take care of the situation in the war-ravaged nation.

Trump on December 19 announced the withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria, bringing an abrupt end to a military campaign that largely vanquished the ISIS but ceding a strategically vital country to Russia and Iran.

His declared victory over the IS contradicted assessments by his own experts, with many lawmakers calling his decision rash and dangerous.

"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," Trump 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!" he added.

Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria triggered resignation of his Defence secretary James Mattis who said Trump needs someone in the position with "views better aligned" with those of the president.

On December 22, Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting the ISIS, resigned in protest to Trump's decision.

Few days ago, McGurk had said it would be "reckless" to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home.

Trump, who was scheduled to travel to Florida on December 22 to spend his Christmas and New Year holidays, was at the White House having meetings and talks with the Democrats on border security and government shutdown.
A launch ceremony for an American professor's book of letters home from China was held on Saturday at Xiamen University, located in Fujian province in the South of China.





Dr. William N. Brown delivers a speech during the launch ceremony of his new book Off the Wall-How We Fell for China at Xiamen University on Dec. 22, 2018. [Photo by Li Xiaohua/China.org.cn]









Dr. William N. Brown, a business professor of Xiamen University, moved to Fujian province from the U.S. with his wife and sons in 1988, a decade after the implementation of China's reform and opening-up policy.

His new book "Off the Wall  How We Fell for China," is compiled of roughly 50 letters detailing his life in Xiamen, which he sent back home to his family and friends in the United States. The book will be released in both English and Chinese.

Having worked at Xiamen University for 30 years, Dr. Brown is often locally referred to as the city's most famous foreigner. In 1992, he became Fujian province's first foreigner to receive permanent residency. An honorary citizen of the province, he has helped 13 Chinese cities, including Xiamen and neighboring Quanzhou, win gold in the International Livable Communities Competition.

His book, published by Foreign Languages Press affiliated to China International Publishing Group (CIPG), contains many amusing and touching stories that have happened throughout his time in China. Highlights include, the Browns' first Spring Festival, an 80-day-long driving tour across China, and their 20th wedding anniversary celebrations. One particularly humorous letter details Dr. Brown's difficulties in managing to buy a turkey for thanksgiving in 1989, despite no turkeys being sold in Xiamen back then.

The letters had a profound impact on his family back in the United States, who were initially skeptical of Brown's relocation. "These precious letters home helped the Brown's family in the U.S. see an open and developing China, so they changed their impression on the country, and finally supported his move to China," said Lu Cairong, vice president of CIPG.

"This book is of high historical value. Because the letters detail, from a foreign perspective, how China has developed during the course of reform and opening up, while portraying a real and vivid China with a humorous tone," Lu added.

Since moving to China, Dr. Brown has written over 10 books attempting to introduce Chinese cities, culture and history to English speakers. He said Chinese and American people are mostly the same in so much as they both want peace, security and to take care of their families.

"The biggest misunderstanding American people have about China is that they think China wants to take over the world," Dr. Brown said. That is because throughout history, the Western world has always sought to conquer the planet. However, China did not do this, despite having the best navy and the best weapons on the globe.

"Chinese people have always emphasized peaceful coexistence and prosperity. It's not just a political slogan, it is China's culture and history," he concluded.




During the Christmas season, the Journal-Courier is partnering with HELPS Ministry Outreach in Jacksonville to provide families with basic needs.

Since its inception four years ago, dozens of families have received assistance through the feature.

Donations can be made to HELPS Ministry Outreach at 238 W. State St., which is open daily from 1 to 5 p.m. The ministry can be reached by calling 217-245-7559 or 217-291-0911.



Trying to overcome adversity: A widowed grandmother caring for three young adult women wants to take in her 7-year-old grandson after her daughter became deathly ill after being displaced by a hurricane in North Carolina. The grandmother is able to provide help with the grandsons basic needs but is struggling herself and cannot buy much-needed school uniforms or replace clothes that were lost; her grandson has no toys of his own. The boy loves books, science, dinosaurs and Legos and would love a pair of roller blades.

I am in need of $500 to go to North Carolina and retrieve my grandson, she said. It would take that much in gas and rental car cost. This would be a very bright Christmas for our family. (Case 123)

Paychecks strained by basic needs: A family of 11 is reaching out for help because both parents work but are low-income. The parents work diligently to provide for their children and they recently moved to a new dwelling for their growing family. Theres barely enough to go around the table at times.

The mother said one of her biggest needs is for bedding sets  four twin beds and bedding sets for the children, four girls sets and three boys sets; eight pillows; and any toys would be appreciated. Two of the girls would appreciate clothing  a girl, 15, who wears a size 18-20 misses, size 10 shoes and loves stretchy pajamas, bubble baths, soaps and Dove deodorant spray. The other wears size 18 bottoms, size 18-20 tops and likes Eskimos boots, needs supportive long-leg Spanx and loves Bath and Body Works items or gift cards. The other children would enjoy Christmas treats such as candies, nuts and cookies. (Case 124)

Daughters what keep (me) going: A disabled father with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is caring for three girls. The girls stayed with their mother during the summer and, when they returned, many of their belonging were missing, including clothes their father had bought before their visit.

He is asking for clothing for his daughters  size 14 tops, size 9 to 14 medium pants, socks, and size 6 underwear for one; large to extra-large tops, pants, leggings, size 8 underwear and socks for another; and medium tops, size 16-18 petite bottoms, stretchy jeans, socks and size 9 underwear. The father said his girls are what keep him going every day and any help would be greatly appreciated. (Case 125)

Updates

 A mother dealing with domestic abuse has transitioned well with all the help received; she still is asking for a washer and dryer for her and her children. (Case 96)

 A grandmother has received all of the items on her list and said she is grateful for all who helped. She received a carpet for her floor and teddy bears for her grandchild. (Case 98)

 A mother received a $100 gift for two sons, who wanted shovels to be able to shovel snow this winter to make extra money for the household. The boys also received beds, bedding, blankets and pillows. The mother said she is grateful for the communitys help. (Case 111)

 A mother still is looking for a freezer, dresser and maybe bunk beds and needs lamps and bedside tables. Thank you so much for everything so far  I am blessed. (Case 112)

 A mother still needs pots and pans, two lamps, curtains, a stable daycare plan and clothing. (Case 113)

 A family is starting over and any donations would be appreciated since the family really doesnt have anything. Household items such as a love seat, furniture, household needs and blankets would help. (Case 114)

 A family has received a queen-size bed, blankets, linens, pillows, a comforter set and even a television. The family says thank you and God bless all who gave to our family. The family still needs some things, however. The stepfather needs a lift chair and the family needs blankets and bedding. Any hygiene products also would be appreciated. (Case 115)

 A grandmother still needs personal hygiene supplies, games for the kids, educational books, hats/gloves and school supplies/book bags for three children. (Case 117)

 A family has received two beds and still needs two twin-size bedding sets, two pillows, two bedside tables, two dressers, two lamps and, if possible, games for the kids. (Case 118)
Morgan County

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jared W. Browers, 31, of 141 Conley Ave. in Wood River was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:38 p.m. Friday on charges of driving with a revoked or suspended license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

South Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Patrick T. Hubbert, 26, of 230 E. Pennsylvania Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail 10:37 p.m. Friday on charges of driving with a revoked or suspended license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Compiled by Nick Draper
CHANDLERVILLE  After a series of tornadoes earlier this month  one just west of here near Beardstown  village officials say an outdated warning system must be upgraded sooner rather than later.

The village is looking into grants that would help fund the purchase of a new system.

There is one siren mounted on the villages fire department, but it requires electricity to function.

Mayor Tim Richards said the system was installed in the 1950s and has not been updated since.

We sound the siren once to let people know if the tornado is on the north end, the south two times, Richards said. Now, everyone has radios and get notices of potential threats. Our system is obsolete.

To warn village residents of an incoming tornado, the siren has to be manually activated. For the siren to operate, Richards said, the village has connected the siren to a generator that will allow it to function in cases of power outages.

It is something that weve been working on, Richards said. Weve talked about it, but after a few weeks ago, when we were able to look to the west and see a tornado, its not something I want to put off. It was a wake up call.

A single siren could cost $25,000 to $40,000.

While the current siren is on the villages fire department, Richards said the board is looking to put the siren at the top of the water tower, which is up on a hill, making it the tallest point in town.

We think itd be the perfect spot, Richards said. We have to make sure it can be heard at every point in town and into the country.

Richards said the plan is to look for funding for the system, purchase one and place it on the water tower. After testing it, he said the board will look at any additional steps that have to be taken.

This is a priority for us, Richards said. Right now, it depends if the money is available and well get it done as soon as we can.

Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha.
You are here: Business

China's container transport for export purposes gained momentum in November as the market was bolstered by peak season, according to data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The average China Export Containerized Freight Index stood at 853.76 points in November, up 2.3 percent from a month earlier, the exchange said in a statement.

Since the beginning of this year, the index has averaged 815.09, lower than last year's average of 820.47.

In November, the sub-indices for the African, U.S., Australian and New Zealand routes saw strong gains, the data showed.

The China Export Containerized Freight Index was first released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange in April 1998 as a barometer for the export shipping market.

China's exports rose 10.2 percent year on year in November, less than October's rise of 20.1 percent.
You are here: China

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.


China's total imports will likely exceed 2 trillion U.S. dollars this year, setting a new record, a trade official said.

A cargo ship unloads goods at a container terminal of Lianyungang Port, Jiangsu province. [File Photo: VCG]

Song Xianmao, deputy director of the foreign trade department under the Ministry of Commerce, made the remarks at a trade meeting Saturday, adding that multiple measures will be taken to further expand imports in next year.

China lowered tariffs on an array of products from medicines to vehicles in 2018, with the general duty level down from 9.8 percent to 7.5 percent.

Customs data showed imports increased 14.6 percent year on year in the first 11 months, contributing more than 60 percent to foreign trade growth.

To continue the stable trend, the ministry pledged efforts to strengthen trade quality over the next year.

The second import expo scheduled for 2019 will create more opportunities for importers, and measures are in the pipeline to encourage imports of advanced technology, farm produce, consumer goods and services, Song said, adding that lower tariffs, easier customs clearance and improved car imports policies could also be expected.
China's Ministry of Education has ordered intensified protection of kindergarteners and school students from sexual assault, stressing education on sexual assault prevention should be taken as a "top priority."

The ministry has issued a circular urging local education administrations and schools to promote sex education and teach children how to prevent sexual assault in class, through pamphlets or via other possible channels.

Schools should do better background checks on candidates concerning their conduct and psychological status while recruiting teachers, the circular said, adding that a database on sexual-assault-related crimes should be set up with coordination by public security departments.

The ministry also required schools to more carefully check the background information of their temporary hires, saying those who were deprived of political rights or have received fixed-term imprisonment or penalties more severe for intentional crimes must not work for schools.

Local education administrations and schools should make joint efforts with public security departments to step up patrols around schools to prevent children from being sexually assaulted by people from outside, the circular said.






Significant. Complex. Far-reaching. Those adjectives may not seem to describe the effects of a 1.5 degree increase in temperature.

But according to recent national and international scientific reports building on decades of work, a change in our climate of just a degree and a half can  and if the nations and cities like San Antonio dont rally to address it  will have catastrophic consequences for human life and the environment.

Representatives from almost 200 nations gathered in Katowice, Poland, this month for the United Nations Climate Summit to address the latest understanding of climate change and determine a path for navigating potential impacts.

The backdrop for this meeting is the release of several major reports describing potentially severe consequences of a rapidly changing climate  with a shrinking time frame to avoid the most serious impacts. In October, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, issued its report on the global effects of a 1.5 degree centigrade temperature increase by the centurys end.

The evidence in the IPCC report shows it will increase risks to health, livelihoods, food-security, water supply, human security, and economic growth.

The Fourth National Climate Assessment completed in November provides an in-depth analysis of climate change science and its effects on the environment across the United States. It projects the effects on human welfare, societal, and environmental elements, including estimates of the economic costs of climate change to the U.S. economy that could reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually by the year 2100.

These reports are just the most recent examples of state-of-the-art assessments of climate change, as evaluated by hundreds of scientists, engineers, economists and policy experts.

Both reports found that the rapid effects of global climate change are already being felt. The time to act to reduce the costs to human society is quickly closing.

The climate certainly has changed in the past due to natural cycles. But humans as a species  let alone the more than 7.5 billion of us who inhabit Earth today  have never experienced this rate of change. Some scenarios indicate that we may only have 10 to 20 years to avoid the worst impacts.

Despite a growing body of scientific evidence, governments, including our own, struggle to recognize and deal with a global issue that crosses national boundaries. Developing a coordinated response is especially difficult with a global issue tied so intimately to our societys immediate energy and economic needs.

For example, emissions of greenhouse gases were stable or declined through much of the last decade, but the International Energy Agency projects that global carbon emissions will rise by more than 3.5 percent in 2018. Scientific evidence points to the role of fossil fuels, but other types of renewable and sustainable energy are not ready to handle societys energy demands.

With no clear path forward, debates about the existence of global climate change continue, and ones stand on climate change can be viewed as a political litmus test.

Without sustained action at the national level, the burden of responding to climate change has fallen on other organizations. Some efforts are global in scope, like the 2015 papal encyclical letter that calls on more than 1 billion Catholics to care for our common home.

Locally, the city of San Antonio is engaged in developing a climate action plan to prepare for the coming changes. With the support of more than 90 community leaders, the SA Climate Ready initiative, coordinated by the citys Office of Sustainability, is on track to publish a draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for public comment this winter.

All of us in San Antonio should take advantage of this opportunity to share our perspectives. This dialogue offers the best chance for us to take action in a way that matches the spirit of our vibrant and diverse community.

As the bumper sticker reads, Think Global, Act Local  our response to climate change can begin at home.

David Turner, Ph.D., is an associate professor of environmental science at St. Marys University.
THE family of the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has announced plans to hold his memorial service February 14 next year, which would mark an exact full year since his death.

Family spokesperson Manase Tsvangirai said at the former Prime Ministers residence in Harares Strathaven suburb that they have since begun preparations for his memorial.

The family has decided to hold a pressor because there has been a lot of guess work and posting on social media regarding the late Tsvangirais memorial service, said the younger brother to the once popular opposition politician.

Manase Tsvangirai said the family will announce concrete plans for the ceremony once everything was in place.

Veteran opposition leader Ian Makone has been selected to be the chairperson of the organising committee of the function, he said, adding that they have also informed the government, MDC and other stakeholders about the event.

The founding MDC leader was buried at his Buhera rural home where the memorial service is going to be held.

Tsvangirai succumbed to a long battle with colon cancer at a South African hospital where he had been receiving treatment since he came out publicly about his ailment 2016.

He was later given a state assisted funeral in an unprecedented government overture towards a Zanu PF rival.

His shock death aged 65 plunged his party into disarray with the main opposition immediately splitting following fierce differences on who should be successor.

 NewZimbabwe

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Anna Kwavakona held one of her one-year-old twin babies in her arms while her other children clutched to her dress as she stood in front of a tent shelter perched by the roadside on the outskirts of Bindura town along Mt Darwin highway.

Kuvakona was dressed shabbily and desperation was written all over her face.

Her clothes, apart from being a signature of time, were testimony of the distant relationship that has existed between the 24-year-old mother of four and water.

Annah Kuvakona with her children and colleagues

It was around 4pm and her face looked as if it was last scrubbed over a week ago and this is largely because of her familys dire living conditions for the past three weeks.

Kuvakonas face told a story of pain, neglect and dejection. She looked hungry and unable to bear the weight of her twin daughters, whose situation was as hopeless as hers.

This one is called Kimberly and she has not been feeling well for some days. She has a running stomach and is very weak, Kuvakona said, referring to the child in her arms.

I think it is because of the water we are drinking, which is not safe. We fetch it from that well (pointing at a shallow and open well in a field just across the road). I am also having a challenge feeding them.

The children looked underfed and scruffy  epitomising the hard realities that have confronted the family and 17 others since three weeks ago when they were thrown out of Claverhill North Farm, owned by Kingdom Community Church (KCC).

The families were dumped by the roadside by former Rushinga senator Damian Mumvuri (Zanu PF), who says he is the new owner of the property.

I have four children and I have asked a friend to temporarily take care of the other two, Kuvakona said.

My husband is not here, he has gone out to look for food. We do not have anything to eat.

Our food was thrown away when we were chucked out of the farm. It was a nasty experience.

The distraught mother nearly broke into tears as she narrated the harrowing experience at the hands of the police when they were violently evicted from the farm they had called their home all their lives.

We are now living in the open, and we are in the rainy season. We were only given these tents by the district administrator two days ago. Imagine being in the open with these young children.

A mother and her one-month-old baby are also out in the open

Another villager, Conwell Matope (49), who is a father of six, said most of the villagers had been staying at the church-owned farm before Mumvuri invaded the property in 2005, armed with an offer letter from the government.

The families have been fighting Mumvuris seizure of the farm in the courts. Matope is an elder at the KCC.

The villagers claim the church, which employed most of them, owned the property, that they claim is now being leased to a white commercial farmer by the former Senator.

The white man has been operating at the farm for the past three years, Matope said.

We were evicted by Mumvuri three weeks ago and dumped here. We dont have water and we are using bush toilets. It is a matter of time before there is an outbreak of diseases.

We have been exposed to rains and thank God that the children here (pointing to a one-month-old baby and a four-month-old baby in her teenage sisters arms) are still alive, but I am sure it is only a matter of time.

Matope said they had tried to get assistance from Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mavhunga without any joy.

She told us that there was nothing she could do if we are evicted from someones farm, she said.

We dont have anywhere to go. We were born and grew up at this farm and we know no other home. (The minister) uses this road every day, but has done nothing to assist us.

She should have found us another place to go to. It is painful, our ancestors graves are at the farm, and we cannot leave them just like that.

But even if we are to go back to the farm today, there is no more shelter for us because they destroyed our houses.

Simbarashe Chingoka, a member of the same church, weighed in, saying more families faced eviction from the farm.

Only 18 families are here out of the 46 that were settled at the farm, he said.

Others are still there because Mumvuri ran out of money to throw them out.

He said he was using the money he gets from leasing the farm to a white farmer to evict us.

Chingoka added: They used force and threw away our foodstuffs. We dont have food right now. Our livestock was also left at the farm.

Another victim, Estery Banda (45), whose husband is aged 61 and has worked for the church for the past 24 years, said she had been forced to abandone her aged mother at the farm.

My mother was born in 1944. She is old and ailing and cant walk anymore. She could not come with us because of her condition. We left her and asked a neighbour to look after her, she said.

For three weeks I have not seen her, I cant go back there, it will mean trouble for me and my mother.

Our children are no longer going to school. We dont have the money. We dont have the food.

We are here and our husbands are having to move around the surrounding communities to look for work in exchange for food.

It is almost sunset and we have not eaten anything since morning as we are waiting for the men to come back so that we have something.

She added: We no longer have anything, even our property was destroyed by the rains.

We only got these tents from the DA yesterday (Wednesday) and he promised to take our problem to higher offices.

Even our MP (Kennedy Musanhi) has never been here, we dont know if he is not aware of our predicament.

We thought the land reform programme was for all of us, but we were wrong, it is for the powerful.

Children are living together with their parents by the roadside

Mumvuri seized the farm from the church, which has been here for many years helping communities, and here we are now  living in the open.

Mumvuri refused to comment on the matter, referring question to his lawyer Zvidzai Kajokoto.

Kajokoto said Mumvuri was allocated part of the farm by the government in 2006 and the disputes that arose after the allocation were settled by the courts.

He said the farm workers refused to work for the Zanu PF politician and they had initially promised to relocate before they changed their position.

The issue started in 2016 and in November 2017, we had a consent order that they signed with their lawyer, Mr Gumbo, he said.

They signed the judgment, but they do not want to move now. They are the ones who actually proposed that they would move out in August this year.

Farm workers were some of the biggest victims of Zimbabwes chaotic land reform programme that displaced over 4 000 white farmers and destroyed the countrys once thriving agriculture sector.

The workers, many of them of foreign origin, were left homeless after the new land owners evicted them.

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(Natural News) Once upon a time, nearly all Americans could agree that border security and territorial integrity were integral both to public safety and the rule of law. The U.S., after all, was no different from any other country: We, too, have a right to defend our borders.

In the age of POTUS Donald Trump, however, the American Left no longer shares these once-common values, and nowhere is this more evident than in the so-called mainstream media.

As the president last week appeared to make good on his previous threat to allow part of the government to shut down if he did not get his requested $5 billion in border wall funding, a U.S. Air Force veteran who is a triple amputee had another idea: A GoFundMe drive.

Brian Kolfage said if the 63 million Americans who voted for POTUS Trump in 2016 would all chip in 80 bucks apiece, that would raise the $5 billion requested by the president with $40 million to spare. As of Friday morning, nearly 200,000 donors had pledged more than $11 million, CNN reported.

Ive been receiving thousands of emails from citizens who have waited in line to become Americans and completed this process the legal way. They are so thankful for this, he wrote in an email to the network. They are giving and they are from both sides of the aisle, and thats why this movement is growing so fast.

Talk about direct citizen action. This is precisely the kind of involvement the Left has been encouraging!

Oh, but wait. Theyve been encouraging Americans to oppose the president, not support him or any of his initiatives  especially a wall. So this GoFundMe thing simply has to go away  at least according to the Washington Posts tech policy reporter Tony Romm. (Related: Illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers $155 billion per year building a wall could pay for itself almost immediately.) (See WaPoop.news for more coverage of the Washington Posts total failure at journalism.)

He is trying to get the page taken down.

An activist pretending to be a journalist

So theres an effort on GoFundMe to raise cash money for a border wall. Has more than $5M in donations (seeking $1B) and claims to have contacts in the Trump admin (have asked for more). But it got me thinking: is that, like, allowed on the site? (1/3), he wrote Thursday in a mini-tweet storm.

GoFundMe terms prohibit attempts to raise cash money rooted in intolerance of any kind relating to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender or gender identity, or serious disabilities or diseases, among other limits (2/3), he continued.

So I asked GoFundMe if this wall fundraiser violates that. Spox: This campaign does not violate our terms of service. The funds are safely held by our payment processor and we will work with the organizer to transfer funds or return them if target isnt met (3/3), Romm wrote.

This is the state of the Left and especially the Leftist media in America today: Border security is akin to intolerance, bigotry, and racism.

Romm went on to complain about the pushback he was receiving on social media. The state of our discourse is such that this thread  which merely explores the funding campaign in the context of the sites ToS  is a political lightning rod. Somehow the most boring legalese has turned into a rallying cry for a certain set of users to go on the attack, he wrote.

But of course, he wasnt just inquiring about GoFundMes terms of service; he was engaging in political activism while wearing his reporter costume in order to mask his intent and make his inquiry appear legitimate.

The Left  political leaders, the media, the commentariat  has repeatedly demonstrated theyre not interested in securing our borders. And theyre certainly not willing to just sit back and allow a wall to be built.

Read more about how the Left works to keep Americas borders wide open at OpenBorders.news.

Sources include:

CNN.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
(Natural News) Nigeria is sounding the alarm on a smuggling operation involving Chinese medicine made from dead babies. Government officials have launched an investigation to track down individuals behind the alleged, disturbing trade of baby parts. The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is now cautioning the citizens of Nigeria to be wary of medications imported from China, via a memo directed to multiple Nigerian government organizations.

Sources report that the memo indicated South Korean customs services had intercepted a staggering 2,751 drugs, which were made from human remains and brought into the country by a group of suspected Chinese nationals.

Smuggling drugs made from dead babies

Dealers in this unconventional, gruesome medicine say that the drugs are stamina boosters, and some people believe it can cure major diseases like cancer or diabetes. It is believed the drugs are being smuggled into the country via suitcases or the international market.

NIA Technical Assistant/Head of Public Relations, Mr. Bola Fashina, explained that his organization is searching for the products, though it is typically the responsibility of other agencies. It has been confirmed that drugs made from the powdered flesh of dead babies are being circulated in the area.

As Vanguard reports, these capsules were made in North Eastern China from babies whose bodies were chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves before being turned into powder.

As government officials note, making and consuming drugs made from human flesh is a crime against humanity. It is also a major public health issue. Sources report that the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety says the capsules tested positive for 18.7 billion viruses, including hepatitis B.

Johnson Agbonayinma, a Nigerian government official, commented, If immediate measures are not taken to stem the influx of these drugs and the illegal importers, it will continue to endanger the lives of citizens.

This is not the first time China has been in hot water over the production of drugs from dead babies.

Dead babies are big business in medicine

Back in 2012, South Korean officials revealed that tens of thousands of drugs made from baby remains were confiscated, after being smuggled into the country from northeast China. Over 35 attempts at smuggling in a total of 17,450 capsules were made, according to reports. As The Guardian explains, South Korean authorities refused to say where the dead babies had come from or who made the capsules, citing possible diplomatic friction with Beijing.

A customs official reportedly commented that Ethnic Koreans from north-east China who now live in South Korea intended to use the capsules themselves or share them with other Korean-Chinese.

According to reports, aborted or still-born babies are being sold to drug makers in China. The dead babies are then dried, powdered and turned into capsules. The baby remains are mixed with herbs, injected into capsules and then sold as a cure-all.

As Natural News writer Ethan Huff explains:

Some segments of the Chinese population purportedly believe that human placental tissue is medicinal, and that consuming it will improve blood supply and circulation. But it appears as though within this segment, that belief has been perverted to also include dead baby flesh as well. And unless inspectors keep a close eye on all incoming and outgoing luggage and packages, the practice will more than likely continue.

The market for dead babies is real  and its abhorrent.

Even here in the United States, organizations like Planned Parenthood have come under fire for profiteering off the sale of aborted babies. You can see more coverage of news the abortion industry doesnt want you to know about at Abortion.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

TheCable.ng

VanguardNGR.com
What to Know Saudi Arabia has signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the United States for Lockheed Martins THAAD missile system

Its a significant step forward in the $15 billion deal, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNBC

Saudi officials, alongside their U.S. counterparts, signed the crucial government-to-government agreement earlier this week

Saudi Arabia has signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the United States for Lockheed Martins THAAD missile system, a significant step forward in the $15 billion deal, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNBC.

Saudi officials, alongside their U.S. counterparts, signed the crucial government-to-government agreement earlier this week, paving the way for the massive sale of 44 THAAD launchers, missiles and related equipment.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the Pentagons top weapons supplier, THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, is regarded as Americas crown jewel in missile defense systems.

The Saudi Embassy did not respond immediately to CNBCs request for comment.

The development comes as Saudi Arabia is under fire over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as its role in the war in Yemen. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has cited the importance of defense deals in defending his decision to stick with the kingdom in the aftermath of the slaying. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has denied knowledge of the attack, although the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered Khashoggis death.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. entered formal discussions for THAAD in December 2016.

After completing required congressional notifications in 2017, followed by many months of negotiation, signing letters of offer and acceptance marks a step toward protecting the United States and its regional partners from Iranian-origin missiles, said the State Department spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The sale of the THAAD missile defense system benefits U.S. national security by supporting the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of the growing ballistic missile threat from the Iranian regime and Iran-backed extremist groups, the spokesperson added.

Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, echoed those notions.

Its a big step forward to strengthening missile defense capabilities in the Gulf, in a couple of ways, he said. Besides probably being the largest missile defense sale to date, it also represents an important political commitment by both the U.S. and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to counter Iranian ballistic missiles by every means possible.

Saudi Arabias oil-rich monarchy is one of Americas most crucial strategic partners and a significant patron of U.S. defense companies. The Saudis are the top buyers of U.S.-made arms, a title that has safeguarded the kingdom from retaliatory sanctions over the killing of Khashoggi and the war in Yemen.

In an extraordinary statement last week, Trump affirmed that the U.S. would continue to stand with Saudi Arabia, linking the countries relationship to his America first platform. Trump has also commented on the potential impact to defense suppliers if the U.S. were to sanction the Saudis over the Khashoggi killing.

I tell you what I dont want to do, Trump said to CBS 60 Minutes last month, when he was asked about possibly blocking arms sales to Riyadh. Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, all these [companies]. I dont want to hurt jobs. I dont want to lose an order like that. There are other ways of punishing, to use a word thats a pretty harsh word, but its true.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC:
Multiple San Francisco police officers are being credited with saving the life of a woman who was found unresponsive in a stairwell at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday morning.

Using the combination of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED), the officers were able to restore life to the 38-year-old woman, according to the police department.

"I am very proud of our Airport Bureau officers," San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott said in a statement. "I can say without hesitation that because of their training and swift response, a life was saved. These officers exemplify what it means to be one of San Francisco's Finest."

The life-saving rescue began just after 7 a.m. Wednesday when an airport employee alerted Sgt. Bobby Cheung that a person was unresponsive in a nearby stairwell, according to police.

Cheung found the woman, who didn't have a pulse, on the ground, according to police. He initiated CPR and called for an AED.

Officers Ryan Mariano and Christopher Giles rushed to the scene with an AED, police said. The officers took turns performing CPR while the AED was utilized.

Sgt. Mark Yesitis and Officer James Trail also responded to the scene and helped perform CPR, according to police.

The woman eventually started to blink her eyes and squeeze one of the officer's hands, according to police. The officers stopped CPR and situated the woman in a position to recover while medical personnel made their way to the scene.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois potentially admitted on NBCs Meet the Press Sunday morning that he is likely to run for re-election in 2020.

Chuck Todd concluded his interview asking the senator if hes made a final decision to be on a ballot in Illinois during the November 2020 elections.

"Listen, I can tell people that Im raising money and trying to lose some weight," Durbin responded. "Thats usually the first indication that youre up for re-election.

The interview mainly focused on the current political climate with regard to the ongoing government shutdownwhich is expected to remain partially shut down past Christmas after politicians were unable to coincide on an agreement on President Trump's demand for funds to build a border wall with Mexico.

It really is in the presidents hands to decide, Durbin said. He says its an issue of border security. I think we know better. Its an issue of his own political insecurity.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Durbin said that he constantly questions whether or not the U.S. is able to withstand another two years of his presidency.

We now have reached a depth of dysfunction that Ive never seen before in Washington, he said.

He continued to say he has faith when he is reminded of the constitutions strength and the American people.

Im hoping my republican colleagues will step up and join us in a bi-partisan effort to put the government back on track.
A sweeping investigation of Catholic clergy sexual abuse by the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, contends that abuse of minors in Illinois is significantly more extensive than the six dioceses in Illinois have previously reported.

Madigan says that in the four months since her office initiated its inquiry, Diocesan offices across the state have acknowledged an additional 45 previously undisclosed clergy who they deemed credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. But, she said her investigators have discovered allegations of sexual abuse against more than 500 additional clergy.

Im not necessarily saying that all of those 500 are credible, Madigan told NBC5. They havent been substantiatedin fact what we found was that every opportunity the Church had not to investigate, they chose not to.

Madigans investigators suggested they found evidence that Church officials had effectively looked the other way on many cases.

So there are hundreds and hundreds of allegations against individual priests and clergy members that have either not been investigated, have not been thoroughly investigated, or if they have been investigated, even when there is credible information the names of those people have not yet been made public, she said. Im shocked---Im horrified!

The report says officials found dozens of examples where Illinois diocesan offices failed to perform adequate investigations, often citing the fact that a clergy member was either deceased or had resigned from ministry when the allegation was first reported.

Dioceses failed to investigate allegations for deceased or resigned clergy, even when they received allegations from multiple survivors, the report states. Failing to investigatemakes it impossible to determine whether other clergy, including those who are alive and involved with the church, helped conceal the abuse.

The AGs investigators said only the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet had compiled and published a list of clergy who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. And by Wednesday evening, officials in the Chicago Archdiocese were pushing back against the attorney generals findings.

I want to express again the profound regret of the whole church for our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse, Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a statement. And his general counsel Bill Kunkel took that one step further.

We really have a problem with the statement that there is a clergy sex abuse problem which is more significant than has been previously reported, he told NBC5. We investigate and report all allegations.

The Chicago Archdiocese noted that it had set up a hotline for reporting sexual abuse as far back as 1992.

Since 2002 all allegations have been reported, regardless of when the behavior occurred, Kunkel said. And in 2002, my predecessors then sat down with the states attorney in Cook County and Lake County and they reported all things that were historic.

Kunkel stated bluntly, the problem is not a current problem. And he challenged Madigans finding of 500 new names.

I think that statement is false, he said. All allegations in the Archdiocese of Chicago are reported to civil authorities and investigators.

Nevertheless, Madigan called on Catholic Bishops who are scheduled to meet in Mundelein next month, to directly address the issue.

Their response needs to be very different than in the past, she said. Theyve had an inadequate response and there are people out there, hundreds of people, thousands of people, possibly tens of thousands of people just in Illinois alone who need them to respond properly, to take these allegations seriously, and to put the interests of survivors first.
Connecticut State Police have identified the man who was killed in a crash in Essex on Saturday afternoon.

Police were called to Gates Road in Essex around 3:45 p.m. after getting a report of a one-car crash.

When officers arrived, they found a vehicle off the road on a residential lot, where it had hit a tree.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified by police as 58-year-old William Demars, of Essex, was pronounced dead at the Shoreline Clinic.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Troop F in Westbrook at (860) 399-2100. The crash remains under investigation.
A Dallas police officer trainee was arrested for domestic violence on Saturday.

According to Dallas police, Reginal Thomas, 23, was arrested by officers for assault family violence with bodily injury.

Thomas has been with the department since February of 2018 and was assigned to the North Central Patrol Division.

He has been put on administrative leave pending an internal affairs administrative investigation.

Thomas has been booked into the Dallas County Jail and no bond has been set at this time.
Wilbur the hedgehog leads a charmed life: A popular video on the animal lovers' website, The Dodo. Custom-made crocheted little hats that rack up the likes on Instagram. Only the best in Target fruit strips for nibbles.

The San Antonio Express-News reports and to think just this summer he nearly died by his mother's own teeth. A few months ago, he was an injured newborn, a pink, see-through critter the size of a thumb, whose mother had also devoured two of his fellow litter mates and fatally bit another.

Now he nestles in the cupped hands and online posts of Melissa Schreiner, an animal lover in Eagle Pass who's taken all sorts of creatures under her wing, with Wilbur poking his spiky little head above the pack.

"I want people to see Wilbur and think about all the animals that need help, that need to be rescued, (and) all the animals that have been in shelters waiting to be rescued that need homes," said Schreiner, whose animal rescue efforts in Eagle Pass include bringing adoptable cats and dogs to San Antonio.

"Wilbur can get attention that I can't get," Schreiner said. "He's so unique, and his personality is pretty adorable. As you can see, he's rough around the edges, but he's very special. He's just ... Wilbur."

"I try to tell her he was a Sonic," said Schreiner's close friend Malissa Polen, who recently hosted Wilbur, Schreiner, and Schreiner's 4-year-old daughter, Brooke, at her own ranch in Devine.

Schreiner said she always knew Wilbur was a Wilbur, more a reference to the pig of "Charlotte's Web" than the zippy hedgehog of the Sega video games (though Wilbur certainly has raced to the forefront of animal advocacy and all around adorableness).

In addition to scurrying up thousands of likes and followers on his Instagram account, (at)wilburstale, Wilbur also has starred in his own Dodo video with more than half a million views on the site's YouTube channel. And he has his own dot-com with wilburstale.com .

Sandy Tovar, who runs The Buddy Foundation animal rescue group in Eagle Pass, has been following Wilbur's tale from the beginning.

"Wilbur is just an amazing character," Tovar said. "Not only because he's cute as a button, but when I found out Melissa rescued him as a tiny hedgehog, the chances of him making it were pretty slim. It's just an amazing rescue story."

Wilbur needed help pretty much as soon as he was born in late June.

Schreiner had heard of a young woman in Eagle Pass who was breeding hedgehogs for sale and was having trouble with a recent litter. Schreiner offered to help with the surviving two baby hedgehogs and raced to her home.

One of the baby hedgehogs died on the way back, right in the hands of Schreiner's other daughter, Gabby, 15. As for Wilbur, Schreiner recalled he somehow survived his mother's attack but was still cold as a Popsicle.

Bringing Wilbur back from the brink wasn't easy. Schreiner had no previous experience with a hedgehog, and her go-to veterinarian only worked with larger animals, such as her dogs and horses.

So Schreiner turned to Google, researching any tips she could find. She even consulted a hedgehog rescue group in the United Kingdom, where hedgehogs roam wild like rabbits.

In addition to his bite wound, Schreiner learned Wilbur also was suffering from bloating, a condition hedgehogs are prone to which can be painful and even fatal.

"It was very touch and go," Schreiner said.

Schreiner tried infant gas drops as well chamomile tea and even probiotics in Wilbur's milk formula to minimize his bloating. Wilbur would spend his first fateful weeks slumped on a heating pad at Schreiner's bedside, where she often woke up to bottle feed him at the first squeak.

As for Wilbur's injury and general hygiene, Schreiner learned to clean him with coconut oil on a toothbrush.

At first, Wilbur weighed only about 8 grams, the equivalent of a quarter and a penny. Schreiner knew he was finally out of the woods when at six weeks old he ate his first solid food, a mash of formula and hedgehog food, right on Polen's kitchen counter.

That wasn't the only delightful first at Polen's home.

"Wilbur swam in our pool here," Polen said. "We had him in a drink cup holder shaped like a flamingo. And he gave my baby alpaca his first kiss."

In addition to puckering up with Sheldon the alpaca, Wilbur also began cozying up to the various animals on Schreiner's own ranch, which in addition to herself, her husband and their two daughters includes five dogs, three cats, three horses, Gabby's ferret, a duck and several chickens.

Such moments with Schreiner's animals make adorable snapshots. But Wilbur pulls the serious awwws when it's just him being, well, Wilbur -- especially when he models one of Schreiner's tiny crocheted hats, which she sells on the Facebook page Wilbur's Wardrobe to offset her animal rescue costs and get more animals adopted. They start at $5 and can be custom ordered.

"Most of the time I rehouse my rescues," Schreiner said. "With the exception of my Wilbur." Schreiner has cared for animals pretty much since she was a kid growing up in Germany.

It started with a falconlike baby bird named Fluffy, which Schreiner found one day covered in greasy water. Fluffy's rescue lead to many more saved animals and insects, be they snails or lizards or just about any other creatures great and small.

Schreiner volunteered at a military base veterinary clinic in Germany. Then when she moved to the United States at 14, she volunteered at a zoo and also a pet store in Alamogordo, New Mexico. After she got she married, she moved to Las Vegas and continued working with animals at a vet clinic and then an animal shelter.

Since moving to Eagle Pass almost four years ago, Schreiner has focused on animal rescue full-time. Which brings up another reason she loves to share Wilbur's tale: to raise awareness of animal care in the Texas town she now calls home.

Soon after moving to Eagle Pass, Schreiner became fast friends with Tovar and The Buddy Foundation, which is named after the Golden Retriever the Tovar family lost in 2016.

Tovar said it's been an uphill struggle to boost animal rescue and animal advocacy in her community, but slowly more people have come to see the value of animal rights and to see their pets more as part of the family.

"It's just heartwarming to see how the community itself has changed," Tovar said.

Especially when a friendly, furry face like Wilbur's encourages that change.

"People that had no interest at all in rescuing animals will come and ask me questions about Wilbur," Schreiner said. "And it really opens the conversation for me to tell them about other animals that need help, too."

These days, Schreiner said Wilbur plays more to type as the typical shy and nocturnal hedgehog, huffing and puffing whenever he's exposed to strangers or an unfamiliar environment.

He now spends more time in his "snuggle sack," a bumblebee-covered felt pouch Schreiner sewed that looks like a wine bottle holder. Though he still climbs all over Schreiner and in her hair whenever it's just the two of them on the couch watching television.

Schreiner couldn't be happier to see Wilbur not only survive but come into his own. Besides, they still have much in common.

"I just think that me and his personality just click," Schreiner said. "I'm not as good with people as I wish I was. But with him, I understand him. I can relate to him. He's afraid of everything, but yet he wants to see what's going on."

And as a face for animal rescue, Wilbur should continue to have plenty of appreciative and supportive company.
A white man condemned for the 1998 dragging death of a black man in East Texas has been scheduled for execution next year.

John William King faces lethal injection April 24. District Judge Craig Mixson signed the execution order Friday.

The U.S. Supreme Court in October denied an appeal for King, who claimed he had ineffective lawyers during his capital murder trial.

King was one of three white men convicted in the June 1998 death of James Byrd Jr. Byrd was chained to a pickup truck and dragged along a road near Jasper, about 125 miles northeast of Houston.

A second man convicted in Byrd's death has been executed. The third man is serving life in prison.
Police have identified the victims of what investigators believe was double murder-suicide in Corsicana.

Three children escaped through a window during Friday night's domestic dispute, according to the Corsicana Police Department.

Police Chief Robert Johnson says dispatchers received a 911 call from a woman reporting that her sister and brother-in-law were arguing and he had a gun. Police say 28-year-old Nancy Castillo managed to get three children -- ages 7 and younger -- out of the home through a window.

Police believe 36-year-old Rosalio Mendoza fatally shot his wife, 27-year-old Vanesa Mendoza, and Castillo, then killed himself.

Officers were dispatched to the location on the 2100 block of Navarro Drive around 9:45 p.m. Friday and the operator advised the caller to find a safe place or to hide.

Officers arrived within one minute of a reported gunshot. When they got to the residence, officers found a woman lying on the front yard suffering from a gunshot wound.

Officers proceeded to kick in the front door of the residence to find the gunman, but discovered the suspected gunman deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officers found the suspect forced his way into the home through the back door and made his way into the bedroom where the 911 caller was shot and killed as she attempted to exit through the bedroom window.
Police in Colorado said Friday that a woman missing since Thanksgiving Day was likely killed at her home, and they have arrested her fiance and charged him with murder.

Woodland Park police Chief Miles de Young would not say whether Berreth's body had been found or what led to the charges of murder and solicitation to commit murder against Patrick Frazee, allegedly the last person to see 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth. He was arrested at his home and cattle ranch in the central Colorado community of Florissant on Friday morning, Teller County sheriff's Cmdr. Greg Couch said.

"As you can tell from the arrest, sadly, we do not believe that Kelsey is still alive," De Young said.

Authorities also won't say who else might be arrested, or give more details on the solicitation to murder charge, or how they believe Berreth was killed.

Frazee appeared by teleconference at a Teller County District Court hearing Friday. He's being held without bond with his next court appearance scheduled for Dec. 31.

Berreth was last seen in a grocery store near her home in Woodland Park, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Florissant. Both towns are high country alpine communities near Pikes Peak and west of Colorado Springs.

Surveillance video showed her entering the store on Thanksgiving Day with what appears to be the couple's 1-year-old daughter in a baby carrier. Frazee had told police that the couple met sometime that afternoon so he could pick up the child. They did not live together, and the girl was staying with her father.

Friday's arrest came after police urged Frazee to speak directly with investigators and after a search of his high country ranch property as well as Berreth's own townhome in Woodland Park. Officials declined to say what they found.

Miles De Young, police chief of Woodland Park, said Frazee had communicated with police through his attorney but hadn't spoken with them directly.

Police said the only signs of Berreth were some text messages from her cellphone. Location data later suggested that by Nov. 25 the phone was in Idaho, 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) from Berreth's home.

Public records show that property associated with Frazee's name in Florissant covers 35 acres.

Frazee's attorney, Jeremy Loew, has said his client was cooperating with the investigation.

Loew previously said his client provided police with DNA samples and access to his cellphone. Frazee told police that Berreth last texted him on Nov. 25, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Berreth's employer, Doss Aviation, received a text message from her cellphone that day saying she planned to take the following week off.

A police investigation was opened Dec. 2 after Berreth's mother asked for a welfare check. Police said they found both of Berreth's cars outside her home.

Police also said Doss Aviation had accounted for all their planes and there was no reason to believe she used someone else's plane for a flight.

Public records show that property associated with Frazee's name in Florissant covers 35 acres (14 hectares).

Berreth and Frazee did not live together, according to relatives, and Berreth's daughter has been living Frazee.

According to property records, Berreth purchased her single-family home in Woodland Park in May.
What to Know Trump announced his presidential candidacy in June 2015, and by that November, the Russians were reaching out about "political synergy"

The campaign finance violations Cohen committed came "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump, according to the new filings

After Manafort pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, prosecutors say he continued to lie

Key pieces of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation appear to be falling into place.

In three court filings Friday, prosecutors for the first time connected President Donald Trump to a crime involving hush money payments to a porn actress. They revealed new details about outreach from Russia early in Trump's presidential campaign. They detailed how they say two central figures, lawyer Michael Cohen and onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort, were continually tripped up by lies.

Some takeaways from the latest round of court documents from Mueller's investigation:

EARLY RUSSIAN OUTREACH

Trump announced his presidential candidacy in June 2015. By that November, the Russians were reaching out about "political synergy."

The court papers provide new details about one of the earliest known contacts between Russia and a Trump campaign associate. In fall 2015, Cohen was months into his work on a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow when an unidentified Russian national proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This person, prosecutors say, claimed to be a "trusted person" in Russia who could offer the Trump campaign "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level."

This person sought to connect the Trump business project with the campaign, saying the meeting could have a "phenomenal" impact on the proposed tower in Moscow. There is "no bigger warranty in any project than the consent of" Putin, the person told Cohen.

Prosecutors say Cohen didn't follow up and that the meeting never occurred.

The outreach is more evidence that Russia was eager to build relationships with the campaign and tried to use Trump's business as an opening.

TRUMP DIRECTED COHEN'S CRIME

Prosecutors didn't mince words: The campaign finance violations Cohen committed came "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump, according to the new filings.

Those violations stemmed from payments Cohen made to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both women alleged they had affairs with Trump, which the White House denies. Daniels was paid $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement signed days before the 2016 election.

Trump has denied knowing anything about the Daniels payment. But the filing directly contradicts that claim. It also, for the first time, directly ties Trump to a federal crime. Campaign finance law requires candidates to report any payments made to influence the election. The Trump campaign failed to report the payment at the time.

Prosecutors don't say Trump broke the law and the Justice Department has maintained that a sitting president cannot be indicted.

PUBLIC STATEMENTS MATTER TO MUELLER

At least such statements did matter to Mueller when Cohen lied to Congress, and that could have implications for other episodes under investigation in the Russia investigation.

Cohen has admitted lying to Congress about how long he worked on the Trump Tower Moscow project and repeating the falsehoods to the media. But Mueller's team doesn't just consider this self-protection. It was a "deliberate effort" to publicly present a "false narrative" in the hopes of limiting the scope of the various Russia investigations, prosecutors say in the court papers.

Mueller's focus on public assertions and their impact on witnesses, lawmakers and ongoing investigations could serve as a warning to Trump.

The president also has spread falsehoods about his campaign's ties to Russia. The special counsel has questioned witnesses about a statement Trump dictated on Air Force One last year that omitted several details about a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian attorney.

The filing suggests Mueller intends to hold witnesses accountable for the statements made privately and publicly. If the lies are meant to influence the investigation, they may factor into Mueller's investigation into whether Trump has tried to obstruct the probe.

Federal prosecutors filed papers in court alleging former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort violated his previous plea deal.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTACTS

Despite their criminal cases, the Trump administration just can't leave Manafort or Cohen behind, according to prosecutors.

In Cohen's case, Mueller's team said he has provided "relevant and useful" information about his contacts with people connected to the Trump White House in 2017 and 2018. With Manafort, prosecutors say he also had several recent administration contacts and lied about them.

After Manafort pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, prosecutors say he told them he had "no direct or indirect" contact with people in the administration. But that was a lie, they say.

Instead, they found evidence, including electronic documents, showing contacts with multiple administration officials. That included communication with a "senior administration official" through February 2018. Manafort also directed a person to speak with an administration official on his "behalf" on May 26.

Neither Cohen's nor Manafort's filings detail the content of the conversations or identify the officials. Manafort has contended he was truthful with Mueller's team.

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NOT JUST COHEN'S WORD

Since his guilty plea, Trump has attacked Cohen as a liar who is telling "stories" to get a reduced prison sentence. But prosecutors revealed Friday that they're not just taking Cohen's word for it.

The information Cohen told prosecutors in seven separate interviews "has been credible and consistent with other evidence obtained" in Mueller's investigation, they note in the sentencing recommendation.

Some of that information from Cohen, prosecutors say, concerns "certain discrete Russia-related matters" at the "core" of Mueller's investigation, particularly those involving his contact with Trump Organization executives.

'LUCRATIVE' MOSCOW DEAL

Trump and his lawyers have played down the Trump Tower Moscow proposal. The president has said he never put any money into it and ultimately decided not to do it. But Mueller's team reveals that if he did, they believe they know the windfall.

According to Cohen's filing, the deal could have yielded "hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources in licensing fees and other revenues."

They also note that the project's success likely hinged on Russian government approval, which Cohen sought.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
China called the U.S. arrogant and selfish on Friday after two Chinese citizens were charged with stealing trade secrets and other sensitive information from American government agencies and corporations.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the U.S. of undermining other countries' development in order to defend its own hegemony.

"The U.S. is a world superpower, and it's quite arrogant and selfish," she said during a regular press briefing.

Alluding to other accusations the U.S. has made against China, she said: "They believe that a lie repeated a thousand times will become the truth, but I want to tell them that a lie is still a lie even after it has been repeated ten thousand times."

Hua, in a written statement issued earlier Friday, said the U.S. was "fabricating facts."

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday announced the indictment of Chinese nationals Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong for allegedly carrying out an extensive cyberespionage campaign on behalf of Beijing's main intelligence agency.

Besides the alleged U.S. infiltration, Zhu and Hua are also accused of breaching computers linked to companies in at least 11 other countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom and India.

Among the cyberespionage maneuvers detailed in the indictment is the alleged use of a phishing technique which sent emails that appeared to be coming from legitimate email addresses but were in fact from members of "Advanced Persistent Threat 10," the China-based hacking group to which Zhu and Zhang purportedly belong.

The indictment says the pair worked for the Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company in the northeastern port city of Tianjin and acted in association with the city's Chinese Ministry of State Security bureau.

A public company registry states that Huaying Haitai's work involved the development of computer software, consulting and business related to a variety of technical equipment.

Zhu and Zhang's current whereabouts are unclear. China does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.

"There is some cooperation under the framework of Interpol, but if the Chinese government doesn't agree with the U.S. charges, there is no way to extradite the accused," said Li Fangping, a Beijing-based criminal lawyer.

Li added that if Zhu and Zhang travel to other countries that have signed treaties with the U.S., they could be detained and later extradited, as was the case with Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou's arrest in Canada.

James Gong, a cybersecurity senior associate at the Herbert Smith Freehills law firm in Beijing, said the announcement of the charges has already had an impact.

"The allegation itself will give rise to some suspicion, at least, among the international public, that these hacking activities are actually supported by the Chinese state," he said.

Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker contributed to this story.
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."
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.
What to Know The New York State Department of Health is investigating a possible legionella exposure at a Brooklyn hospital

The department is working with New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital to carry out the investigation, it said

The hospital in Park Slope has put water restrictions into place in an effort to prevent additional cases," it noted

The New York State Department of Health is investigating a possible legionella exposure at a Brooklyn hospital.

The department is working with New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on an investigation of legionellosis potentially associated with the hospital, it said in a statement.

The hospital in Park Slope has put water restrictions into place in an effort to prevent additional cases," it noted.

The department will continue to work with the hospital to ensure patient safety, the statement added.

Legionella cant be spread person-to-person, the hospital noted.

The department didn't immediately provide additional details.
What to Know A man attacked a state trooper while he was being arrested for drunk driving during a traffic stop

The man's wife tried to stop the arrest, and later threw her shoes and underwear at a group of troopers at a police station

The man faces charges including assault and DWI; the woman faces charges including attempted assault

A woman allegedly threw her shoes and dirty underwear at a group of state troopers after her husband was arrested for drunk driving, police said.

A group of troopers were conducting traffic stops in Hempstead around 1:35 a.m. on Sunday when they pulled over a Mercedes-Benz driven by Michael Nelson, 38, of Long Beach, New York State police said.

When the troopers discovered Nelson was drunk, they tried to arrest him, but Nelson headbutted one of them several times, police said.

Thats when his wife Alexandra Nelson, 29, got out of the Mercedes and tried to keep the troopers from arresting her husband, according to police.

The troopers took both of them to the East Meadow Barracks, where Michael Nelson kept acting belligerent and refused to take chemical tests, police said.

Alexandra Nelson, meanwhile, spit at the troopers and threw her shoes and dirty underwear at them, according to police.

Michael Nelson was charged with driving while intoxicated, second-degree assault, criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and harassment, police said.

His wife was charged with second-degree attempted assault, criminal possession of a controlled substance, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, according to police.

Their attorney information wasnt immediately available Sunday.
Catholic bishops are entering their final week of debate over hot-button issues facing young Catholics, including how the church should welcome gays and respond to the clerical sex abuse scandal that has discredited many in the church hierarchy.

The monthlong synod of bishops ends next Saturday with the adoption by the 260-plus cardinals, bishops and priests of a final document and approval of a separate, shorter letter to the world's Catholic youth.

Some of the youth delegates to the meeting have insisted that the final document express an inclusive message to make LGBT Catholics feel welcome in a church that has often shunned them.

The Vatican took a step in that direction by making a reference to "LGBT" for the first time in its preparatory document heading into the meeting.

But some bishops have balked at the notion, including Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, who insisted in his speech that "there is no such thing as an 'LGBTQ Catholic' or a 'transgender Catholic' or a 'heterosexual Catholic,' as if our sexual appetites defined who we are."

But other bishops have expressed a willingness to use the language, though it remains to be seen if the final document or the letter will. Each paragraph will be voted on one by one and must obtain a two-thirds majority.

"The youth are talking about it freely and in the language they use, and they are encouraging us 'Call us, address us this because this is who we are,'" Papua New Guinea Cardinal John Ribat told a press conference Saturday.

One of those young people, Yadira Vieyra, who works with migrant families in Chicago, said gays often feel attacked and shunned by the church.

"We know that's not true, any Catholic knows that's not true," she said. But she added bishops need to communicate that "the church is here for them."

Catholic church teaching holds that gays should be loved and respected but that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered."

The Oct. 3-28 synod has unfolded against the backdrop of the clergy sex abuse scandal exploding anew in the U.S., Germany, Poland and other nations. Some conservatives have charged that a gay subculture in the priesthood is to blame, even though studies have shown that gays are not more likely than heterosexuals to abuse.

Many of the young delegates have insisted that the final document address the abuse scandal straight on, and Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli hinted that it would.

"One of the key things that will be important going forward is not just that there might be a word of apology, of recognition and of aiming for better practices, but that there is action associated with that," he said.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said young people are also demanding accountability and transparency from the church's leadership, which has been excoriated for having covered-up the abuses of predator priests for decades.

He repeated his call, first made in an interview last week with National Catholic Reporter, for bishops to cede their own authority and allow an external process involving lay experts to investigate them when an accusation against them has been made.

"Lay people want us to succeed. People want us to get this right," Cupich said. "Yes, there's a lot of anger out there. But beneath that anger there's a sadness. There's a sadness that the church is better than this, and that we should get this right."
Both sides in the long-running fight over funding President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall appear to have moved toward each other, but a shutdown of one-fourth of the federal government entered Christmas without a clear resolution in sight.

In fact, a top White House official warned the shutdown could stretch into January.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who is also the budget director, said he was waiting to hear from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York about a counteroffer the White House presented Schumer over the weekend.

Mulvaney would only say the offer was between Trump's $5.7 billion request and $1.3 billion Democrats have offered.

"We moved off of the five and we hope they move up from their 1.3," Mulvaney said less than a day after a senior administration official insisted that Congress would have to cave into Trump's demand for the shutdown to end, highlighting Trump's unpredictable negotiating style.

Schumer's office said the parties remained "very far apart."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., argued for increased use of technology along the border instead of "some medieval wall." Asked whether he's willing to offer more money as long as it is not spent on a wall, Durbin responded: "Absolutely."

Trump blamed the Democrats for the stalemate on Monday, tweeting, "Virtually every Democrat we are dealing with today strongly supported a Border Wall or Fence. It was only when I made it an important part of my campaign, because people and drugs were pouring into our Country unchecked, that they turned against it. Desperately needed!"

However, an AP Fact Check found that U.S. arrests on the Mexican border jumped 78 percent in November from a year earlier to the highest level in Trump's presidency. Increased arrests indicate that more people are trying to cross the border illegally.

A stalemate over the wall led parts of the government to shut down Saturday after funding for numerous departments and agencies expired. The closure affects hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the country and was expected to last at least through Thursday, when the House and Senate meet again.

Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas, respectively, are federal holidays, meaning the government would have been closed anyway. That means Wednesday is the first day the public could begin to feel the effects of lost government services, Mulvaney said.

He predicted the shutdown could go into January, when Democrats assume control of the House based on their midterm election gains.

"It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mulvaney said.

Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer, countered: "If Director Mulvaney says the Trump Shutdown will last into the New Year, believe him, because it's their shutdown." Trump recently declared he'd be "proud" to shut down the government over border issues.

Democrats held firm Sunday in opposition to a wall, which Trump promised his political base he would build. Mulvaney said "the president's not going to not accept money for a border wall."

Trump tweeted Sunday, the shutdown's second day, that what's needed is "a good old fashioned WALL that works," not aerial drones or other measures that "are wonderful and lots of fun" but not the answer to address drugs, gangs, human trafficking and other criminal elements entering the country.

He put off plans to spend Christmas at his Florida estate and remained in Washington.

The routines of about 800,000 federal employees, meanwhile, were about to be disrupted.

More than half of those employees are deemed essential, such as U.S. Secret Service agents and Transportation Security Administration airport agents, must work without pay, though retroactive pay is expected. Another 380,000 were to be furloughed, meaning they will not report to work but would be paid later. Legislation ensuring that workers receive back pay was expected to clear Congress.

Trump had savored the prospect of a shutdown over the wall, saying he'd be "proud" to force one over an issue that was one of his biggest campaign promises. He had said he wouldn't blame Democrats for a shutdown but now blames them for not contributing to the 60 votes needed for such legislation to clear the closely divided Senate.

But Democrats aren't the only ones resisting Trump on the wall. Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is leaving Congress in January and has criticized Trump on other issues in the past, called the border-wall fight a "made-up fight so the president can look like he's fighting."

"This is something that is unnecessary. It's a spectacle. And, candidly, it's juvenile. The whole thing is juvenile," Corker said, arguing for measures that he said would secure the border better than a wall.

Democrats said they were open to proposals that don't include a wall, which Schumer said is costly and ineffective. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security.

Senators have approved a bipartisan deal to keep the government open into February and provide $1.3 billion for border security projects, but not the wall. But as Trump faced criticism from conservatives for "caving" on a campaign promise, he pushed the House to approve a package temporarily financing the government but also setting aside $5.7 billion for the border wall. That bill lacks the votes to pass the Senate.

The stalemate blocked money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

The Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services are among those that Congress has fully funded and will operate as usual.

Mulvaney appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week." Durbin spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press" and Corker was interviewed on "State of the Union" on CNN.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick, Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect further details released by police.

A weekend of violence continued Sunday in Philadelphia as four more people were shot during what was supposed to be three days of peace before Christmas festivities.

A couple in the Torresdale section of the city was shot in their bedroom as their 2-year-old child lay in a crib in the next room over early Sunday morning.

The man and woman were shot in what police described as a home invasion robbery on the 9400 block of Torresdale Avenue.

The victims, a 39-year-old man and 37-year-old woman, were shot in the back and in the right leg, respectively, according to Philadelphia Police Capt. Drew Techner.

They told police that two men wearing masks broke into their home shortly before 4:15 a.m. and took a safe from their bedroom.

Inside the safe was $85,000 and jewelry, Philadelphia Police spokeswoman Tanya Little said.

The men then left in the victims' silver GMC pickup truck.

Police found the truck abandoned off I-95 near Margaret Street, Techner said. Money and jewelry had been taken from the safe.

The victims were taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and listed in stable condition. Their child, who was in a crib in the next bedroom over but suffered no injures, was being cared for by family members.

Police have not made any arrests, but are sorting through surveillance video in the home for clues.

In the East Frankford section of the city, a 22-year-old man was shot 10 times shortly before 3:00 a.m. on the 4100 block of Paul Street, Little said.

He was shot twice in the groin, twice in the right arm, twice in the right thigh, twice in the right calf and twice in the left thigh. He was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Police have not made any arrests in that shooting, either.

Around 3:08 a.m., Philadelphia police responded to more gunfire, this time at the parking lot of an apartment complex on the 3900 block of City Avenue in Wynnefield Heights.

The 30-year-old male victim told police he was at the complex to visit a friend when a suspect followed him and tried to take his watch.

The man was shot in the hip and taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.

The gunfire continued a violent and deadly streak in Philadelphia that began late Friday night when a 33-year-old woman, 31-year-old man and 29-year-old man were critically wounded in separate shootings in North Philadelphia.

Shortly before midnight that same day, a 35-year-old man was shot dead in the same section of the city.

The bloodshed continued when a 27-year-old man died from multiple gunshots to the head around 2 a.m. Saturday in West Philadelphia. A 36-year-old man was also shot in the stomach and listed in critical condition.

Around 1:30 p.m. that same afternoon, the death toll continued to climb when three people were found shot up in a car on the 2100 block of 10th Street.

A man was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. A woman was struck multiple times by the bullets and pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia police said.

The third victim, a 35-year-old man, was shot once in the head and listed in critical condition. He was also held as a prisoner, police said.

The last few days were supposed to be ones of non-violence, with activists planning the first David Fattah Peace Weekend and fanning out throughout the city beginning Friday to hand out shirts and flyers promoting peace.

Instead, the weekend's violence only added to the death toll.

As of Dec. 21, Philadelphia police listed 339 homicides in the city, an 11 percent increase over the same time last year.

That number is now sure to climb.
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.
Cutting-edge DNA technology and tireless detective work led to major breaks in a few San Diego cold cases this year. Heres a look back at the unsolved cases that captivated us, and how they changed in 2018.

Case: Elizabeth Sullivan

Former Navy Service Member Arrested for Wifes Murder

On Jan. 31, former U.S. Navy service member Matthew Sullivan, then 32, was arrested in Wyoming, Delaware, suspected in the 2014 cold case killing of his wife, Elizabeth Sullivan. Elizabeths body was found floating in the San Diego Bay on Oct. 6, 2016, after she had been missing for two years.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Lt. Mike Holden said the department had been committed to solving Elizabeths case since it began in October 2014. He was confident that Matthews arrest was the key to the answers detectives had long been seeking.

We have the right person, Holden told NBC 7.

U.S. Navy veteran Matthew Sullivan was charged Wednesday with the 2014 murder of his wife, Elizabeth Sullivan. He pleaded not guilty. NBC 7's Rory Devine reports.

Matthew was extradited to San Diego and booked into jail on Feb. 9. He is being held on $2 million bail. At his arraignment on Feb. 14, prosecutors alleged Matthew used a knife to kill his wife and said that knife was discovered by investigators in the home the couple shared in San Diegos Liberty Station area. The home also held other clues, including suspicious flooding under the carpet.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said Elizabeths body was found in the San Diego Bay on the same day that Matthew was packing up his belongings and moving out of California. Stephan said investigators believe Elizabeths body was hidden somewhere before it was disposed of in the bay.

Were determined to bring justice for the victim, her family and loved ones, Stephan said at a news conference in February. Over three years have passed, but she hasnt been forgotten.

According to police reports obtained by NBC 7, there was a history of domestic violence in the couples marriage and they had been arguing over custody of their two young daughters and child support.

Matthew has pleaded not guilty. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 14, 2019.

Case: Richard Finney

Arrest in 1986 Escondido Homicide Tied to New Technology

In 1986, Richard Finney, 75, was stabbed 31 times in his apartment on East Mission Avenue in Escondido. A bloody handprint left on a wall became key evidence in the case but even after using state-of-the-art DNA testing to examine the print in 2007, the Escondido Police Departments cold case team could not link the blood to anyone specific.

An Escondido murder case that happened 32 years ago has had a breakthrough with a new arrest. NBC 7's Artie Ojeda is in Escondido with more.

In 2016, a forensic fingerprint expert used newer equipment and advanced technology to re-examine fingerprints collected from Finneys apartment. Finally, detectives got a match, zeroing in on Nathan Eugene Mathis, 62, of Ontario, California, as their suspect.

This past April, Mathis was arrested and booked into jail on one count of first-degree murder for the cold case killing of Finney. Mathis is being held on $3 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 7, 2019.

Escondido detectives who worked on this case kept in touch with Finneys family over the decades, including the victims grandchildren. Mathis arrest brought relief to the victims loved ones. Details of the motive behind the murder have not yet been released.

Case: Golden State Killer

Man Accused in Serial Killings Lived in San Diego

DNA and genealogical technology led investigators to arrest Joseph James DeAngelo this past spring, a man suspected of being the notorious Golden State Killer.

DeAngelo  a former police officer and U.S. Navy service member  is accused of terrorizing California between 1975 and 1986, committing at least a dozen murders, nearly 50 rapes and dozens of burglaries across the state.

Following his arrest, NBC 7 learned DeAngelo was stationed in San Diego for several months as part of his service with the U.S. Navy. He graduated from basic training at the Naval Training Center in San Diego from October to December 1964.

Across the state, DeAngelos victims voiced relief over his arrest as his brutal crimes had haunted them for decades. The suspect faces 26 counts in six counties across California, 13 for murder and 13 tied to rapes. His trial could cost taxpayers more than $20 million.

[G] San Diego's Unsolved Cold Cases

Case: Grace Hayden

Single Fingerprint Leads Detectives to 1987 Slaying Suspect

On May 20, 1987, Grace Hayden, 79, was sexually assaulted and strangled to death at her Normal Heights-area home. The case grew cold and stayed that way for 30 years.

In May 2017, San Diego detective Tony Johnson was reviewing the decades-long cold case when he decided to run a piece of evidence across the database again: a single fingerprint from someones left ring finger discovered on the stove inside the victims home.

The fingerprint had never yielded a positive match before but, this time, things were different.

The fingerprint was matched to Kevin Thomas Ford, now 62, whose prints were in a police database in Robeson County, North Carolina, for a 2015 arrest for communicating threats. Ford was arrested at his home in St. Pauls, North Carolina, this past July on suspicion of killing Hayden.

He was extradited to San Diego and booked into jail on July 28. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 9, 2019.

Guillermo Gonzalez-Nunez is accused of killing Willie Clark Jr. in a 2006 shooting at a bar in San Diego, then fleeing to Mexico. NBC 7s Liberty Zabala reports.

Case: Willie Clark Jr.

Mans Killer Sentenced 12 Years After Crime

Willie Clark Jr. was shot and killed outside a bar on Hollister Street in south San Diego on April 3, 2006. For 10 years, his killing was unsolved.

In May 2016, his suspected killer  Guillermo Gonzalez Nunez  was arrested in Mexico. In August of this year, Nunez, now 44, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. This past October, he was sentenced to 18 years behind bars for Clarks killing.

In 2016, NBC 7 spoke with Clarks family, including his son, Julius, who said not knowing who killed Clark had felt like a one big, hazy, bad dream.

We still hear my dads voice  his laugh, Julius told NBC 7.

Clarks mother, Mary Lopez, said she considered Nunez a monster, saying he stole a huge part of her life when he killed her son.

Case: Jodine Serrin

DNA Technology Identifies Suspect in Womans Valentines Day 2007 Killing

On Feb. 14, 2007, Carlsbad resident Jodine Serrin, 39, was brutally murdered in her home on Swallow Lane. Unbeknownst to them, Serrins parents, Arthur and Lois Serrin, walked into their daughters apartment as the crime was in progress, making the details of the case even more chilling.

Serrins case grew cold but, in 2017, it finally began to unravel when investigators announced new information on the suspect based on the first use of new forensic technology in San Diego County.

NBC 7's Gaby Rodriguez explains how technological advances and a little bit of luck led to the identification of a suspect in an 11-year-old murder.

This past February, investigators with the Carlsbad Police Department (CPD) and San Diego County District Attorneys Office said they had been using the services of Virginia-based DNA-tech company, Parabon NanoLabs, to narrow down leads.

In November, the CPD announced they found their suspect in Serrins slaying: David Mabrito, linked to the case via DNA matching technology ad genealogical experts. Mabrito was a transient and died from suicide in 2011. He was 38 years old at the time Serrin was killed.

Arthur and Lois Serrin never stopped searching for their daughters killer and held out hope for answers. Over the years, they fondly remembered their daughter as a woman with a gentle heart who loved helping others.
What to Know A security guard at the Airbnb where Stefaniak had been staying, Bismark Espinosa Martinez, has been arrested in connection with the case.

Family members of a Miami woman whose body was found when she didnt return from a vacation in Costa Rica now say they believe more people were involved in her death.

On a Facebook page that was created during the search for 36-year-old Carla Stefaniak, who had failed to return from a trip for her birthday, family members say sources close to the investigation have told them forensic results have investigators believing more people were involved.

In fact, the doubt extends to that there may be up 3 or 4 possible people involved, the family wrote in a message Thursday night. We have been saying this since day 1. This was organized by more than one person as soon as Carla booked the place.

A security guard at the Airbnb where Stefaniak had been staying, Bismark Espinosa Martinez, has been arrested in connection with the case.

Sister station Telemundo 51 reached out to officials in Costa Rica, who said information on the case is "confidential."

Stefaniak was traveling with her sister-in-law when she was last heard from by her family on Nov. 27; she was scheduled to fly home the next day. While her sister-in-law flew home early, Stefaniak stayed but told friends it was pretty sketchy at the resort.

A partially buried body was found in the woods near that resort close to a week later, which was identified by Stefaniaks father. An autopsy revealed that Stefaniak suffered a blunt force wound to the head and cuts on the neck and arms.

Family members brought Stefaniaks ashes back to Tampa, where she lived after moving to America in 2000 from her native Venezuela for 12 years before moving to South Florida.
A federal judge granted an injunction to stop Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles from enforcing a law requiring automatic license suspensions for failure to pay court fines.

U.S. District Judge Norman Moon ordered DMV Commissioner Rick Holcomb to remove suspensions on three plaintiffs' licenses and $145 penalties to reinstate their driving privileges.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the ruling came Friday, three days after Gov. Ralph Northam criticized the agency's enforcement policy.

Angel Ciolfi, director of the Legal Aid Justice Center, which joined a law firm in contesting the matter, described the ruling as a "victory for the Constitution and for common sense."

Attorney General Mark Herring's spokesman says the office will "take the time needed to consider the judge's opinion" before deciding how to proceed.
The federal government was expected to remain partially shut down past Christmas as the standoff deepened Saturday over President Donald Trump's demand for funds to build a border wall with Mexico.

With Trump's insistence on $5 billion for the wall and negotiations with Democrats in Congress far from a breakthrough, even a temporary measure to keep the government running while talks continued seemed out of reach until the Senate returned for a full session Thursday.

From coast to coast, the first day of the shutdown played out in uneven ways. The Statue of Liberty was still open for tours, thanks to funding from New York state, and the U.S. Post Office was still delivering mail, as an independent agency.

In Arizona, the Grand Canyon was remaining open with state funding, the governor said. But visitors arriving at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico could check out only the surface, not the underground cavern that is the park's main attraction. The memorial to Oklahoma City bombing victims was to continue to operate, but the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center at College Station, Texas, said its National Archives facilities were closed during the shutdown.

Yet the disruption affected many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and were expected to work unpaid. An additional 380,000 were to be furloughed, meaning they will stay home without pay. The Senate had already passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay, and the House was likely to follow suit.

No one knew how long the closures would last. Unlike other shutdowns, this one seemed to lack urgency, coming during the long holiday weekend after Trump had already declared Monday, Christmas Eve, a federal holiday. Rather than work around the clock to try to end the shutdown, as they had done in the past, the leaders of the House and the Senate effectively closed up shop. But they didn't rule out action if a deal were struck.

"Listen, anything can happen," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters after he closed the Senate's rare Saturday session hours after it opened.

But after ushering Vice President Mike Pence through the Capitol for another round of negotiations, the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, said a quick end to the shutdown was "not probable."

At the White House, Trump hosted a lunch Saturday with conservative lawmakers, including House Freedom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio, and several senators. Absent from the guest list were GOP leaders or any Democrats, who would be needed for a deal.

"I am in the White House, working hard," tweeted the president, who canceled his Florida holiday getaway to his club Mar-a-Lago due to the shutdown. First lady Melania Trump was flying back to Washington to be with her husband.

Trump's re-election campaign sent out a fundraising email late Saturday launching what he called "the most important membership program ever - the OFFICIAL BUILD THE WALL MEMBERSHIP." The president urged donors to sign up.

With Democrats set to take control of the House on Jan. 3, and Speaker Paul Ryan on his way out, the shutdown was providing a last gasp of the conservative majority before the new Congress.

Trump savored the prospect of a shutdown over the wall for months. Last week he said he would be "proud" to close down the government. He had campaigned on the promise of building the wall, and he also promised Mexico would pay for it. Mexico has refused to do so.

In recent days, though, Trump tried to shift blame to Democrats for not acceding to his demand. He has given mixed messages on whether he would sign any bill into law.

After the luncheon at the White House, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said, "It's clear to me he believes the additional funding is necessary."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Pence on Saturday at the request of the White House, according to Schumer's office. But the senator's spokesman said they remained "very far apart" on a spending agreement.

Schumer said the "Trump shutdown" could end immediately if the president simply dropped his demand for money. "If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall," Schumer said.

Democrats said they were open to other proposals that didn't include the wall, which Schumer said was too costly and ineffective. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security.

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."

Republican leaders largely stayed in the background of the negotiations. McConnell acknowledged that any deal to reopen government would require Democratic support for passage and the president's signature.

Senators 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 as Trump faced criticism from conservatives for "caving" on a campaign promise, he pushed to House to approve 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.

Pelosi, poised to become speaker, said in a letter to colleagues Saturday that "until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic Majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government."

The impasse blocked money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

Those being furloughed included 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. Also still functioning were the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard. Transportation Security Administration officers continued to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers were on the job.

Many of Congress' most conservative Republicans welcomed such a confrontation, but most GOP lawmakers wanted to avoid one because polling showed the public opposed the wall and a shutdown over it.

Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said, "This is a complete failure of negotiations and a success for no one."

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
BRIDGEPORT  When 12-year-old Clinton Howell died in a drive-by shooting, he joined a list of bystanders who Bridgeport police say were killed by bullets meant for someone else.

As a young shooting victim is mourned, Bridgeport looks for solutions

Among those unintended targets, Myoshi Bagley was killed on Oct. 31, when shots were fired at a man she was with, police said. Luis Colon, just 14, was not the intended target, according to police, when he was shot to death on Christmas Eve in 2015.

Looking at murders spanning back to 2013 that left nine bystanders dead, police have made arrests in seven cases  Bagleys and Howells have not been closed.

When an unintended victim is shot dead, Police Chief Armando Perez said Saturday, the community generally pulls together and helps police make an arrest.

It touches the peoples hearts, so I think we get a lot more cooperation, Perez said.

Howell was shot outside his Willow Street home Tuesday night. He took one gunshot to the chest, suffering a wound that police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald called unsurvivable.

Howell was with two other people when he was shot, police said. Detectives are looking into the possibility that one or both of them might have been the target, Fitzgerald said, adding that the shooting was likely sparked by a dispute did not involve Howell.

It was (meant for) somebody else. It wasnt meant for him, area resident Chad Dwayne said after Howells murder.

Detectives developed a strong person of interest within a day of Howells death, Fitzgerald said, adding that its someone familiar to police. Perez said an arrest warrant and a search warrant were applied for on Thursday. As of Saturday, no arrest had been made.

It could be my son

Two days after Howells death, City Councilman Ernie Newton said he would pursue a stop-and-frisk policy for Bridgeport to keep the guns out of the hands of the bad guys.

By Friday afternoon, though, amid a storm of objection from community leaders, Newton said he would pursue other options.

It could be my son, it could be your son, it could be your daughter, to get shot next, Newton said Friday. They could be innocent, and they could be killed ... My intention was to get these guns out of peoples hands that are killing one another and killing innocent people.

Howell is the citys 11th homicide of 2018. In 2017 the city saw 23 killings, well surpassing the 10 in Bridgeport in 2016.

Bagley, 41, was walking on Maplewood Avenue with David Belle on Halloween night when the two were hit by gunfire. Fitzgerald said later the 28-year-old Belle, who died in the hospital on Nov. 6, was likely the target.

Last year, according to police, three unintended victims were shot dead in Bridgeport.

Deon Rodney, 31, died on Oct. 14, 2017, trying to protect patrons of a Park Avenue barbershop where he cut hair. When the intended victim of at least two gunmen ran into Just Right Cutz, Rodney intervened, police said.

He just punched and tackled the gunman to the ground, said Justin Riley, barbershop owner, a few days after the fatal shooting. They had a scuffle and he got shot.

At the time of the shooting, Riley said, there were five customers in the shop, including a little boy.

Hes dead because of these people running around with guns, he said. Its just gotten crazy in this city.

Mark Pockets Christian, 32, and Jordan Gunner Hinton, 30, were charged with Rodneys murder.

Shot changing spark plugs

Cadell Moore was working on his car in front of houses on Sixth Street on Aug. 24 of last year when he was shot in the head during a drive-by shooting.

He was just a good guy, a good father who just stopped there changing the spark plugs on his car when these kids with guns came up to shoot up a house, Bridgeport attorney Edward Gavin, the spokesman for the Moore family, said after the shooting. Moore was totally innocent.

Less than two months later, police had charged 22-year-old David Shavers with Moores murder.

On May 2, 2017, Kyree Kennedy was accidentally shot and killed by his friend, police said, during a botched drive-by shooting.

Terrell Big Baby Evans, 22, was charged with shooting 22-year-old Kennedy in the head. Police said Evans went with Kennedy to Read Street to shoot up a car owned by someone with whom Kennedy was feuding.

Police said Evans fired from the front passenger seat out the drivers side window, but when Kennedy turned his head he was struck by one of the bullets.

Looking back further, Monday will mark the third anniversary of Colons Christmas Eve 2015 shooting death, in an incident that also wounded a 17-year-old. Police said Colon was not the intended target.

Michael Majors, 23, was charged with Colons murder.

On Sept. 10, 2013, Christopher Pettway was killed near Trumbull and Reservoir avenues when he tried to shield four teenagers that were being shot at, police said. The shooting was sparked by an ongoing dispute, in which police said 26-year-old Pettway was not involved.

He was an unintended target, police Capt. James Viadero said at the time.

Roderick Little Rickey Rogers, 21, and Raashon Red Dreads Jackson were charged with Pettways murder.

Staff writer Daniel Tepfer contributed to this report.
The Community Culinary School of Northwestern Connecticut, based in New Milford, is accepting applications for its next session.

The next 12-week program will start Jan. 7 at St. Johns Episcopal Church along Whittlesey Avenue.

If you love to cook and are interested in an exciting new career opportunity, you may be a good candidate for the Community Culinary School, said Dawn Hammacott, executive director of the school.

The New Milford/Danbury area has more than 500 businesses that employ food service personnel, Hammacott said.

The industry is always in need of reliable, trained employees, she said.

The school trains people ages 18 and older for jobs in food service.

Instructed by chef Chef Blythe Roberts, the students will learn a range of cooking techniques in a full-scale kitchen.

The school also arranges internships for all students, trains them in the life skills necessary to getting and keeping a job and assists with job placement.

Additionally, the meals students prepare are distributed to those in need through the New Milford Food Bank.

Tuition is free for qualifying candidates.

The school was established in 2007 to provide unemployed and underemployed men and women with the skills they need to find jobs with career paths in the food service industry.

Classes will be held Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Johns Episcopal Church, 7 Whittlesey Ave.

The school is modeled on the Community Kitchen program of the anti-hunger organization Feeding America.

It relies largely on donations and grants, and has received support from the Connecticut Community Foundation, the Harcourt Foundation, the Meserve Memorial Fund, Union Savings Bank, Savings Bank of Danbury, Diebold Foundation, Womans Club of Danbury/New Fairfield, and other area foundations and civic organizations.

For more information, call Dawn Hammacott at 203-512-5791 or email culinaryschool@sbcglobal.net.
3 1 of 3 Courtesy of Glenholme School Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of Glenholme School Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The Glenholme School in Washington recently held its fifth annual Run For Autism as part of its ongoing effort to raise awareness and funds for students with special needs.

The 3.1-mile race, held in Steep Rock Preserve along the Shepaug River in town, attracted 147 runners who stepped up to raise $2,500 to support Glenholmes therapeutic programs.
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The second trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan has reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their relations, deepening cooperation and advancing connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) and other regional economic initiatives.



The framework of cooperation was established one year ago with help from China and the countries agreed to jointly continue their efforts in three areas of trilateral cooperation  political mutual trust and support reconciliation, development cooperation and connectivity as well as security cooperation and counter-terrorism.

The efforts of China show that it is committed to peace and development in the region. It upholds the principle of amity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in its diplomacy, seeks friendship and partnership with its neighbors and is working to build a peaceful and prosperous region.

The trilateral session has also helped both Pakistan and Afghanistan reduce the trust deficit created in the past year and understand the needs of security and development, which are essential for future stability and growth.

A consensus has been formed among the three countries that dialogue and cooperation will be pushed forward to enhance strategic mutual trust with the view to promote the security of all countries in the region. The countries also realize that disputes should be settled through peaceful means by the countries in the region and without the interference of other countries.

To pursue sustainable security, the three countries will work hard to improve people's lives, narrow the wealth gap, promote common development and create lasting security by addressing both the symptoms and root causes of the problems.

China has stepped up to work with all the countries in the region to explore new partnerships and alliances under the framework of the BRI, which will undoubtedly have immense dividends for regional and global peace and prosperity.

Afghanistan's peace has a direct impact on the region's stability and prosperity and in this regard, China and Pakistan have been enhancing their cooperation to promote the reconciliation process and build a peaceful region.

With the success of the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that has emerged as the flagship project of the BRI, economic links have received new impetus. This might well prove to be beneficial to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan will certainly need to explore ways to get benefits from the CPEC, which has become a symbol of recognition of development for the South Asian region. Moreover, the CPEC will provide an opportunity for Afghanistan to develop its economy and integrate it with the larger region.

The development process under the BRI and CPEC in Afghanistan will also help eliminate terrorism and generate employment opportunities in the country for unemployed youth.

The development of both export-driven and domestic consumption-driven industries should also be a major goal for Afghanistan and, in addition, integration with the CPEC should be a major part of that goal.

Afghanistan's strategic efforts to develop and modernize its industrial base should, therefore, include CPEC.

Afghanistan has substantial trade volume with China, most of which is in the form of imports. Given the increasing competitiveness of Chinese goods, it is likely that Afghanistan's import trade with China will grow.

In this case, the CPEC has emerged as an alternate route for Afghanistan to trade with China through Pakistan and these states have a shared interest in stabilizing Kabul.

By becoming a part of the CPEC, and the BRI in general, Afghanistan will have the opportunity to stabilize its economy by enhancing its trade opportunities. It will also be in a good position to reap the benefits from the industrialization of Pakistan under the CPEC.

Muhammad Zamir Assadi is a Pakistani journalist who graduated in China development studies from Renmin University of China. He is also a media fellow at the China South Asia and South East Asia press center.





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
New Delhi :

At least three people were killed and scores others were injured after a portion of an under-construction building collapsed in Mumbai Goregaon on Sunday, news agency ANI reported. Teams of Mumbai police and fire department rushed to the spot as soon as they received the information about the incident. The bodies of three persons have been recovered while eight injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. The deceased and most of the injured are believed to be the manual labourers who were working there. The identity of the man who lost his life and those who injured could not be ascertained immediately.

A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was present at the spot to search and rescue people trapped under the debris. Meanwhile, police have started their investigation to find out whether there was any negligence on the builderas part.

#Visuals #Maharashtra: 1 person dead, 8 injured in the collapse of a portion of an under-construction building near Azad Maidan in Goregaon; NDRF present at the spot pic.twitter.com/o97s8whGfj a ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

This is a breaking news story. More details will be added soon. Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Delhi:

The Secondary Education Board of Assam or SEBA has finally released the timetable for class 10th students. According to the dates announced by the board, the exams will begin from February 14, 2019 and will continue till March 2, 2019. The exams will be held at 857 centers across the state, where about 3.53 lakh students would appear. The candidates who are preparing for the examinations must note that the class 10 exams will be held in two sessions - Morning (9:00 am to 12:00 pm) and afternoon (1:30 pm to 4:30 pm).

Students can visit the official website sebaonline.org to check and download the date sheet. For the convenience of students, we have listed the time table below:

February 14 - Textile Designing & Clothing (Morning), Retail Trade NSQF (E) (Afternoon), IT/ITeS(E), Private Security Health Care NSQF (E) , Agriculture & Horticulture NSQF (E) (Afternoon)

February 16  Assamese (E) (Morning)

February 18  Social Science (Morning)

February 22 - General Mathematics (Morning)

February 23 - Fine Arts (Morning), Music & Dance (Afternoon)

February 25 - General Science (Morning)

February 26 - MIL/ English (IL) (Morning)

February 28 - Hindi (E)/ Arabic Literature/ Garments Designing (E) (Morning)

March 1 - Manipuri (E)/ Bodo (E)/ Santhali (E) (Morning)

March 2 - Sanskrit(E)/ Arabic(E)/ Persian(E)/ Advance Mathematics(E)/ History(E)/ Geography(E)/ Home Science(E)/ Nepali(E)/ Computer Science(E)/ Bengali (E) (Morning)

SEBA has announced the date sheet for class 12th examinations as well. The exams would be held from February 12, 2019 to March 14, 2019. Students can visit the official website ahsec.nic.in to check and download class 12 date sheet. We have listed the timetable below:

February 12  English (Morning)

February 14  Chemistry/ Business Studies (Afternoon)

February 15 - General Foundation Course-II (Voc)(Morning)

February 16 - Advance Languages / Arabic/ Persian/ Sanskrit (Afternoon)

February 18 - Physics/ Accountancy/Political Science/ Elective Paper-IV (Voc) (Afternoon)

February 21  Mathematics (Morning), Advance Sanskrit/ Elective Paper-V (Voc) (Afternoon)

February 23 - Biology/ Education/ Commercial Mathematics & Statistics (Morning), IT/ITeS/ Retail Trade (Afternoon)

February 25 - Modern Indian Languages/ Alternative English (Afternoon)

February 27 - Logic & Philosophy/ Psychology/ Insurance (Morning), Fine Arts (Afternoon)

February 28 - Elective Paper-VI (Voc) (Afternoon)

March 01  Economics (Afternoon)

March 02 - Music (Group A) (Morning), Home Science (Afternoon)

March 05 - Computer Science & Application (Morning), Entrepreneurship Development (Afternoon)

March 07 - Geography/ Geology/ Banking (Morning), Multimedia & Web Technology (Afternoon)

March 09 - Anthropology/ Sociology/ Salesmanship & Advertising (Morning), Music (Group B) (Afternoon)

March 12  Statistics (Morning)

March 14 - Biotechnology/ History/ Economic Geography (Morning), Music (Group C) (Afternoon)

Popularly known as SEBA, the Secondary Education Board of Assam is the primary custodian of high school level education in the state. The SEBA looks after the development, promotion, monitoring, and expansion of high school education in the state for students' up to class 10. The board also organises the annual Assam High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Exam every year in the month of February  March.
Delhi:

Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas have finally concluded their grand wedding celebrations in India and have now flown to London to spend some quality time with Nickas family. The newlyweds, along with their families, were spotted dining at a restaurant in London. While Nickas parents werenat spotted, his brother Joe Jonas and his fiancA Sophie Turner, his younger brother Frankie Jonas and Priyankaas mother Madhu Chopra were seen at the family dinner.



While Priyanka looked lovely in a pantsuit over a yellow knitted top, Nick looked handsome in a black tee, brown jacket, and denim. Check out the pictures here:





According to a report in Mid-Day, the couple is now set to throw a lavish reception in the last week of January for their Hollywood friends. As per the reports, Dwayne Johnson, Kerry Washington, Meghan Markel, Ellen DeGeneres and many other big celebs have been invited for the black-tie ceremony.A A source has quoted to Mid-Day, 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



On December 1, Priyanka and Nick held a Western wedding at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, and the following day, they tied the knot again in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the palace.

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New Delhi:

Vicky Kaushal who has proved his worth with his previous films, goes into army mode with Uri and the audience is impressed by such an avatar of him, As we know Vicky Kaushal will be playing the role of a patriotic soldier in Uri who becomes the part of the surgical strike.

Talking about how he trained for the film Vicky said, To play a para SF commando, I needed a lot of focus and persistence. Every day, I had to motivate myself. I had to gain 15 kilos for the role and since I dont put on weight too easily, I was pretty tensed.

As it has been seen in the trailer, in which Vicky trains his chosen team for the operation, and delivers a rousing speech. Indian Army didnt start this war, but we will bloody hell finish it, he yells.

Vicky also shared, The kind of training that we went through for the film was tough. The warm-up session included 25 rounds of sprinting around the ground, as well as, endurance and stamina training as part of a group. When the SF soldiers perform a mission, they dont talk. They are cats in shadows. They will jump off a building and you wouldnt hear a thing, they are that swift, agile and strong. We were trained by the military guys for three hours every day. We were not allowed to have a sip of water unless the military professional told us to. During one of the sessions, four actors took a break and had water. Those four were asked to step out and the rest of the 16, who didnt drink water were asked to do 200 push-ups and 200 burpees in five minutes, without taking a break. When we were doing the push-ups and burpees, the four who had broken the rule, felt very guilty. They apologised to us profusely and from the next day, everybody took care of each other. We all ensured that no one broke the rule as it would affect the ones who didnt. The military training helped us become strong both physically and mentally.

Uri is one of the most anticipated films and it is the first film of Bollywood to release in 2019. Starring an ensemble cast, including Mohit Raina, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam, and Kirti Kulhari amongst others, URI has created immense anticipation amongst the audience

Produced by RSVP movies and directed by Aditya Dhar, the film has Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam and Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles.

The film is slated to release on 11th January 2019. If you haven't already, you can watch Uri trailer here:

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New Delhi:

Since his first cameo appearance in Batman Vs Superman, Dawn of Justice had fans wishing for the Atlantean to have his own spin-off alone and their wish came true this year as Aquaman released.

Now, just imagine getting your wedding crashed by none other than the master of seas, aAquamana.A Jason Momoa made a surprise appearance at the photo shoot for Katie Meyers beachside wedding on Thursday.A Dressed in a casual vest and blue and white striped shorts, Momoa is seen playfully digging the bride and groom with his Aquaman Trident. Here, take a look at the hilarious pictures:

He made an impromptu appearance at the photo shoot for Katie Meyers beachside wedding on Thursday, reports E! news.

"We were taking our wedding photos after the ceremony out on the rocks and Jason Momoa and some of his family and some friends just all walked out on the beach. They were shouting congratulations to us and they were super calm and super chill," Katie said."It was totally unplanned and spontaneous!", said Katie's wedding planner Carina Cooper.

"He happily agreed to photobomb them! There just happened to be a kid on the beach nearby with that Trident (in the pic) and Jason asked to borrow it. So he took the trident and went behind the couple in their picture and pretended to be a sasquatch," she added.A

Following the extolling reviews by movie critics, good pocket-filling profit and a good watch for fans, Warner Bros studios are already planning a sequel of the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the DC film is looking at earning a whopping $65 million in its domestic debut and surpass Mary Poppins Returns and Transformers spin-off Bumblebee collections.

Aquaman also stars Amber Heard as Mira the mermaid, the underwater Atlanteans will also see other popular Hollywood faces like Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II among others.A

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New Delhi:

An Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended the dismissal of a Major General from service in a 2016 sexual harassment case. The army officer has denied the charges. The charges against Major General, who was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place two years back, were levelled by a Captain-rank lady officer, news agency ANI reported.

According to per Army rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence. Advocate Anand Kumar, representing the Major General in the trial, said they will be appealing against the order as the "(GCM) court has not looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and the decision has been passed in a haste."

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but the court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," sources said.

The Major General, who had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years, claimed in a plea filed before the Armed Forces Tribunal that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army.

During the trial, the officer contended that there were certain issues raised by him, which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned.

The Indian Army has four kinds of court martial - General Court Martial (GCM), District Court Martial (DCM), Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) and Summary Court Martial (SCM). According to the Army Act, Army courts can try personnel for all kinds of offences except for murder and rape of a civilian, which are tried by a civil court. The Indian Army is still following the system of military justice it inherited from the British. The law in the United Kingdom has changed to keep pace with the modern practices of justice.

In a similar incident, the Indian Army in March initiated court martial proceedings against the former commanding officer of a Alwar-based military unit after a 27-year-old woman Army Captain levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the officer. The captain joined the Armys Signals Corps as a technical officer in 2013. In August 2015, she filed a sexual harassment complaint against the commanding officer of her unit while she was posted at the Alwar military station in Rajasthan. In her complaint to higher authorities, the woman officer alleged that her commanding officer started sexually abusing her soon after joining her unit. He allegedly touched her private parts and made remarks like Do you have a boyfriend?"

In 2007, a Major General had to quit Army after a woman officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching her yoga.

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New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its seat-sharing arrangements for 2019 Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. BJP president Amit Shah has announced that Janata Dal (United) and BJP will contest on an equal number of seats  17 each while six seats to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest on 6 seats. Amit Shah also announced that LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan will get a Rajya Sabha berth in the upcoming elections to the Upper House. Shah made the announcement here in the presence of JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. The discussions over seat sharing between the allies had been underway for months now. Bihar sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha.



ALSO READ | Jasdan, Kolebira bypoll results 2018: BJP finally hits a century in Gujarat, Kunvarji Bavaliya defeats Congress by 19,985 votes

BJP President Amit Shah: BJP will fight at 17 seats, Janata Dal (United) at 17 and Lok Janshakti Party at 6 seats in Bihar in upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections pic.twitter.com/58hBFvCABr  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after announcing seat sharing for 2019 general elections said, "We are committed to development in Bihar. We are of the opinion that the Ram Mandir matter should be solved through a court decision." Keeping in mind the stature and seniority of LJP supremo, he would be nominated to the Rajya Sabha at availability of first vacancy, said Nitish Kumar.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after announcing seat sharing for 2019 general elections: We are committed to development in Bihar. We are of the opinion that the Ram Mandir matter should be solved through a court decision. pic.twitter.com/bOvRDLhz1z  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

The decision was finalised after LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, along with his son Chirag Paswan, held a series of discussions with the BJP president. Amit Shah had earlier also said that his party and its key ally JD(U) will be contesting on an equal number of seats.



Earlier, Upendra Kushwaha, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief, quit as a Union minister and pulled out his support from the BJP-led led alliance, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing the Cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Kushwaha had also warned smaller NDA allies that they will also face the same arrogance as he did.



ALSO READ | Sabarimala Temple: Police detain devotees protesting against entry of women devotees into Kerala shrine



Upendra Kushwaha joined the Congress-RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar. Speaking to the media, Kushwaha had said, "We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason I'm here is the people of Bihar". In the 2014 general elections, the JD(U) had contested elections independently while the BJP allied with the LJP and RLSP.







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New Delhi :

Former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni, who calls himself son of Mallah (boatman), on Sunday joined the Congress-RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sahni, who launched his own political outfit Vikasheel Insaan Party, is considered a rising name in the Bihar politics and has a strong base in some parts of the state. He joined the Grand Alliance in presence of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha. I would like to welcome Mukesh Sahni ji, son of Mallah, to our grand alliance, and I believe that him joining the grand alliance will strengthen it, Tejashwi Yadav announced in a press conference.

The announcement of Sahni joining the Grand Alliance came hours after the BJP president Amit Shah in a joint press conference with JDU chief Nitish Kumar and LJPs Ram Vilas Paswan announced NDAs seat-sharing formula for 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. Earlier, there were reports that Sahni may go with the BJP-led NDA. However, with the BJP making public its seat-sharing pact which had no place for the 'son of Mallah', he joined the Grand Alliance.

Also Read | NDA seat-sharing a verbal pact, Ram Vilas Paswan will join Grand Alliance, claims RJD

Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD): I would like to welcome Mukesh Sahni ji, son of Mallah, to our grand alliance, and I believe that him joining the grand alliance will strengthen it. pic.twitter.com/HqMDcyDCe8  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

Although he didn't contest the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, he made the headlines when he vowed to provide a political platform to the Nishads, who include a number of backward sub-casts, including the Mallahs. Before turning to politics, he was a set designer in Bollywood. He has designed the sets of several blockbusters movies, including Shahrukh-starrer Devdas and Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

After Kushwaha, inducting Mukesh Sahni in Grand Alliance is considered a master move by the RJD and the Congress. While Kushwahas make up around 6 per cent of Bihar's population, the Nishads consist 14 per cent. If Sahni succeeded in bringing them all into his fold, he could very well influence the outcome in at least 15 of the total 40 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.

Also Read | Bihar seat-sharing formula: BJP, JDU to fight on 17 each, LJP gets 6 in 2019 Lok Sabha elections

Earlier this week, former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha had joined the Grand Alliance. Kushwaha had recently quit as the Union minister and snapped ties with the BJP over the depleted number of seats offered to him.

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New Delhi :

A Level-2 fire broke out in a cloth factory at Damu Nagar near MIDC bus stop in Mumbai's Kandivali (East). At least four fire tenders are present at the spot. The reason behind the fire is yet to be known.

Mumbai: Level-2 fire breaks out in a cloth factory at Damu Nagar near MIDC bus stop in Kandivali (East). Four fire tenders present at the spot. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/O2wow42eLz a ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

The latest fire incident came only a few days after a massive fire at ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri claimed nine lives. Two days later another blaze broke out at the same facility on Wednesday evening. Following Mondayas blaze, the entire hospital had been vacated. Mondayas incident had left 175 others injured, including some children, who are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals across the city.

On Wednesday night, anotherA fire broke out at a high-end fashion store on the ground floor of Hotel Trident in Mumbaias Marine Drive. The fire was reported around 11.02 pm and has been doused fire. No injuries have been reported.A

aThe reply to an RTI query has revealed that there were over 48,000 fires in the city over the last 10 years, in which around 700 people lost their lives. Yet, around 70 per cent buildings in the city do not comply with minimum fore safety standards," saidA A Nicholas Almieda, an activist who has been raising his voice over rising fire incidents in Mumbai.A

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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.




New Delhi:

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won Kolebira (ST) and Jasdan assembly bypolls respectively on Sunday, with Naman Bixal Kongari defeating his BJP rival by 9,658 votes, while Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, by a big margin of 19,979 votes.

Kongari secured 40,343 votes, while Basant Soreng of the saffron party polled 30,685 votes, an Election Commission release said. With this victory, the Congress will increase its tally to eight in the 82-member House in Jharkhand.

The bypoll was necessitated after Enos Ekka of Jharkhand Party, who represented the constituency in the Assembly, lost his membership following his conviction in a murder case.

Others who were in the fray were Menan Ekka of Jharkhand Party, Anil Kandulna of Sengel Party and an independent candidate, Basant Dungdung. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had announced support to Menan Ekka of Jharkhand Party while Babulal Marandis Jharkhand Vikas Morcha had supported the Congress candidate.

In Gujarat, the ruling BJP comfortably won the by-poll from Jasdan Assembly seat, taking its tally in the House to 100.

Bavaliya retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot which he had won as Congress candidate in 2017. With this, the BJP now has 100 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76. The saffron outfit had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress 77.

At the end of the counting of votes, Bavaliya secured a total 90,262 votes as against Nakiya's 70,283, the officials said.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said. Polling for the Jasdan Assembly seat was held on December 20 and a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent was recorded.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and also the assembly, and joined the BJP.

Bavaliya, who resigned as an assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

An Indian woman was on Sunday rescued by authorities in Bahrain after a Bahraini "enslaver" allegedly threatened to keep her for at least 25 days. The Indian Embassy in Bahrain announced her rescue on Twitter hours after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a tweet, directed the Indian Ambassador in the Gulf nation to intervene in the case.

The Indian mission said the woman has been rescued by Bahraini authorities. On Saturday, humanitarian organisation 'Justice Upheld' had tweeted that an Indian woman has been enslaved by her employer in Bahrain and she feared for her life.

The organisation, quoting the "enslaver", Sunday said he was going to keep her for at least 25 days as he had paid 'lots of money for her'.

"He is extremely annoyed that the matter has been reported to the Indian authorities. We are concerned about her safety," the organisation said.

Soon after the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, headed by Ambassador Alok Kumar, tweeted that the Mission has initiated action to rescue her.

However, Swaraj asked Kumar for immediate intervention, saying the situation appeared to be serious.

"Alok - I know you are working for her rescue. The situation appears to be serious. This requires immediate intervention on your part. Pls keep me informed," Swaraj tweeted.

Details of the case as well as about the woman are not immediately available.

In a separate case, Swaraj asked the Indian Embassy in Washington to assist an Indian family which sought her help saying their passports and other belongings were stolen from their hotel room in Chicago.

"Dear @SushmaSwaraj Ji, an unusual incident of theft has left us devastated here in Chicago while returning back to India. All our belongings, including passports were stolen from our hotel room booked at Edward Hotel and there's no one willing to help. Please intervene," Jyoti, a member of the family, tweeted.

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New Delhi:

Days after the landslide victory in Telangana assembly elections, Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in a bid to step up his campaign to build a non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front. Hinting at the possibility of an alternative front of like-minded parties after the meeting, Patnaik said they discussed a number of issues, including matters of national and mutual interest. The meeting lasted for more than 40 minutes.

Holding a joint press conference with KCR, Patnaik said: aWe had a general discussion on matters of national interest and how to take this forward. We discussed several issues, including a further friendship amongst the like-minded parties,a he said.

Hon'ble CM Sri KCR and Hon'ble Odisha CM Sri Naveen Patnaik @Naveen_Odisha speak to media after their meeting in Bhubaneswar.



aaaaa aaaZa aaaa aaaaa aaYaaaaaaaaa aaaZa aaaa aaaaaaa aaaYa... aaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaa aaaYaaaaaaa. pic.twitter.com/ZaVoOTBBMt a TRS Party (@trspartyonline) December 23, 2018

The meeting assumed significance as the Odisha CM, though circumspect, opened up about the future course of action by the BJD and did not rule out the possibility of like-minded regional parties joining forces in the run-up to the 2019 polls.

Asked, if the meeting could be seen as both joining hands ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Naveen said: aWe have not thought that far, letas seea. He although hinted that meetings with KCR will continue in this regard.

The TRS boss was on the same page. KCR said there is a adire needa for regional parties to come together against BJP and Congress and added that talks with his Odisha counterpart have ajust started.a aWe will meet again soon,a he said.

aThe country needs a political change, a change for which a dialogue has begun. We are making an effort; nothing concrete has come out till now. I believe something will emerge soon. We will meet again shortly. There is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country,a he said.

KCR is also reaching out to regional parties to cobble up a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance ahead of the parliamentary elections. He is scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

The TRS Supremo will also meet Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav at New Delhi next week.

Naveen said he and KCR discussed the Polavaram issue and 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. aWe discussed Polavaram issue and how to carry that forward,a he said.

Congratulating the TRS supremo for the tremendous victory in Telangana in the recently concluded assembly elections, Naveen also praised the agriculture policy of KCR and said that some more progressive points have been added by the Odisha Government in its own policy.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-turned-politician from Bihar, has many times touch the wrong nerve of his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was once the star campaigner of the party and a Cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. However, off late, he has had several fallouts with the current leadership after being ignored in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP for two consecutive terms, said his remarks on various issues which have not been liked by some party leaders, were meant to show the mirror to the BJP and cannot be termed as anti-party. Speculations are rife that he may be denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year.

However, Sinhas latest stance has left everyone quizzing whether he would at all contest the elections on a BJP ticket. Instead of guessing whether they (BJP leaders) will give me a ticket or not speculation should be whether I will take the ticket or not, Sinha told PTI. The actor-turned BJP leader met jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Saturday. Though he said the meeting with Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences was personal. However, the timing of the meeting assumes significance as it is being speculated that he may enter into the fray from Patna Sahib from Prasads party if he is denied a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls.

Read More | Bihar seat-sharing formula: BJP, JDU to fight on 17 each, LJP gets 6 in 2019 Lok Sabha elections

Sinha has on several occasions made it clear that the place (constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes. He said the loss of power in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is enough to show that the situation is not good in the NDA.

Many people have left, some others are preparing to leave and others driving tough negotiations... all said and done the partys popularity and that of one leader and two-men Army have taken a beating, he said. He was referring to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha leaving NDA and LJP of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan bargaining hard with a weakened BJP.

(With PTI inputs)

Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-turned-politician from Bihar, has many times touch the wrong nerve of his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was once the star campaigner of the party and was also a Cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. However, off late, he has had several fallouts with the current leadership after being ignored in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP for two consecutive terms, said his remarks on various issues which have not been liked by some party leaders, were meant to show the mirror to the BJP and cannot be termed as anti-party. Speculations are rife that he may be denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year. However, Sinhas latest stance has left everyone quizzing whether he would at all contest the elections on a BJP ticket. Instead of guessing whether they (BJP leaders) will give me ticket or not speculation should be whether I will take the ticket or not, Sinha told PTI. The actor-turned BJP leader met jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Saturday. Though he said the meeting with Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences was personal. However, the timing of the meeting assumes significance as it is being speculated that he may enter into fray from Patna Sahib from Prasads party if he is denied a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls. Sinha has on several occasions made it clear that the place (constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes. He said loss of power in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is enough to show that the situation is not good in the NDA. Many people have left, some others are preparing to leave and others driving tough negotiations... all said and done the partys popularity and that of one leader and two-men Army have taken a beating, he said. He was referring to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha leaving NDA and LJP of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan bargaining hard with a weakened BJP.

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New Delhi :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attacked on the Opposition parties and termed their proposed anti-BJP Mahagatbandhan (Grand Alliance) an incoherent alliance of rich dynasties. Interacting with the booth workers from Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu through video conference, Modi said that various political parties were trying to form an unholy alliance for their personal survival. He said that people will see through it. The prime minister said that one of the key constituents of the mega-alliance - the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)  which had recently snapped its ties with the BJP, was formed against the high-handedness of the Congress by N T Rama Rao. But, Modi said, the TDP under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu is now keen to join hands with the same Congress.

Today several leaders are talking about a grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan. This alliance is for personal survival and is not ideology-based support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance for personal ambitions, not peoples aspirations, Modi said.

Also Read | Upendra Kushwaha joins RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar, Ahmed Patel expresses happiness

Modi said that some of the coalition partners claimed to be inspired by the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran leader himself, he claimed, opposed the Congress and its ideologies.

Without referring to anyone, Modi said that many leaders part of the Congress-led Grand Alliance were arrested and tortured by during the Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.

The ecosystem of the Congress party spared no one, Modi said pointing out at the dismissal of the MG Ramachandran-led AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu in 1980.

Opposition parties led by the Congress have proposed to form a Grand Alliance to defeat the fascist Narendra Modi-led BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tajashwi and other regional parties have proposed an anti-BJP federal front.

Read More | Leave NDA or face same arrogance: RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha's warning to BJP allies before 2019 elections

Although the alliance is facing initial hurdles over the prime ministerial face, the Opposition parties are firmed to put up a coordinated, joint fight against the BJP in 2019. The Oppositions alliance which also has few NDA rebel constituents has faced severe criticism from the BJP. Recently, BJP chief Amit Shah had termed the Grand Alliance a myth.

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New Delhi:

Two days after veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah expressed concern over "intolerance" in the country while speaking on the killing of a policeman in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district on December 3, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said no nation in the world was as tolerant as India. "India is the only country in the world where people from various prominent religions co-exist peacefully... They have contributed in making India empowered, self-reliant and prosperous and will continue to do so," Singh said.

The Home Minister, who was in Lucknow to attend the 114th foundation day of King George's Medical University (KGMU), said: "The tolerance that exists in India, I don't think can be found in any corner of the world."

The actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over the remarks. 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.

Also Read | Look after your own country, Naseeruddin Shah to Pak PM Imran Khan

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.

Without taking Shahs name, Singh said: India is the only country where people of all religions live together peacefully. There are 72 sects in Islam, all of them are found here, not even the Islamic countries have all.

HM Rajnath Singh on Naseeruddin Shah's statement: India is the only country where people of all religions live together peacefully. There are 72 sects in Islam, all of them are found here, not even the Islamic countries have all. Theres no question of intolerance in the country pic.twitter.com/r13GEsUZo2  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2018

The controversy over the remarks reached Pakistan, with its Prime Minister Imran Khan asserting that his government will "show" the Narendra Modi government "how to treat minorities".

Addressing an event to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore on Saturday, Khan said his government was 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.

Also Read | Imran Khan says will 'show Modi government how to treat minorities'

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.

Hitting Khan back, the BJP on Sunday said Pakistan is 'terroristan' and it need not teach India anything, a day after its Prime Minister Imran Khan said he would show the Narendra Modi government how to treat minorities".

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra also said Khan can "surely teach Congress a lot. After all, the party considers the nation angelic".

"Pakistan is 'terroristan'. It gave shelter to (Osama Bin) Laden. It need not teach us anything," he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The national vice president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, on Sunday claimed that Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will soon be a part of the Grand Alliance in Bihar even as the BJP-led NDA announced seat six seats for him. Speaking exclusively to News Nation, Singh said that the seat-sharing pact announced by the NDA partners in Bihar was verbal distribution and the real tussle would be the selection of seats and Paswan will not stay there. The RJD leader also claimed that the NDA alliance, which had won 32 of the total 40 seats in Bihar in 2014, will hardly reach the double digits in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

This is a verbal distribution. They will face the real hurdle during the selection of seats. Paswan will not stay there, like Kushwaha he will also be a part of Congress-JDS-led Grand Alliance, the RJD vice president told News Nation.

Also Read | Bihar seat-sharing formula: BJP, JDU to fight on 17 each, LJP gets 6 in 2019 Lok Sabha elections

The statement from the top RJD leader came minutes after the NDA allies in Bihar  BJP, JDU and Paswans LJP, in a joint press conference announced seat-sharing pact for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. The press conference was attended by BJP president Amit Shah, RJD chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, his son Chirag Paswan.

As per the seat sharing formula decided among the NDA allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nitish Kumars JDU will contest 17 seats each while Paswans LJP was given 6 seats. The BJP has also offered a Rajya Sabha seat to Paswans party as well. The LJPs seat share increased from four to 6 after Upendra Kushwahas exit over the depleted number of seats offered to him.

After Kushwahas exit, Chirag Paswan had last week warned the BJP of consequences if the party didnt finalise the seat-sharing pact. The Paswans were reportedly concerned about the Rajya Sabha seat which the BJP was reluctant to give to them. However, facing the revolt from smaller allies, the BJP was forced to give up the upper house seat.

Soon after the announcement, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took a dig at the BJP said the party having 22 MPs will contest on just 17 seats tell what its condition is.

Also Read | Upendra Kushwaha joins RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar, Ahmed Patel expresses happiness

"The LJP and JDU got the benefits of asking PM Modi questions about the demonetisation after 2 years. In spite of having 22 parliamentarians in Bihar, the BJP is only contesting 17 seats and Nitish-ji, who has 2 MPs, will also fight 17 seats. Now you can understand in what condition the NDA is in," he tweeted.

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New Delhi:

Defence Secretary James Mattis, who resigned citing irreconcilable policy differences with the president, will be replaced with his Deputy Patrick Shanahan, who will assume the office on January 1 next year, announced US President Donald Trump on Sunday.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!" Trump tweeted.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Mattis had resigned on Thursday, a day after Trump shocked the US establishment by pulling out of Syria. In a letter to Trump, Mattis had suggested his worldview, which favours traditional alliances and standing up to "malign actors," stands at odds with the President's.

"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. Moments before the Pentagon released Mattis's letter, Trump tweeted that his defense secretary would be retiring "with distinction, at the end of February."

"During Jim's tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment," Trump said. "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!"

According to reports, 68-year-old Mattis, a retired United States Marine Corps General, has gone to the White House on Thursday afternoon in a last attempt to convince Trump to keep US troops in Syria. He was rebuffed, and told the president that he was resigning as a result.

Separately on Thursday, there were reports the White House was also planning a sharp cut to troop numbers in Afghanistan. In his extraordinary resignation letter, Mattis told Trump he had "the right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours". Mattis' resignation letter, a Pentagon spokeswoman said was hand-delivered to the president.

In the letter, Mattis told Trump it was the "right time" for him to step down. "The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed 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," Mattis said.

The Pentagon chief did not mention if he was resigning specifically over the troop withdrawal decision, which has surprised US allies and even Republican lawmakers. Mattis was a great advocate of strong Indo-US defence relationship and New Delhi's growing role in the strategic Indo-Pacific amidst China flexing its muscles in the region. Earlier this month, Mattis hosted Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the Pentagon for talks on India-US defence relationship.

"The US-India relationship is a natural partnership between the world's oldest and the world's largest democracy," Mattis had said then. He visited India in September for the inaugural India-US 2+2 Dialogue. In April this year, Mattis appealed to Congress to urgently provide India the national security waiver, saying imposing sanctions on it for buying the S-400 air defence missile system from Russia would only hit the US. Analysts say the withdrawal of troops will please US enemies by clearing the way for Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime, Russia and Iran. Mattis had warned that removing ground forces from the Middle Eastern country would be a "strategic blunder".

(With PTI inputs)

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Washington:

Brett McGurk, 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, a US official said, joining Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures. 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. Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk 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.



ALSO READ | James Mattis quits day after Trump announces Syria withdrawal



He 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.

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?" Shortly after news of McGurk's resignation broke, Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 US 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 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 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 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 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.

US 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. A second official said McGurk on Friday was pushing for the US to allow the SDF to reach out to troops allied with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government for protection. McGurk argued that America had a moral obligation to help prevent the allied fighters from being slaughtered by Turkey, which considers the SDF an enemy.

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 US 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.



ALSO READ | After Syria, Donald Trump to pull half of US troops from Afghanistan

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 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.

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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.




NEW MILFORD  The ringing of a bell echoed through the St. Johns Episcopal Church sanctuary and throughout the green on Thursday, a preview of what parishioners will hear for the first time in decades on Christmas Eve.

I havent heard that sound in years, Rev. Jack Gilpin, the churchs rector, said with a grin. Thats great.

Gilpin said he is working with the First Congregational Church next door on the green so that the bells will complement each other when they ring. St. Johns bell is also expected to be a call to worship for its services.

Restoring the bell has been a year in the making though Gilpin said its something hes wanted to do since he came to the church six years ago.

Theres something about church bells that brings a sense of cohesiveness and calm in a town, he said. Music does something to people and bells are a type of music.

Last year, the children of Andrew and Julia Tedtsen, decided to donate to the church in honor of their parents and selected the bells for their gift. Their aunt is still a parishioner at St. Johns.

Herb St. Jean, the churchs junior warden, took on the work of restoring the bells by contacting the companies to do the work and cleaning the bell tower, which had been overrun by critters as it sat unused by the congregation for 30 years or so.

Pigeons had made it their home for decades, leaving behind about four inches of poop on the floor. While cleaning that and replacing the floor, two turkey vulture eggs were found. The congregation held a naming contest for the birds and waited until Ding and Dong, the winning names, were old enough to fly out of the tower. The screens have also been replaced to prevent more birds from getting in.

The bell was able to remain in the bell tower during the restoration, with the replacement pieces brought up to it. Removing the bell for the work would have been tricky because it weighs 2,500 pounds and stands about five feet tall. The route to the bell can also be precarious as the only way to it is about 20 feet up a ladder into the ceiling by the churchs main entrance and then up a few other ladders and stairs, St. Jean said.

It was a very time consuming process, St. Jean said.

While its the original bell heard from St. Johns, the method to produce the sound is different from when it was first installed in 1903.

The bell is no longer rung like the image that often comes to mind of Quasimodo pulling on the rope. Instead, the clapper was removed and two hammers are placed on either side of the bell that are electronically controlled to hit the bell to simulate the sound of it swinging.

Each bell has a sweet spot that you want to hit to get the optimal sound, St. Jean said.

Eventually the ringing will be programed to happen at specific times, but until then it is triggered with a small control, similar to a key fob.

This type of technology is becoming more common in churches, with congregations going with this method or changing to a completely electronic bell, like the congregational church.

For many in the congregation, Christmas Eve will be the first time theyve heard the bell.

Im just so happy the bells are back, Gilpin said. The whole community will benefit from it.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345
NEW FAIRFIELD  Fourteen elementary school students lay on their stomachs on yoga mats, staring at the flameless candles in front of them, as the teacher spoke softly and slowly nearby, urging them to focus on the light.

I want to see if you can feel that light in your life and light in your heart, Michelle Brown, a kindergarten teacher at Consolidated School, told the children. Because each one of you has that. I want you to feel it. I want you to believe it. I never want you to forget it.

Brown then led the group of kindergarten, first and second-graders in yoga, just one of the activities conducted in the classroom she created this fall to teach the students mindfulness and meditation.

The dim room is lit only by string lights, glitter jars and battery-powered candles. On the wall are block letters that read Be Kind and paper hot air balloons filled with bad thoughts students wanted to float away.

Brown said students feel immediately soothed when they walk into the space.

Theyre joyful and theyre happy and calm, she said.

On a recent morning, Brown taught the students various breathing techniques they can use when stressed and asked them to twist their arms to shake out anything that bothered them.

Kara Biasetti, a second-grader, said she enjoys the room and has occasionally used some of the strategies at home.

Its peaceful, she said.

Brown has used these techniques in her regular classroom for at least five years. She said other teachers always remarked how calm her kindergarten students were.

So, when the art teacher retired at the end of last school year and the art room became available, Brown decided to turn it into a room dedicated to mindfulness and meditation.

The room was a passion project, she said. While the principal is highly supportive of the room and the school paid to paint it and buy yoga mats, there is no money in the budget for it, Brown said.

So she spent the summer visiting tag sales and the Christmas Tree Shop to buy candles, string lights and other decorations for the room. She said setting up the room was inexpensive, adding she received items from parents and others.

Its been put together with a lot of love and donations, Brown said.

The room is one of the only spaces in the school free of technology, she said. Students are free to color, use Play-doh, create their own glitter jars or do whatever else they want.

We dont really tell them no, Brown said. If something breaks, we fix it.

When Alijah Formiga, a second-grader walked into the room recently, he went to a table to feel the small stones with uplifting messages.

I really like these rocks, he said. Theyre really smooth. They also say positive stuff on them.

Other students said they like to read and relax in the zen den, a space under one of the tables hidden by a table cloth.

Brown holds sessions in the room for students and teaches her colleagues how to do the same.

Teachers can borrow yoga mats and other materials from the room to do activities in their own classrooms. Brown said teachers have loved learning and using the techniques.

Their comfort has just grown, she said.

Teachers can also walk students to the room when the kids need a break.

Its not a punitive place, Brown said. Its a nurturing place.

When students leave the room, Brown gives them little stones or be well cards as a reminder of what they practiced. She said teachers have told her the students come back relaxed.

Brown said she would love for the room to spread district wide. The schools would only need a teacher passionate about the project, she said.

There really shouldnt be an obstacle, she said. Its easy to do.
The tree is decorated, check marks are next to almost everyone on your gift list, more than enough cookies are baked, but are there ever enough Oh well, theres always a reason to bake some more, especially if you participate in a cookie swap or enjoy the scent of freshly baked cookies; and who doesnt? To that end, Out of the Box Holiday Baking: Gingerbread Cupcakes, Peppermint Cheesecake, and More Festive Semi-Homemade Sweets by Hayley Parker (2018, The Countryman Press, $21.95) offers recipes with all the cheer and seasonal flavor of the classics, but without all the work. Recipes use easily accessible shortcuts such as a cake mix, cookie dough, or pudding mix. If you are short on time, youll appreciate Parkers quick-and-easy recipes for: seasonal flavors: chai snowballs, white chocolate peppermint cupcakes, cranberry marshmallow cheesecake; classics reimagined: easiest-ever gingerbread men, fruitcake cupcakes, eggnog cream pie (for this recipe please visit https://bit.ly/2rbvov7; regional favorites: maple sugar cream pie, salted nut roll cookies, sticky toffee pudding cake; easy no-bake treats: peppermint mocha chewies; reindeer chow; chocolate cookie cherry truffles. Below are four recipes to get you started.

Have some fun with the kids too, while creating popular character and holiday-shaped treats for holiday parties and events. Easy Christmas Cut-Up Cakes, by Melissa Barlow (2018, Gibbs-Smith, $14.99) shows how to bake packaged cake mixes in rectangular, square, and round pans, and then cut them up and piece them back together as iconic characters or holiday shapes such as: a toy train, wreath, snowman, penguin, and Santa.

Building a gingerbread house is an activity the family can do together, and it doesnt have to be difficult. Easy Gingerbread Houses, by Lisa Anderson (2018, Gibbs-Smith, $14.99) makes it quick and easy with no need for the messy and time-consuming tasks of mixing dough, rolling it out, baking it, and waiting for it to harden. The houses are made using graham crackers, cookies, cereal, ice cream cones, frostings, and candy. The kids will have fun building a sweetheart cottage, a cozy cabin, a big red barn, a blue dollhouse, a mermaid palace, Santas castle, or a tiki hut. With some practice now, perhaps next year, youll enter a gingerbread house competition and your creation will win.

Shortcut Gingerbread Men

1 small box instant butterscotch pudding mix

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

 teaspoon ground cloves

 teaspoon baking soda

 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cups all- purpose flour

Royal icing, assorted candy, or sprinkle decorations for decoration, optional

Combine the dry pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream until smooth, 2 minutes. Add in the egg until blended. Add in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda, salt, and flour, and gently combine until a soft dough is formed. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Roll the cookie dough out until it is a quarter- inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread people shapes. Evenly place them on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheets completely. Once cooled, decorate with royal icing, sprinkles, and assorted candies, if using. Makes 20-24 cookies

Salted Caramel Macaroons

5 cups shredded coconut

 cup all- purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

One 13-ounce can dulce de leche

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Toss together the shredded coconut and flour in a large bowl until the flour coats the coconut evenly. Add in the vanilla extract and dulce de leche and mix well mixture will be very thick.

Using a tablespoon- size cookie dough scoop, drop rounded dough balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If any pieces of coconut are poking out of the dough ball, gently wet your fingers to press the coconut into the cookie. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sea salt.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheets completely before serving. Makes 15 18 cookies

Pomegranate Raspberry Bars

Crust

1 box white cake mix

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 large egg

Filling and topping

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

3 large eggs

1 16- ounce box confectioners sugar

1 1  ounce package freeze- dried raspberries, finely ground into powder

1 ounce raspberry gelatin powder

4 tablespoons butter, melted

 cup pomegranate juice

Additional confectioners sugar, fresh pomegranate arils (seeds), and raspberries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9- by- 13 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray; set aside.

Combine the crust ingredients in a large bowl and stir until moistened and incorporated. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy, 1 minute. Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the confectioners sugar, followed by the freeze- dried raspberry powder and raspberry gelatin powder. Lastly, add in the melted butter and pomegranate juice and mix slowly to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl so everything is completely combined.

Pour the mixture evenly over the crust layer and smooth out the top. Bake for 38 to 45 minutes or until the top is light golden brown and the center is just about set. If it jiggles slightly, thats okay but it should mostly be set. Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.

Just before serving, sprinkle the tops of the bars with the additional confectioners sugar, pomegranate arils (seeds), and fresh raspberries. Makes 15 18 bars.

Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

For the truffles

3 cups finely crushed chocolate hazelnut cookies

3 cups finely chopped hazelnuts

2 cups Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

For the coating

2 16-ounce packages chocolate bark coating

1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Star sprinkles, optional

Mix the crushed hazelnut cookies and 3 cups chopped hazelnuts in a large bowl until combined. Add in the chocolate hazelnut spread and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick, so you may want to use your hands. Make sure everything is moistened and coated with the chocolate hazelnut spread.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie dough scoop, roll out tablespoon- size balls of truffles and place on the prepared baking sheets. Its often helpful to wet your hands with water while rolling and forming the truffles as they are quite sticky. Repeat with the remaining truffles and refrigerate or freeze until firm.

For the coating: Melt the chocolate bark coating according to package instructions, or until smooth. Stir in the finely chopped hazelnuts. Drop a truffle into the chocolate mixture one at a time and use a fork to coat the truffle completely with the chocolate. Use the same fork to gently lift the truffle out of the chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Return the truffle to the baking sheet to let the chocolate set. If desired, sprinkle the set truffles with the edible star sprinkles. Makes 38 40 truffles.

What chef would you like me to interview? Which restaurant recipes or other recipes would you like to have? Which food products do you have difficulty finding? Do you have cooking questions? Send them to me: Stephen Fries, professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, at gw-stephen.fries@gwcc.commnet.edu or Dept. FC, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., New Haven, 06510. Include your full name, address and phone number. (Due to volume, I might not be able to publish every request. For more, go to stephenfries.com.)

CULINARY CALENDAR

Miracle: pop-up holiday cocktail bars, now through New Years Eve at 80 locations around the world, including two locations in CT. New Haven: Ordinary, 990 Chapel St., 203-907-0238 and Waterbury: Highland Brass Co., 728 Highland Ave., 203-596-0070. The Connecticut bars will feature nostalgic holiday decor and a signature cocktail menu like the Snowball Old Fashioned (butterscotch rye, spiced demerara, wormwood bitters, orange zest) and Christmas Carol Barrel (aged rum, Aquavit, Amaro, pumpkin pie, demerara syrup, lime, vanilla and Angostura bitters). miraclepopup.com

Consiglios Murder Mystery Dinner: End This Tonight Dec. 31, 9:30 pm Consiglios Restaurant, 165 Wooster St., New Haven, reservations at 203-865-4489 https://bit.ly/2O3TQzQ , $75 includes dinner and show, and Champagne toast at midnight (other beverages, tax and gratuity not included). An interactive comedy show that goes on throughout the evening during a 3-course meal. Cast mingles table to table, dropping clues for a mystery only you can solve.

Gnocchi Workshop: Dec. 21, 2-4:30 p.m., Chefs Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $49.99. Reservations at 203-799-2665, https://bit.ly/2UlMQ1I . Learn the secrets to getting light as a feather traditional gnocchi using potatoes. You will learn a quick version of gnocchi using ricotta cheese (gnudi). Working in groups, you will also prepare delicious sauces to embellish your hand-made gnocchi. Menu: Classic Gnocchi with Bolognese sauce, Gnudi (Ricotta Gnocchi) with spinach and a brown butter sage sauce.

Kids-Lets make Tex Mex Cooking Class, Dec. 27 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Chefs Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $49.99. Reservations at 203-799-2665, https://bit.ly/2Bjft75 Learn how to make some Tex Mex favorites such as cheesy chicken enchiladas and churros. Kitchen safety, measurements, and cooking techniques will be discussed. At the end of the workshop, enjoy a Tex-Mex feast you created.
What kind of monstrous evil allows over one in four children in the world to become partially brain damaged?

Adults starving to death is rare in the world. Being malnourished makes you weaker physically and mentally. It becomes more likely that other problem kills you or impact your health or they leave you alive but with different levels of brain damage. Nutrition-related factors contribute to about 45% of deaths in children under-5 years of age. An estimated 6.3 million children under the age of 15 years died in 2017. 5.4 million of them were under the age of 5 and 2.5 million of those children died within the first month of life.

Accelerated progress will be needed in more than a quarter of all countries, to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target on under-five mortality by 2030. Meeting the target would reduce the number of under-5 deaths by 10 million between 2017 and 2030. Focused efforts are still needed in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia to prevent 4 out of 5 deaths.

Malnourished, Sick and Brain Damaged

Malnourished children, particularly those with severe acute malnutrition, have a higher risk of death from common childhood illness such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria.

However, the problem of chronic malnutrition and sickness from pooping in the open causes partial brain damage and this affects one in four children. This damage is called stunting. Once established, stunting and its effects typically become permanent. This means a stunted child grows up to become a stunted adult.

More than 90% of the worlds stunted children live in Africa and Asia, where respectively 36% and 56% of children are affected.

The IQ scores of the severely stunted children at eight years of age were 11 points lower than those of the children who were not stunted. At age 11, those who had been most severely stunted at age 2 still scored lower on the intelligence test than children who had not been stunted, although the gap was narrower at about 5 IQ points. Children who were severely stunted also had significantly lower scores on language and math achievement tests.

Stunted children may never regain the height lost as a result of stunting, and most children will never gain the corresponding body weight. Living in an environment where many people defecate in the open due to lack of sanitation, is an important cause of stunted growth in children. This happens a lot in India and most of Africa.

As of 2012, there were an estimated 162 million children under 5 years of age who were stunted in 2012. There are 130 million births each year. There are 520 million children under the age of five in the world at any time. 162 million out of 520 million were stunted.

520 million children under five in the world

162 million are stunted with an average of 5-11 IQ points of brain damage

6.3 million died from disease and malnutrition under the age of 15. 900K were 5-15 years old and died.

5.4 million died from disease and malnutrition under the age of 5. 2.9 million were 2 months  4.9 years old

2.5 million died from disease and malnutrition died in the first month.

Children Who Live But Are Weak and Still Become Adults

The problems to the individuals and to society do NOT go away after the people become 5 or older. The stunting tracking statistics focus on the critical first 1000 days, but the problems for nations and world persist.

Each year, 130 million become give and there are another 130 million who became 0 to 12 months old. About 40 million of the under-five become part of the 25% of the population who are older and stunted.

The stunting rates were higher a decade or two ago at 40-50% in India, South Asia and Africa. This means even more of the older population has this problem.

Can under the under the age of five stunting be reversed? The effects of early undernutrition arent always irreversible. Some children studies were able to recover from early stunting and develop normally. Results show that around 50% of children in Peru who were stunted in 2002, when they were around a year old, were not stunted in 2009. The same figure was around 45% for India.

Correcting the feeding problems and getting people to clean sanitation can improve health. It has to happen while the children are still growing so that brain growth can make up for early damage.

To prevent stunting, it is not just a matter of providing better nutrition but also access to clean water, improved sanitation (hygienic toilets) and hand washing at critical times (summarised as WASH). Toilets are needed to prevent tropical intestinal diseases.

Once most of the full development of the brain and body has been completed by about the age of 11, then the IQ loss at that point becomes permanent. The malnutrition and diseases did not kill them but over 25% carry damage that impacts their lives and even their children.

* There is a greater risk throughout their lives for more illnesses and premature death

* School and career performance is impacted

* Reduced cognitive capacity is permanent partial brain damage. The average of loss of 5 IQ points by age 11 will stay with you.

* Women who were physically impacted and have a smaller pelvis, have increased the risk of delivering a baby with a low birth weight

* Stunted growth can even be passed on to the next generation. This is called the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.

US Military and the 83 Point IQ Level

Jordan Peterson described how the US military determined that people with an IQ below 83 (1 in 10 people in the USA) could not be trained for anything at any level of the organization that was not counter-productive.

* the military is highly motivated to bring as many people as possible into the organization

* the military has used 100 years of statistical analysis to determine that bringing in people with IQ below 83 is a net negative

* if the military is as cognitively complex as the rest of society, then this means US society has a problem determining what to do with 10% of the population.

The poor countries of the world are increasing the size of the population with IQ below 83 from 1 in 10 to 2 in 10 or even 3 in 10.

Corruption and True Evil  60% of Subsidized Food Did Not Reach Poor People in India

In 201112, over 500 million Indians received 5 million tons of subsidized food. This is more than 10 times the amount of direct food aid delivered by the World Food Programme in 2011. In 2005, India estimated that nearly 60% of its subsidized grain did not reach poor people because of theft, corruption, and difficulties identifying the needy. This is now better but over 17% of Indians are still undernourished.

30 million tons of food was redirected to regular markets and sold at higher prices.

Nearly 2 million tons of grains were lost in India alone because of rot. They were improperly stored. They are just piled up in the open. They need to be put in granaries that reduce humidity.
 Flash

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.




/Contributed photo /Connecticut State Police Twitter

WALLINGFORD  Traffic is backed up on Interstate-91 Northbound Sunday morning after a car rolled over.

The left lane was closed north of Exit 15 around 10:15 a.m., according to State Police. Police said there were minor injuries in the crash. All lanes were reopened around 11:15 a.m.
A 37-year-old man from Orange was shot and wounded by Elizabeth police early Saturday morning while officers were responding to domestic violence call, in an incident being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutors Office.

Typically the investigation of a police shooting in Elizabeth would be handled by the Union County Prosecutors Office. But the matter was transferred to Essex because one of the Elizabeth Police officers had a professional relationship with the Union County office, according to Essex law enforcement officials.

A spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutors Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elizabeth Police officers initially responded to calls of a domestic violence incident Saturday at about 2 a.m. near Court and 3rd Streets, Essex prosecutors said.

Court Street near 3rd Street

There, they encountered Michael Bates, 37 of Orange, who allegedly approached the officers and threatened to harm them. The officers shot at Bates, striking him once.

Bates was taken to University Hospital in Newark and treated for non-life threatening injuries, Essex prosecutors said in a statement. Bates was charged with making terroristic threats and creating a false public alarm.

Essex prosecutors are conducting the investigation into the officer-involved-shooting under the state Attorney Generals Independent Prosecutor Directive which reviews all deadly force investigations.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross.
If youre heading to one of New Jerseys many malls or shopping centers this weekend, you wont be alone.

The National Retail Federation predicted that as much as a quarter of the country will still be out buying gifts this weekend  and that about seven percent of gift buyers will still be out shopping on Christmas Eve.

But it seems the likelihood that youll stand in line today or tomorrow depends on where you are in the state.

One Twitter user said he was met by normal crowds in Passaic County.

Strikingly normal crowds at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne.  Erik D'Amato (@erikdamato) December 23, 2018

The Short Hills Mall in Millburn saw some typical last-minute business. One shopper said the mall opened at 8:30 a.m., but the parking lots were all but filled by 10 a.m. Inside, the lines to take pictures with Santa Claus were longer than the wait to get to a register. Stores like Forever 21 and Macys both had most registers open.

Down in South Jersey, folks were giving some warnings about the Cherry Hill Mall.

Living near the Cherry Hill Mall around Christmas is like torture.  Justin Hickey (@AtTheSkylines_) December 22, 2018

Its madness at the Cherry Hill Mall. And Im only in the parking lot.  They Call Me Big El-ly (@momentoftru) December 22, 2018

The shoppers surveyed by the NRF said one of the biggest gifts they were giving or had asked for this year was experience gifts like a cooking class, spa treatment, membership for a wine club or tickets to a sporting event.

But while gift-givers may be packing shopping centers over the next few days, for another year in a row, online shopping still remains the most popular.

On Dec. 12., consumers who still were planning their remaining purchases said they will do 51 percent of it online.

Last-minute shoppers are looking forward to the weekend this year to finalize their shopping plans before the big day, Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said of the study.

They are making sure to research everything from shipping deadlines to the best deals. Some are already looking to the days after Christmas to find treasures in the clearance bins.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross.
The smartest. The dumbest. The craziest. The most outrageous.

Looking back at 2018, Hudson County had it all, from a girl keeping her perfect school attendance record going less than 24 hours after nearly dying in a fire to a man discovering his stubborn beer belly was actually a 30-pound tumor.

There were stories that made you laugh and those that made you cry -- and stories that made you scratch your head and wonder if the apocalypse is actually upon us.

Here is a collection of those  Hudson Countys most interesting stories of 2018  in no particular order. Please jot down all complaints on an 8-by-10 sheet of white, lined paper and fold it neatly in half. Then tear it up and throw it away.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Merseles Street ramp to I-78 in Jersey City. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal) Snow falls in Hudson County during a winter storm on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey

Hudson County caught off guard by snow

From the Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it department comes our first entry  the crippling 5-inch snowstorm that hit Hudson County last month. While most of us sat in hours of traffic trying to get home, it had to be excruciating for the parents of a group of young Secaucus students whose school bus didnt arrive at the bus stop until 8:45 p.m. that night.

The Katyn Statue annual ceremony took place in Exchange Place in Jersey City on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. (Michael Dempsey | The Jersey Journal)

The Katyn Memorial saga

From a distance, the Katyn memorial looks like a soldier being stabbed by the bayonet end of a rifle. Then you get up close and realize thats exactly what it is. For more than 25 years the statue as shocked, inspired and moved people. In 2018 came the plan to move the statue. After three lawsuits, public hearings, protests and a visit from the Polish president, the statue is staying put in Exchange Place.

Hoboken woman catfished out of $100,000

Social media isnt just for tracking down old flames anymore. Its for finding new ones, or so a gullible Hoboken woman thought. She found out the hard way in July that the internet is full of people trying to separate other people from their money. In this case, the woman met a man through a dating app. By the time she realized she was being played she was out $100,000.

Dashawn Mixson smiles as he is led from the courtroom after he was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Aug. 23, 2018, for the murder of 19-year-old Dajour Riley. (Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal)

Man who celebrated shooting on Facebook gets 50-year sentence

Social media isnt for bragging about the crimes you committed, either. You could blame Dashawn Mixsons ill-advised Facebook post hours after he fatally shot Dajour Riley in 2017 for the harsh words and harsher sentence he received from Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young in August. Mixson can think about it for a long period of time" while in prison, Young told the court.

Hours after jumping from burning building, she was back in school

For the get off my lawn crowd, heres proof the future may not be in bad hands after all. North Bergen student Samara Lee didnt let a little thing like almost dying in a fire in April keep her from attending school the next morning. Well even bet that her homework was done, too! I dont like missing school, she said. I don't try making excuses not to come."

Screen grab of a secret video of Kathleen Valencia taken by Project Veritas.

When teachers behave badly

On the opposite end of the education spectrum, we bring you a Union City teachers union president being secretly recorded bragging that a teacher had sex with a student and hadnt been charged. The video was the work of Project Veritas, the conservative gotcha group known for its sting operations against liberal targets. Kathleen Valencia, president of the Union City Education Association, was suspended after the video was aired. Scary stuff. These are the people who we entrust our kids to every day. Hopefully she  and the teacher she talked about  are the exception and not the rule.

Hoboken gone wild? Sex acts at bar are new low

Perhaps nothing shocked the county more than the sex videos that emerged from an event at The Hub bar in Hoboken in September. This was an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10, even for a Hoboken weekend nightlife scene that has redefined drunken, boorish behavior. One of the videos shows a woman lying on her back on the bar, and a man performing a crude sex act on her. If nothing else, hopefully this incident has been a wakeup call to the 20- and 30-somethings that call the Hoboken bars home every weekend.

272 Barrow St. in Jersey City, which saw its assessment go from $210,000 to $2,538,900 and taxes go from $16,380 to $41,130 after the tax reval. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

Whacked by the Jersey City tax reval

The worst fears about a long overdue tax revaluation came true for some Jersey City homeowners, mostly Downtown, who saw their property taxes skyrocket $30,000 to $40,000 in 2018. But to homeowners in other parts of the city, who have grumbled for years that they had been paying more than their fair share of property tax, it was a welcome relief.

Beer belly was actually a 30-pound tumor

In the most stunning medical story in Hudson County in 2018, a Hoboken man finally got rid of that stubborn beer belly. After losing 34 pounds, but not an ounce of the belly, after heart surgery in 2015, Kevin Daly had a doctor take a look. Aside from the 30-pound tumor that had been growing in his stomach for years, Daly was perfectly fine. I thought they literally left stuffing and tools in me from surgery, Daly said.

This statue was returned to a Hoboken church almost 90 years after it was stolen. (Courtesy photo)

Baby Jesus, youre back!

The year got off to an inspirational start with a feel-good story about a stolen Baby Jesus. It seems that the guilt finally got to someone in a Florida family who finally returned the Nativity scene statue stolen in the 1930s. It came into (my mothers) fathers possession somehow, and I dont know why he didnt return it, the Florida resident wrote. Instead, he gave it to my mother after she was married and she, too, kept it until her passing, when it came to me. Knowing the story, I felt it should be returned to the rightful owner and you will find it enclosed.
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the wreckage of a New Jersey-bound plane that disappeared off the coast of Florida on Thursday with two people on board.

The operation was called off after helicopters, aircraft and two Coast Guard cutters searched approximately 1,400 square miles for 56 hours, authorities said.

The suspension of an active search and rescue case is never an easy decision to make, said Christopher Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard 7th district, in a statement. We always want the best case scenario to happen and will continue to monitor for new information that could aid responders.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA-46 Malibu crashed in the water near Ponte Vedra Beach, about 18 miles south of Jacksonville, shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. It had taken off from Kissimmee Airport in Orlando, bound for Princeton, N.J., about 30 minutes earlier.

The identity of those in the plane have yet to be released by authorities, but an attorney for the family of Peter Renzulli, 51, of Bridgewater, and his 18-year-old son Daniel, said the two were on board the missing plane.

The family was devastated to learn that the aircraft could not be located, said Justin Marchetta, a Parsippany aviation attorney. Peter and Daniel are accomplished pilots and their disappearance is heartbreaking he said.

He said Peter Renzulli had recently completed 30 hours of advanced instruction in the Piper.

The family had been in Florida for a Disney vacation, said Marchetta. Renzulli is a CPA with an office in Somerville.

We ask that the privacy of the Renzulli family be respected at this difficult time, said Marchetta.

The plane was registered in Texas, according to aviation records. Flightaware.com, the aviation tracking service, reported that the single-engine aircraft had reached an altitude of more than 22,000 feet before rapidly descending. An aircraft distress call was received by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which notified the Coast Guard, officials said.

As part of its search, the Coast Guard said it had deployed two cutters and several rescue boats, as well as MH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Savanna and Miami, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Clearwater, and an MC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from the Coast Guard Air Station in Miami.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
By Matthew Hale

My grandfather told me that heaping praise on those who buy ink by the barrel is a good idea. While that might not work quite as well in the digital age, there is no doubt that NJ Advance Media and all the editors, writers and stat checkers involved in producing The Force Report, deserve a huge thank you from the people of New Jersey.

The series documents how often New Jersey police departments use force and who is the subject of that force. NJ Advance Media stepped up to fill a big hole left by the failure of the New Jersey state government to keep track of these records in a meaningful way. They started with a blank page and filled it with a great deal of useful and important data.

But as the creators of it readily acknowledge, it isnt perfect.

NJ Advance Media seems quite willing to make improvements moving forward and that is something to applaud as well. Therefore, as a professor of political science and public administration and as one who teaches a course called The Ethical Challenges of Big Data, I thought I might suggest a few tweaks and changes for this project and database. Responsibility for making these changes falls to the creators of project, the police departments who supply the information and the attorney general who oversees state law enforcement. The attorney generals recent data-collection improvement memo has a number of solid steps police departments should take to improve data collection. I hope that the creators of the database and local police departments will be as responsive to the suggestions below.

What about emotionally disturbed persons?

An EDP is an Emotionally Disturbed Person. It is not a medical diagnosis but a kind of catchall to cover situations when a person seems to be acting irrationally or erratically. For example, imagine a person diagnosed with schizophrenia fails to take their medicine and starts hallucinating. The first responders (first-aid squads, paramedics) call the police to help get the person into the ambulance. During that process, the officer or officers use a compliance hold to force the patient into the ambulance. As a result, the police officers may or may not fill out a use-of-force form.

The problem is that police coding for an EDP is not consistent. Some police departments say that more than 75 percent of the use-of-force instances contained in The Force Report are for EDP situations. Others never seem to use it, often on grounds that doing so might stigmatize those with mental health issues. I recognize that part of the difficulty is inconsistent reporting of EDPs. My guess is the police and attorney general will figure out a solution in the near future.

VISUALIAZATION: These 252 N.J. cops used the most force during arrests. See why theyre the extreme.

However, it is important to note that the series creators (I think rightly) decided to keep most EDP instances they could in the database, although they excluded them when it comes to arrest calculations. This point needs highlighting and lots of it. There is a fundamental difference in forcing someone to go for medical treatment and forcing someone to do anything else.

In addition, there seems to be a number of possible strategies for including this important contextual detail before the attorney general comes up with better reporting guidelines. Simply adding a column with the EDP data in it with a footnote explaining how sketchy it is would help. Alternatively, the incidents could be cross-referenced with dispatch records to see how many of the calls for police help originated with first responders.

Perhaps the database could include the disposition of the person after the encounter. Did they go the hospital or jail or someplace else? Gathering this information obviously takes time but providing it would give important contextual information surrounding the use of force. It is essential, however, that these medically-based use-of-force examples still include the race of the subject. It may be that police are even more likely to use force with African-American medical patients than they are African-American crime suspects. Unfortunately, we dont know that from the current version of The Force Report.

Help readers make comparisons

The current user interface allows readers to search by an individual town and individual officers name. The entire database is available but not exactly easy to find, so most people wont go digging. There is great public value in expanding the search capabilities up one level. Understanding how Carteret (the town that kicked off this whole idea) uses force makes the most sense when you can compare it to other towns in Middlesex County. Yes, it is true that a user could go town-by-town into the database to get that answer but that is (again) not easy and so most people wont do it.

The Force Report journalists also used a host of census data information, like the size of the municipality and its racial and ethnic make-up. They also could have included socio-economic data like median household income in their calculations, but chose not to. None of this information is available in the database or user interface. Adding it would help us look past the top line findings and pose some deeper questions. For example, is use of force more likely to happen to black people in rich white dominant towns? Could be. With a few additional data points, we could find out.

Why compare population of a town to use of force?

My last question concerns the decision to use the population of an area when determining whether or not a black person has greater odds than a white person of being the subject of use of force by the police. Words matter a great deal here. By area does that mean a single jurisdiction (like a town, city, borough, etc.) or does area mean a large geographic region (a county or multiple towns)? It was unclear to me, so I asked. It is the actual jurisdiction. But clarifying that in the report would be helpful to others.

While using a larger area would cause other problems, using the population of a single town creates some of its own. For example, a town might have a uniform racial makeup but be in an incredibly diverse county. That difference changes the math of the odds ratio. My hunch is that when we dig deeper into these numbers the results will show that jurisdictions with lots of one race will look much worse than diverse towns because the subject pool of people is much more diverse than the population pool. To be clear, it is entirely possible that there are huge problems of racial bias, bigotry and profiling in all-white towns. If there is any of this, it is too much. However, using town population in this way could make it look like the problem is 1,000 percent worse than it is.

A last lesson

I often tell my Ethics of Big Data students that the world is often much messier than it seems on a spreadsheet. Shortly after the release of the report, the New Jersey State PBA came out with a ridiculous, hysterical screed comparing NJ Advance Media to the worst of tabloid journalism. That is short-sighted and silly. No tabloid takes the time, effort and money to do something like this.

However, it is just as silly and shortsighted for irate Change.Org petition signers to demand that local elected officials and police departments take the top line findings of the report as the gospel truth and act immediately against what is so obviously racial injustice.

The real answers are somewhere in the middle. Getting at those real answers will take additional context and time, something The Force Report creators can provide. When those real answers come, they might make police departments look better or it might make them look worse. But they will be better answers and thats something that I think everyone from the police, to the citizens to the reporters should strive for and rely on.

Matthew Hale is an associate professor at Seton Hall University.

The Force Report is a continuing investigation of police use of force in New Jersey. Read more from the series or search your local police department and officers in the full the database.

Read more opinion about The Force Report:

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You people need to make up your minds.

Im talking about the vast numbers of anti-Trumpers out there both Democratic and Republican.

Is The Donald a crazed war-monger whose aggressive behavior is going to drag us into World War III?

Or is he a fuzzy-brained peacenik who is afraid to confront the mortal enemies of the good, old U.S. of A.?

He cant be both. Yet as of his decision to pull the remaining U.S. troops out of Syria, thats what President Trump is accused of.

President Trumps been termed an ultra-hawk more times than I can count. But a lot of politicians of both parties professed to be shocked last week when he announced that in Syria he is going to take boots off the ground, if I may reverse the cliche that has bedeviled American foreign policy for most of the entire century.

To those of us who believe in a realist foreign policy, there was just one question:

What took him so long?

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump told anyone who would listen that if elected he would end the Bush/Obama policy of trying to bring democracy to the Mideast by deposing secular dictators. (It was obvious to me and ex-CIA agent Bob Baer that this strategy was doomed from the beginning. Meanwhile, Hillary was backing the rebels who started the war.)

The deposing of the secular dictator Bashar Assad was the original point of that scrum in Syria. And for the first few years of the fighting, the Beltway consensus was that Assad would be pushed out soon, with the vetted moderate rebels we supported doing much of the pushing.

That didnt happen. Instead Assad looked around the neighborhood for allies and found a couple of powerful ones, the Russians and the Iranians.

Before long, both had footholds in Syria they intend to keep. Theres not much we can do about that  except to admit that the strategy was a failed one. So why the heck are we there?

The unrealists, as I like to call the coalition of Republican neo conservatives and Democratic internationalists, can list a thousand reasons. Ive even heard several invoke the old If we dont fight them over there, well be fighting them over here argument.

The alternative to that argument was succinctly stated back in the 2008 Republican primary campaign, when then-Texas Congressman Ron Paul said, They attack us because weve been over there.

The politicians and pundits all denounced Paul. But the idea that the U.S should get out of the Mideast had a lot of traction inside the Republican Party. His son Rand Paul continued the tradition when he won a U.S. Senate seat from Kentucky and then ran for president in 2016. (He stated the other day that Trumps foreign policy was the reason he won the 2016 race.)

Paul was an also-ran in that race, partly because his foreign-policy positions were eclipsed by those of a newcomer to politics named Trump.

Trump shocked the Republican establishment when he announced that George W. Bushs war in Iraq had cost trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives while actually making things worse in the Mideast.

The Republican base seemed to like his America first foreign policy, however. Meanwhile at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia that year, I interviewed dozens of dissident Democrats who said they couldnt vote for Hillary Clinton because of her aggressive policies as secretary of state in the Obama administration.

The liberal-internationalist line among Democrats continues with our own Senator Bob Menendez, who issued a statement decrying Trumps decision to pull out of Syria because were creating a vacuum there. Menendez also said the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis means the Trump administration is descending into chaos.

Maybe its just me, but I find it a little weird that Menendez and so many other Democrats are defending the military policy of a Marine general whose nickname is Mad Dog. That sounds more like the foreign policy of a war party than a party trying to promote peace.

War party is of course the term that a lot of so-called isolationists employ to describe the Washington leadership of both parties. As Ron Paul once said of them, Theyre terrified that peace is going to break out.

These characters have constructed a world in which U.S. military might is needed to bring stability to the Mideast. But if recent history shows anything, it is that our post-9/11 policies have destabilized every country weve touched.

Their idea, which sounds like a worthy one, is that we support the forces of freedom and democracy against oppression. But the reality is that the strife in the Mideast mainly consists of ancient feuds being fought with modern weapons, as one old Mideast hand put it.

Is it too much to ask that voters get to choose between one candidate who wants to keep intervening in those fights and another who wants to stop?

Thats what happened in 2016. Now were seeing the result.

It cant come soon enough for a whole lot of Americans.
Theres no doubt religion is relevant and impacts everyday life, which a look at faith news from 2018 only reinforces.

From 1986 to 2000, when Theodore McCarrick was the archbishop of Newark, it was an open secret that he was interested in certain types of seminarians and priests. The shocker, though, was two allegations last June that he abused a teenager and another boy, whom he baptized, as a young New York City priest. The kicker today is how he could have risen through the ranks to become a cardinal of the church. Ill offer two reasons: Money talks, even in the Vatican, and McCarrick was a rainmaker for papal causes. Secondly, priests who were in his circle adopted a no-see, no-hear and no-speak evil stance. Because of these realities, McCarricks abuses have rocked the church worldwide.

Pope Francis is unjustly taking the brunt of the criticism when he has done everything in his papacy to oppose the clerical culture, which nurtured McCarrick and his ilk in the hierarchy and presbyterate. But he will survive because there are loyal cardinals like Joseph Tobin, who is leading Newark and the other state dioceses through this crisis with patience, prudence and transparency. He is a minority among U.S. Catholic bishops and I think will eventually become a leader in the conference.

It will be interesting to see how Jersey City native Gurbir Grewal, the N.J. Attorney General, manages his investigation into the abuse crisis. He is the first Sikh to hold such a high position in any state in the U.S. and will help educate the people about the social justice values a good Sikh tries to practice. He has initiated a 21 for 21 program, which requires each county prosecutor to educate religious and community leaders on legal issues. Grewal is taking community policing to another level.

Lutherans, too. History was made in Hoboken last February when Lutheran Pastor Rose Beeson transitioned to Peter Beeson with the support of his church, St. Matthew-Trinity, and the bishop of the N.J. Synod, Tracie Bartholomew. Bartholomew presided over Beesons renaming ceremony at the church. Beeson has since left the pastorate, but it had nothing to do with being transgender. His public stance was important for all those who struggle with gender changes since few religions have any credible ways to welcome and minister to them. And more children are asking their parents to allow them to at least dress in the gender they identify with. Beeson opened the door, but religions have a long way to go.

The Episcopalians opened another door when they consecrated their first African-American woman, Carlyle Hughes, to lead the Newark diocese last May. At 51, the married bishop has lots of energy and experience to lead the 26,000 registered parishioners into a new era of church. Over four days of celebration, she presided over an outdoor Mass under a tent in the Greenville section of Jersey City, where there is a strong minority population. Shes looking ahead.

Some other changes are forward looking.

The Al-Tawheed Islamic Center in Jersey Citys West Side is shaping up to be a huge complex with a brand-new mosque with meeting space, parking and an Islamic school to open within one year.

Family Promise, a statewide program of houses of worship to house homeless families, has opened in Hudson County with seven participating religious sites. Kearny-based First Friends, which started as a Catholic parish group in Elizabeth, has become a key program to assist detained immigrants in the metropolitan area. With a small staff, a shoestring budget, and scores of trained volunteers, they help immigrants with legal aid, visits while incarcerated, and support after release.

And, earlier this month, the Archdiocese of Newark announced that a partnership with a developer will bring a new homeless shelter in the Holland Tunnel neighborhood where it is now located. A state-of-the-art shelter will provide 150 overnight beds, daytime programming and training and will incorporate new transitional housing as a step up for those who qualify. And the new shelter, which will be the largest in the state, will cost the archdiocese nothing. The only drawback is that it will take another expensive high rise, instead of affordable housing, to make this happen on the current old St. Lucys property. At least the architecture will incorporate the churchs facade and include at least a dozen affordable apartments. St. Jude, whose shrine there used to draw hundreds weekly for decades, is still bringing hope to the hopeless. A good way to start a blessed new year.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.
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.

U.S. 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. [Photo: IC]

"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.
President Donald Trump is not a man entirely devoid of compassion.

Hes been open about his willingness to pardon top aides convicted of crimes and even himself, as a shield against the Russia probe. Hell grant clemency to his buddy, the sociopathic Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Hell pardon someone he just saw on Fox & Friends.

But even a president brimming with human empathy has his limits. Trump called for zero tolerance when ripping screaming toddlers out of their mothers arms at the border. And now, immigrants here legally  yes, legally  are getting swept up in his deportation machine, solely because of old or minor convictions.

Were all in favor of throwing out menacing criminals who are here illegally. But what about those who have paid their debt to society and present no danger? The only hope is Gov. Phil Murphy. Can he make up for the humanity Trump lacks?

At issue are legal permanent residents with green cards, who face deportation for a criminal act as minor as a marijuana arrest, a misdemeanor punished by a fine and no jail time.

Compared to Arpaios crime, a flagrantly unconstitutional power grab for which he faced up to 6 months behind bars, its the equivalent of a parking ticket. Which is worse: Shackling pregnant women, bragging that you run a concentration camp and defying a court order to stop illegal racial profiling, or getting caught with weed?

Yet even though New Jersey is on the cusp of legalization and expunging pot convictions, they still serve as the sole basis to strip a legal immigrant of his green card and deport him.

The president has twisted and weaponized the pardon system, making it about political connections, celebrity or self-protection  an incentive to dangle, to keep top aides from fully cooperating with Robert Mueller. So what better way for governors to fight back against his authoritarianism, than by wielding their own pardon pens?

The head of the executive branch has the power to grant clemency and tends to do so right before the holidays. Gov. Murphy should use it to pardon immigrants. Merry Christmas.

New Jersey is already suing the Trump administration over its cruel border policies and treatment of Dreamers and investing $2.1 million to ensure that immigrants have lawyers. But when it comes to using pardons, Murphy is behind the curve.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has granted dozens of pardons to immigrants facing deportation for old or minor crimes, including the parents of young children, caregivers to the elderly or disabled spouses.

Just before Thanksgiving, California Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned 38 people; among them three refugees from Vietnam facing deportation because of old convictions, who are now activists for criminal justice reform. Murphy should do something similar.

He can start with the green card holders facing deportation simply because of marijuana. Matt Katz of WNYC recently profiled one of them, a father of four arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while dropping his toddler off at daycare.

Dane Foster had only three misdemeanor pot convictions, none of which warranted jail time. Yet he now sits behind bars at the Elizabeth detention center, facing deportation based on his criminal history, according to ICE. What amounts to a weed fine will leave his wife, a 28-year-old disabled Army veteran, on her own to support four children.

Another good candidate for a Murphy pardon is Glennis Elian Harve, a 27-year-old from Elizabeth, also a green card holder facing deportation because of an old marijuana charge.

Harves mother brought him here  legally  from Antigua and Barbuda when he was just a child, to be treated at Johns Hopkins for an injury that caused him to lose his vision in one eye, his lawyer at the American Friends Service Committee, Lauren Major, told us.

He graduated from Neptune High School and continued on to college, until he had to drop out to help his mother make ends meet. Since adolescence, hes been a caretaker for his sister, who was left severely physically and mentally disabled by a car accident more than a decade ago.

Harves current trouble dates back to 2014, when he was arrested in Asbury Park on marijuana charges. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation, which he completed. Yet solely on the basis of that old arrest, ICE will put him on a plane to a land he hardly knows, far from the mother and sister who rely on him.

Families suffer the same hardships when a parent suddenly faces deportation on any old or minor crime. So Murphy shouldnt limit himself to marijuana pardons.

What about Julio Dominguez, the father of four American kids, who has lived in New Jersey for more than 15 years after fleeing the political situation in Cuba? Hes a legal resident with only one drug-related conviction, from 2011.

He owed a friend money for fixing his car, and the man asked Dominguez to connect him to someone who sold drugs as a favor, says Major, his lawyer. Dominguez set up the meeting with a client of his taxi service and was arrested and charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

The police didnt find drugs, Major said, but Dominguez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation. He made a mistake, to be sure. But he completed his probation and was never arrested again, until being abruptly detained this year by immigration agents, while flying back home after a brief visit to his mother in Cuba.

Based solely on that old conviction, he has been stripped of his green card and faces deportation and separation from his kids  including his youngest son, who is 13, and an 18-year-old daughter who joined the Army and will soon be headed to Iraq.

Murphy should draw up a list of people like this, and in the merciful spirit of the holidays, pardon them. Fight back against Trumps attacks on immigrants. Remind America that clemency is about compassion in the face of societal injustice, not the craven rewarding of loyalists. Be best.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy left on Friday for a 12-day safari in Tanzania with his family, and one of my Christmas wishes is that he has a grand time. He's a decent man, and he deserves a break.

Plus, he's going to get crushed when he returns to Jersey. This could be his last chance to chill for quite a while.

The big fight will center on taxes, and it will flare up in February when the governor is due to present his budget address. The governor is almost certain to lose that fight, and I'll get to that.

But his first problem is Katie Brennan, the woman who says she was raped by a senior Murphy aide, Al Alvarez, during the campaign. She told Murphy's senior people, and they ignored her, month after month, she testified during a special legislative investigation. Meanwhile, they rewarded her alleged rapist with a $140,000 job. She had to walk past the man in hallways, and still her complaints were ignored.

That can't be mansplained away. It's frat-boy behavior, and it is going to hit Murphy right in his sweet spot -- his popularity among women and hard-core liberals.

This scandal will go nuclear if Murphy's claim that he knew nothing until reading press reports is proven untrue. "That would be a really big thing," says Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, the co-chair of an investigative committee digging at this. "If it's shown that he knew, that would undermine whatever his plans are for the future."

Here's my prediction: Murphy's story is not going to hold up. The governor is either lying about his knowledge of Brennan's complaint, or he chose to look away.

At Tuesday's investigative hearing, Chief of Staff Pete Cammarano told legislators the governor was unaware of Brennan's complaint "as far as I know" -- a phrase that tells us even he's not so sure. He said he didn't tell the governor because two attorneys, both appointed by Murphy, advised him that the state's confidentiality rules forbid it.

Think about that one: How could the rules allow Cammarano to know, but not the governor?

I asked the four women legislators who are leading this investigation if that made any sense to them, and they all shook their heads in a bipartisan "no."

The state's confidentiality rules explicitly allow information to be shared with those who have "a legitimate need to know." Are we supposed to believe that Cammarano had a need to know, but the governor did not?

The line of the day on Tuesday came from Charlie McKenna, who served as chief counsel to former Gov. Chris Christie before switching to run the agency in charge of school construction. He was called because he was the direct supervisor to Alvarez during the first seven months of the Murphy administration, when he served as a holdover

Legislators asked how Christie would have reacted if McKenna withheld this kind of information when he was chief counsel.

"I would still be feeling the pain today," McKenna answered.

Legislators intend to dig at this again, and that can't be good for Murphy. Information will dribble out slowly, and painfully. The warm evening breezes of Tanzania will seem like a distant dream from another lifetime.

In February, bruised from all this, Murphy has to present a budget. He says he may want to raise taxes again, a strategy that's been explicitly rejected by both Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex.

Murphy has no plan to solve the state's fiscal crisis. Believe me, I've asked his people, over and over. And it's not just me. Legislators don't know of any plan either. He's done nothing to prepare the public for any painful measures, and even less to marshal legislative support.

That, folks, is not normal.

Remember Christie's first year? Like him or not, he knew where he wanted to go and had a plan to get there. He held about 1,000 town hall meetings emphasizing the need to reduce health and pension benefits, to cap property tax hikes, to lower health costs. He met with Democratic legislative leaders constantly and found a bipartisan coalition that got most of that done.

Murphy has no plan. He has no coalition in the Legislature. He meets with legislative leaders once every few months, and they come away saying he doesn't know the material well and doesn't close deals.

"The governor is just not taking this seriously, and that's a real problem," says Sweeney.

The February fight will center on taxes. Murphy said last week he won't rule out more tax hikes, but he'd need support from Sweeney and Coughlin to do that, and they both say it's not going to happen - at least not until Murphy gets serious about cutting spending by reducing pension and health benefits. Sweeney has presented a plan to do just that, and Murphy hasn't offered a speck of support.

"If you don't like my plan, where is yours?" Sweeney asks. "To raise taxes just kicks the can down the road. That is the problem. If revenue is needed as part of a solution, then ok, let's have that conversation. But we have to fix the structural problems first."

If Murphy is smart, he'll take that deal. He'll agree to Sweeney's spending cuts, in return for legislative support for a hike in the millionaire's tax, everyone's favorite.

I hope that happens. Because this fiscal crisis is a slow-moving disaster. It's the reason NJ Transit is such a mess. And if we don't fix it, education and health care could be next.

Murphy will return from Tanzania just as legislators resume the investigation into Brennan's treatment. A month or so later, he's required by law to present his budget.

So let's hope he's getting a lot of rest on the safari. He's going to need all the mojo he's got when he arrives home.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
By Michael Reagan

By the time you read this, you'll know whether the federal government has been partially shut down for the holidays.

You'll also know whether Donald Trump had the political courage and brains to do what Republicans running Congress have failed to do for two years - put their butts on the line to fund a stronger border wall on our southern border.

And you'll know whether the president's chances for getting reelected in 2020 have gone up or down.

Going into Friday, everything about a potential government shutdown over Trumps' wall was still up in the air.

President Trump was threatening to not sign a "continuing resolution" that would temporarily fund the federal government until February because the House bill did not contain money for building a border wall.

Conservatives in Congress and in the media were urging Trump not to sign.

Democrats in Congress and the liberal media were spreading fear and hysteria about the dire effects of a government shutdown on innocent people, as they always do.

Republicans in the House scrambled to pass a bill that added $5 billion for wall funding to the bill the Senate has already passed.

Meanwhile, future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Senate soulmate Chuck Schumer were declaring that Democrats in Congress will never vote to fund a border wall - or a fence, or a moat, or whatever Trump wants to call it.

Late Thursday, they were on TV complaining that "Trump's Tantrum" was throwing the country into chaos.

If a fourth of the gigantic federal government is shut down temporarily by Trump by midnight Friday, it won't be his fault.

It won't be the Democrats' fault, either. It'll be the Republican's fault - especially party leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan.

They're the chickenhearted ones in Congress who put President Trump behind the political eight ball.

Speaker Ryan never wanted the border wall, so he would never bring up a bill to fund it for a vote in the House. Trump forced his hand at the last minute.

It would have been much easier for Republicans, and the president, if Ryan had done the right thing and made House Democrats vote for or against funding the wall months ago.

The president recently said he'd be proud to take the blame for shutting down the government over the important issue of border security, but he really has no choice.

With Pelosi and her gang ready to take over the House for the next two years, this is Trump's last chance to get funding for his wall.

The Democrats in Washington and everywhere else don't want real border security, now or ever.

I've got a new governor here who wants open borders, who wants to turn California into a sanctuary state, who wants to give illegals free health care and who wants to pay homeowners like me to house homeless people in our backyards.

President Trump, who's in the White House because of the slogan "Build the wall," has already said he'd never sign another continuing resolution to fund the government if it didn't contain money for a strong border wall.

Now's his time to put up or shut up.

If he doesn't stand his ground now against Pelosi and Schumer, and if he doesn't get serious funding for the wall, his political base will say goodbye.

So will his supporters and defenders in the media, like Anne Coulter, who's already threatened to do as much.

For President Trump, and the Republican Party, the political stakes for this vote are as high as they can get.

Speaker Ryan and the House Republicans never found the courage to pass a bill to fund the wall.They repeatedly showed they had no balls.

What Trump decides to do on this latest continuing resolution bill will either win or lose him the election in 2020.

In my opinion, he can't lose in 2020 by not signing it. He can only lose by signing it.

He must shut down the federal government over the border wall. By Saturday, we'll learn if he had the balls to do it.

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan." Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump, whose rejection of a Senate-passed bipartisan spending bill led to the third government shutdown of his administration, is using the current crisis to raise money for 2020.

This is a critical moment for the future and safety of our families, our loved ones and the United States of America, Trump said in an email sent out by the committee raising funds for his 2020 re-election and the Republican National Committee. Thats why I am launching the most important membership program ever - the official Build the Wall Membership.

The partial shutdown began Saturday after Trump said he would not sign legislation that didnt include $5 billion in taxpayer funds to build a wall along the U.S. southern border that he promised during his campaign Mexico would finance.

Legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies includes $1.6 billion for improved border security but Trump insists that money for a border wall must be added.

Trump proclaimed earlier this month that he would take responsibility for a shutdown in order to get funding for the wall. I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Trump said Dec. 11.

In his campaign email, however, he shifted the blame to the Democratic minority in a Congress controlled by Republicans.

The time for action is now, we cant sit back and continue to let the Democrats put the safety of American citizens at risk, he 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!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

The crisis of illegal activity at our Southern Border is real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall. Let work begin!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

Both the House and Senate adjourned until Thursday, assuring that the shutdown would last until after Christmas. Trump cancelled his plans to spend the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and will remain at the White House, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Saturday. His wife Melania will fly back to Washington from Palm Beach to join him, Sanders said.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The New York Yankees are shopping for a shortstop to replace the injured Didi Gregorius, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Option No. 1 appears to be signing free-agent slugger Manny Machado.

But its sounding like plan B could be free-agent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who the Toronto Blue Jays released on Dec. 11.

The Yankees were one of 11 teams to watch Tulowitkzi work out this week in California. Per the New York Posts George King, Tulowitzki could be a legitimate option for shortstop in 2019.

The Yankees had scout JT Stotts watch Tulowitzkis workout Wednesday at Long Beach State, where, according to people in attendance, he moved well defensively and shelved the closed batting stance he was working on last spring training.

According to former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, Tulowitzkis offensive slipped after he joined the Blue Jays in 2015 and has never returned to the level that made him an All Star. However, even though Tulowitzki hasnt played in a big league game since late July 2017, Gibbons believes the defensive prowess that led to two Gold Glove awards remains intact.

I think he can still play defense, offensively it has gone downhill, Gibbons told The Post.

...

Since any club signing Tulowitzki will be on the hook for only the major league minimum and because of his pedigree, he is intriguing option and a very low risk.

The Boston Globes Nick Cafardos report on the workout also suggests the 34-year-old Tulowitzki could make major contributions in 2019.

Tulowitzki looked fluid and healthy, according to one assistant general manager whose scout watched during his workout in Long Beach, Calif., this past week. Tulowitzki left scouts thinking he can play this season after missing 2018 with surgery on both heels. The next step for teams who watched him was to double-check video of the workout to see if there was anything awkward that wasnt detected live. Another potential problem is workouts dont tell you whether he can hold up over the long haul. Thats the chance you take, said the assistant GM. Because its a deal where youre only giving up the minimum salary, then it makes it less risky to take that chance. If hes OK, who doesnt love his offense? He seems to be driving the ball again like he used to. But, of course, it was a workout, not a live game.
The New York Yankees are looking for help in their bullpen, with relievers Zach Britton and David Robertson hitting free agency. The same goes for the Boston Red Sox, with closer Craig Kimbrel on the open market and reliever Joe Kelly signing a three-year, $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Options are starting to dry up in free agency with reliever Andrew Miller signing with the St. Louis Cardinals and Kimbrel holding out for a $100 million contract (although Fancreds Jon Heyman reports Kimbrel could be lowering his price to $86 million, which is what the Yankees gave Aroldis Chapman).

The hot stove rumor mill has connected Robertson with the Red Sox several times. But the New York Posts George King casts doubt on Robertson going to Boston.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Red Sox believe David Robertson isnt likely to sign with them. Boston was very interested in the former Yankees reliever and current free agent, who many believe is looking for a three-year deal with clubs wanting to keep it at two. The Phillies have also shown an interest in Robertson, who prefers to remain in the Northeast. The Yankees also are looking for two relievers.

Following the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox in the 2018 American League Division Series, Robertson expressed interest in returning to the Bronx, per NJ Advance Medias Brendan Kuty.

Could David Robertson bolt the Yankees for a bigger payday again?

The valued reliever said he likes the idea of being part of the future in the Bronx but added a caveat.

Obviously, Id like to think that, he said, following the Yankees' season-ending 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium.

But I dont know whats going to happen the next few months. Ill wait and see what happens. Ill literally have to wait and see what happens. Thats the best I can tell you on that. I have to look out whats best for me.
The speech stopped short of a flat-out endorsement of the agreement. But Mr. Khamenei did not include any specific criticism of the deal or its terms, and analysts said that would probably speed its acceptance by Irans Supreme National Security Council and Parliament.

At the same time, Mr. Khamenei made clear that a single agreement did not mean Irans overall relationship with the United States would change, and he promised to continue Irans support for allies in the region, including President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and the Lebanese-based Hezbollah movement. He praised Irans annual anti-Israel rally, known as Quds Day.

Under the nuclear agreement, Iran must give up large parts of its nuclear program, including two-thirds of its uranium-enrichment centrifuges, and it must accept intrusive inspections, even of military sites. Irans leaders say that what matters is Western acceptance that Iran will continue to have a nuclear program, and that when the agreement ends in 2025 Iran will be able to enrich uranium and plutonium without limits.

A draft resolution canceling sanctions against Iran and formalizing the steps that Iran is expected to take is to be presented at the United Nations Security Council on Monday. The five permanent members of the Council  Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States  negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran along with Germany.

Several leading members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have urged President Obama not to submit the agreement to the Security Council until Congress has first voted its approval or disapproval.

Critics say that by restoring Irans potential access to around $100 billion in frozen funds around the world, the agreement will free the country to finance an expanded campaign of aggression in the Middle East. Iranian hard-liners have complained that it will reduce the nuclear program to just a symbol, not an industrial effort. Many hard-liners also fear that it will end Irans enmity toward America.

Mr. Khamenei nodded to the complaints, accusing the West of trying to remove all of the nuts and bolts of Irans nuclear industry. And he made clear that any notions that relations with the United States would now thaw and that the two countries could cooperate on other matters were dreams that will not become a reality.
Eleanor Emmons Maccoby, a distinguished psychologist and a pioneer in the field of gender studies who was the first woman to head the Stanford University psychology department, died on Dec. 11 in Palo Alto, Calif. She was 101.

Her death, at a retirement community, was confirmed by her son, Mark, who said the cause was pneumonia.

Dr. Maccoby, whom the American Psychological Association listed among the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, conducted pathbreaking research in child development and gender studies. She explored a wide range of topics, including interactions between parent and child and the effect of divorce on children.

But the overarching themes of her long career were the differences between the sexes and how they develop. These were the subjects of two of her most significant books: The Psychology of Sex Differences (1974) and The Two Sexes: Growing Up Apart, Coming Together (1998).
And this year will be special: Partly because its the 100th Lessons and Carols, but also because its the last time Mr. Cleobury  who has held one of the most coveted jobs in church music for longer than most people can remember  will be in charge.

Something about the Lessons and Carols serene liturgy of music, words and wonder touches a nerve. It seems embedded in the DNA of Christmas, a tradition from the ancient past. Except it isnt.

It was started in 1918 by a young Anglican priest who had returned to Cambridge after serving in the trenches of World War I. He called it a festival, but it was also a commemoration for the war dead, with a so-called Bidding Prayer for those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light.

It established a precedent, and churches and cathedrals copied the new liturgy for themselves  to the point that the format of Nine Lessons and Carols became a standard at Anglican churches around the world.
A new adaptation of the Richard Adams novel Watership Down debuts on Netflix. And a Tim Burton movie airs on FXX.

Whats Streaming

WATERSHIP DOWN on Netflix. The brutality of Richard Adamss 1972 novel about a group of rabbits banding together to survive against dangerous predators is toned down in this new computer-animated adaptation, a coproduction of BBC One and Netflix. A roster of celebrities give voices to these creatures (John Boyega, Tom Wilkinson and James McAvoy among them, with Ben Kingsley as an evil leader), but, in his review for The New York Times, James Poniewozik lamented that this adaptation is a blandified take on the tale that is less a bittersweet story of survival and freedom and more like a summer family action-pic. He also noted that the rabbits stiff, floaty, uncanny motion looks like something from a 90s CD-ROM video game.

THE SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA on Spco.org. You dont have to leave your house to hear an expert take on George Frideric Handels Messiah, the Christmastime favorite. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will perform that oratorio under the baton of Jeannette Sorrell on Sunday; the show will be livestreamed on the Orchestras website beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
For authors whose books have been out of stock in the run up to the holidays, it can be hard to recover the lost royalties and sinking Amazon rankings. In a Facebook message, Ms. Makkai urged readers to shop at independent stores for her novel after Amazon listed it as out of stock and indicated it wouldnt ship until after Christmas. This whole situation is rotten, and my press is doing everything they can, but ugh, this is really, really bad timing, she wrote.

Agents and authors say part of the problem is that publishers and retailers have become more risk averse. Publishers are printing smaller first runs, partly because retailers are ordering fewer copies initially, waiting to see which titles take off to avoid making the wrong bet and getting stuck storing unsold inventory. In the past, it was often easy to get another batch of books printed in a week or two if a title sold unexpectedly well, but these days some publishers say it can take one or two months.

On top of that, the seemingly bottomless appetite among readers for a handful of blockbuster titles has tightened the bottleneck at the printing presses, consuming what little slack there was in the system. Mr. Woodwards Fear has sold nearly two million copies in all formats, while Mrs. Obamas Becoming, which came out in November, has sold 3.8 million copies.

The capacity is so tight that if you get a book that takes off like Becoming, you have to stop what they were printing and print more Becoming, then whatever they were printing is late, said Dennis Abboud, the chief executive of ReaderLink, the main book distributor to Target, Walmart and other outlets. Then the train is really off the rails.
TOKYO  Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan Motor chairman whose legal problems have put the fate of a global automotive empire in doubt, will stay in jail for at least the rest of the year, a Tokyo court ruled Sunday.

Under the ruling, Mr. Ghosn will remain in custody until Jan. 1, giving the Japanese authorities more time to question him on suspicion of further wrongdoing while running Nissan. Under Japanese law, prosecutors can ask that Mr. Ghosn be held for another 10 days after that, raising the possibility that he could be in jail until at least Jan. 11.

The courts decision was largely expected after Mr. Ghosn was arrested on Friday for a third time, this time on suspicion that he offloaded personal investment losses onto the companys books. Mr. Ghosn already faces charges that he underreported his executive compensation for a number of years.

The new arrest effectively gave prosecutors an opportunity to ask the court that he be kept in custody longer, even as it showed that prosecutors in Japan are widening the scope of their investigation into his leadership at the company. Mr. Ghosn had been set to apply to be released on bail on Friday.
An oil-exploration ship contracted by Exxon Mobil suspended operations off the coast of Guyana over the weekend after it was approached by a Venezuelan navy vessel in a renewal of a century-old border dispute.

The Venezuelan navy did not board the ship, a Norwegian vessel that was conducting seismic testing in Guyanese waters 90 miles from the internationally recognized border Saturday morning. The ship sailed away to safer waters.

The episode occurred only hours after the shaky Guyanese coalition government lost a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly late Friday, beginning what promises to be a volatile national election campaign. Meanwhile, President David A. Granger is battling cancer as his government falters.

Guyana has become one of the hottest oil patches in the hemisphere since Exxon Mobil started finding oil in 2015, which has so far amounted to five billion barrels of reserves. The discoveries have rekindled charges by Venezuela that it was cheated by an 1899 Paris arbitration tribunal and that Caracas rightfully claims nearly two-thirds of its English-speaking neighbor.
When Toys R Us closed, Toys for Tots felt the loss.

The toy retailers decision to close its stores this year left some huge holes for Toys for Tots, an annual charity drive run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, 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 Toys for Tots.

The companys more than 700 stores usually had boxes near the doors where customers could place a toy on their way out. They also took monetary donations.

From Florida to Washington State, several Toys for Tots campaigns said the closings had hurt. In Orlando, Fla., for example, donations were down 25 percent. In Bakersfield, Calif., the local group reported being down by 10,000 toys this month.
Arthur Roy Pinto and Stephen John Bohlen were married Dec. 18 in the Manhattan chambers of Claire R. Kelly, a judge on the United States Court of International Trade who is also a friend of Mr. Pinto.

Mr. Pinto (left), 71, is a professor emeritus at Brooklyn Law School, where he retired in August after teaching business law for 34 years, and where he helped found and direct the Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law. He has also taught at the law schools of Seton Hall, George Washington University and N.Y.U. He graduated from Colgate and received a law degree from N.Y.U. Mr. Pinto, who is a former associate in corporations and bankruptcy at Weil Gotshal & Manges, taught and wrote on business law including the fifth edition of "Understanding Corporate Law" (2018). Recently, he endowed an annual summer fellowship at Brooklyn Law School to fund a student advancing L.G.B.T. rights.

He is a son of the late Edith H. Pinto, who lived in Tamarac, Fla., and the late David Pinto, who lived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Mr. Pintos mother worked as a freelance private secretary in Tamarac. His father owned his own appliance business in Fort Lauderdale.

Mr. Bohlen, 67, is a retired health care executive of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, where he served as corporate director of intergovernmental affairs and, most recently, as senior director of planning, communications and press activities at Bellevue Hospital Center. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati, from which he also received a law degree. He also received a masters degree in health services administration from the New School for Social Research.
Rebecca Mazur and Dr. Alexander Voldman were married Dec. 22 at the Village Club at Lake Success in Great Neck, N.Y. Rabbi Dmitry Goldshteyn officiated.

In May, Mrs. Voldman, 24, is to receive a doctor of dental surgery degree from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. In July, she is to begin a residency program in orthodontics at the University of Connecticut. She graduated magna cum laude from Adelphi University.

She is a daughter of Inna Reznik and Jeff Mazur of Bellmore, N.Y.

Dr. Voldman, 34, is an ophthalmologist in private practice in Milford, Conn. He specializes in cornea and refractive surgery. He is also an attending physician at Yale New Haven Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He graduated magna cum laude from Baruch College and received a medical degree from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He is the son of Larisa Voldman of North Woodmere, N.Y., and Eliya Voldman of Boston.

The couple met in January 2013 at a real estate agency in Hewlett, N.Y, where the bride worked as a secretary. The groom had visited the office, where his mother also happened to work. In June 2014, they went on their first official date.
Mr. Wilson could quickly sense that, and they went their separate ways.

You know when people are going through the motions, Mr. Wilson said, but a year later after they ran into each other in the beach town Fire Island Pines on Long Island, Mr. Wilson decided to try again, asking Mr. Sanders out to dinner in the West Village.

It was pleasant enough, but he still wasnt looking for a relationship, Mr. Wilson said.

In July 2006 that seemed to change when Mr. Wilson ran into Mr. Sanders at an Empire State Pride Agenda tea dance in the Hamptons.

I was really happy to see him, said Mr. Sanders, who accepted an invitation to what he thought would be a dinner party at Mr. Wilsons house a couple of weeks later.

It was his birthday, said Mr. Sanders, who recalled thinking, Oh no, I didnt bring a present.

He decided to set things right by asking Mr. Wilson if he could take him out to dinner to celebrate. That was a good sign, Mr. Wilson said.

A couple of weeks later, they had a romantic dinner at Wallse, an Austrian restaurant in the West Village.
Hi, Im Rob Marshall. And Im the director of Mary Poppins Returns. Gather round, everyone  spit spot. So were here, in 1930s London, in the nursery of the Banks family. And were about to enter an adventure. [music] These flowers that are coming off the bowl become animated. And it was very important for me to be able to include a live-action animation sequence in this film, especially because I feel its in the DNA of Mary Poppins. I used myself as a barometer, the entire time I was working on this film  what would I want to see in this film? And as you see, its all hand-drawn 2D-animation. In a way, it feels fresh now. We havent seen it for a long time. And I really like the artistry behind it. It actually costs a lot more to do this way and, also, was much more time-consuming. It took over a year. But it was important. And we actually brought animators out of retirement to do it. [laughter] Oh, Georgie, head up and feet beneath you. You too, John. Youll see here, were talking to hand-drawn animated characters that are voiced by Chris ODowd  and then the horse by Mark Addy. And obviously, this is Emily Blunt, and Lin-Manuel and our three fantastic kids who are in this film. We have a hand-drawn 2D world. But we are working through and moving through the environment in a 3-dimensional way, which is something we could do now that wasnt able to be done in the 60s. And so what happens is  the integration of that actually involves visual effects, because we have to integrate our actors and our camera movement into the 2D world. Its a way to keep it fluid and feel like were inside the environment, instead of sitting apart from it. This should do it. Sandy Powell, as youll see, as our costume designer, made this decision to hand-paint all the costumes, to more specifically integrate the clothes into the 2D world. So for instance, if you look at Emily Blunts dress, which is all tiered, theres no tier. Its one flat piece of material that, literally, is painted on, like there are tiers  same with the tie  same with the buttons. Its all in an effort to make it feel like theyre part of the 2D world. The Royal Doulton Music Hall please. Where? Whats that? Were on the brink of an adventure, children. Dont spoil it with too many questions. Were about to go into a song here, called The Royal Doulton Music Hall, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. And what was incredible was we had to work to create so many layers that were part of this process. We started with just sketches from our animators, who worked from Pixar and from Disney Animation. But then, it moved into storyboarding and then into pre-visualization, which is really just a video version of the storyboards come to life. [MUSIC - ROYAL DOULTON MUSIC HALL] (SINGING) Theres a cuddly and curious, flirty and furious animal watering hole, where   This shot here, actually, with the hummingbirds, was the first thing we tested, to see how it would work  how we could integrate these two worlds. (SINGING)  always encore-able Royal Doulton Music Hall. Ooh, that one tickled my tail. Nearly there, Mary Poppins. (SINGING) Yes, in this marvelous, mystical, rather sophistical Royal Doulton bowl   Theres a lot of birds queueing up, a lot of hams chewing up, scenery they swallow whole. There are lots of cats tuning strings   Nightingales in the wings   Waiting for their big drum-roll   At the super sensational   Standing-ovational     Royal Doulton Music Hall.
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The Archdiocese of New York has suspended a priest who had continued his clerical duties despite two settlements paid for allegations of sexual abuse of teenage boys.

The Rev. Donald G. Timone, 84, is the subject of an internal investigation by the archdiocese, but had continued to celebrate Mass in New York and California, more than a year and a half after an archdiocesan compensation program paid settlements to the two men, as detailed last week by The New York Times.

A spokesman for the archdiocese, Joseph Zwilling, said on Friday that the archdiocese would no longer allow Father Timone to remain in ministry while it weighed permanently removing him.

One of the men who came forward with claims of abuse by Father Timone committed suicide in 2015 after what his widow said was a decades-long struggle to come to terms with the abuse.
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After his appearance in Manhattan led to a brawl, the founder of a far-right group, the Proud Boys, said it was little more than a fun, silly, mens club that had defended itself against an attack by leftist protesters.

But two months later, as prosecutors move ahead with charges, the all-male Proud Boys group is in disarray. Ten members have been arrested in connection with the violence, charged with riot and attempted assault as part of an investigation into their activities.

The Proud Boys have been widely condemned as a hate group. Facebook and Instagram have banned the group. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled it a hate group. An organization called New York City Antifa, whose members describe themselves as anti-fascists, has named the Proud Boys who were involved in the violence and has posted details about their lives on Twitter.

Even the founder, Gavin McInnes, has distanced himself, announcing on YouTube in late November that he was quitting the group in all capacities, forever. His departure left the Proud Boys without a figurehead, though the group has since said in an online message that, Were not going anywhere.
But, Mr. Arcos said, Mr. Suazo Cordova had a steely core. In early 1984 he sided with dissident military officers who had put a gun to General Alvarezs head and shipped him out of the country. Mr. Suazo Cordova was the godfather of a child of the coup leader, Col. Walter Lopez Reyes of the air force.

Later, friends of General Alvarez tried to assassinate Mr. Suazo Cordova. The F.B.I. discovered the plot in Miami. Ultimately, General Alvarezs former chief of staff, an arms dealer he had befriended, and several others were sent to prison. The plot, investigators said, was going to be financed from the sale of cocaine smuggled into Florida. General Alvarez returned to Honduras and was killed in 1989 in an ambush near his home in the capital.

In December 1982, a daughter of Mr. Suazo Cordovas, Dr. Judith Xiomara Suazo Estrada, then 33, was kidnapped by guerrillas in Guatemala, held for 10 days and released after Guatemala and more than a dozen Latin American newspapers agreed to publish a statement by the guerrillas describing Honduras as the imperialist headquarters for the invasion of Nicaragua. The guerrillas referred to Mr. Suazo Cordova as the buffoon of the imperialist plans.

Mr. Suazo Cordova suffered a heart attack in the summer of 1983, when he was 55. He was treated at an American field hospital in Honduras and then flown by the United States to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, according to John Negroponte, who worked closely with Mr. Suazo Cordova as the American ambassador in Honduras from 1981, just before Mr. Suazo Cordova was elected, until 1985. (Critics of United State policy in Honduras often focused on Mr. Negroponte. They sometimes referred to him derogatorily as the proconsul and as the third member of a ruling triumvirate.)

Mr. Suazo Cordova had once been a hard drinker. When I first met him, Mr. Negroponte said, He would tell you he hadnt had a drink for years and he would tell you the day he stopped and how long it had been since then.

Roberto Suazo Cordova was born in La Paz on March 17, 1927, the youngest of five children of Julian Suazo and Matilde Cordova. His father owned a small farm and was governor of the province of La Paz in the 1930s.

Mr. Suazo Cordova had six children with four women, said Jorge Canahuati, the chief executive of a company that publishes the newspapers Diario La Prensa and Diario El Heraldo. Besides his daughter Dr. Suazo Estrada, his survivors include three other children, Joseph Julian Suazo Cervantes, Socorro Maria Suazo Cervantes and Carmen Chavarria.
This countrys national security decision-making process is more broken than at any time since the National Security Act became law in 1947. Nothing illustrates this dangerous dysfunction more starkly than President Trumps reckless, unilateral decisions to announce the sudden withdrawal of all 2,000 United States troops from Syria and to remove 7,000 from Afghanistan.

These decisions went against the advice of the presidents top advisers, blindsided our allies and Congress, and delivered early Christmas presents to our adversaries from Russia and Iran to Hezbollah and the Taliban. The costs of this chaos are enormous, starting with the blunt, unnerving resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, one of the last senior administration officials committed to preserving American global leadership and alliances.

In a stunning tweet Wednesday, Mr. Trump declared the Islamic State defeated and promised the rapid return of all United States forces from Syria. In fact, the Islamic State is not defeated, though it is greatly weakened. The Pentagon estimates that 2,000 to 2,500 fighters continue to control territory in southeastern Syria, while tens of thousands more remain throughout Syria and Iraq. Although many militants have melted back into the population, they can re-emerge, as we saw after the American withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. Stabilizing the areas liberated from the Islamic State to prevent its revival remains as important as ever.

Cutting and running from Syria benefits only militants, Turkey, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Russia and Iran. We are abandoning our Kurdish partners, leaving them vulnerable to Turkeys offensive, after they did the hard work of undermining the Islamic State.
At a time when some beekeepers are struggling to keep their colonies alive and pollinating, the prospect of a vaccine for honeybees has offered a flicker of hope.

The scientists behind the project say the vaccine is designed to protect honeybees from microbial diseases that can decimate bee populations. If the technology can be adapted to fight a multitude of infections, experts hope it can provide one solution for the array of problems facing bees, which pollinate about one-third of food in the United States.

The work that honeybees do for people  pollinating food as they gather pollen and nectar for themselves  is estimated to produce about $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year.

This is a very new way of thinking about how we can help bee health, said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an entomologist with the University of Maryland. As a proof of concept, this is really exciting.
MINNEAPOLIS  There were overdoses nearly every day in the grim homeless encampment near downtown.

At least four people had died within two months. Diseases spread, with upward of 200 people cramming into dozens of tents. Fears rose among activists and the mostly Native American population living there that the city would crack down, which for them would have echoed the countrys dark history of treating indigenous people with force and contempt.

But then, an unlikely solution surfaced.

Red Lake Nation, a tribe some four and a half hours drive north, offered to help build temporary shelters on land it had bought two years ago for a permanent housing development in the city.

Other tribes in Minnesota supported Red Lakes shelter proposal, forming a partnership to help win concessions from local officials and secure emergency relief.

It was a rare show of unity by tribal nations to resolve an urban crisis, Native advocates said. And it represented a potential turning point in the sometimes distant relationship between Native Americans who live in urban areas and those who choose to remain on reservations.
WASHINGTON  In his first 13 years on the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.s main challenge was trying to assemble five votes to move the court to the right, though there were only four reliably conservative justices.

Now he faces a very different problem. With the retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and his replacement by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, the chief justice has the votes he needs on issues like abortion, racial discrimination, religion and voting. At the same time, he has taken Justice Kennedys place as the swing vote at the courts ideological center, making him the most powerful chief justice in 80 years.

But all of that new power comes at a dangerous time for the court, whose legitimacy depends on the public perception that it is not a partisan institution. We dont work as Democrats or Republicans, Chief Justice Roberts said in 2016, and he reiterated that position in an extraordinary rebuke of President Trump last month.

He seemed to underscore that point again on Friday, joining the courts four-member liberal wing, all appointed by Democratic presidents, to reject a request from the Trump administration in a case that could upend decades of asylum policy. This month, he drew sharp criticism from three conservative colleagues for voting to deny review in two cases on efforts to stop payments to Planned Parenthood.
WASHINGTON  Less than two hours after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis went to the White House on Thursday to hand a resignation letter to President Trump, the president stood in the Oval Office and dictated a glowing tweet announcing that Mr. Mattis was retiring with distinction at the end of February.

But Mr. Trump had not read the letter. As became apparent to the president only after days of news coverage, a senior administration official said, Mr. Mattis had issued a stinging rebuke of Mr. Trump over his neglect of allies and tolerance of authoritarians. The president grew increasingly angry as he watched a parade of defense analysts go on television to extol Mr. Mattiss bravery, another aide said, until he decided on Sunday that he had had enough.

In a tweet later that morning, the president announced that he was removing Mr. Mattis from his post by Jan. 1, two months before the defense secretary had planned to depart. Mr. Trump said that Patrick M. Shanahan, Mr. Mattiss deputy and a former Boeing executive, would serve as the acting defense secretary, praising him as very talented and adding that he will be great!

Mr. Trumps sudden announcement that he was firing a man who had already quit was the exclamation point to a tumultuous week at the Pentagon, where officials have been reeling from day after day of presidential tweets announcing changes in American military policy.
Ms. Wruble, a central organizer of the march, says she agrees that white women, including Jews, should grapple with their racial privilege. She put out a call for women of color to join the planning team and was connected with Ms. Mallory and Ms. Perez. At that first meeting, Ms. Wruble said, they seemed to want to educate her about a dark side of Jewish history, and told her that Jewish people played a large role in the slave trade and the prison industry.

I was taken aback, said Ms. Wruble in her first extensive interview about her experience organizing the Womens March. I thought, Maybe there are things I dont know about my own people.

She said she went home that night and searched Google to read about the Jewish role in the slave trade. Up popped a review of The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and the Jews, a 1991 book by Mr. Farrakhan, which asserts that Jews were especially culpable. Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard professor, has called the book the bible of the new anti-Semitism.

Ms. Wruble said she did not dwell on the issue because she wanted to work together on the march, which was only two months away. Ms. Mallory and Ms. Perez brought a friend on board, Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist. The three women  and another woman named Bob Bland, a white fashion designer who created one of the first Facebook pages about the march  became the events official leaders. They were widely featured in the press as the public face of the movement.

Behind the scenes, Ms. Wruble said she felt cast aside.

She said she was told by one of the march leaders that we really couldnt center Jewish women in this or we might turn off groups like Black Lives Matter. While Black Lives Matter is a diffuse movement, some activists have issued statements expressing solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

At one point, Ms. Wruble said she asked about security for the march and was told by the leaders that the Nation of Islam would be providing it.

I said, You are going to open up the march to intense criticism, Ms. Wruble said, warning that it would be a red flag for Jews. She said they dismissed her concerns in a heated email exchange and accused her of unfairly maligning the Nation of Islam.
KABUL, Afghanistan  At a critical stage of Afghanistans long war, President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday appointed two staunch anti-Taliban veterans to head the countrys army and police forces, a major shake-up of the security leadership.

Mr. Ghani chose Assadullah Khalid as the minister of defense and Amrullah Saleh as the minister of interior. Both men, close allies of the United States military, are former spy chiefs who have been vocal critics of Mr. Ghanis politics and what they have described as his governments mismanagement of the war.

The decision comes at a time when the Afghan army and police have been dying in record numbers in the face of a resurgent Taliban and as President Trump reportedly plans to cut in half the number of American troops advising and assisting the Afghan forces.

The United States is also urgently pushing for a negotiated peace with the Taliban, and the Afghan government  which has felt marginalized in the process  is eager to show that it can sustain military pressure, strengthening its hand in any talks.
When a group of French protesters invited us to visit, we werent exactly expecting this: Singing: Hey Macarena! We found the same scene again and again, the Gilets Jaunes, or Yellow Vests, occupying traffic circles in the countryside. As others pass by, they stand their ground through the night  singing, cooking, defying the cold and their president. It feels like family here, and they tell us that sense of community is what keeps the movement going. For five straight weeks, protesters have been returning to the streets of Paris. The movement started in opposition to a fuel tax increase and grew into a broader rebellion against President Emmanuel Macron. Last week, Macron bowed to the Yellow Vests principal demands: He halted the fuel tax and increased the minimum wage. After that, the demonstrations diminished. But they havent stopped. So, we came here to ask: What are their outstanding demands and can this leaderless, grassroots movement deliver them? [chanting] Many told us that to really see whats driving them here, we needed to leave the city. So we drove south, to the center of the French countryside  the heart of the Yellow Vest movement. Its here, in these isolated outposts, that people from Frances forgotten corners are finding their voice. They say theyll do whatever it takes to make themselves heard. We meet people of different ages, professions and views. That inclusiveness is the movements strength and its weakness, like when it comes to articulating what they stand for. We hear a host of grievances, but no unified message. Not far from here, we meet another Yellow Vest, Jean-Francois Barnaba, whos trying to become a public face for the movement. Instead of camping out in the local roundabouts, Barnaba focuses on networking in Paris. And he seeks out the spotlight to promote his message. He warns that if the movement doesnt evolve into an organized political force, then it cant survive. But, its unclear if he has any following. We met a lot of Gilets Jaunes who are not interested in anything political whatsoever. Many Yellow Vests are skeptical of his motives and any formal leadership. How do you communicate with the politicians without engaging in politics? Marlene is a caregiver. She helped build this outpost after she joined the movement in October. Will you stay through the winter  what exactly are you waiting for? The Yellow Vests are determined, bolstered by the support of their community. But their days may be numbered. The government has already started cracking down, dismantling outposts like this one. Now, they risk returning home with nothing but their grievances.
In a phone interview on Sunday night, Chief Tingley said that the couple had been held for approximately 35 hours for questioning because the police needed to be really sure what we were dealing with.

He defended the arrests as lawful but criticized the public disclosure of personal details about the couple and information about the investigation. The couples age, identities and images were first published by The Telegraph. A member of Parliament, Henry Smith, whose constituency includes Gatwick Airport, identified the couple to The New York Times.

The Sussex police have declined to officially name the couple, and the chief said the police had offered them full support after they were released  including the presence of two officers outside their home if they needed it.

Chief Tingley said the damaged drone was found on Saturday morning near the perimeter fencing of Gatwick, in the small town of Horley, by a member of the public who alerted the police. He said an examination by a forensic science team in Britain was being prioritized and fast-tracked.

Investigators are looking for two things, he said: digital data on the drone and human DNA. He added, We expect results within the next 12 hours.

Earlier, he told the BBC that the authorities had an open mind about whether the device found could be one of the drones that had buzzed Gatwick Airport, Britains second-busiest. He said the authorities were sifting many reports of drone activities over the past few days, poring over CCTV footage and making house-to-house searches.

Asked by the BBC about the possibility that there had been no drone incursions at Gatwick in the first place, he said it was always a possibility, but added that the authorities had to go on the reports of the number of people who said they had seen drones or something that looked like a drone in the sky near the airport.
HANOVER, Germany  Der Spiegel has announced that it will press charges against a former star reporter accused of systemically faking interviews and articles, in what might be the biggest journalism scandal in Germany since another newsmagazine published fake Hitler diaries 35 years ago.

The announcement came as the United States ambassador waded into the scandal by accusing the newsmagazine of anti-American bias and calling for an independent audit.

Richard Grenell, the American ambassador to Germany, wrote a letter to Der Spiegel on Friday that appeared to try to tie the fraud committed by the reporter, Claas Relotius, 33, to the newsmagazines editorial methods.

Some of the most notable articles that Mr. Relotius admitted faking are set in the United States, such as profiles of a religious activist who travels the country to witness executions, anti-immigrant militiamen in Arizona and a town of Trump supporters in Minnesota.
Never mind whos being naughty or nice, Santa Claus himself supposedly has had bigger problems in Iraq and Syria, where he either did or did not get arrested in the run-up to his big night this year.

Various accounts widely shared in local social media during the weekend before Christmas had Papa Noel, as Christians in Iraq and Syria call him, being arrested by the Iraqi police, drafted into the Syrian army or going off to fight the Islamic State.

The reports grew so widespread that the police in Iraq, a country where sectarian divisions often lead to bloodshed, took pains to publicly deny them.

A group of sarcastic posts spread talk of the arrest of Papa Noel with a picture written on it, Karbala police arrest Papa Noel, and this picture spread on social network sites, said Col. Alaa Al-Ghanimi, the spokesman for the police in Karbala, the Shiite holy city in central Iraq. The police command absolutely deny this news and there is no such arrest.
Mizoram: Man gets 20 years in prison for raping woman

Anti-mob violence bill passed in Manipur

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Imphal, Dec 23: The Manipur Assembly has passed a bill which recommends life imprisonment for those involved in mob violence, if it results in the death of a person.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who also holds charge of the Home department, moved the 'The Manipur Protection from Mob Violence Bill, 2018' in the state Assembly.

The bill was passed by the Assembly unanimously on Friday.

Tamil Nadu: Mob lynches teen over suspicion of mobile phone theft

It recommends a rigorous life imprisonment term if the crime results in the death of a victim.

The bill was introduced in the Assembly in the wake of incidents of mob lynchings in the state.

In September, a man was lynched at Tharoijamm in Thoubal district for allegedly trying to steal a scooter.

The Assembly also passed the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018 unanimously.

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 9:31 [IST]
As 2019 approaches, ISIS looks to make Global Islamic Council a reality in Kashmir, Gujarat

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Dec 23: The terror market in Jammu and Kashmir is already a crowded one. The Valley is dominated by groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Recently, a top terror operative, Zakir Musa broke away from the Hizbul Mujahideen to form a new outfit called the Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind, a group that is affiliated to the Al-Qaeda.

Amidst the growing fears of the terror market getting more crowded, Intelligence Bureau officials and the National Investigation Agency have warned about the rise of the Islamic State in the Valley. Come 2019 and the group would look to push harder in the Valley.

ISIS rises: How radical-violent Islam poses a threat to Tamil Nadu

The outfit which calls itself the Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir has been making inroads in the Valley and the NIA says that it has the support of modules of the outfit based in Afghanistan.

At first the Union Home Ministry had brushed aside fears of the outfit growing in the Valley, but new evidence and investigations have found that the ISJK has been making a big push into the Valley.

First steps:

It was in January this year that the Jammu and Kashmir police had said for the first time that the outfit has entered into the Valley. Four terrorists, including a top operative of the outfit, Dawood Ahmad Sofi were killed in an encounter at Sirigufwara, Anantnag district that month. The police had said that these terrorists were affiliated to the ISJK.

In the month of November 2017, the outfit had made an announcement in its mouthpiece, Amaq about its intentions in the Valley. It had claimed that its operatives had killed a policeman and wounded another.

NIA seizes incriminating material in Islamic State related case

During its probe the NIA had relied on the intercepts of the ISIS terrorists discussing among themselves, about how one of their men were killed. Chatting under the name Al-Qarar, the members also called for more strikes in the Valley. The channel claimed to be the official Telegram channel of ISJK... (ISJK) has claimed that Mugees Ahmad alias Khattab, R/O Parimpora Srinagar, who got killed in a shootout in Zakura area of Srinagar, was the first militant of the organisation, the communication stated.

Another incident suggesting the presence of the outfit came out following the killing of one Mugees Ahmad Mir. He was killed in the Valley and the ISIS was quick to claim that he was their man. At first, the agencies did not buy the claim. However the events leading up to his death at Zakura and the subsequent funeral made it clear that he was an ISIS man.

Mugees at the time of the attack was dressed in a black t-shirt with the Islamic verses that are used by the outfit. His wish was to be buried with the Islamic State flag, which was obliged by the family members. During the investigations, the police had found plenty of ISIS literature at his home.

The Kashmir currency:

The talk of the ISIS and Kashmir dates back to 2013 when the outfit made its big announcement. While speaking of establishing the Caliphate, it also spoke about the Global Islamic Council. The Global Islamic Council comprises several places at which the Caliphate was to be established. The long term goal was to create an Islamic nation and establish the Caliphate. When the chief of the ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi spoke about the Global Islamic Council, he had marked two places in India which was to be part of it. They included both Kashmir and Gujarat. Since then the ISIS operatives in India have been working towards that goal and has made several attempts to set up shop in both Gujarat and Kashmir.

In June 2016, the NIA had arrested an operative called Sirajuddin. In its chargesheet, the NIA speaks about the modules that the ISIS sought to set up in various parts of the country including Kashmir.

The investigation conducted by the NIA suggests that Sirajjuddin and his associates had planned on carrying out a series of attacks. There was a two pronged plan. While one was to undertake lone wolf attacks the other was to establish the Caliphate in Kashmir.

If one looks closely at the map designed by the ISIS, it has portions of Gujarat in it and the whole of Jammu and Kashmir. Sirajjudin who makes references to this feels that it is only through Kashmir that they can establish the outfit.

Islamic State finds new methods to increase spread in Kerala

He felt that Kashmir must be governed not by India or Pakistan, but the Islamic Caliphate as is the claim of the outfit in Syria. Interestingly in one of the chats he shares an image of a note in the 20 denomination.

The note has the letters, ISIS Welcomes you to Kashmir. This according him should be the official currency of Kashmir. Sirajuddin in a chat with one UAE operative says that he has managed to gather 300 recruits for the ISIS.

This is a claim which the NIA doubts. He constantly speaks about overcoming the Hindus in India and says that over a period of time, the Constitution should be replaced with the Caliphate. further he seeks out information on how to reach Syria. He felt that he should train for sometime in Syria and then return to India.

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 8:28 [IST]
Bihar seat sharing: BJP, JD (U) to contest 17 seats each; LJP to fight from 6

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Dec 23: The NDA's seat sharing arrangement for 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar has been finalised. The BJP and the JD (U) would fight from 17 seats each in the 2019 General Elections while the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP would contest from six seats.

It has also been decided that one Rajya Sabha berth would be allocated to LJP. After days of negotiation, Amit Shah, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan announced the final seat-sharing deal among the NDA constituents for Bihar on Sunday.

BJP, LJP clinch deal, Rajya Sabha seat likely for Ram Vilas Paswan

"BJP will fight at 17 seats, Janata Dal (United) at 17 and Lok Janshakti Party at 6 seats in Bihar in upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections," Shah told the media today.

The arrangement was reportedly finalised on Friday after Paswan and his son Chirag met senior BJP leader and Union Finance Arun Jaitley. Chirag has been vocal about his party's differences with the BJP.

BJP president Amit Shah had earlier announced that his party and the JD(U) will be contesting equal number of seats in the politically crucial state where the BJP-led NDA had won 31 seats in 2014.

The LJP had contested seven of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats from and won six in 2014.

Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, riding on Modi-wave, won 22 seats, LJP won six seats and the RLSP won three seats. Altogether, the NDA won 31 out of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2014. JD (U), which could manage just 2 seats in 2014, was then not part of the NDA then.
BJP wins Gujarat by-poll, its third win in Jasdan since 1960

India

oi-Deepika S

Ahmedabad, Dec 23: The ruling BJP comfortably won the bypoll from Jasdan Assembly seat in Gujarat Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100. The Jasdan election result is also the third time that the BJP has won the seat after Gujarat was formed in 1960.

BJP candidate Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said. Bavaliya retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot which he had won as Congress candidate in 2017.

Notably, since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won Jasdan only once - in the by-election of 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajkot.

Jasdan by-election: BJP's Kunvarji Bavaliya wins by massive margin of 19,985 votes

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and joined the BJP.

Bavaliya was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day. The BJP fielded him for the by-election from Jasdan, which has a sizeable Koli population.

Bavaliya had won from the Jasdan seat five times in the past as the Congress candidate - in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.

The bypoll has become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the victory in Jasdan is a clear indication that BJP will win all 26 seats in Gujarat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"This victory is a clear indication that BJP will win 26 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. People of Gujarat are with BJP and they are prepared to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again," Rupani said.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)
BJP-ruled states slashes petrol, diesel rates further: New price to come into effect from today

Bogibeel, India's longest railroad bridge ready after 21 years: All you need to know

India

oi-Deepika S

Guwahati, Dec 24: Bogibeel, India's longest rail-cum-road bridge will be opened to traffic by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, coinciding with the birth anniversary of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Built by the Indian Railways, the double-decker bridge has two railway lines on the lower deck and a three-lane road on the upper, strong enough to withstand movement of heavy military tanks. The work of the bridge is finally complete after 16 years.

The prime minister will inaugurate the bridge on December 25, which is also observed as the Good Governance Day by the government. He will also flag off Tinsukia-Naharlagun Intercity Express, which will run five days a week.

While the then prime minister, H D Deve Gowda, had laid the foundation stone for the bridge in January 1997, the work had started only in April 2002, after Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for the project, along with the then railway minister, Nitish Kumar.

The first freight train passed through the bridge on December 3 after several deadlines for the completion of the project were missed in the past 16 years.

Here is all you need to know about the Bogibeel bridge

Connectivity

The 4.94-km Bogibeel Bridge is the country's longest rail-road bridge, connecting the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Dibrugarh district of Assam with Silapathar in Dhemaji district, bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

The journey

Bogibeel bridge is located around 17-kilometres away (downstream) of Assam's Dibrugarh area. As stated above, the foundation stone for the Bogibeel bridge was laid on 2022 and in 2007, the UPA government had accorded it the status of a National Project. The Modi government had asked for expediting work on the bridge which had already missed several deadlines.

Defence boost

The bridge is 32 metres above the Brahmaputra and is a major boost to the defence logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge will also cut down the travel time between Tinsukia in Assam to Naharlagun town of Arunachal Pradesh by more than 10 hours.

Rail links

As mentioned above, Bogibeel is a rail-cum road bridge and will connect two existing railway networks that run at the North and South banks of river Brahmaputra. At the South bank of the river, the railway link starts from Chalkhowa and Moranhat stations and joins in between the Sisibargaon and Siripani stations of Rangiya-Murkongselek section at North Bank through the Bogibeel bridge.

Saving time

The bridge reduces travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours and will cut out the detour of over 170 km via Tinsukia. It will also reduce Delhi to Dibrugarh train-travel time by about three hours to 34 hours as against 37 hours presently.

After December 25, people, especially patients from Assam Medical College located here, can travel straight from Dibrugarh from the other side of the river instead of using the ferries.

Estimated cost

The Bogibeel bridge project was initially sanctioned at a cost of Rs 3230.02 crore, but the final cost was revised to Rs 4857 crore keeping in mind cost escalation and increase in the length of the bridge to 4.94 km as against 4.31 km proposed earlier.

Other facts

Bogibeel bridge is the second longest in Asia and has been built 32 metres above the Brahmaputra river water level. The design of the bridge is similar to that of a bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden.

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Story first published: Monday, December 24, 2018, 2:03 [IST]
Keep the faith, we are with her in this struggle: Subramanian Swamy to Kangana Ranaut

Bringing Gurumurthy on RBI board a mistake says Subramanian Swamy

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Hyderabad, Dec 23: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has 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.

RBI should support the vision of the government: Gadkari

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.

Subramanian Swamy questions Shaktikanta Das' appointment as RBI Governor

"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".
Bike's fuel tank explodes in Punjab; rider injured, reason of the explosion yet to be ascertained

Gujarat: 9 children dead after bus falls into gorge near Ahwa town

India

oi-Vikas SV

Ahmedabad, Dec 23: At least nine children died in Gujarat after the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Dang district. The incident took place on Mahal-Bardipada road near Ahwa town on Saturday evening.

The bus was carrying around 70 students, all in the age group of 10-16 years. They had gone for a picnic from Surat to Dang.

The bus was coming from Shabri Dham, a religious and tourist spot in the district, when the accident took place.

Children being treated in hospital "One student died in the accident. We have rescued around 70 others who were stuck in the bus after it fell into the gorge," said Superintendent of Police of Dang, Shweta Shrimali, as per a PTI report. Children had gone for a picnic 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. 7 school children, bus driver killed in accident in MP's Satna 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. Accident in Madhya Pradesh's Satna in which 7 children died in November On November 22, seven children were killed after a bus met with an accident in Madhya Pradesh's Satna. The students belonged to Lucky Convent School in Birsinghpur in Satna district. 25 children injured after school bus meets with an accident in Jaipur 25 children were injured in an accident in Jaipur in May In May this year, at least 25 children were injured after a school bus collided with a private bus in Jaipur's Kotputli area. The accident took place on Delhi Jaipur highway. (Images credit - ANI/Twitter)

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 14:04 [IST]
Federal Front: KCR meets Patnaik, calls for unification of regional parties against BJP, Cong

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhubaneswar, Dec 23: Telangana Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday embarked on a mission to cobble up a Federal Front - a powerful alternative to both the BJP and the Congress at the centre.

According to reports, the TRS chief halted at this port city in Andhra Pradesh where he offered prayers at a temple and sought blessings of a renowned seer.

in his first stop, KCR met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday and discussed the possibility of forming a powerful alternative to both BJP and the Congress at the centre.

Later speaking to media, KCR said, ''Country needs a change for which dialogue has begun, we're doing our part but nothing concrete has emerged. We've just begun the dialogue; we will meet again to discuss how to take things forward.''

After Telangana debacle, Congress casts doubts on TDP alliance

On his meeting with the Odisha CM and BJD chief, KCR said, ''We need to talk to more people across the nation. There's a dire need for the unification of regional parties as there's a strong need for an alternative to Congress and BJP.''

After a night halt in the Odisha capital, KCR will visit the famous Konark Temple and Jagannadha Temple on Monday and later leave for Kolkata.

After a meeting with Mamata Banerjee, the Telangana Chief Minister will visit the Kalimata Temple. Subsequently, he will leave for New Delhi, where he will have separate meetings with former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his two to three day stay in the national capital, the TRS chief will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will have meetings with some central ministers and discuss state related issues.

I'm Telangana's agent, not of BJP or Congress, says KCR

KCR, who led TRS to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in December, has announced that he will focus on national politics to work for cobbling up an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

After the electoral victory on December 11, he had stated that a consortium of regional parties may emerge soon.
\"25 Congress MLAs will join AAP by evening, if...\" Arvind Kejriwal in Punjab

A win for AAP in Punjab would cost it Rs 12,000 crore a year: Here is why

Highly radicalised terrorist arrested in Punjab and not surprisingly link goes back to the UK

Reply to our demands by today: Punjab farm leaders to Centre

Now a Tiranga Yatra by AAP: This time in Punjab

Minor girl seven months pregnant after being repeatedly raped by father

India

oi-Vikas SV

Rupnagar (Punjab), Dec 21: In a shocking incident, a man had allegedly been repeatedly raping his 17-year-old daughter along with his friend and the minor girl is now seven months pregnant.

The victim was living with her father in a village near Rupnagar, Punjab.

A 17-year-old girl was found pregnant after being repeatedly raped allegedly by her father and his friend here, police said, adding that both the accused were booked Friday.

British women raped in Goa, accused flees with belongings

According to police, her father and one of his friends, who was living with them, raped her repeatedly.

The police were informed about the girl's pregnancy by a women and child organisation. The police got the girl medically examined and booked the father and his friend under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, said a PTI report.

The girl is seven months pregnant, Bharat Bhushan, SHO, Rupnagar civil lines police station, said.

Both the accused have been booked and raids are being conducted to arrest them.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 15:18 [IST]
Naidu accuses 'hollow man' PM Modi of cheating country, denying special status to Andhra

India

pti-PTI

Amaravati, Dec 23: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "hollow" man who has "done nothing" for the country.

He also accused the Modi government of "denying" special category status to Andhra Pradesh, despite promising it in Parliament. Naidu said Modi did nothing even for his home state Gujarat as its chief minister for 12 years, but made everyone believe he did "great things".

"We all believed this. The whole country believed this but were left cheated", the chief minister said in a continued diatribe against Modi. He also released a 'white paper' on "implementation" of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the "connected assurances", here, targeting primarily the PM.

"A leader makes all the difference. We believed what all Narendra Modi said. What is Narendra Modi today... hollow," Naidu remarked.

Bihar seat sharing: BJP, JD (U) to contest 17 seats each; LJP to fight from 6

The prime minister had been campaigning that there was no great leader than him, he alleged, adding "but he is no good". Naidu also alleged that Modi was seeking to blackmail everyone using "muscle power" and spending "tonnes and tonnes of money" to win elections.

"Since you have money, you are spending tonnes and tonnes to buy votes. Why are you not abolishing Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes? You are ruining the country and you are responsible for that. Many are forced to do wrong things because of your acts," the Telugu Desam Party chief said.

If the currency notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 denominations were not available, people would vote only for those who do good, he said. "Even if one indulges in corruption, there will be no scope for hoarding (of illicit money)", Naidu said.

He also ridiculed the Central government for "teaching grammar" to the Supreme Court, in the context of its recent ruling on Rafale deal.

"There are grammar mistakes in the sealed cover (presented by the Centre in the Rafale case) to the Supreme Court. What do you call them? They are teaching grammar to the SC... What is the different between a sealed cover and an actual cover? What credibility they have?" he questioned. He also said the prime minister did not have the right to talk about anything in the country.

Referring to Gujarat, Naidu said Telangana had a better per capita income than Gujarat.

"What justice did Modi do to Gujarat, being its CM for 12 years? Telangana is ahead of Gujarat in terms of per capita income. Soon, AP too would overtake it", he claimed.

It was only out of fear that AP would overtake Gujarat in all respects that the Modi government was denying special category status to the state, though promised in Parliament, Naidu alleged, adding that the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act too were not being implemented.

The 32-page white paper listed the "injustices" done to AP post-bifurcation (in June 2014) and accused the Centre of making no efforts to sort out the differences between AP and Telangana.

PTI
What is Sabarimala Thantri's view over use of halal jaggery to prepare prasadam: plea in Kerala HC

Sabarimala protests: Sec 144 extended till Dec 27; Several devotees detained at Pampa

India

oi-Vikas SV

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23: Amid renewed protests in Sabarimala, Pathanamthitta district magistrate has extended Section 144 till December 27. The order prohibits unlawful gathering and protest between Elavungal and Sannidanam.

Today, tensions flared up near the Sabarimala Temple as a group of 11 women, below the age of 50 years, began to trek with the intension of visiting the Lord Ayyappa shrine. Manithi, a Chennai-based NGO, had declared that a group of 50 women, all below the traditionally barred age of 50 years, will visit the Sabarimala shrine on Sunday.

11 women managed to reach the base camp at Pamba but were met by hundreds of protestors who had gathered at the entry point to the trekking path. The women are now seeking police protection. The Kerala Police has formed a security cover around them. While the police requested the women to return seeing the law and order situation, the group stood their ground and said they will only go back after completing their pilgrimage, an India Today report said.

"We are here since 3.30 am. Police had said that they will provide us with protection but now they are not providing us protection to trek to the temple," Selvi, a member of the women's devotees group who is currently at Pampa base, told media.

[Sabarimala on the boil again as 11 women attempt to enter Lord Ayyappa shrine]

On December 19, the Pathanamthitta Magistrate Court has extended the prohibitory orders in Sabarimala Temple till the midnight of 22nd December.

Women, in the age group of 10-50 years, are traditionally barred from entering the Sabarimala temple. But the Supreme Court, in its September 28 verdict, lifted the ban and permitted women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple. After the SC verdict, several women have tried to enter the shrine but have been unsucessful so far due to the massive protest by the devotees.
Guided by ex-Pak army officials, operating in buddy pairs: Why the Poonch encounter has dragged so much

India will have whole of Kashmir someday, says Western Air Command chief

After SC warns of contempt, Army to grant permanent commission to 11 women officers in 10 days

Sexual harassment in Army: Dismissal of accused Major General recommended

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Dec 23: In connection with a 2016 sexual harassment case, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended dismissal of a Major General from service, said reports. The accused Major General has denied the charges.

The charges against Major General, who was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016, were levelled by a Captain-rank lady officer, reported news agency ANI.

"The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 AM today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," an ANI report said while quoting sources.

[Two Army jawans rape deaf and mute woman for 4 years]

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned.

The accused official would be appealing against the order. The Major General had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army, reported ANI.

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 14:53 [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

State leaders planning to take call on Rahul as PM, says Stalin

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Dec 23: DMK Chief M K Stalin on Sunday stood by his remarks about making Congress president Rahul Gandhi the Opposition's prime ministerial candidate and said that some state leaders would take a call on the recommendation at a later date.

"Some people questioned whether I can propose Rahul Gandhi's name as the prime ministerial candidate. What is wrong in that?" he said at an event here.

"If we do not propose (Rahul Gandhi's name), then who will? Did anyone deny it? Some state leaders are planning to decide on it after sorting out differences in their respective states," he said.

Stalin had on December 16 vowed to make Congress chief Rahul Gandhi the country's next prime minister, lauding him for having the ability to defeat the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Stalin proposes Rahul Gandhi as next Prime Minister

"In 2018, on the occasion of unveiling Thalaivar Kalaignar statue, I propose, we will install a new prime minister in Delhi. We will build a new India, as the son of Thalaivar Kalaignar, I propose the candidature of Rahul Gandhi from Tamil Nadu," he had said.

The DMK chief reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a 'sadist' as he did not visit Tamil Nadu after cyclone Gaja that left a trail of destruction and claimed more than 50 lives in the state.

"Today, the topic is being widely debated. What's wrong in my comment? I did not say it at a personal level. Not as a leader of the BJP, he's the prime minister now. I am saying he did not even offer condolences to those who lost their lives due to cyclone Gaja," Stalin said.

Rahul Gandhi as PM? Opposition disagrees with Stalin's pitch for 2019 elections

Reacting to his remarks, BJP Tamil Nadu unit President Tamilisai Soundarrajan said in Chennai that Stalin has become the "saddest Stalin".

"Stalin called Modi sadist in the presence of Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, but it is he who is the saddest," she told reporters.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 23:27 [IST]
Mumbai schools reopening: Classes for 1-7 will not begin from 1 Dec; here's the new date

Five more travellers from 'at risk' countries test COVID-19 positive in Mumbai; nine so far

Under-construction building collapses in Mumbai; 1 dead, 8 injured

India

oi-Vikas SV

Mumbai, Dec 23: An under-construction building collapsed at Goregaon area in Mumbai on Sunday leaving 3 people dead. Eight people are said to be injured.

According to reports, a portion of the under-construction building near Azad Maidan in Goregaon has collapsed. Injured have been rushed to nearby hospital and their condition is said to be stable.

UP: 3 dead, 14 rescued as roof of under-construction building collapses in Shahjahanpur

NDRF people have been rushed to the spot. Rescue operations are underway. It is not yet known if anyone is trapped under the debris.

The injured have been taken to the nearby Siddharth Hospital, reports suggested. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
What happened to 56-inch chest? Kushwaha mocks BJP over Bihar seat sharing

India

oi-Deepika S

Patna, Dec 23: Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) leader Upendra Kushwaha took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying those having '56-inch chest' had to bow down to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and share an equal number of seats with the Janata Dal-United (JDU).

"The BJP always used to say they have a 56-inch chest, but now it seems they've bowed down in front of Nitish Kumar and divided seats equally. But people do not care about how many seats you contest on, they will vote for the one who works for the public," Kushwaha said.

Taking a dig at LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, Kushwaha said the Union minister realised that the NDA would not be getting any Lok Sabha seat so he secured a Rajya Sabha seat. Its a good thing that he has done, the RLSP chief said.

Bihar seat sharing: BJP, JD (U) to contest 17 seats each; LJP to fight from 6

Kushwaha recently quit the NDA and joined the Congress's Mahagathbandhan in Delhi. Explaining his rationale for joining the Grand Alliance, Kushwaha said the Modi government failed to fulfil the promises made to the people of Bihar, besides the "insult" he suffered within the NDA. Kushwaha lauded Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad for the "wholeheartedness" shown by them towards him.

In a joint press conference, leaders of the NDA announced the seat-sharing arrangement by which the BJP and JDU will contest on 17 seats each while the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will fight on 6 seats.

The announcement was made by BJP president Amit Shah, JDU chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan together. The BJP and the JDU also agreed to give a Rajya Sabha seat to LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 20:23 [IST]
Winter Session 2021: BJP issues whip for its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in House on day 1

Be present in Lok Sabha, RS says BJP in 3 line whip to its MPs

Will BJP give 2019 ticket to Shatrughan Sinha? question is whether ill take it, says actor

India

oi-PTI

Patna, Dec 23: Amid speculation that he may be denied a BJP ticket for Lok Sabha polls and join the RJD, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has kept all sides guessing by saying that people should instead speculate whether he would contest on a BJP ticket or not.

Sinha, who has represented his native Patna Sahib as a BJP MP for two consecutive terms, said his remarks on various issues which have not been liked by some party leaders, were meant to "show the mirror" to the BJP and cannot be termed as "anti-party."

"Instead of guessing whether they (BJP leaders) will give me ticket or not speculation should be whether I will take the ticket or not," Sinha told PTI.

Shatrughan Sinha meets Lalu, calls his son Tejashwi 'Bihar's face'

The actor-turned BJP leader met jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Saturday.

Though he said the meeting with Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences was personal, the timing of the meeting assumes significance.

Speculation is rife that Sinha, whose attack on his party has sharpened in recent times, may enter into fray from Patna Sahib from Prasad's party if he is denied a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls.

Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", has on several occasions made it clear that the "place (constituency) will be the same, even if the situation changes."

He said loss of power in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is enough to show that the situation is not good in the NDA.

"Many people have left, some others are preparing to leave and others driving tough negotiations...all said and done the party's popularity and that of one leader and two-men Army have taken a beating," he said.

He was alluding to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha leaving NDA and LJP of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan bargaining hard with a "weakened" BJP.

The actor-politician, who served as a Cabinet minister in the NDA ministry of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and was a star campaigner for BJP for a long time before falling out with the current leadership after being ignored in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, has been critical of the party functioning, alleging all power is vested in one leader (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and two-men Army (Modi and BJP president Amit Shah).

It is composed Congress verses jittery BJP for now as countdown begins for 2019

Maintaining that the "writing is on the wall", the BJP leader said, "There is still some time and some hope left if party veterans like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie are brought at the front."

On his remarks on GST, demonetisation and the party functioning often putting the BJP in an embarrassing situation, Sinha said he had been manifesting peoples' voice and not asking for any personal favour for himself.

Besides meeting Prasad and praising his younger son Tejashwi Yadav as "Bihar's face" and "its future", the BJP leader has been frequently seen sharing dias with former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and at functions of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) much to the discomfort of partymen.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, December 23, 2018, 16:52 [IST]
Pakistan Army chief lauds Imran Khan's peace initiatives

International

pti-PTI

Karachi, Dec 23: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has backed Prime Minister Imran Khan's peace initiatives, saying the new government has extended a hand of peace and friendship towards India with utmost sincerity but it should not be taken as Islamabad's weakness.

Addressing the passing out parade of Midshipmen and Short Service Course at the Naval Academy in Karachi on Saturday, Bajwa said that Pakistan was "a peace loving country and believes in peace". Lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Khan's government to achieve peace between Pakistan and India, the army chief said peace benefits everyone and it is time to fight disease, poverty and illiteracy instead of fighting against each other.

"Our new government has extended a hand of peace and friendship towards India with utmost sincerity but it should not be taken as our weakness," Bajwa said.

The powerful army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 71 years, has always wielded considerable power in the matters of foreign policy. The Indo-Pak ties strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists in 2016 and India's surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The ties further nose-dived in 2017 with no bilateral talks talking place between them.

Amidst deadly skirmishes along the Line of Control and diplomatic bickering for better part of 2018, the consensus on both sides to open the Kartarpur corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims has created a ray of hope for improvement in Indo-Pak ties.

[Can Imran Khan be trusted?: Here is what Army veterans have to say]

"Wars bring death, destruction and misery for the people. Ultimately all issues are resolved on the table through negotiations that is why we are trying very hard to help bring a lasting peace in Afghanistan by supporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace plan," Bajwa said. He also warned that Pakistan is yet to get out from terrorism or sabotage phase of an unannounced war against it.

"Like the terrorists before; the protagonists of the new threats are at times, our own people. Mostly misguided by ambitions, blinded by hate, ethnicity or religion or simply overawed by social media onslaught, some of our own boys and girls readily fall victim to such dangerous or hostile narratives," Bajwa said.

Referring to hybrid warfare, the army chief said information and modern technology has changed the nature of warfare now being waged and has tilted the balance in favour of those nations that have embraced the change readily.

[MEA regrets Imran Khan's 'unwarranted reference to J&K']

"But frankly speaking, even that will not be sufficient as the ever-increasing threat of hybrid war, to which we are subjected to, will need a totally new approach and change of traditional mindset," he said.

Advising future military leaders to prepare themselves for the threats they will face, Bajwa said that they should be able to "gauge the enemies latest moves and be ready to respond, even when a surgical strike exists only in cognitive domain or media or even when the attack comes, not in the battlefield but in cyber space, or against countrys ideological frontiers."

"The response to such onslaughts or threats cannot always be kinetic in nature," he said, adding that a superior narrative needs to be propagated to deal with attacks in the cognitive domain.

PTI
Looking Back at The 2018 Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference

Published December 23, 2018 by Brett C

The Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference organized by Smile-Expo, took place on 15 November 2018. Some 250 affiliate managers and industry aficionados attended this prestigious conference.

Ukraine recently played host to its first ever iGaming and affiliate marketing event, dubbed the Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference. The conference was held on Thursday, 15 November 2018, and organized by Smile-Expo, a global company with extensive experience in affiliate marketing and online gaming. The event was held at the TAO Event Hall. This sparkling venue provided the perfect meeting place for the delegates. Various networking opportunities presented, with coffee breaks, lunch, and multiple speaking invitations.

A Star-Studded Lineup of Delegates

Hundreds of industry representatives attended, including gaming operators, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists, affiliate managers, arbitrage managers, and webmasters. Over a dozen marketing professionals were among the speakers at the conference, and they addressed a range of issues including the legality of online gambling, social media, affiliate programs and more. Guests hailed from all over the world, including Israel, Germany, Russia, and the Ukraine.

Among the notable attendees were legal consultant Viacheslav Ustimenko. He stressed the importance of GDPR in online gaming operations. According to Ustimenko,  Many of us are registered as Scottish and British partnerships. It's time to stop this trend. SEO expert Victor Karpenko from SeoProfy received rapturous applause when he took to the stage. He focused on the significance of search engine optimization in top-ranking competitive markets like the US. Karpenko spoke of effective ways to reach #1 position in search engine listings.

Vladimir Luchaninov addressed the topic of how to select an affiliate program, and the attendant risks. The discussion participants reached conclusions on a number of topics, particularly as it related to attracting affiliates to affiliate programs. The importance of brand was stressed over tools, particularly in the online casino arena.

After Party Ritz & Glitz

At the end of the conference, a private party was hosted and delegates were invited to participate. Various companies attended, including MGID, Admitad, PARIMATCH, ROX Partners, FAVBET, and others.
By Elizabeth Hovde

Pass the eggnog if you think more money will fix education outcomes. People need to stop blaming schools and lawmakers for all the children who get left behind. They arent the ones leaving them there.

The subpar outcomes we see -- from the fact that many students are not ready for kindergarten to Oregons abysmally low graduation rates -- arent primarily about money. For starters, some states that spend less than Oregon on education get better results.

Instructional spending is a concern, but societal issues including broken families, parents who are uninvolved, regional norms and the technological black hole weve helped kids fall into are arguably bigger factors. No wonder were hopeful more money will offer a fix. Addressing root causes is always more difficult than opening pocketbooks.

Last month, a well-intentioned Gov. Kate Brown issued her ideas for the states next big tax-and-spend plan, and said shell be focusing on negotiating a large revenue increase to improve public education.

How our state provides for the needs of our children is a marker of who we are as a community, Brown said, according to The Oregonian/OregonLives Hillary Borrud.

No pressure or guilt, people.

The governor opined on getting Oregons education system back to a level Oregonians can be proud of. (Make Oregon schools great again?)

For the children is always a good bet when asking for more of peoples money. It makes a lot of people forget the trouble with government misspending and its failure to set priorities.

Critics of the proposal are rightly calling it a PERS tax. In many ways, it would be. Public Employees Retirement System costs are derailing the education budget. While the state does have an obligation to pay for the pension systems misguided promises and the overly generous payouts workers have built financial plans around, students shouldnt pay the price for the states shortsighted job perks.

While fiscal conservatives fight for better budget priorities that Oregons Democratic lawmakers will never agree to, public unions and others suggest taxpayers should start chipping in more money. The Oregon Education Association, Oregon School Boards Association and Confederation of Oregon School Administrators are jubilantly applauding the tax increase Brown is lobbying for.

If Browns proposal is adopted, the money boost might improve things, such as the length of the Oregon school year. That should be a huge priority. Im glad Knute Buehlers presence in the governors race helped put that firmly on everyones to-do lists.

However, I bet the tax increase wont bring education outcomes back to a level Oregonians can be proud of.

Families and society need to work on that, regardless of the money picture. Research shows more parent involvement is key.

Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test scores, have better social skills, and show improved behavior, says an NEA Today article. Divorce and family breakdowns make it that much harder for parents to get involved in their childrens education. Marriage still matters.

Governments should be finding ways to encourage family stability and engagement, instead of just taking on more of a familys job. Creating a system of education that runs from cradle to career, which Brown and many other education leaders tout, is a goal that makes me cringe.

Cradles belong in homes, not schools.

Parents -- involved and uninvolved ones -- should also think twice about devices they put under the Christmas tree this week. French children under age 15 are no longer allowed to use cell phones at any point during the school day. The government passed a national law banning the practice, concerned that students are becoming too dependent on and distracted by their gadgets. Ya think? Holding off on giving cell phones to kids is one way parents can improve educators jobs and hopefully student achievement.

Another way families can help? Volunteering to shoulder some of the school workload, especially in todays behavior-challenged classrooms. An OPB series about behavior challenges in classrooms quotes Tad Shannon, the president of the Eugene Education Association, saying, Were in the midst of a behavioral crisis. He added although it might be tempting to conclude this is a problem concentrated at a few schools  this is not the case. Teachers I know, and others interviewed by reporters, say out-of-control classrooms may drive them out of their profession.

There isnt enough money in Oregon to fix what ails schools, and Oregonians wont be happy with their return on an even larger investment. Government cant always save us from ourselves. Families and society members need to stop setting students and schools up for failure.

Elizabeth Hovdes column appears on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Tracy Clarks Dec. 17 letter, Hardesty priorities threaten Portlands safety, makes it seem as if the FBI would cease operating in Portland were we to leave the Joint Terrorism Task Force partnership again. That is simply not true. The FBI would continue to operate as normal, as it did from 2005 to 2015 when were we out of the program. One key difference, however, is the Portland Police who currently participate in the program would finally be accountable to the people of Portland again. The reason former Portland police chief and mayor Tom Potter led the charge to leave the task force in 2005 was insufficient oversight of the officers for their superiors to be sure that they were adhering to state and local laws, which in some cases are stronger than federal ones. If the officers are acting like their counterparts in other cities, they may be part of a task force surveilling community groups that provide free vegetarian meals to anyone who is hungry, or collecting information on Black Lives Matter activists, or tracking activities of environmental leaders like Bill McKibben  the FBI has been outed as doing all of these. Our city is better than that.

We can have public safety without creating an ever-present police state. As City Commissioner Amanda Fritz has frequently pointed out, including in her opposition to this task force, gaining public trust starts here at home, and the lack of transparency and culture of seeing Portlanders as the enemy erodes that community trust. Exiting the task force is the right thing to do, and its exciting to see that with Commissioner-elect Jo Ann Hardesty joining the Council, we may again have the leadership in City Hall to enact bold ideas.

James Ofsink, Portland
A 30-year-old man who called 911 earlier this month to report his car was stolen was later arrested after officers determined he abandoned the vehicle while fleeing Portland police, according to court documents.

A patrol officer saw a car burnout in a parking lot around 11:40 p.m. Dec. 14, then speed out of the lot as the officer tried pulling it over, a probable cause affidavit said.

The car drove onto the sidewalk to get around other vehicles and later was high centered, the affidavit said. The officer noted seeing a male driver get out of the car and run away. He wasnt caught, the affidavit said.

Police found empty 40-ounce bottles of beer inside the car, which was registered to Jake M. Houser, according to the court papers. Officers found a sweatshirt nearby with Houser written on it while they were searching for the driver.

Houser reported the car stolen the next morning and another Portland police officer met with him to take the report. Houser later admitted he was driver the day before and was arrested around 8:15 a.m., the affidavit said.

Houser was indicted Friday on charges of initiating a false report, attempting to elude a police officer, driving while suspended and reckless driving. He remains held Sunday in the Multnomah County Detention Center.

Housers criminal history includes prior convictions for intoxicated driving in California in 2009 and 2013.

Last month, he had run-ins with police over three straight days, Oregon court records show. Houser was cited by Gresham police on Nov. 12 on suspicion that he failed to yield for an emergency vehicle and obey a traffic control device.

According to court records, Houser drove through three stop signs without stopping in Portland the next day. After an officer noticed the smell of alcohol in Housers car, he denied drinking, blamed slurring his words on a speech impediment and claimed an ear problem gives him problems with his balance.

Houser failed field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent, court records said. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants and released from jail the same day under court orders not to drive or not use drugs or alcohol.

He was arrested again the next day in Portland on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a loaded firearm in a public place. He posted $500 bail five days later.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

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A driver was was taken into police custody Saturday in Aloha after authorities say he was driving while drunk and crashed into five cars.

The crashes were reported around 10:40 p.m. near Southwest 170th Avenue and Farmington Road and one person in a struck vehicle was taken to a hospital for injuries, according to the Washington County Sheriffs Office.

Wesley H. Scott, 51, of Beaverton had abandoned his car and ran away by the time deputies arrived, the sheriffs office said. Witnesses described seeing Scott appear to intentionally hit one car, lose control of his car and then hit the other vehicles, according to the sheriffs office.

A police dog helped find Scott hiding in plants nearby. He was taken to a hospital for treatment for apparent minor injuries, the sheriffs office said.

He is expected to later be booked into the Washington County Jail on accusations of driving under the influence of intoxicants, failure to perform the duties of a driver, reckless endangering, reckless driving, second-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree assault.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Officials with the Department of Agriculture are asking consumers to discard certain dairy products purchased from a farm in Lancaster County.

Unpasteurized cows milk or dairy products from Millers Biodiversity Farm in Lancaster County should immediately be discarded, according to a news release from the agency. The warning comes after officials in New York warned Pennsylvanias Department of Agriculture that raw milk products purchased at the farm may contain a strain of Brucella abortus bacteria.

PDA has issued an order of quarantine to halt the sale of dairy products made from raw cows milk from the farm while an investigation is conducted, according to the release. Pasteurized dairy products from Millers Biodiversity Farm have been deemed safe.

Officials note that pasteurized milk sold elsewhere in the state is safe to consume.

One person in New York has been diagnosed with Brucella abortus after confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control. The illness causes no symptoms in cattle, but it can be spread to humans.

Symptoms include:
With only a few days to go until Christmas, many Pennsylvanians likely have elves on their minds, but, in one Perry County community, locals are worried about their gnomes.

More specifically, they are worried about a collection of gnome homes installed at Noye Park in Duncannon. The small decorative homes, which were intended to create a sense of whimsy for park visitors, recently were destroyed, apparently by vandals.

Lisa Landis, a Duncannon Borough councilwoman, carried a box in a Saturday video posted to the community news Facebook page, This is Duncannon. Inside, the box was filled with what appeared to be wooden scraps.

This is what we have left, she said, referring to the gnome homes. I dont know what to say. This is abhorrent, and, I feel, as a community, we can do better.

In the video, Landis is clearly emotional as she walks the grounds of Noye Park, discussing the damage that was done. She notes that not all of the parks six or seven gnome homes were destroyed, but even the surviving structures are damaged.

And during an evening phone call, the homes' creator, Steve Hoke, also expressed his frustration.

Im a little angry about it, he said, especially this time of year. It just flies in the face of what Christmas is about.

But with that holiday spirit in mind, Hoke, the steward of Perry County-gnome relations, made a promise that the homes would return. He was optimistic about the return even as he explained that each of the homes takes about 30 hours to build.

We like to bring smiles to the faces of people who like to look at them, he said. Itll continue. Itll be fine.

Hoke, a retired prison counselor, started building the gnome homes years ago as a hobby, which he picked up after watching a documentary about a gnome-loving woman and her similar work at Kansas park, he said.

Orignally, dozens of Hokes creations  with their little ladders, doors and roofs tacked onto trees, stumps and fallen logs  lined the trails of Little Buffalo State Park near Newport, where they attracted widespread attention.

It proved to be too much attention.

And in 2016, he was told by park officials that theyd have to go. The homes and the attention, officials said, were beginning to impact the parks natural environment, according to Hoke. By late February, they had been removed.

For Hoke and the gnome homes, however, the fairytale-like story would continue. The gomes' eviction from Little Buffalo attracted national attention, with even the New York Times publishing a story about the ordeal.

And soon, offers started rolling in, Hoke said. Community groups contacted Hoke and his gnomes, asking them to take up residence in other area parks. This is Duncannon was one of those groups.

The borough is absolutely endorsing this effort, Landis, coordinator of This Is Duncannon, said at the time. We would be glad to have them. We have a couple different locations in mind.

Eventually, Noye Park became one of multiple locations to house the gnome homes.

On Saturday, Landis spoke over the phone, talking about the joy that the homes and their tiny inhabitants brought to local children.

The kids will walk through the park on their tippy-toes, whispering, she said, explaining they try not to disturb the gnomes.

However, the gnomes' lives at Noye Park havent always been joyous. According to Hoke, rising water from a nearby stream flooded the park more than once, most recently this year, destroying gnome homes in the process.

Each time, Hoke said he was able and enthusiastic to rebuild, seeking out materials and taking the time to create new whimsical homes. He even constructed a gnome treehouse as a gift, which he gave last month to 23-year-old Angelina McGarry, a New Bloomfield woman and gnome home enthusiast, who is battling cancer.

Hoke estimated that the most recent batch of gnome homes installed at Noye Park was placed only about six to eight weeks ago. Now, they are all but destroyed.

As Hoke plans his post-holiday rebuilding, Landis said she is planning, too. She has started a crowd funding campaign through the popular site GoFundMe to purchase and install trail cameras at the park.

Those cameras, she said, would help to catch and thwart future vandals.

In the most recent case, Landis said she plans to contact nearby building owners in hopes that they have surveillance cameras in place that might have captured images of the gnome home destruction.

As of Saturday evening, Landis said she hadnt contacted police about the vandalism, but she said she may do so in the near future.

Landis said shed also like to raise money to donate to Hoke so he can purchase new gnome home building supplies.

Even if they love to do it, those things cost money, Landis said. God willing, the gnome homes will return.
Six people were displaced after a Saturday morning fire damaged a York County home, according to local firefighters.

None of those people were injured by the blaze, York City Department of Fire announced in an afternoon Facebook post.

According to the post, firefighters were dispatched about 10:35 A.M. to 804 Pennsylvania Ave., where smoke was reported.

When crews arrived, they found a light smoke condition," and residents were still inside of the home, firefighters said, adding that the residents were then evacuated.

Firefighters were able to see that smoke was coming from a room on the homes second floor, and, when they opened the door to the room, they found a working fire."

The fire was quickly extinguished, and there was limited damage to the home, firefighters said.

Still, six adult residents were displaced by the blaze, and they are being assisted by the Red Cross, according to the Facebook post. A kitten was rescued from the third floor by firefighters.

The fire was ruled accidental, and firefighters said it was caused by a malfunctioning air conditioner on the homes second floor.
Two individuals who rescued a pair of teenagers from a burning car in late November 2016 near Middletown were among 18 from the United States and Canada recognized earlier this week by the Carnegie Hero Fund, which announced the latest recipients of the Carnegie medals for heroism.

The winners or their survivors will also receive grants.

Jennifer Lynn Dixon and Aaron Andrew Young rescued two teens, Joseph Keating and Scott Shaffer, from a burning car on Nov. 25, 2016, in Lower Swatara Township, Pa., according to their Carnegie medal bio. It continued:

Keating, 18, and Shaffer, 19, were trapped in their overturned and burning car after a nighttime accident on a rural road. Dixon 27, distribution process worker, was driving nearby and stopped at the scene. Running to the car, Dixon burned her hand attempting to pry open the front passenger door.

After hearing Keating call for help, she kicked and shattered the window of the rear, passenger-side door. Crawling beneath flames coming from the cars interior, she partially entered the car. Dixon grasped Keating, who had moved between the burning seats, and dragged most of his body from the car. Joined by her mother, they removed him fully from the car and patted out flames on his pants.

Meanwhile, Young, 39, bank credit officer, responded to the scene from his nearby home. He went to the drivers door, extended his arms through the shattered window, grasped Shaffer, who was burning, and pulled him to safety. Young patted out the flames on Shaffers pants with a sweatshirt until a police officer arrived with a fire extinguisher and assisted.

Keating and Shaffer were hospitalized for several weeks for treatment of burns and other injuries, but recovered.

Dixon was hospitalized for treatment of smoke inhalation, shortness of breath and burns to her hand, but she also recovered.

The honorees also included 17-year-old Brent Rudy Edwards, who collapsed from smoke inhalation after carrying his nephew to safety from a Philadelphia house fire last year. He was treated and recovered.

Heres a link to the bios of all the winners.

The award was endowed by the late steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who was inspired by stories of selfless heroism during a deadly coal mine disaster.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
WILLIAMSPORT - The surprise resignation from the force by the soon-to-be chief has resulted in changes to the Williamsport police administration.

The resignation of patrol Capt. Jody Miller effective Jan. 4 came as a surprise, Mayor Gabriel J. Campana said Saturday, because the 19-year-veteran was to become chief Jan. 11.

Patrol Capt. Jody Miller's resignation effective Jan. 4 came as a surprise.

Miller told him he had accepted other employment, Campana said. Attempts to reach Miller were unsuccessful.

The new chief is retired city officer Marvin "Doc" Miller, no relation to the captain. He will assume the position Jan. 11, replacing retired state police Capt. David J. Young, who resigned for personal reasons.

Agent Damon Hagan will be promoted to assistant chief the same day. Capt. Don Mayes, who was scheduled to be the assistant chief under Jody Miller, will return to his former rank of agent.

The position of captain has been eliminated in the 2019 city budget.

Campana said he approached Marvin Miller but said he interviewed others, including some current officers.

Former Mayor Philip Preziosi, also an ex-police officer, participated on some of the interviews, he said.

Miller and Hagan will explore a new direction in the leadership structure and will look for ways to save taxpayer dollars, Campana said.

It was only two years ago that Young became chief and modeled the department after the way a state police troop is set up.

Meanwhile, the mayor expressed hope for an improved relationship between the command staff and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 29.

Capt. Miller was named in several unfair labor practice complaints and two federal lawsuits filed this year.

In one of the unfair labor practice cases, a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board examiner found the FOP lodge president, Lt. Steven Helm, was transferred in retaliation for union activity.

The examiner ruled the city was unlawfully motivated when Miller gave Helm an employee performance review in 2017 and reassigned him to a new position of support services lieutenant.

The city filed exceptions to that finding but the PLRB this past Tuesday rejected them because they were filed after the deadline.

In one of the lawsuits, Agent Fred L. Miller IV, no relation to the other two, complained about Capt. Miller requiring him to write a report about a locker room conversation with another officer who was upset about working too many days without time off.

Helm filed the other suit alleging he had been the victim of retaliation due to his union activities.

His complaint revealed just prior to Christmas in 2017, Capt. Miller distributed an email that was a parody on "Twas the night before Christmas" that mocked that mocked a citizen identified by name who takes videos of officers on duty.
By Ronald A. Klain

The recent guilty plea by Maria Butina for her scheme to use Russian money to impact U.S. politics - including, potentially, part of the $30 million that the National Rifle Association spent to support President Donald Trump's election - has led to a renewed discussion of the warnings that Hillary Clinton campaign's gave about foreign influence during the 2016 campaign.

But perhaps it is also time to revisit a warning that came years earlier, on Jan. 27, 2010, in one of the most unusual moments of the Barack Obama presidency.

Even if you don't recall the date, you probably recall the incident: During Obama's first official State of the Union address, he criticized a Supreme Court ruling, and Justice Samuel Alito, sitting in the chamber, visibly challenged the president, shaking his head in disagreement and mouthing "not true" in response. It was considered a major "controversy" at the time (in a much gentler era).

Many remember the moment, but few remember what Obama said that caused such a ruckus. Obama's comments were about the then-recent decision in Citizens United, in which the court de-fanged an already rickety campaign finance regulation system. Obama said:

"Last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limits in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities."

Check out the videotape: Alito's "not true" was spoken specifically in response to Obama's claim about the risk of foreign influence in U.S. elections.

Now - after Butina's plea and this week's Senate Intelligence Committee Report detailing how Russian money fueled social media efforts to promote the Trump campaign and suppress African-American voting - the prescience of Obama's warning seems particularly acute.

At the time, Alito was not the only one to wrongly call Obama wrong. Politifact rated Obama's statement that night "mostly false" and said he had "overstated the ruling's immediate impact on foreign companies' ability to spend unlimited money in U.S. political campaigns." Perhaps the impact wasn't "immediate," but it was devastating in the first presidential election held without an incumbent after Citizens United was handed down.

Obama's critics can claim that what happened in 2016 was not precisely what he warned about: His comments were drawn from Justice John Paul Stevens' powerful dissent in Citizens United, which noted that many U.S. corporations have foreign parents that could, after the ruling, funnel unlimited amounts into American campaigns through U.S. subsidiaries. In the 2016 campaign, it's not clear if it was Russian "companies" - or the Russian government - that was funding the efforts, but U.S. corporate subsidiaries have not yet been shown to be the intermediaries.

And, of course, the fact that special counsel Robert Mueller's team is prosecuting people for the Russian influence scheme shows that such efforts remain illegal. So was Obama wrong when he said that Citizens United had opened "the floodgates" for foreign entities to influence our elections?

Sadly, no.

First, whatever mechanisms that were used - lawful and unlawful, subsidiaries or subterfuge - what is becoming increasingly clear about 2016 is there were a vast array of means in which foreign dollars were spent to try to affect the outcome of our presidential election.

Some of those dollars (or more specifically, rubles) were spent overseas on troll farms and meme farms to pollute our social media, some bought ads in the United States, and some found their way into unregulated campaign coffers here, such as the NRAs program to help Trump. Clearly, as Obama warned, foreign entities affected our elections.

What we know thus far may also just be the tip of the iceberg. Just days ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with federal prosecutors (believed to be from Mueller's office) seeking records of a foreign company in connection with their investigation of activities by that corporation that had "a direct effect in the United States." Stay tuned.

Most important, the "wild west" of unlimited outside money unleashed by Citizens United - estimated at $1.4 billion in 2016, up roughly five times from just eight years before - helped 2016's foreign incursion escape more widespread notice while it was happening. With so much money flooding into the system, the questions of how strange social media activity was being funded and who was paying for the NRA's effort for Trump were just two more mysteries in our rapidly expanding dark money universe.

This is why the new House Democratic majority is wise to tackle campaign finance reform as part of the first bill they are submitting in the new Congress - H.R. 1, a package of reform measures to protect voting rights, strengthen electoral integrity and lessen special interest influence in our political system. It won't fix everything - or even most - of what Obama worried about in the wake of Citizens United, but it is a step in the right direction.

And Justice Alito: President Obama is too polite to ask, but you can direct your apology note to Barack Obama, Obama Foundation, Chicago, Illinois.

Ronald A. Klain has been a Washington Post contributing columnist since 2017. He is a lawyer in Washington, served as a senior White House aide to Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and was a senior adviser to Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign.
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.
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Defense Secretary James Mattis contradicted Trumps claim that these strikes will be ongoing by admitting that the bombing was a one time shot.

Video:

Mattis blew apart Trump's lie that the strikes will continue, https://t.co/QjraAeCYIa pic.twitter.com/bqfou3pE9J  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) April 14, 2018

Mattis said, That will depend on Mr. Assad, should he decide to use more chemical weapons in the future. And, of course, the  the powers that have signed the chemical weapons prohibition have ever reason to challenge Assad should he choose to violate that. Right now this is a one-time shot, and I believe it has sent a very strong message to dissuade him, to deter him from doing this again.

The Defense Secretary statement was different from Trump, who said, The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons. Establishing this deterrent is a vital national security interest of the United States. The combined American, British, and French response to these atrocities will integrate all instruments of our national power  military, economic, and diplomatic. We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.

The strike was a limited response that will have no impact, that appears to have been done for show. As usual, Trump inflated his action to a larger and more important degree that what it really was. The Trump administration is so incompetent that they cant even stay on the same message for two hours.

Trump lied, and whether his Defense Secretary knew it or not, he exposed Trumps big Syria lie.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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By James Oliphant and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  On the first day of the U.S. government shutdown, President Donald Trump said he was continuing to negotiate with Democrats to end the impasse over the federal budget, but warned that it could be a long stay as he repeated his call for improved border security.

Trump has demanded $5 billion to help finance construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, something Democrats in Congress have resisted.

We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay, Trump said on Twitter on Saturday.

The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives were in session on Saturday as congressional leaders tried to hammer out a spending agreement to end the stalemate.

Trump invited several lawmakers  all Republicans  to the White House on Saturday to discuss the situation, including immigration hardliners from the House Freedom Caucus such as U.S. Representative Mark Meadows. The caucus has pressured Trump to stick to his demands for a border wall.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, speaking on the Senate floor, said no votes would be held until a deal is struck by Democrats and the White House.

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, McConnell said.

Chuck Schumer, the Senates top Democrat, then took the floor to say Democrats would not accede to Trumps demands.

President Trump, if you want to open the government you must abandon the wall, plain and simple, Schumer said.

While McConnell seemed to put the onus for a deal squarely on Trump and Democrats, Schumer urged Congress Republican leaders to get involved in negotiations.

Leader McConnell must agree. Speaker (Paul) Ryan must agree. They cannot duck responsibility. Leader McConnell still controls this chamber. Speaker Ryan controls what reaches the floor of the House, Schumer said.

Schumer said discussions were ongoing at the staff level, but there were no outward signs that progress had been made.

The shutdown went into effect 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 funds for his border wall.

The U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans have a majority until Democrats take over on Jan. 3, passed a bill that included the $5 billion, but it ran aground in the Senate and the shutdown began at midnight on Friday.

As the clock ticked toward Fridays midnight deadline, 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 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 toward a Trump shutdown over Christmas, 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 are closed 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.

The U.S. National Parks will generally remain open with a skeleton staff, though an alert posted on the website of the National Park Service said some parks are closed completely. Republican governors in at least two states were working to make sure public restrooms get cleaned and visitor centers stay open.

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.

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.

The shutdown comes at the end of a perilous week for the president, with Defense Secretary James Mattis resigning in protest after Trumps sudden decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. The Syria move was widely criticized, even by senior Republicans in Congress.

The political turmoil added to fears about the economy plaguing investor sentiment, helping fuel continued heavy losses in the stock market on Friday.

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 among the top three priorities for Congress. That suggests Trump is taking a political risk by gambling on a shutdown to press his point as Democrats are gearing up for the 2020 presidential primary elections and looking for issues to seize on for an advantage.

The longest federal government shutdown, lasting 21 full days, occurred in December 1995 and January 1996, triggered by conflicts between Democratic President Bill Clinton and congressional Republicans over Medicare funding and government spending. Clinton is widely viewed as having won the political battle over the shutdown, and was re-elected for a second term in 1996.

In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days after conservative Republicans demanded to strip funding for or delay implementation of Democratic President Barack Obamas signature healthcare legislation, the Affordable Care Act. Republicans suffered plunging public opinion polls and eventually capitulated, agreeing to fund the government and raise the debt limit.

(Reporting by James Oliphant and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson, Humeyra Pamuk, Roberta Rampton and Katanga Johnson; Editing by Kieran Murray, Leslie Adler and Daniel Wallis)
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The incoming chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), warned acting attorney general Matt Whitaker that Democrats are scrutinizing his every move.

Rep. Schiff said on CNNs State Of The Union, The President Of The United States is discussing a case in which he is implicated with the Attorney General. That is wrong and at every level, and, of course, it will taint anything that this attorney general does, any role he plays in this investigation. This is a real assault on the rule of law, and we are going to scrutinize every single action by Matt Whitaker so that the public knows just what he does.

Video:

This is exactly what we feared about Whitakers appointment, Democratic Rep. @AdamSchiff says about President Trump expressing his frustration to acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker over a case in which Trump has been implicated. https://t.co/3raWz4MjGQ pic.twitter.com/3M4bXxyXK2  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) December 23, 2018

Whitaker has already been put on notice by the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) that the committee will subpoena the acting attorney general and force him to testify if he continues to dodge their requests. The original Trump plan for quietly killing the Mueller investigation was for Republicans to keep the House and turned a blind eye, while Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions and destroyed the Mueller investigation from the inside.

The investigation would be up and running but gutted from within.

That seems to have been the plan, but it all changed after Democrats won the House in November. If Whitaker acts as Trumps mole or moves against Mueller in any way, Democrats are going to find out about it and act. The action that Democrats can hold over Trumps head is impeachment, and Trump has been telling his friends that he is worried about being impeached.

The White House better take Schiffs warning seriously. The grown-ups are back in charge, and they are watching Whitaker and Trumps every move.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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With Congress on break for a long Christmas weekend we know that Trumps government shutdown will last until at least Thursday. If it goes on much longer than that it wont be the fault of Democrats, however. It will because Republicans on Capitol Hill cant agree among themselves how to end the impasse.

Yesterday the president summoned a group of GOP lawmakers to the White House to discuss how best to resolve the shutdown crisis. No Democrats were invited, ending the speculation that Trump was seeking a bipartisan solution.

As the discussion ensued it became clear that different GOP factions in Congress were fighting each other to be heard  and to have their points of view accepted by President Trump.

As The Hill said,The government shutdown fight is increasingly shaping up as a battle among Republicans for the presidents ear.

One GOP faction is led by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama who argued that Trump should agree to a spending deal that includes $1.6 billion for a border wall. This is the amount that Senate Democrats agreed to a few weeks ago, and it could most likely get the 60 required votes for approval in the Senate.

But Trumps top supporters in the conservative House Freedom Caucus would not support that approach. They strongly suggested that the president not cave and accept what they believe is a bad deal.

The hard-liners in the House want Trump to get the full $5 billion hes demanded for wall funding.

I want to make it very clear $1.6 billion is not going to work for conservatives, its not going to work for the president, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) told reporters outside his office after the White House meeting had concluded.

Reporters also asked Shelby if he and House conservatives were on the same page, but he did not give a clear yes or no answer. He said that Trump believes he has enough House GOP votes to carry the day. And he also said that with respect to the $5 billion demand he said Well I would say you can get to $5 billion in different ways.

The White House has floated a compromise number of $2.1 billion with restrictions on how the money can be spent. It is thought that Senate Democrats might accept that. But Meadows said the administration will demand a higher figure.

The numbers Ive heard that theyve floated  and its not an offer  have been much higher than that, Meadows told reporters.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a strong Trump ally agreed with Meadows. Its got to be more than $1.6 billion dollars, Graham said after the meeting. I dont want to accept the idea that you wont get a penny more.

But Shelby maintains that Trump would be able to obtain more money for his wall by accessing funds from other budget areas.

Shelby also said that it was very important for the president to reach an agreement before Democrats take control of the House on January 3.

I told the president that I thought that we ought to cut the best deal that we could now, but it would be up to them, Shelby said. And I also told him  that come January 3 the political equation changes. Some of those guys dont realize that.

Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, who will likely become Speaker next year, wrote to House Democrats on Saturday that Democratic leaders will not give in to Trump. She said they will refuse to fund his wall even if it means the government will stay shut down for a longer period of time.

Pelosi wrote:

Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic Majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government.

Since Republicans cant agree among themselves it looks like it will take Democrats to re-open the United States government.
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Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Saturday called for congressional salaries to be furloughed during government shutdowns.

When one-fourth of federal agencies closed at midnight Friday this left 800,000 workers without paychecks.

It is obvious that these workers have become pawns in a political game. And it is primarily a game being played by Republicans, who control every branch of the United States government.

Even though lawmakers went to the Capitol on Saturday, trying to resolve the stalemate, they could not agree on a deal to end the funding dispute.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has become a leading spokesperson for progressives, expressed her opinion when she wrote on Twitter:

Its completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision.

She then wrote Have some integrity, and called for congressional salaries to be furloughed for the next shutdown.

Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well. Its completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision. Have some integrity. https://t.co/BgueNNjf0f  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 22, 2018

Government shutdowns affect agencies and employees that are funded through annual appropriations.

Thousands of federal employees in nonessential government functions are told to stay home and may be prohibited from showing up to work, and thus they wont be paid.

In the past, however, Congress has acted to pay those employees as part of deals agreed upon to reopen the government after a shutdown occurred.

Federal workers will still be paid for the pay period ending Dec. 22, the White House Office of Management and Budget has said. But if the shutdown extends past Jan. 5, they will miss their next paycheck.

Salaries for members of Congress are written into permanent law, and most members make $174,000 per year.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that the amount of her salary she is paid while the government is shut down will be donated to charities.

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, Cortez Masto tweeted shortly after the shutdown began at midnight.

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
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Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said that Senate Democrats are going to give Trump nothing for his border wall.

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

KARL: But if you look at this question of the wall, this is something the president campaigned on, it is something that the House has voted to approve funding for, its something that half the Senate, roughly, has said that  is  is willing to support. Why are the Democrats so insistent  Chuck Schumer insistent nothing  nothing for the border wall? Why not give in a little bit on that?

MERKLEY: Because were absolutely willing to fund border security. The American people want us to spend money in a smart way. $5 billion is a lot of money. Thats 650,000 children attending head start. Its 2 million meals a day for a year  for a year for  for seniors. And to spend it on a 4th century strategy rather than on stuff that actually improves border security is something were just not going to do.

KARL: So  so let me be clear. Democrats are not going to agree to any funding to build a new border wall? None?

MERKLEY: Thats correct. None.

Video:

Sen. Jeff Merkley says Democrats will not agree to any border wall funding.@jonkarl: "Let me be clear. Democrats are not going to agree to any funding to build new border wall? None?" Merkley: "That's correct. None." https://t.co/VNv6H4M829 #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/AlPR0sdNh5  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 23, 2018

Democrats Are Going To Give Trump Nothing For The Wall

Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been telling Trump on a daily basis that he is going to get nothing for his wall. Democrats arent going to give him one cent for the wall. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been telling Trump that House Democrats are going to give him nothing for his wall.

Trumps government shutdown will harm millions of people if it continues because Donald Trump doesnt want to look weak to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. Trump isnt going to get any money for his wall. He lost the battle before it even began.

Sen. Merkley was right. Democrats arent going to budge, and there will be no money for the wall.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
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As critical agencies within the federal government shut down at midnight Friday, there is no clear sign that a compromise solution that would end the shutdown is anywhere in sight.

Donald Trump maintains he will continue to refuse to sign a stopgap funding measure without $5 billion in funding for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, which was his #1 campaign promise to his supporters.

Trump in a meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer last Tuesday had threatened a shutdown if he did not receive the $5 billion in funding for the wall. At the time he said he would be proud to do so in the name of border security.

But he later backed down from that position and said he would support a short-term spending measure that did not contain wall money but would have kept the government open until February 8.

However, in a move that shook up all of Washington, Trump changed his mind again on Thursday. He tweeted that he would refuse to sign any funding bill to keep the government open that did not provide the money he had demanded for his border wall.

And, true to his word, he did shut down part of the federal government at midnight on Friday.

What is most interesting  and perhaps most disturbing  about this chronicle of events is what has been reported as the cause of Trumps flip flop.

It is well known that Trump doesnt listen to his top advisers and cabinet members when making critical decisions affecting the United States.

Instead, it appears that he listens to right-wing media personalities such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, both of whom lambasted the president for giving in to Democrats on wall funding.

After Trump said he would sign the compromise short-term bill Limbaugh said:

Its a textbook example of what the drive-by media calls compromise. Trump gets nothing, and the Democrats get everything, including control of the House.

Coulter, said on a podcast on the Daily Caller that Trump would become a joke presidency who scammed the American people if he didnt build the wall. She also said that hell have no legacy whatsoever if the Mexican border wall is not built. Then she repeated her criticisms in other media, and on Twitter.

Laura Ingraham from Fox News added her own commentary on Wednesday:

Not funding the wall will go down as one of the worst, worst things to happen to this administration.  Forget Mueller. The wall, the wall, the wall  has to be built.

Then, on Fox & Friends, Steve Doocy said: If theres not a shutdown, hes going to look like a loser.

One Republican senator, Bob Corker of Tennessee, said he was very unhappy with the large amount of influence these conservative media personalities have on the president.

Corker said:

This is tyranny of talk radio hosts, right? And so, how do you deal with that? You have two talk radio hosts who completely flipped the president. And so, do we succumb to tyranny of talk radio hosts?

On Friday Jeffrey Toobin said on CNN that Trumps flip flop on the shutdown was caused by the right-wing commentators who publicly challenged Trumps manhood. Toobin also gave advice to Republicans who want to learn exactly where Trump stands on any given issue, saying:

What they should be doing, obviously, is checking with Ann Coulter. Because apparently shes the president of the United States, as far as this is concerned.

Coulter, again showing her frustration with Trump, responded in a tweet.

If that were true, wed have a wall, she wrote.

If that were true, we'd have a wall. https://t.co/maCsiPRSdA  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) December 22, 2018
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Lauren Sausser is the Health & Science Editor at The Post and Courier. She also writes about health care issues in South Carolina.
During the 2018 midterm elections, few national political watchers had their eyes on South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

But the reliably Republican district stunned the state and the country when it flipped to Democratic control, making it one of the nation's most dramatic and unexpected finishes.

The district, which has been a GOP stronghold for four decades, soon will be represented by Democrat Joe Cunningham, a West Ashley construction law attorney who has never held elected office.

Cunningham won by defeating Republican challenger Katie Arrington, a one-term state lawmaker from Summerville who had bested U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford in the GOP primary in June. President Donald Trump backed Arrington with a late afternoon tweet on the day of the primary.

The general election turned even more compelling when Arrington was critically injured in a head-on collision 10 days after her June primary win.

She remained in the race and doubled down her commitment to supporting Trump's conservative agenda. Cunningham emphasized that people are tired of partisan rhetoric and political divide. Offshore drilling became a big litmus test voters used to decide between the two.

The race was very close. At 2 a.m., seven hours after the polls closed and a few hours after both candidates had already told their supporters to head home, Cunningham was declared the winner.

Election forecasters at FiveThirtyEight now characterize it as one of the biggest upsets in the 2018 midterm cycle.

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One of South Carolina's leading lawmen faces years behind bars after prosecutors indicted him on public corruption charges in September, alleging he stole tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayers.

Dan Johnson, who served as 5th Circuit Solicitor for Kershaw and Richland counties since 2011, was suspended by Gov. Henry McMaster after the indictments. Johnson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies the allegations.

Johnson raided his office's drug-seizure accounts and used office credit cards to pay for "travel, vacations and romantic liaisons," prosecutors allege. Johnson, an Air National Guard member, is also accused of improperly pocketing $7,000 in U.S. military funds.

The indictments follow reporting by The Post and Courier in March that showed Johnson charged taxpayers tens of thousands for luxury accommodations, lavish office parties and memberships to a swank private club.

The newspaper pinpointed Johnsons spending habits in thousands of financial documents obtained from Johnsons office under the Freedom of Information Act and released by PAPR, a South Carolina watchdog group.

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This year, coastal erosion accelerated. Record tidal floods swamped miles of shoreline. Flooding was catastrophic from Hurricane Florence, and the storm almost became the most powerful hurricane ever to make landfall in South Carolina.

Climate records are being broken with increasing frequency as air and seas warm. It's become the new norm, researchers say. The ultimate costs will be exorbitant.

And Charleston is quickly becoming Ground Zero for the threats. In response, the city is taking the lead among coastal communities in the state and region to try to prepare  not so surprising for a place facing 180 days per year of tidal flooding by 2045, according to federal estimates.

SC faces not only floods but more wildfires in warmer future, national report finds A new national report on the country's future climate shows how South Carolina not only can expect increased coastal flooding but also a more aggressive wildfire season, human health problems, less viable military bases and steep economic losses.

Only 24 tides have topped 8 feet in Charleston Harbor during the past century without tropical storm influence. Three of them arrived in the past month.

The extreme weather is becoming more prevalent amid the noise of an increasingly loud political debate over global climate warming and what governments should do to address it.

While weather and climate are separate, the increase in major flooding is yet more real world evidence that the concerns are valid and damage already apparent. A growing number of coastal residents wonder whats still to come.

Sea rise is ever so slowly eroding the livability of a place that has flooded throughout its history. The Lowcountry's coastal location at the transition point between the subtropics and the temperate zone has made it more vulnerable than other places to the ecosystem damage of a warming climate.

Hurricanes are getting more powerful and consequently more destructive, researchers largely concur.

+3 Atlantic hurricane season worse than forecast, did a number on SC The 2018 hurricane season for South Carolina came down to the two worst storms. Florence and Michael, the storm with deadly flooding rain and the storm with catastrophic winds, crossed the state after making landfall. They were the only hurricanes to come close.

Meanwhile, more people are moving to the waters edge, the development exacerbating the damage and putting more of the population in harms way. Plus, a multi-billion dollar tourism economy is at stake.

'A significant wealth loss'

Hurricanes and major flooding typically wreak havoc on the economy in five ways: property damage, infrastructure damage, poorer crop yields, lost wages and lower business revenue.

Destruction of property often accounts for a disproportionately large chunk of the damage, said University of South Carolina research economist Joseph Von Nessen.

For loss of revenue, the impacts to tourism are particularly acute, especially since major storms often occur when the state's industry is in full swing. The Charleston area alone lost about $111.3 million in visitor spending during Hurricane Florence, according to figures from the College of Charleston.

The overall economic impact of Hurricane Florence was estimated at $16 billion to $20 billion, with several billion of those damages felt in South Carolina. The impact could have been greater, too, Von Nessen said. In addition to those direct losses, there are other downstream economic effects. For example, when businesses close for extreme weather, their suppliers also lose business.

Hurricane Florence broke 28 flood records at streams in SC, NC During the worst of Hurricane Florence, the Great Pee Dee River dumped more than a half-million gallons of water  enough to fill a 5-foot-dee

Natural disasters also can create a stimulus effect, Von Nessen said, primarily in the construction and retail sectors, as communities and businesses rebuild. Insurance claims are made against damaged property, crops and infrastructure, and FEMA money comes in, creating a temporary bubble in the states economy.

Even though the stimulus happens, its still a net loss for the state, he said. Theres a significant wealth loss for South Carolinians.

Any damaged property that wasnt insured means money out of its owners pocket. And after the initial stimulus, theres usually a small dip in activity since some rebuilding projects were already planned but moved up because of storm damage.

Since the state has faced major weather events for the past several years, those in the agricultural sector in particular have seen their businesses become more volatile and uncertain, Von Nessen said.

'It really is causing us to pause'

Tourism, South Carolina's top industry, has a huge economic impact, so weather disruptions can quickly add up. A recent study commissioned by the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism found that domestic travelers spent $13.7 billion in the state last year.

+6 Tidal floods to be part of SC coast daily life The type of flooding Charleston experienced last weekend didn't come from rain, but it's something that's expected to happen more frequently in the future.

The threat of autumn storms has "become part of people's decision-making process, which is what we want to try to overcome," said Duane Parrish, the department's director.

The tourism industry is overwhelmingly dominated by coastal locations that can be vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms, with Horry, Charleston and Beaufort counties accounting for more than half of the economic activity. Myrtle Beach leads the pack with an estimated 18 million visitors annually.

While that region of the state was relatively unscathed this year during Hurricane Florence, the storm's aftermath unleashed a slow-moving crisis as local rivers and swamps flooded. In addition to inundating low-lying homes and other buildings, the flood cut off several important roads, creating a gridlocked crisis for a destination that depends heavily on visitors arriving by car.

For the first time ever, congestion was so bad that tourism officials briefly told visitors to delay their trip or come by airplane instead, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Karen Riordan said. And serious tropical storms during the past four years are imperiling what has been a growing segment of the year on the Grand Strand.

"It really is causing us to pause a bit and look not only at our emergency planning but our marketing planning," she said. "I think our plan for how we market the fall might need to be a little bit different given the number of weather events weve had in September."

Many in SC town were considering flood buyouts; Florence finally convinced them The city of Conway is finally closing on some properties in a buyout program after Hurricane Matthew, but Hurricane Florence has encouraged 32 more property owners to ask for help.

In Charleston, by contrast, the fall is typically the second strongest season, so marketers worry less about attracting visitors because it's a naturally popular time of year, said Helen Hill, CEO of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

But tourism officials in the Charleston region still have to deal with the consequences of severe weather. Images of tidal flooding can scare visitors who aren't familiar with how to get around the area, Hill said, and the CVB has tried to help by becoming a resource for traffic directions.

And with the area's massive growth, businesses in the hospitality industry find they don't just have to deal with flighty tourists but also with employees who may never have had to cope with a serious tropical storm or tidal flooding.

"You just don't think about the number of people in the community that haven't had to walk this path before," Hill said.

There's no study on how future severe weather and climate change might affect the tourism over the long term, Parrish said. His department plans to conduct focus groups in the Midwest and Northeast next year as to how those consumers associate coastal flooding with South Carolina.

Ground zero

After last year's flooding from Tropical Storm Irma last year, which marked the third straight year many of its neighborhoods were underwater, the city of Charleston faced renewed scrutiny for how it prepares for and responds to the imminent threats of more extreme weather.

Mayor John Tecklenburg began 2018 with an announcement that addressing flooding would be the citys top priority for the year.

Since then, the city has made significant progress on some of its most pressing challenges, but others continue to emerge. The ultimate solutions are expected to take decades and cost billions.

The extensive study of the Church Creek drainage basin wrapped up and revealed that $44 million worth of infrastructure was needed to fix the decades-long flooding problems there. Recently, the city and Charleston County agreed to put some property taxes aside over the next 20 years to pay for them. The development moratorium in the 5,000-acre basin in outer West Ashley was lifted, but only after City Council passed stricter stormwater rules builders would have to follow.

Those measures were aimed at not only fixing the existing problems caused by past developments but also ensuring new developments wont worsen drainage problems in the area. Time will tell if the city can make this dual strategy work.

At the same time those solutions were mapped out for Church Creek, it was revealed that developers in many other communities were using the same building practices that led to so many of Church Creeks flooding problems.

Floodplains are being carved up all over the region with little regard to the natural flow of water through the landscape, and very little coordination among municipalities. Subdivision developers on Johns Island, for instance, are still allowed to clear hundreds of acres of forests, fill in wetlands and layer on tons of fill dirt to elevate their sites  despite evidence that all this sends more frequent and deeper floods to nearby communities.

A coalition of nonprofits and neighborhoods formed a group called Fix Flooding First to pressure governments to change their ways.

Charleston area leaders take step toward finding regional solutions to flooding crisis The Countywide Intergovernmental Flood Prevention Task Force Committee, comprised primarily of state senators and representatives, met for the first time Monday to discuss the new group's mission to help residents resolve flooding issues in their neighborhoods.

Another group of residents asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to investigate Charleston for failing to protect its residents from flooding. So, FEMA did, and found that the city had seriously violated the minimum standards of the National Flood Insurance Program. The city since has worked on strategies to improve its floodplain protections and its monitoring of compliance with the program.

In the midst of all this, the mayor and top city officials spent a week in the Netherlands seeking guidance on how to better control flooding. The citys top drainage engineer  who consistently defended the citys missteps  was edged out after nearly 30 years on the job. City Council then approved the mayors request to create a new department that will focused solely on flooding.

In another positive development, the Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to begin a $3 million study of the flood risks on the Charleston peninsula, an effort that eventually could bring federal dollars for major infrastructure projects, such as a seawall. The city and the county have also partnered on drainage studies in West Ashley and on James Island to identify projects they can collaborate on.

Just as the city began to look to 2019, it was revealed in early December that the massive drainage project along the Septima P. Clark Parkway, commonly referred to as the Crosstown, was over budget by $43 million and would take another four years to be completed.

+5 Netherlands' approach to flooding might pull Charleston out of 'negative spiral' Charleston's mayor recently led a delegation to the Netherlands to learn about controlling flooding. One big lesson? Such projects should also improve the quality of life.

The revelation could impact how the city moves forward on other large drainage projects, particularly Calhoun-West. That one encompasses the three drainage basins that handle flooding along western Calhoun Street south to the Low Battery, an area that includes the oft-flooded medical district.

Some council members, including Keith Waring and Mike Seekings, said they fear that the delays and added costs will end up putting other major drainage projects on the back-burner.

That's time no one is sure the coast has anymore.

Emily Williams, Chloe Johnson and Abigail Darlington contributed to this report.

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Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
People cross a road as the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel building looms in the background in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Construction on the hotel, the capital city's most conspicuous landmark, began in 1987 but the work has not been completed and it has never hosted any guests. It is believed to be the tallest unfinished building in the world. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
S.C. Education Superintendent Molly Spearman. A referendum in November to make the superintendent of education a governor-appointed position instead of an elected one was defeated, but some are already looking to put it back on the ballot. File/Paul Bowers/Staff
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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
Heres some good news. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have jointly rescinded an Obama-era Dear Colleague letter that threatened federal action against schools whose discipline policies result in a disparate impact on racial minorities. We have repeatedly denounced this assault by the Obama administration on the ability of schools to maintain classroom discipline.

Indeed, of all the wars the left is waging on standards, its attack, in the name of racial justice, on race-neutral school disciplinary rules is the most perverse. Education remains the pathway to success for minority group members. The opportunity to use that pathway is undermined when unruly students disrupt the classroom. Thus, black students and their parents have a strong interest in the maintenance of classroom discipline.

Katherine Kersten has demonstrated how perverse the Obama administrations policy can be in operation. In the St. Paul school district, the lax disciplinary policies adopted to comply with the dear colleague letter produced misbehavior so rampant and serious that teachers complained some schools resembled a war zone:

One veteran elementary school teacher, a Black, said he witnessed far worse behaviors [after the issuance of the dear colleague letter]. On a daily basis, I saw students cussing at their teachers, running out of class, yelling and screaming in the halls, and fighting, he recounted. School officials often failed to follow up when he referred kids for misbehavior. I have since learned that this tactic is widely used throughout the district to keep the numbers of referrals and suspensions low, he explained. The teacher now works at a charter school.

The Obama administrations dear colleague letter is also flawed in theory. Its predicated on the view that if a facially-neutral policy negatively affects blacks and Hispanics at a higher rate than whites and Asians, the disparity must be due to discrimination.

But no such presumption is warranted. The sad reality is that black students as a group are more likely than white students to be undisciplined. Heather Mac Donald provides the evidence:

[C]onsider Duval County, Florida, which has Floridas highest juvenile homicide rate. Seventy-three children, some as young as 11, have been arrested for murder and manslaughter over the last decade, according to the Florida Times-Union. Black juveniles made up 87.6 percent of those arrests and whites 8 percent. The black population in Duval Countywhich includes Jacksonvillewas 28.9 percent in 2010 and the white population 56.6 percent, making black youngsters 21.6 times more likely to be arrested for homicide than white youngsters. Nationally, black males between the ages of 14 and 17 commit homicide at ten times the rate of white and Hispanic male teens combined; if Hispanics were removed from the equation, the black-white disparity would be much greater.

(Emphasis added)

Given this disparity in behavioral patterns, the presumption should be that disparities in school discipline results are not the result of discrimination. A finding of discrimination should occur only if it can be shown that teachers are disciplining white students less harshly than black students who commit the same offenses with the same frequency.

Its unfortunate that it took Secretary of Education DeVos so long to agree to rescind the dear colleague letter  a move the Sessions Justice Department wanted all along. But the important thing is that she has agreed, and that the letter is no longer in effect.

Theres still work to be done, however. The administration must clarify through a new rule that the disparate-impact approach will not be used in the enforcement of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Otherwise, as Max Eden of the Manhattan Institute warns, a future Democrat-appointed Secretary of Education will likely reinstate the Obama-era policy.
Tommy Meyerson, a former Marine who served in Syria, has written an op-ed for Wall Street Journal called The Cost of Betraying Syrias Kurds. He argues that withdrawing from Syria will likely produce catastrophic humanitarian consequences and cause harm to U.S. interests.

Meyerson begins by noting the immense contribution the Kurds have made in the war against ISIS:

The U.S. and the West have quietly relied on the Syrian Kurds to sacrifice their young men and women by the thousands to defeat the Islamic State. Thanks largely to their efforts, ISIS in Syria has gone from a fearsome juggernaut to a ragged band of die-hards trapped in a shrinking patch of wasteland.

After successfully defending themselves from attack by ISIS, the Kurds could have halted and focused on consolidating their own territory. Instead:

[A]t Americas urging they expanded their effort against ISIS. In a coalition with Arabs and Syriacs of the Euphrates River Valley, theyve swept south to dislodge ISIS from one-third of Syria.

Now, at the urging of Turkeys thuggish president Erdogan, President Trump is about to abandon the Kurds. This will expose them to an invasion by Turkey  something Erdogan has already tried twice.

Meyerson believes the consequences will be catastrophic:

The Kurds have earned a reputation for fighting bravely, but without U.S. air power their prospects against a modern army with a robust air force would be grim. An invasion would force Kurdish forces to pull back from the front lines against the remnant of ISIS, allowing the jihadists to regroup and proliferate. It would likely spawn a fresh humanitarian catastrophe, including areas that have been mostly spared the worst of Syrias civil war.

Moreover:

Invasion would also leave the door wide open for the Assad regime to launch an assault with help from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. I witnessed just such an incursion attempt by regime elements this February, while the Kurds were distracted with Ankaras invasion of Afrinan incursion repelled only by U.S. firepower.

A pullout would also harm U.S. interests:

It would shred Americas credibility as a counterterrorism partner world-wide, while abandoning a strategic area and making it harder to check jihadist, Iranian and Russian ambitions.

President Trump says hes about making America great again. Great nations dont betray allies who have borne the brunt of a successful war against a mutual enemy. They dont do the bidding of the likes of Erdogan and they dont respond to the threats of such men by running away.
Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez is retiring from Congress (why? here is the story), but we will not be spared his like in the new Congress. Indeed, they will rule the roost in the House.

We can accordingly look forward to many more rants such as the one to which he subjected DHS Secretary Nielsen at a Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday. David Rutz has posted the video (below) along with an account of Gutierrezs rant. The rant culminates in Gutierrezs accusation that the Nielsen is unChristian. Gutierrez leaves in a huff as Nielsen points out that the true object of Gutierrezs wrath is the law she seeks to enforce.

Gutierrez demonstrates the limited uses of Christianity in the Democratic playbook, but the Democrats have promulgated an orthodoxy that fundamentally conflicts with traditional Christian teaching. They freely display the sort of anti-Catholic bigotry that JFK was thought to have vanquished in the 1960 presidential campaign. As they have done with so much of their history, the Democrats have deposited JFK and the 1960 campaign down the memory hole.

Last year I wrote about the anti-Catholic bigotry on display in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was the subject of my City Journal column The unfunniest senator (that was Al Franken, before the fall). Via Mark Hemingway on Twitter, our attention is turned to the Catholic News Agency story Judicial nominee faces Senate scrutiny over Knights of Columbus membership. The CNA story returns us to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Hemingway calls out Senators Hirono and Harris for their appalling behavior. Appalling is right, but Hirono and Harris are themselves appalling and their behavior derives from Democratic Party orthodoxy. In this case their behavior has the incidental benefit of illuminating the terrain on which we tread now.
Supplementing Kim Strassels Wall Street Journal column that I highlighted on Friday, Jonathan Turley reviews key moments in the greatest scandal in American political history in the Hill column The Steele Dossier and the perils of political insurance policies. As I did in the post on Strassels column, I want to offer an excerpt for the record (with Turleys many links omitted; read the whole thing):

Throughout the campaign, and for many weeks after, the Clinton campaign denied any involvement in the creation of the dossier that was later used to secure a secret surveillance warrant against Trump associates during the Obama administration. Journalists later discovered that the Clinton campaign hid the payments to Fusion as a legal fees among the $5.6 million paid to the law firm. New York Times reporter Ken Vogel at the time said that Clinton lawyer Marc Elias had vigorously denied involvement in the anti-Trump dossier. When Vogel tried to report the story, he said, Elias pushed back vigorously, saying You (or your sources) are wrong. Times reporter Maggie Haberman likewise wrote: Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year. Even when Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta was questioned by Congress on the matter, he denied any contractual agreement with Fusion GPS. Sitting beside him was Elias, who helped devise contract.

Later, confronted with the evidence, Clinton and her campaign finally admitted that the dossier was a campaign-funded document that was pushed by Steele and others to the media.

In one of his answers to an interrogatory, Steele explained: Fusions immediate client was law firm Perkins Coie. It engaged Fusion to obtain information necessary for Perkins Coie LLP to provide legal advice on the potential impact of Russian involvement on the legal validity of the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Based on that advice, parties such as the Democratic National Committee and HFACC Inc. (also known as Hillary for America) could consider steps they would be legally entitled to take to challenge the validity of the outcome of that election.

Steeles testimony suggests that the dossier was not just a political hit job but a type of insurance for a catastrophic political event.

The dossier ultimately found its way from a Fusion GPS employee, Nellie Ohr, to her husband, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. From there, it became the basis of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants targeting figures like Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, signed off by the Obama administration with the involvement of later-fired FBI director James Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe. (Ohr was later demoted over his involvement.) Page was never charged with a crime while key players like Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson invoked the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination to refuse to answer further questions from Congress.

The FBI knew the dossier was part of a Clinton campaign operation but told the secret FISA court that it was only speculating about a possible political motive for the material. Notably, however, the FBIs warrant application indicates that Steele denied knowing the purpose behind the dossier. In the 412-page application, the FBI buries the issue in a footnote, stating that Steele was hired by Fusion GPS to conduct research on Trump and that The identified U.S. person never advised [Steele] as to the motivation behind the research into [Trump] ties to Russia. The FBI speculates that the identified U.S. Person was likely looking for information that could be used to discredit Candidate #1s campaign.

We now know that Steele and Fusion GPS aggressively shopped the dossier with any reporter who would listen, while also pitching it to Ohr and the FBI. Notably, the dossier story was broken by investigative journalist Michael Isikoff who recently admitted, When you actually get into the details of the Steele dossier, the specific allegations, we have not seen the evidence to support them, and, in fact, theres good grounds to think that some of the more sensational allegations will never be proven and are likely false.

Steeles recent comments magnify the concerns. Ultimately, the dossier was used for precisely the purpose described by Steele: It led to the special counsel investigation, which quickly diverted to other criminal allegations unrelated to the dossiers most sensational claims, like hacking or coordination with WikiLeaks and Russian trolling operations. Indeed, Democratic leaders new claims of a massive fraud in the election is the alleged violation of campaign finance laws to pay hush money to a porn star and former Playboy bunny.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-23 12:42:54

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Global Institute of Business Studies students exhibited a collage of traditional songs and dances to signify a diverse culture. The lilting gestures and melodies of Bharatnatyam and Kathak along with the Northeast dance did represent an intense microcosm of India.An ode to American business educationWhile America represents the finest of business management education, the same principles are nowadays taught in colleges across the world. The digital revolution has brought a wonderful fusion and exchange of study materials online, a great blessing for students and workers alike.The busy day carried a lot of expectations and the future is now assured with the MOU. Late in the day during tea at the poolside came the interaction by the foreign delegates with the GIBS faculty and students regarding what lay close to the heart. The two institutions would promote student and faculty exchange programs soon to facilitate a common platform of sharing resources and learning together. The impact on student career prospects opens up grand new vistas of opportunities.Going around the sprawling campusSoon after the arrival, the visitors got a taste of one of the best AICTE approved PGDM colleges in Bangalore during the morning. The world-class educational infrastructure compares favorably with the best in the country and the visitors were certainly impressed with the green spick and span campus.The auspicious program commenced with the Invocation Prayer and the Lamp Lighting. Meanwhile, Dr. K. Aparna Rao, Director, GIBS, was ready with the welcome speech.In their powerful presentations, the Lincoln College, Illinois representatives described the college and courses available along with fascinating details. Hamin D. Shabazz, D.P.A, Vice President, Educational Affairs, and Jonathan E. Pierce, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, provided dynamic glimpses into the life at Lincoln College.Mr. Ritesh Goyal, Managing Director, GIBS, highlighted the institute vision for the future and it is the faculty and students who will live out that dream. When the interaction turned out to be a success story and an MOU was signed between Lincoln College, USA and GIBS Business School, India, it represented a sweet, successful moment of togetherness.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-23 10:40:01

1 Year Marks the Success of Saja AlMadinah Hotel

Saja Hotels & Resorts

Ahmed Elfallah, Director of Sales, +966534873966

ahmed.elfallah@sajahotels.com, www.sajahotels.com

Saja Hotels & Resorts, the leading Saudi hotel and condominium management and operation company, has recently celebrated the first anniversary of its Saja AlMadinah Hotel in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, marking a successful year of astounding services provided to visitors to the holy city of Madinah.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181223005

Saja AlMadinah Hotel Celebrates its First Anniversary (Photo: AETOSWire)

Strategically located in the Northern side of the central area of Madinah, the four-star hotel is just steps away from the Prophet's (PBUH) Mosque in the city.

Mr. Mohannad Bin Nabeel Khogeer, Chief Executive Officer of Saja Company commented, We are extremely proud to celebrate the first anniversary of Saja AlMadinah Hotel, the renowned national brand in Saudi Arabia. The past year demonstrated our success in providing visitors to Madinah with the best convenient accommodation in the city, making their Hajj and Umrah trips an unforgettable experience.

Our long-standing experience in hospitality that exceeds 40 years was a game changer in creating our success during the first year of operations. We have set future expansion plans that include managing and operating other hotels in different cities and utilize our expertise in providing management services for hotels for further plans. Our efforts in this regard are in line with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 that aims to increase the number of pilgrims and Umrah visitors, he added.

With its 544 rooms, an executive floor, relaxing lounge, gym and a dedicated (HACCP) certified restaurant serving delicious international cuisine options; Saja AlMadinah Hotel was able during the past year to welcome more than 350,000 Guests, achieve a record number of more than 110,000 room bookings, serve around 120,000 meals, and receive guests from over 80 nationalities.

Notably, Saja AlMadinah Hotel provides high-quality integrated hospitality services to assist visitors perform their religious rituals in the holy city with ease and comfort. It also provides them with the convenience of being close to the Prophet's (PBUH) Mosque in Madinah, in a hotel that enjoys a unique blend of luxurious economy and authenticity, which stands out among other four-star hotels. Saja AlMadinahs professional multi-lingual and highly trained team helps break down the language barrier and meet the needs of visitors from around the world with high quality services.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181223005
The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has called on the Senate to pass the National Water Bill, saying it is consistent with the Constitution of Nigeria and should not be politicised.

Mr Adamu, while fielding questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday, noted that the bill was for the overall benefit of Nigerians.

He said that the House of Representatives had passed the bill early in 2018, and was waiting on the Senate to do same, urging Nigerians to disregard misleading allegations, which were evident from the various commentaries from those opposing its passage.

He said that reports in the media appeared to have neglected the provisions and the benefits of the bill which was for the development, management and efficient use of the nations water resources in line with global best practices.

The minister described the oppositions to the bill as unnecessary controversy and diversionary.

This is not a `Buhari water bill, this is just a continuation of governance, this bill was drafted in 2006, the final draft came out in 2008, it went through stakeholders consultation in all the six geopolitical zones of this country.

And then, nothing was heard of it, when we came on board, at our retreat, with all the major water stakeholders, one of the messages I got was that passing that bill would transform the sector, would ginger up the sector from the comatose state that it was.

So we picked it up as one of the issues that we will promote under our roadmap, we took it to the Federal Executive Council, it passed, we took it to the Attorney Generals office, it was vetted, cleaned up and the president sent it to the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives held its public hearing, passed the bill, and now its the turn of the Senate, and at the Senate, questions were raised, and people turned the whole thing upside down, calling it a Buhari bill, that the idea is to commandeer the rivers and riverbanks for Fulani herdsmen.

This bill seeks to give a fair and equitable distribution of water to the people of this country, there are areas of scarce water, it protects them, there are areas with excess water, it also protects them.

Mr Adamu said that the bill was not a new law; rather an amalgamation of Water Resources Laws that had been in existence as enshrined in LFN 2004 to promote efficient use of water resources and reduce duplication of efforts in line with international best practices.

He appealed to stakeholders and Nigerians, in general, to have faith in the bill as it was for the good of the nation, saying when passed into law, it would better serve and provide for the enhancement of the Nigeria Water Sector in line with global best practices.

NAN reports that the bill provides for professional and efficient management of all surface and groundwater for the use of all people.

The bill is for both domestic and non-domestic use, irrigation, agricultural purposes, generation of hydroelectric energy, navigation, fisheries and recreation.

The federal government aims through the provisions of the law, to protect the nations water resources; to use, develop, conserve, manage and control in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all persons in accordance with its constitutional mandate.

The Water Resources Bill will also provide for the creation of an enabling environment for public and private sector investment.

It also provides for capacity building processes to foster good governance while establishing a water use and licensing framework to ensure sustainable financing for the water sector.

(NAN)
These are some of the stories that dominated the health sector last week.

Budget 2019: Buhari proposes N315 billion recurrent health expenditure

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias president, has proposed a recurrent expenditure of N315.62 billion for the ministry of health in its 2019 appropriation bill summited to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

This is about N46.3 billion increase from last years recurrent expenditure, which was N269.3 billion.

Mr Buhari, while reading his budget presentation at the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, said the allocation to the ministry represents a significant increase over votes in previous budgets.

The president explained that there is a focus on health because it is an important aspiration for human capital development.

NHIS: NMA directs doctors to shun state health insurance schemes

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has directed all doctors not to participate in any State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS) until there is meaningful engagement between the government and stakeholders.

This was part of resolutions at the end of NMAs National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.

13% of Nigerias FGM performed by medical professionals

Thirteen per cent of women  about one out of every ten  who have been genitally mutilated (Female Genital Mutilation) in Nigeria were cut by medical professionals, Eugene Kongnyuy, Acting Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said.

Despite the increasing campaigns against the barbaric act, many medical professionals have been engaging in the act, thus causing a setback to the eradication process of the practice.

This new trend is being referred to as the medicalisation of FGM.

Speaking at the meeting, the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, said the medicalisation of FGM was one of the major bottlenecks of the achievements of the fight to end the negative traditional practice in the country.

Six-week-old baby miraculously survives Ebola in Congo

A six-week-old child simply called baby Benedicte has survived a deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo.

The infant has been dubbed a miracle by Congos Ministry of Health for surviving Ebola which she caught as a newborn.

The little girl is called Benedicte and she was born on Oct. 31, so shes about one and a half months old, Jessica Ilunga, a spokesperson for the ministry told dpa.

Sadly, Benedictes mother died during childbirth while also infected with Ebola which has so far killed more than 300 people in eastern Congo.

NMA decries inadequate cancer reportage, legislation

Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has decried inadequate cancer reportage and legislation and called for laws to curtail environmental carcinogens in the country.

The association made the call in a communique issued by Francis Faduyile, NMA President, at the end of its National Executive Council meeting (NEC) in Abuja.

It said that exposure to tobacco smoke and industrial pollution and poor enforcement of existing laws on cancer control and limited diagnostic and treatment facilities added to the risk of cancer

Thailand becomes first in Asia to introduce tobacco plain packaging

The World Health Organisation has commended stronger tobacco control measures being adopted by Thailand.

The nation has become the first in Asia and the first low and middle-income country to adopt plain packaging for tobacco products.

Thailands bold steps against tobacco  the single most important cause of preventable deaths worldwide  is commendable and reflects the countrys earnest efforts in promoting health and well-being of its people, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director World Health Organisation South-east Asia.

Malnutrition kills 132 children in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Nutrition Officer, Hauwa Usman, said that no fewer than 132 children have died of severe acute malnutrition out of the 12,858 hospitalised between January and October 2018 in the state.

Ms Usman said this while giving an update on the nutrition situation in the state at a two-day meeting in Kaduna. She also said that 10,604 out of the 12,858 have been cured.

Type 2 diabetes: How migraines affect risk

Women with a current migraine have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

The study also found that migraine declined in the years preceding a diabetes diagnosis.

Although migraine and Type 2 diabetes are both common conditions, data on a link between the two are scarce, said the researchers.

Diabetes, hypertension drug combo kills cancer cells

New research, published in the journal Cell Reports, reveals a drug combination that kills cancer cells by depleting them of energy.

Metformin is a common drug in the fight against Type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar by slowing the release of glucose from the liver and the absorption of sugar from food in the gut.

Recently, scientists have brought more uses of the drug to light.

In new research, scientists now show how this drug cocktail works.

The combination of metformin and the antihypertensive syrosingopine cuts off cancers energy supply, resulting in the death of cancer cells.
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.
Four men said to be Nigerians have been taken into police custody in the United Kingdom after they tried to reach that country by sneaking aboard a UK-bound ship which set off in Lagos. They were also accused of threatening to harm the crew.

The Essex Police confirmed the detention of the stowaways on Saturday after 25 members of the British Navys Special Boat Service were deployed last night to regain the control of the ship.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was said to have sanctioned the operation of the SBS, an elite naval unit in the UK, and the special commandos were flown on a helicopter to the vessel off the coast of Kent near the Thames Estuary.

The ship left Lagos on December 10 and the Nigerian stowaways were found four days ago when they allegedly threatened to harm the crew, according to the owner of 71,000-tonne ship Grande Tema, Napoli-based Grimaldi Lines.

They were locked in a cabin, said Paul Kyprianou, a spokesperson for the company Italian shipping company. But they forced the door, took bars and started threatening the crew. We understand they wanted to reach the UK.

In what was going to be a deadly risk, the four stowaways are thought to be hoping the ship would sail close to the shore so they could swim to the land.

Police are yet to disclose the identities of the stowaways, except confirming they are all men. They have been detained under the Immigration Act, the Essex Police said in its statement.

The Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos could not be reached immediately for comments on this report.
On Thursday, the governorship candidate of Allied Peoples Movement, (APM), Adekunle Akinlade, launched his campaign to become the governor of Ogun State. Mr Akinlade has the support of the incumbent governor, Ibikunle Amosun, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is running to gain an entrance into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mr Akinlade, a frontline aspirant and favourite of the Amosun government, is now calling the bluff of his former party in the state, although he has adopted Muhammadu Buhari as his presidential candidate.

His pilgrimage to the APM is a fallout of his inability to secure the ticket of the APC, in spite of the full backing of the governor of the state.

The stand of Mr Amosun to oppose his own party for the governorship election, but support Mr Buhari in the presidential polls, is not only tantamount to the biblical maxim of a house divided against itself, but also casts a shadow of confusion on the teeming APC supporters, whose loyalties would be torn between the interests of the party and their preferred candidates.

Mr Akinlade won a controversial APC governorship primary organised by the governor and other stakeholders, but a panel sent by the headquarters of the party conducted a separate primary, which produced Dapo Abiodun as the candidate. Mr Abiodun has the support of ex-Ogun State governor, Segun Osoba, and ex-Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu. Mr Amosun has accused both men, alongside APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole, of perpetrating injustice against him and his supporters.

Mr Amosun and Mr Osoba have been at loggerheads for years with the latter exiting the APC for another party at some point. Their disagreements often stemmed from the control of the party in the state and appointments into offices. Mr Osoba returned to lead the anti-Amosun faction of the Ogun APC reportedly at the instance of Mr Tinubu.

Since the governorship primaries, the APCs house of commotion is yet to find peace, as the ensuing contentions set the outgoing governor against the Oshiomhole-led national leadership, over the selection of candidates for the 2019 general elections.

The vent of bitterness, opened at the beginning of the struggles in October, is still emitting its magma of tirades and animosity to the fears and unsettling of party loyalists.

The ruckus over the list of Ogun candidates for the election had turned into a game of wits, ego and power play, especially between the governor and Mr Oshiomhole.

The latter, as the national chairman of the party, refused to yield to pressures from the governor and some other APC governors alike, to accept the list of candidates they submitted, having faulted the process through which the candidates were selected.

The governors are often touted as the owners of the party and to dare to oppose their desire to file the names of their cronies as the candidates of the party for any election, was akin to denying the party of a representation that could win elections.

The governors are the leaders of the parties in the states. They often determine who becomes what and who gets what in the sharing of political positions in their states. It is a matter of consensus. and if any aspirant holds any a different view without coming through the governors, such could as well forget about his political ambition.

The status quo of the overwhelming powers of incumbent governors was what Mr Oshiomhole chose to alter.

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole Photo: DailyPost

All the states with factional leadership of the party conducted parallel primaries and submitted two sets of candidate lists. But the NWCs choice was remarkably injurious to some of the governors, especially the Ogun State governor.

Although he got his senatorial ticket of the party, he failed to secure any tickets for his preferred candidates for the governorship and those for the Ogun State House of Assembly. Instead, the NWC approved the list of candidates which had Dapo Abiodun as the governorship candidate.

Though the governor did pull some strings with the presidency and other power quarters to get Mr Oshiomhole to rescind his decision and accept his list, the combative Mr Oshiomhole refused to yield. Mr Amosun has since then accused the party chairman of working for the interests of Messrs Tinubu and Osoba.

Professor Mosobalaje Oyawoye (Photo Credit: Bookcraft Africa)

Officially, Mr Oshiomholes reasons for working againstMr Amosun was that the governor attempted to lord his will over the majority of party members in the state by brazenly imposing candidates for virtually all elective positions in the state.

Mr Oshiomhole said the governor held a stakeholders meeting as required by the APC National Executive Committee on the modalities of the primaries, but went on to do the bizarre.

At the meeting, this is no secret, I expect that some of your media houses will have video clips of what transpired at that meeting because it wasnt a closed-door meeting. It was an open meeting. Governor Amosun, in his wisdom, decided to introduce third element which didnt feature in the resolutions of the National Executive Council, explained Mr Oshiomhole.

He announced that Ogun State was going to adopt consensus and he proceeded to define what, in his view, constitutes a consensus. And having defined it to mean the pronouncement of the governor, he went on to announce what, according to him, represents a consensus candidate. He announced one Akinlade as the next governor. He proceeded to announce another gentleman, whom he said would be the deputy governor, consensus.

He went on to proclaim himself as the next senator through consensus and he says the current senator in his own Senatorial zone, Senator Tejuoso, will step aside so that he, Ibikunle Amosun, at the end of his tenure as governor of Ogun State, will proceed to the Senate. According to him, this is his own consensus.

He went on to also announce that the second senator, also from Ogun State, will step aside and another gentleman will come in place of that senator. And according to him, this pronouncement is a consensus. Not done, governor Amosun went on to announce a particular gentleman, who will be the next speaker. He went on to announce another one who will be the next deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly.

Governor Amosun, according to his own definition of consensus, also unilaterally pronounced that of the eight seats of House of Representatives members, seven will not return. According to him, only one will return.

This, he claimed is a consensus. He went on to list other members of the House of Assembly who will seek re-election and those who will not seek re-election. All through, he announced about 40 names, which, according to him, constitute a consensus.

In all, Mr Oshiomhole described Mr Amosuns actions as undemocratic, immoral and an abuse of power, adding that the partys constitution does not recognise emperors.

There are not emperors in the APC, if anybody attempts to invent himself as an emperor, it will be an enterprise in futility. Based on our rules, we have since conducted primaries and submitted the name of the winner, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to INEC for the purpose of the forthcoming governorship election. That, for me, has concluded that matter.

Former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu. [Photo credit: THISDAYLIVE]

The governor in his reaction not only accused Mr Oshiomhole of working for Mr Tinubus interest, but he also described the chairman as acting like a dictator.

He accused Mr Oshiomhole of being dictatorial and that his actions threatened the peace within the party, as well as the partys fortunes in the 2019 general elections.

In a statement issued by his commissioner for information, Adedayo Adeyeye, the governor said there were no other governorship primaries held in Ogun State other than the one that produced Adekunle Akinlade as candidate and that the primaries into national and state legislative offices were won 100 per cent by those declared winners by the panel Mr Oshiomhole sent to Ogun State, to oversee the exercise.

He (Oshiomhole), knows that the shenanigans of unknown court injunctions, unknown appeal panels and all sorts unleashed on the process by him and his cohorts are premeditated schemes executed to deny the members of the APC their true choice of candidates in the elections, the statement read.

Oshiomhole knows, as we know, that in the instance of the last primaries in Ogun state, he has fallen short of the minimum standards of justice, equity and fairness. Our consolation lies in the fact that in the fullness of time, what remains unknown to the public will become bare and everyone will see Oshiomhole and his co-travellers for who they are.

In his conduct, Oshiomhole has exhibited disdain for the interest of the APC and that of the national leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Muhammadu Buhari

Mr Amosun has vowed to do everything possible to ensure Mr Akinlade wins as governor of Ogun State, and by implication, work against the party, noting that he could not stop him and other candidates from defecting to the APM, following to injustice done to them.

When these people came, they told me they are leaving the APC, I said no but I couldnt stop them. In fact, Akinlade has my full support, Mr Amsoun had said. I am not going to stop him. Everything I have, I will use to support him. Let them try whatever they want to try, we also have our strategies and I am not going to hide behind one finger.

A peace and reconciliation committee was empanelled to pacify the aggrieved aspirants and get those who had defected to return to the party and work for it, ahead of the 2019 elections.

The committee, headed by the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had terms of reference to deal with all issues within the South-west. A series of meetings were held in Lagos with all the stakeholders in attendance.

Recent developments have, however, shown that the peace move, although laudable, did not achieve much. The battle lines are still indelible and all parties seem to be going their ways.

Apparently, as a pre-emptive strategy, the national leadership of the party dissolved the executive committees in the state, as well as local government and ward executives.

Their dissolution was part of the resolutions reached during the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting presided over by Mr Oshiomhole in Abuja on Tuesday. The NWC said it does not trust the dissolved executives not to, like the governor, work against the interest of the APC.

The NWC named a caretaker committee that would run the affairs of the party through the general elections. Mr Amosun, however, replied the NWC, saying he would not recognise any caretaker committee and would continue to relate with the Derin Adebiyi-led state leadership dissolved by the NWC.

Again, the APC is at a crossroads in Ogun. With other parties such as the PDP, SDP, ADC and others rearing up to replace the APC in the state, there is no doubt that the party is in dire straits. Its supporters are divided along the lines of personal interests as portrayed by the governor on one hand and Dapo Abiodun and the rest of those favoured by the NWCs decision on the other.

The crisis has whittled down the power of the party, with the governors weight now missing behind the governorship candidate. Party members believe that it is not wise to undermine the power of the governor to sway votes in favour of Mr Akinlade and in opposition to Mr Abiodun.

That is not in doubt. But will the voters understand that they should vote the APC and Mr Amosun on February 16 and vote only APM candidates a week later? Will the people who listened to the campaigns against the APC governorship candidate, selectively filter out the APM messages when they vote the president, and legislators?

This is the entanglement Mr Amosun will be labouring to untwine in the coming days as he works to spite the APC and please the president. It is a certainty that the work will be arduous.

In choosing his actions, Mr Amosun must realise that every choice certainly has its outcome.
The campaign office of George Tagbo Ogara, one of the candidates laying claim to the Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, was Saturday night attacked by unknown persons.

The attackers, it was gathered, set two campaign buses branded Buhari/Osibanjo campaign ablaze.

An eyewitness report says the resultant fire was controlled by officials of the State Fire Service who promptly arrived the scene.

However, Mr Ogara, in a reaction on the incident, claimed that the attackers used Improvised Explosive Device, IEDs to set the two buses ablaze.

Mr Ogara, who said he was in Lagos at the time of the incident, however, said he does not know where the attack came from.

Improvised Explosive Device, IED, bomb is not a matter a civilian like me can intervene. The police and DSS will investigate that matter.

Bomb is a military hardware its not something civilians can discuss and point accusing fingers at any person; its a very serious matter.

Mr Ogara, who claims to be the duly elected Enugu APC governorship candidate for the 2019 election, is in court to challenge the party for publishing the name of a former senator, Ayogu Eze, as its candidate.

The tussle, which has lingered, has been fixed for hearing at an Abuja Federal High Court on January 10.

The police spokesman in the state, Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident.

He said an investigation has commenced into the attack.

Enugu APC campaign office attacked, buses burnt Enugu APC campaign office attacked, buses burnt

According to him, the incident occurred at Ogara APC campaign office by railway line close to Ogui junction Enugu.

It was gathered that in the early hours of 23/12/18 fire incident had allegedly occurred at Ogara APC campaign office where two buses allegedly got burnt.

However, the prompt intervention of the police operatives and fire service prevented its escalation and further destruction as the fire was promptly extinguished, he said.

Mr Amaraizu noted that while a full-scale investigation has commenced into the incident with a view to finding its cause and possible culprits, security has also been intensified in the area.
The intrigues that greeted President Muhammadu Buharis budget presentation to the Senate will still be discussed for many days.

Jeers and counter-applauses by pro and anti-Buhari lawmakers blighted what was supposed to be a peaceful budget presentation.

Apart from this, the dissolution of the Imo and Ogun State executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made the headlines.

Below are political stories that drove discourse this week:

Monday

 I have pledged that 40 per cent of my government will be youth. Let me assure you that its a promise and I wont break it. My minister of youth is going to be less than 30 years, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar said while reeling out his agenda at a Youth Town Hall Meeting in Lagos.

Atiku Abubakar Presidential campaign rally

 The chairman of the steering committee of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said nine parties have signed a memorandum of understanding and assumed membership of the CUPP.

 The Kowa Party also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to investigate the allegation that the Ogun State governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dapo Abiodun, failed to serve in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

 The leadership of the National Assembly directed the police and the State Security Service (SSS) to ensure adequate security within the vicinity of the National Assembly from Tuesday morning to enable members and staff come in and perform their legitimate duties without any hindrance. This follows a protest by the staff on Monday.

 Also, in a statement by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, former President Goodluck Jonathan asked President Muhammadu Buhari to look elsewhere for who to blame as his administration has nothing to do with failures of his government.

Tuesday

 In carrying out the orders of the National Assembly leadership, officers of the Nigerian police blocked the entrance of the National Assembly, preventing staff, journalists and others from entering the complex.

 The APC blamed Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, for the protest by workers of the National Assembly.

 President Muhammadu Buhari accused the National Assembly of inflating debts to be repaid by the federal government to deserving states.

 Mr Buhari declined to assent to a bill that seeks to amend the law establishing the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

 In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, declared that the 2019 elections would be a referendum on the state of security and hunger in Nigeria.

 The Senate mandated its committees on judiciary and police affairs to investigate circumstances surrounding the arrest of an activist, Deji Adeyanju.

 Chairman of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Bature Mohammed, said the staff of the National Assembly will not stop President Muhammadu Buhari from presenting the 2019 budget to federal lawmakers.

Wednesday

 The parliament witnessed a rowdy session on Wednesday when President Buhari presented an N8.83 trillion 2019 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly. Some lawmakers, mainly those of the opposition, jeered at and booed the president while presenting the speech.

 Also, stating reasons, President Buhari declined to assent to the National Transport Commission Bill, 2018 and the Federal Roads Authority Establishment Bill, 2018.

 The APC national leadership dissolved the state and local government executives in Ogun and Imo states. The executives were loyal to the governors of the two states who have an axe to grind with the Adams Oshiomhole national leadership.

Former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun [Photo: The Guardian Nigeria]

By Friday, the APC headquarters had set up caretaker committees for the two states, Ogun and Imo. However, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun vowed not to have anything to do with the caretaker committee.

Thursday

-The federal government described as an act of desperation, the statement credited to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that killings will continue if President Buhari is re-elected.

-Lawmakers at the Nigerian Senate on Thursday exchanged banters over the phantom, Jibrin, an alleged impostor of President Muhammadu Buhari.

-The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) and Fertilisers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) donated N1.77 billion to the campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari who seeks a second term in 2019.

 The Senate confirmed the nomination of Uwani Abba Aji as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

 The APC in a statement attributed the rowdiness that characterised President Buharis budget presentation at the National Assembly to lawmakers from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 President Buhari also directed security agencies to find the killers of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh (rtd).

Friday

 President Buhari declared support for the Imo All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma, said the APC, National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole at a rally to flag-off Uzodimmas campaign in Owerri.

The rally was shunned by Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha.

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha

 Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, announced that the commission had revised the guidelines for accrediting observers.

 The federal government also said it will not exchange words with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over his comment that the 2019 budget as hopeless.

Yesterday (Wednesday), we all heard the 2019 budget. That is a budget that has no hope for anybody because if you look at the statistics and the figures theres poverty, if you look at the figures based on revenues that are coming in, there is nothing left. So wheres the future? Mr Saraki had said.

Saturday

 Twenty-six registered political parties in Ebonyi State signed an undertaking to ensure peaceful and credible general elections in the state in 2019.

Similarly, in Bauchi, 19 gubernatorial candidates signed a peace accord.

 During the week, presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Kingsley Moghalu, had an interview with PREMIUM TIMES following a visit.

A former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu

In the interview published on Saturday, the former Central Bank deputy governor, explained his programmes and plans for the nation if elected president in 2019.

Sunday

 The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, from paying Plateau Central Senator, Joshua Dariye, monthly allowances while he serves out a prison sentence.

FILE PHOTO: Former Governor of Plateau State, Sen. Joshua Dariye

But reacting through his spokesperson, Mr Saraki said he does not have the power to stop the payment except the Attorney-General of the Federation requests.
The police in Zamfara have confirmed 17 people killed in an attack by armed bandits on a community in the state.

The attack occurred in Magami Village, Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area.

A statement by the Zamfara police spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu, said the attack occurred on Saturday evening.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attack occured at about 4 p.m.

Mr Shehu said more police officers have been deployed to the area.

He said the Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Sanusi Rikiji; the police commissioner and other heads of security agencies were at the scene in the early hours of Sunday.

The officials were there for on the spot assessment with a view to putting in more proactive security measures that will bring lasting solutions to the security challenges in the area and other parts of the state, he said.

In view of the visit, the commissioner of police has deployed additional unit of Tactical teams which comprises PMF/CTU Personnel to the affected area to complement the existing security emplacement.

The unit of the PMF/CTU personnel has already arrived the village and they were directed to operate in collaboration with the military and other security personnel to restore normalcy and prevent any security threat by any disgruntled person or group of persons.

While the command condoles the government and people of Zamfara State over the unfortunate incident, it has also vowed to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

The command in this regard appeals for continued collaboration with all the security agencies in the state to bring lasting peace, safety and security to Zamfara State, the spokesperson said.

Mr Rikiji also on Sunday attended the funeral prayer of some of the victims killed by the bandits.

Mr Rikiji, who is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, condoled with the families of the victims and people of Maradun Emirate and described the incident as unfortunate and worrisome.

He said the state government was concerned about security matters.

It is very disturbing, so distracting the way our people are being killed by terrorists.

More often than not, we could not even concentrate and face our work, due to pressures of insecurity in our communities, NAN quotes the acting govenrors as saying.

He urged security operatives in the state to maximise their efforts in tackling the challenges.

Mr Rikiji noted that the state government had been providing all necessary support to security agencies in the state.

We are ever ready to continue to offer any support to security agencies, at whatever cost, in order to address the current security situation in the state, he said.

He urged people of the state to continue with prayers to seek Allahs interventions to end the situation.

The acting governor also appealed to communities to provide information on security to security agencies for prompt response.

The heads of security agencies in the state were also in attendance during the prayers.

In their separate remarks, the Emir of Maradun, Garba Tambari, and Chairman Maradun Local Government Area, Yahaya Shehu, called for the deployment of more security personnel in the area.

Hundreds of people have been killed by armed bandits in Zamfara in 2018. The killings have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security personnel including soldiers as well as air force personnel and equipment to the state.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it may not honour further calls by the federal government for a meeting on the way forward over the current strike by its members.

The unions National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, said this on the sideline of a news conference on the update of the unions struggle to salvage the countrys public universities from deterioration on Sunday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union had on November 4 embarked on what it described as a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike.

Members of the union are protesting the non-implementation of agreements entered into with the federal government in 2009 and 2017, as well as funding and improved welfare for members, among other issues.

According to Mr Ogunyemi, to ensure that the agreements were implemented, the union had held a series of consultative meetings with the government and written series of letters with little or nothing to the effect.

He noted that it was against this backdrop that union resumed strike on November 4.

Since the commencement of this strike, we have had six meetings with agents of the federal government, with no clear commitment from government to resolving the issues we presented.

Government appears to have adopted keep them talking strategy while deceiving the public that progress was being made and that partial agreements had been reached between union and government.

We want to say that government has continually and falsely raised the hopes of the Nigerian public on the state of duscussion with our union and we may not be interested in holding further dialogue with them until we see signs of commitment and sincerity in addressing the issues before them.

Our expectation from a very responsive and sincere position is that by now, all outstanding issues would have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

Unfortunately, government is yet to show commitment and sincerity in addressing these problems, he said.

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According to the don, on the renegotiation of Federal Government/ASUU agreement, there are still unresolved issues about the leadership of the government team.

.

We have strong reasons to believe that the continuation of Dr Wale Babalakin as the head of the renegotiation with ASUU will not yield good fruit, he said.

Mr Ogunyemi said his union had taken up its current project as a lifetime, adding that this was why dating back to the 1980s, the union had remained consistent on what was of concern to it.

If we miss education, we miss development as we will end up being enslaved the second time.

What is happening in this country now is that people are privatising everything, including education and before we know it, what happened to our primary and secondary education will happen.

And these are some of the things we are supposed to be tracking and engage in this society if we want to make the change that we need.

Our conviction is the reason behind the prolonged strike and our members have the conviction that until we get education right, Nigeria will never get it right.

Insurgency will increase, banditry, poverty, kidnapping, misery and other societal ills will continue.

Let me also state clearly too that our strike has nothing to do with politics or election, as is being speculated in some sectors of the society.

We have never thought of aborting any election. We do not want to create problem for this country but let the government do the right thing, he said.

Mr Ogunyemi said that the situation might have to rise to the point where Nigerians would have to tell the government what to do with the countrys education system.

He said the union appreciated the understanding of the Nigerian students, their parents, among whom were many ASUU members and other people of goodwill since the resumption of the avoidable strike.

ASUU does not take your sacrifice for granted. With your continued support and sacrifice, we can make the Nigerian ruling class come to accept the centrality of university education in improving the human condition.

Qualitative and public-funded education is not an option; it is inevitable if Nigeria ever wishes to banish poverty, ignorance, squalor, insecurity, disease and corruption.

(NAN)
The Christmas and New Year celebration is fast approaching but traders in hampers and decoration items in Oyo State are lamenting over low patronage.

A cross section of those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Aleshinloye, Dugbe and Ogunpa markets in Ibadan, said sales had been low since the beginning of December.

Rebecca Okpara, a trader at Aleshinloye market, said though prices of hampers and Christmas decoration items remained stable, patronage is not encouraging.

We have not been seeing buyers as expected, especially for the sales of hampers.

The development is disturbing because Christmas is just a few days away so I use this opportunity to tell our prospective customers that we have large quantities in stock.

(They should) patronise us for their hampers and other items for the celebration of Christmas and new year.

Jacob Olumomi, a trader at Dugbe, said he had sold only two dozens of hampers since the beginning of December, unlike in 2017 when he sold five dozens between December 1 and 20.

Mr Olumomi attributed the low patronage to the unfavourable economy in the society.

He appealed to government to pay workers salary on time so that money could circulate.

Another trader, Caroline Ebibi, said sales were not moving but expressed the hope that there would be an improvement.

A buyer, Peter Idowu, said he bought hampers worth N10,000, hoping that 2019 would be better.

Mr Idowu attributed his low purchase to school fees he needed to pay after yelutide.

There is a lot to buy this season: cloth, shoes; a wise father will rather buy less because of school fees payment after the yelutide, he said.

(NAN)
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, says the newly inaugurated international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was designed give maximum comfort to air travelers.

Mr Dunoma, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja, explained that the facility provided in the new terminal would ensure speedy processing of passengers with ease.

He assured that both the airlines and passengers would experience a great difference compared to what they were used to in the old terminal in terms of space and passengers processing equipment.

According to him, FAAN is committed to meeting the needs arising from the expected increase in the number of passengers and aircraft movement by proving adequate manpower.

You have gone through that terminal a number of times and you have seen the level of comfort apart from speedy processes because of the number of facilities that are provided.

We expect that each and every passenger will see the difference in terms of facilitation and comfort and also the speed at which we will be processing passengers.

The expectation is that it will take only very few minutes for you to go through either departure or arrival process.

We are not going to shut down any part of the airport, it is going to be a combined effort.

The old terminal will handle the domestic and sub-regional operations while the new terminal will handle international operations.

We have plans to improve the standard of the existing terminal because as soon as the international operations move to the new terminal, we will have more space to commence work on the old terminal, he said.

Dunoma disclosed that international airlines might not move into the new facility immediately, saying the airlines were waiting for the terminal to be inaugurated before they could start planning their operations there.

According to him, they need a little time to plan their operations and their passengers also need to be informed so that they dont create confusion.

So any airline that is ready will move in to process the passengers that are in there so that we dont create confusion, he added.

The managing director also disclosed that work was in progress in the remaining two terminals in Lagos and Kano, adding that the unpaid counterpart funding was available to enable the contractor to perform.

The former Regional General Manager, North Central, FAAN, Chris Bature, who was the pioneer supervising airport manager of the project, commended the federal government for its completion.

Mr Bature said with the intermodal connectivity of the terminal by rail, government had been able to demonstrate a strong commitment toward developing modern transport infrastructure in the county.

He said the airport had recorded great improvement compared to what was on the ground before he left in 2014 in terms of expansion and increase in capacity.

According to him, there were some challenges that were there and they bother mainly on facilitation of passengers.

Now the new terminal has been completed, the capacity of the old terminal has increased and this has enable them to handle more passengers and give room for more people, he said.

(NAN)
The Bankers Warehouse on Friday wrote the Central Bank of Nigeria protesting the confiscation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of a combined cash of $2.8 million (over N1 billion at N360 a dollar).

The organisation, which provides cash-in-transit, cash management, and cash processing services to banks and retail outlets, also lamented the arrest of its employees by the anti-graft officials.

In a letter dated December 21 and addressed to the CBN deputy governor, the Bankers Warehouse head of operations, Lawrence Ijebor, said the EFCC insisted on detaining their employees despite the means of identification provided.

He said, Despite the information provided, the EFCC insisted on detaining our employees, taking possession of our goods and threatening to confiscate the currency, without making themselves available to our senior managers or other agencies familiar with our movements.

We seek your intervention as our regulator, to address this issue of constant harassment of our staff, by security agencies.

Trouble started on Friday when the EFCC announced in a statement said that two men were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport with a combined cash of $2.8 million.

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 in a swift reaction Friday, 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, the bank criticised the anti-graft office for being too hasty at disclosing the development to the public, prior to the completion of investigation.

Yet Tony Orilade, a spokesperson for the EFCC, claimed that the anti-graft agency 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 told PREMIUM TIMES. 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.

The Bankers Warehouse in its statement said the action of the EFCC constitutes a risk that could threaten the lives of their staff and the cargo they convey. It added that the CBN had previously called a meeting on similar developments in the past, calling on the apex bank to intervene.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, does not have the power to unilaterally stop payment of salaries and allowances to convicted Plateau Central senator, Joshua Dariye, Mr Sarakis spokesperson has said.

Reacting to an inquiry by PREMIUM TIMES Sunday morning, Mr Sarakis media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the Senate president does not possess such power except the Attorney-General of the Federation hands in a request.

Until this is done, Mr Saraki cannot go ahead to declare the seat vacant, he said.

Mr Olaniyonu was reacting to a lawsuit instituted by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the Senate president from paying Mr Dariye his monthly allowances while he serves out a prison sentence.

The suit also seeks the court compel Mr Saraki to declare the seat of Mr Dariye vacant and requests an order compelling Mr Dariye to return all salaries and allowances paid to him as a senator while in prison.

All these cannot be done without due process which includes the AGF, Mr Olaniyonu noted in an SMS Sunday morning.

The SP (Senate President) does not have such powers except a request is made to him by the AGF who prosecuted the case and get court judgement. The request will be accompanied by the court judgement.

The SP can then refer the matter to the legal department for advice. This will also require the SP to inform INEC about this development with a consequent need to declare the seat of such a senator vacant and a by-election in the district.

Mr Olaniyonu further noted that giving such power to his principal would raise eyebrows of opposition.

If the SP has the right to unilaterally declare the seat of a senator vacant, then you are giving him the power that he should not have.

You need to think of what APC will say if SP just declared the seat of its senator vacant.

He questioned why the AGF has failed to hand in a request to stop payment of allowances to Mr Dariye, a move that will spur declaration of the seat vacant.

Also, why would the AGF not inform the SP about the case? Is it because Dariye is his party man? Even when a member dies, the Senate goes to pay (a) condolence visit to the family as a way of ascertaining the fact of the demise of the senator, he wrote.

Mr Dariye, a governor of Plateau State from 1999 to 2007, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and was sentenced to 14 years jail term by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an FCT High Court in June.

Following an appeal, his conviction was reduced to 10 years in November by the court of appeal.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Despite the conviction, the senator and his aides still receive their entitlements, a payment SERAP says violates Nigerian law and international obligations.

Joined as Defendants in the suit are Mr Dariye and the National Assembly Service Commission. Details of the suit were made available to PREMIUM TIMES in a statement on Sunday.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/2146/18 filed on Friday, SERAP argued: Mr Saraki and the National Assembly Service Commission are trying to override Nigerian law and the judgment of our court by continuing to pay Mr Dariyes allowances while he serves out a 10-year prison term and unable to sit and perform the functions of a senator. This action undermines the rule of law and is a great moral failure because it sends a message that corruption paysits the opposite of Nigerian Constitutional principles and international obligations.
An Environmental Mobile Court, sitting in Banex Plaza Complex, Abuja, has sealed off the plaza due to non-payment of waste service charges.

This was announced in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by Muktar Ibrahim, the Head, Information and Outreach Unit, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).

Mr Ibrahim, who denied that AEPB sealed off the plaza, said it was the court that ordered its closure.

The attention of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board has been drawn to the erroneous news trending on some online media platforms concerning the seal off of the popular Banex Plaza Wuse 2 for non-payment of waste service charges for several years now.

According to him, AEPB as a responsible government agency mandated by law to safeguard the environment for the well-being of all, it does not mete out sanctions on erring individuals or organisations without due notice.

Moreover, AEPB will never demand the use of any premises for a mobile court sitting except it had a case against any of the occupants of such premises.

It is also public knowledge that AEPB has been on a debt recovery drive resulting in the seal up of waste channels of some banks and hotels.

This has been publicised in both print and electronic media. The seal off of Banex Plaza is strictly along that line.

It is a verifiable fact that Banex Plaza tenants owe AEPB huge sums of money running into millions of naira accumulated over several years. In spite of several notices, they have chosen to ignore serially.

Mr Ibrahim urged the Banex shop owners to pay up their accumulated debts promptly in the same way they expected payments from their numerous customers.

According to him, they should understand that laws are made to be obeyed, not ignored, especially in FCT which is a creation of law.

Shop owners are therefore advised not to stir up trouble through deliberate falsehood but to instead do the needful and save everyone from unnecessary hardship, particularly their numerous customers.

AEPB seeks the cooperation of all FCT residents, including the Banex Plaza managers, but it will not succumb to any form of intimidation or blackmail, he said.

(NAN)
Scores of supporters of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday in Lagos embarked on a solidarity rally to reaffirm commitment to the election of the governorship candidate of the APC, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the 2019 general elections.

The supporters, who marched from the state secretariat in Alausa to APCs secretariat on Acme Road in Ogba, said there was no iota of truth in the purported alliance with the PDP and Accord Party as reported in some sections of the media.

The rally, which was organised under the auspices of Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG), were received by the state APC Chairman, Tunde Balogun, alongside other state executive officers of the party.

A leader of the delegation and Director General of AMSG, Akeem Sulaimon, said the solidarity walk was embarked upon to reaffirm the commitment of Governor Ambode to the victory of the APC in 2019 elections at all levels in the state.

Mr Sulaimon, who is also the Special Adviser to Governor on Communities and Communication, said it was also important to emphasise that Mr Ambode had truly accepted the choice of the party, adding that any contrary information was a hoax.

We are here because a lot of people lately seem to be talking for our principal, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, claiming to be representing his interest and we need to let the whole world know that if anyone will represent his interests, it can only be those of us that belong to his campaign.

His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, is a man of God; he is a man who believes that the party is supreme; he is a man who has accepted the choice and the position of the party.

He has accepted that Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the candidate of our great party, APC and he has equally been mobilising not just members of his group but he has been mobilising the party to ensure victory for Sanwo-Olu come 2019, he said.

Speaking specifically on the alleged declaration of support for the opposition party by some supporters of the governor, Mr Sulaimon said though the rally was planned long before now, nonetheless, there was no truth in the said rumour.

He said that the governor, as a loyal party man, would not do anything to rock the boat.

We are organising this to show to Lagosians and Nigerians that our principal bears no grudge; he has no ill feelings.

If he had wanted to fight at that time, he could have fought and so if he did not fight then, why would anybody be insinuating that he wants to fight now?

We are here to let you know that he is not fighting. The governors directive to us is that we should all go out and mobilise for Mr Sanwo-Olu.

Irrespective of how things might have happened, the governor has equally benefited from the party and he says that he will not destroy the party that he has benefited from, Sulaimon said.

Responding, Mr Balogun commended the supporters for showing commitment to the party, saying the rally was a demonstration of Governor Ambodes loyalty to the party.

Trekking from Alausa to this place under this scorching sun is a tough task no doubt and it is a demonstration of your commitment and loyalty to this party.

It is a demonstration of the commitment and loyalty of Gov. Ambode to APC and I want to commend you all for this, Balogun said.

Among those who led the rally were Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muslim Folami; Special Adviser to the governor on Civic Engagement, Benjamin Olabinjo; Chairman of Lagos Ferry Service, Paul Kalejaiye; APC chieftain, Denge Anifowoshe, among others. (NAN)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 23)  Graduating students may soon be required to plant trees before they receive their diplomas.

The House of Representatives passed on second reading House Bill 8728 or the "Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act" mandating all graduating students in grade school, high school, and college to plant at least 10 trees as a prerequisite for graduation.

Under the proposed measure, the trees shall be planted in forest lands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, urban areas under the greening plan of the local government units, inactive and abandoned mine sites, or other suitable lands.

The species of trees should also be appropriate to the location, climate and topography of the site.

Should it get enacted, the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, in partnership with other government agencies, are tasked to implement the policy.

The agencies will also spearhead the establishment of nurseries, production of seedlings, and identification and preparation of sites, as well as monitoring and evaluation, among others duties.
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.




CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jonathan Zamzok, DMD, FACP, was honored with the Private Practice Prosthodontist Award for the Northeast Region of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), covering the eastern coast of the United States from Maine to New Jersey. This award recognizes extraordinary collegiality, outreach and community service, highlighting the role a prosthodontist plays in advancing the quality of life for patients.

"For the past 35 years prosthodontics has been the focus of my day-to-day existence. This has included patient treatment, charitable works, as well as involvement with the ACP," said Dr. Zamzok. "It is truly fulfilling, as well as rewarding."

Dr. Zamzok received this award, in part, for the work his foundation has done in Chile, providing critical dental care to some of the poorest rural communities. He also maintains a group private practice in New York City, is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, where he teaches post-graduate prosthodontics and implant dentistry. Dr. Zamzok is an attending dentist at the New York Hospital, Queens.

"Not only well regarded by those he works with, Dr. Zamzok's patients also hold him in the highest esteem sighting his unflagging sense of empathy, kindness, caring and exquisite technical skills," said ACP Immediate Past President Dr. Robert M. Taft.

Dr. Zamzok is a Fellow of the ACP and a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics. He received his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, before going on to a general practice residency at Booth Memorial Medical Center. He received his specialty certificate in prosthodontics from New York University College of Dentistry.

About Prosthodontists

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the restoration and replacement of missing teeth and other oral or facial issues. Prosthodontists specialize in helping patients with implants, dentures and veneers, all the way to full mouth and jaw reconstructions.

About the ACP

The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is the only ADA recognized organization for the specialty of prosthodontics. Founded in 1970, the ACP is dedicated to advancing the art and science of prosthodontics and promoting the specialty to the public and dental professionals. For more information, consumers can visit GoToAPro.org and dental professionals can visit Prosthodontics.org.

Evan Summers

(312) 573-1260

[email protected]

SOURCE American College of Prosthodontists

Related Links

http://GoToAPro.org


Mogadishu, Dec 23 : The death toll in Saturday's twin car bombings near Somalia's presidential palace in capital Mogadishu has risen to 15 while several others were injured, officials said.

Mohamed Abdullahi Tulah, Deputy Governor of Mogadishu, who himself swas slightly injured in the blasts, told journalists that seven of his bodyguards were among 15 people who died in the attacks, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I can confirm that 15 people died in the blasts, seven of them were my security staff. There were also many civilians (who) lost their lives in the terror attacks," Tulah said.

A prominent journalist from the London-based Universal Television died in the twin blasts along with three of his colleagues.

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 Theatre in the vicinity of the presidential palace. A second explosion followed in the same area.

Witnesses said the explosions were so huge that they shook the whole place.

"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.

The militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks.
London, Dec 23 : Manchester United has defeated hosts Cardiff City 5-1 in caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game in the English Premier League.

A Marcus Rashford free-kick got United off to the perfect start during the match on Saturday, before Ander Herrera's 30-yard deflected thunderbolt doubled the Reds lead, Xinhua news agency reported.

Victor Camarasa pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after Rashford handled the ball in the box, before Martial made it 3-1 before the interval.

Jesse Lingard added a fourth from the spot early in the second half, before scoring the fifth in the stoppage time.

Solskjaer, who succeeded Jose Mourinho on Wednesday, was sacked as Cardiff City manager in 2014 after a disappointing spell, which included a relegation from the Premier League.
Paris, Dec 23 : The shooter, who killed five persons and injured 13 others in a Christmas market in France's Strasbourg city, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) terror group in a video, reports said.

The video was found on an USB key belonging to the 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, the BBC reported on Sunday.

Chekatt was shot dead, after a manhunt lasting two days, in the Neudorf-Meinau district of the city, two kilometres from where he shot passers-by and stabbed people on December 11.

After the attack, IS had claimed Chekatt was one of their "soldiers" but French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had cast doubt on that claim.

IS' self-styled news agency Amaq said Chekatt had "carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of coalition countries" fighting its militants in Syria and Iraq, the BBC reported.

Chekatt had a criminal record and was on the police watch list for radicalisation and potential security threat.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : In a year of unabated vitriol against liberal writers, historians and public intellectuals, books emerged as the avenue of expressing dissent and chronicling the trials and tribulations of the time -- threats to free speech, religious polarisation and rewriting of history.

As subjugation of fundamental rights became increasingly evident, key personalities and intellectuals debunked the failure of the ruling regime's much-touted agendas in several "book bombshells" that were released during the year.

The attacks on the creative community amidst a climate of intolerance, that had led to the "awardwapsi" campaign in 2015, continued this year even as those behind the gruesome murder of firebrand journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in September 2017 were yet to be brought to justice.

Her former husband Chidanand Rajghatta penned a book in her memory: "Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason", highlighting the life of the veteran journalist. The running theme throughout its pages, however, remained about the void that had been created since she was slain.

Malayalam novelist S. Hareesh and Goa's award-winning writer, Damodar Mauzo were among those who faced the brunt of hindutva elements. Both of them were hounded and received multiple death threats in August, leading to a massive hue and cry by the writing fraternity.

Such threats were coupled with social media trolling, and discrediting of noted writers such as Romila Thapar, Keki Daruwalla, Ramachandra Guha, and Arundhati Roy, among several others. Criticising the ruling dispensation came with a cost -- branding of career writers and historians as anti-nationals and urban Naxals.

However, even in the face of severe vitriol that came their way, leading writers lived up to their ideals and practised what they preached by penning down valuable books that will be recorded in the pages of history as the chronicles of these times. They talked about the shrinking space for public debate, the undermining of vital institutions, the fall of moderates and the rise of radicals.

Also came books on socio-political scenario in contemporary India and the agrarian crisis that grips the hinterlands.

Young Gurmehar Kaur made a stunning debut with the appropriately titled "Small Acts of Freedom" in January. The 20-year-old daughter of a Kargil war martyr was never brought up to be silenced and her courageous, yet subtle, book marked the onset of a literary movement to speak out in the face of coercion.

At a time when demonisation of Mughal emperors has become fashionable with the renaming of roads, cities and railway stations, came several books that showed how much of the venom being spewed today relied on little historical evidence. Similarly, while the ruling dispensation relishes in criticising Jawaharlal Nehru, the writing community presented evidence and historical records to suggest otherwise.

While these soft titles aimed at enlightening readers, there was equal music from books that targeted the ruling dispensation, and in particular Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose silence on rampant attacks on the creative community has irked its practitioners.

"Devil's Advocate" by veteran journalist Karan Thapar, "The Sarkari Mussalman" by Lt. Gen Zameeruddin Shah (retd) and "Memory in the age of Amnesia" by filmmaker Saeed Mirza travelled down memory lane to underline episodes that tarnish Modi's reputation. Some other such books reflected on his psyche, his functioning and authoritative nature.

Gyan Prakash's "Emergency Chronicles" highlighted that in Modi's India, citizens were witness to an unprecedented combination of state power and populist mobilisation in the name of development and the nation.

At the same time, the Opposition too built up a literary edifice of sorts as several of its prominent leaders such as Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and Salman Khurshid penned books highly critical of the Modi government, while former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was criticised for his silence during his two tenures, attended a record number of book launches, attacking Modi -- saying he may have been accused of keeping quiet, but he never shied away from talking to reporters, as Modi did since coming to power in 2014.

The Opposition leaders scrutinised Modi's actions and governance during the past four-and-a-half years, pointing out that the "Paradoxical Prime Minister" says something and but acts contrary to it. Numerous references were drawn from Modi's speeches to contend that there was a huge gap between the promise and the performance as well as the rhetoric and the reality.

And then came "Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy" in which former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian called the demonetisation a "massive draconian, monetary shock", removing all doubts of the failure on the much touted decision that had brought the nation to its knees two years ago.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha's soon-to-be-released "India Unmade: How Modi Government Broke The Economy", is a devastating essay on Modi and his government and is dedicated to "all those who are not afraid to pursue the truth".

Apart from political coercion by the regime, a new, insidious method of legal recourse was found, to go against authors and publishers. A slew of books were taken to courts this year for the silliest of reasons but the Supreme Court sent a ray of hope to the writing fraternity in August.

While hearing a plea seeking to omit certain parts of Malayalam novel "Meesha" by S. Hareesh, the top-court said that the culture of banning books impacts the free flow of ideas and should not be taken recourse to unless they are hit by Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code that prohibits obscenity.

In another positive sign, the Sahitya Akademi seemed on the cusp of revival under the able leadership of its President Chandrashekhar Kambar, who, unlike his predecessor, was not only forthcoming in his support to writers but was also vociferous in his condemnation of coercion.

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
Kabul, Dec 23 : A day after eight Taliban militants were killed in a clash with security forces in Herat province, a commander of the Afghan National Civil Order Police was killed in an ambush by the militants in Kunduz province on Sunday, police said.

Commander Shah Tawoos was on his way from Takhar to Kunduz when he faced the ambush in Chartoot area, Takhar police chief Abdul Bashir Rashid said.

Two guards were also killed and four others were wounded in the attack, Khaama Press reported.

Taliban has not yet commented on the attack.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest six seats while the BJP and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) will contest 17 seats each, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar under a seat-sharing formula, BJP President Amit Shah announced on Sunday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the JD-U also agreed to give a Rajya Sabha seat to LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

"The BJP and the JD-U will contest 17 seats each, while the LJP will contest six seats in Bihar in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," Shah said after an hour-long meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Paswan.

Shah said they have agreed to contest under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance would win more seats in Bihar in 2019 than it did in 2014.

He said a joint election campaign would be organised and a final draft to would be prepared by the state leaders of the NDA.

On the occasion Nitish Kumar said that the NDA would contest the elections strongly and would repeat the results of 2009 when the BJP and the JD-U contested together and won 32 out of 40 seats.

"We will jointly campaign and form the government at the Centre," Kumar said.

Paswan thanked the BJP leadership for a respectful agreement on the seat sharing and vowed to form the government at the Centre again.

"There were no issues in the alliance. Everything is alright. We will won election under Modiji's leadership," he said.

The seat sharing arrangement comes as a victory of sorts for the LJP, which had adopted an aggressive stance and was in no mood to compromise on its demands. The party had given an ultimatum to the BJP leadership to sort out the issue before December 31.

The agreement on the seats was finalised after several rounds of meetings and discussion among the allies.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley held discussions with Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan on Friday a day after LJP leaders met Shah and shared their concerns over the delay in holding talks over the seat sharing issue.

Of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP had won 22 out of 30 it contested while the LJP won six out of seven it contested in 2014.

Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), now a constituent of the United Progressive Alliance, had won all three seats it contested as part of the NDA alliance then.

The JD-U had bagged only two seats.

The NDA will take on the UPA, which is led by Rashtriya Janata Dal. The Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha led by former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the RLSP are its other constituents.
Guwahati, Dec 23 : The Himalayan region supports about 20 percent of the worlds population. But the ecologically fragile region, the storehouse of the third-highest amount of frozen water on earth, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Among the 12 states in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), Assam is found to be the most vulnerable to the changing climate, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DST) vulnerability assessment.

The study, "Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the Indian Himalayan Region Using a Common Framework", was done by the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology-Mandi in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, to help understand climate change vulnerabilities which could inform development of adaptation strategies and ecosystem management for the Himalayan region. The study was part of the Swiss-funded Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP).

The assessment is significant for India as a majority of its population is dependent on agriculture which requires water. The Himalayas are a source of many rivers which supply this water.

Bordering eight countries, the Himalayan mountain range is the tallest in the world. It covers an area of about 4.3 million square kilometres and nearly 1.5 billion people depend on it for water, food and energy. In India, the IHR spans across 12 states -- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and (hill districts of) West Bengal.

The vulnerability assessment was done on the basis of four major factors: Socio-economic, demographic status and health, the sensitivity of agricultural production, forest-dependent livelihoods and access to information services and infrastructure.

As per the assessment, the "vulnerability index is found to be the highest for Assam and Mizoram, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya and West Bengal, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand".

"Sikkim is the least vulnerable state," the assessment found.

The report, however, emphasised that "vulnerability is a relative measure, which means that this assessment does not portray Sikkim, Uttarakhand or Arunachal Pradesh as having a low vulnerability in an absolute sense".

"These states are least vulnerable relative to the other IHR states, and also have several inherent drivers of vulnerability that need to be addressed," the report said.

Measuring climate change vulnerability The study explained that states with low per capita income, low area under irrigation, low area under forests per 1,000 households and high area under open forests will receive a high vulnerability score.

"For example, Assam has the least area under irrigation, least forest area available per 1,000 rural households and the second lowest per capita income among the other IHR states, and thus scores the highest vulnerability score," the report observed.

For Mizoram, the report said that "the state has a very high sensitivity of agriculture sector along with poor connectivity, access to information and infrastructure".

"The state has seven major drivers of vulnerability - highest yield variability, no area under crop insurance, largest area under open forests, and largest area under slope (more than 30 percent as compared to other states. It also has the second lowest percentage area under irrigation and the third lowest road density among the 12 states," the study said.

It identified factors such as "least road density, no area under crop insurance, low area under forests per 1,000 rural households, high percentage of marginal farmers, low percentage area under horticulture crops, low livestock to human ratio and low percentage of women in the overall workforce" as drivers of vulnerability for Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, stating that Himachal Pradesh is an interesting case, the report said that "this is one of the rare states that is neither the best nor the worst" in terms of factors considered for calculating the vulnerability.

"Relatively high vulnerability arising out of lack of irrigation has been compensated by the fact that the yield variability of food grains is much lower in the state, leading to not so high sensitivity of agricultural production. Similarly, while per household availability of forest land is relatively lower in the state, there is no predominance of open forest. While the first lowers the adaptive capacity, the second leads to lower sensitivity, cancelling each other in a way," the report noted.

The study was supported by the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP), which is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). IHCAP is a bilateral programme between the government of Switzerland and the Indian government to support the implementation of India's National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE).

The NMSHE is part of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and aims to better understand the linkages between climate change and the Himalayan ecosystem for improved management of the fragile ecosystem.

Himalayas vital to ecological security of India In a message accompanying the report, India's environment minister Harsh Vardhan emphasised that "any impact in the Himalayas would mean an effect on the life of millions of people not only of India but also of entire subcontinent."

"The Himalayan ecosystem is vulnerable to the impacts and consequences of various climatic and non-climatic factors. These include changes on account of natural causes, climate change resulting from anthropogenic emissions and developmental pathways," Harsh Vardhan said.

The study highlighted that the Himalayan ecosystem is vital to the ecological security of the Indian landmass as it plays a crucial role in providing forest cover, feeding perennial rivers that are the source of drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower, conserving biodiversity, providing a rich base for high-value agriculture and spectacular landscapes for sustainable tourism.

But, as per the study, mountainous regions are one of the most fragile environments across the world and other preliminary studies reveal that the IHR will experience higher levels of climate change and its associated impacts.

(In arrangement with Mongabay.com, a source for environmental news reporting and analysis. The views expressed in the article are those of Mongabay.com. Feedback: gopi@mongabay.com)
New Delhi, Dec 23 : In view of the widespread abuse of draconian provisions in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in certain "disturbed" areas, there is an acute need for "transitional justice" in India, argues a professor at the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Sonipat, Haryana.

"Whether transitional justice should happen alongside AFSPA or only once AFSPA is repealed/withdrawn is an ongoing debate, but definitely the need for transitional justice is acute in the country," Y.S.R. Murthy, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Studies, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), told IANS in an email interview.

In a transitional justice framework -- which complements criminal prosecutions through a series of non-judicial processes -- the focus, while being on victims, is also on healing and reconciliation.

Earlier in December, The Centre for Human Rights Studies and the Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems of JGLS organised a consultation on "Potential Transitional Justice Framework for Manipur".

At the centre of the discussion was an investigation into as many as 1,528 alleged cases of extra-judicial killings in the troubled northeastern state.

The Supreme Court in 2017 set up a Special Investigation Team comprising CBI officers and ordered registration of FIRs and investigation into the alleged extra-judicial killings in the state.

The court had ordered the registration of FIRs in 81 cases, including 32 probed by a Commission of Inquiry, 32 investigated by judicial authorities, 11 in which compensation was awarded and six probed by a Commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde.

The investigation followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed jointly by Imphal-based Extra Judicial Execution Victims' Families Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert.

"Several states of India have experienced prolonged conflicts. These areas end up fostering a culture of impunity due to, among other reasons, the application of laws such as AFSPA and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," said Murthy, who earlier served in the National Human Rights Commission of India in various capacities for over 12 years.

"The result is a deep mistrust between the State and its citizens, who fall between the cracks of the conflict and who often end up in a cross-fire between security forces and militants," he added.

Underlining the importance of transitional justice in India, the professor said that gross human rights violations, both by security forces and armed groups, create a situation where effective transition to lasting peace becomes difficult.

"Further, India has signed important international conventions against torture and enforced disappearances, but it has still not ratified them. This has huge ramifications for enjoyment of human rights in 'disturbed areas' such as Manipur and Kashmir," Murthy said.

Widespread dialogue done in good faith with active participation of the government is a critical prerequisite for bringing in any transitional justice framework into action.

"I believe that National Human Rights Commission India and other human rights institutions can be key to bringing such a framework into reality," he said, adding that few components of transitional justice were adopted by civil society organisations in the past, but the government has not yet adopted this mechanism.

To improve its record on human rights protection, India should also implement the constitutional guarantees and other laws and strengthen institutional machinery to protect human rights, Murthy added.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Commitments to climate actions have been made by more than 9,000 cities from 128 countries, around 240 states and regions from over 40 countries and more than 6,000 businesses in 120 countries representing $36 trillion, says a UN yearbook for 2018.

Making commitments is only the first step towards the transformations necessary to achieve the Paris climate goals, says "Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2018" released by the UN Climate Change secretariat on the margins of the just concluded UN climate change conference in Poland, known as COP24.

It takes stock of progress -- from all levels of government, the private sector and civil society -- towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

With the Trump administration rolling out its proposal for scrapping former President Barack Obama's climate change regulations, many non-party stake-holders have taken a leadership role and made new or renewed commitments on climate change, says the yearbook.

The impact of these individual commitments alone is significant compared to current national (party) policies, potentially reducing emissions to at least halfway to meeting the original US commitment under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In India, current national policies have set the country on a path to achieving nationally determined contributions or NDCs. So, full implementation of commitments by non-party stake-holders in India could bring emissions below the levels mentioned in the country's NDC, it says.

The additional impacts of individual commitments in China, EU, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and South Africa are small compared to the current national policies scenario.

In Russia, no cities, regions or companies have reported quantifiable individual commitments.

In China, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa, emission reductions from cooperative initiatives would bring emissions in 2030 to below the NDC trajectory for each country.

If the cooperative initiatives are fully implemented in the EU, emissions would be close to the EU's NDC target.

Participation in cooperative agreements could bring emission levels in each of Indonesia, Mexico and Japan to approximately meet their NDC target.

Praising the non-party stake-holders in stepping up climate actions, the yearbook says many individual cities, regions and companies have made new or more ambitious commitments, covering areas such as greenhouse gas emission reductions; purchasing renewable energy or electric vehicles; and divesting from or stopping coal investments.

The number of corporations committing to use 100 per cent renewable power has continued to grow, with Sony, Grupo Bimbo and Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India among the more than 150 companies now signed up to RE 100.

The total renewables demand from these companies is now equivalent to the power needed by a medium-sized country such as Thailand.

The EV100 initiative has expanded geographically, now bringing together more than 20 companies in China, Europe, India, Japan, Oceania and North America committed to making electric transport the new normal.

The EP100 initiative has also seen substantial growth, with more than 30 companies now committed to making smarter use of energy.

This includes new joiners from heavy-emitting sectors, such as Ultratech Cement, Sasol and Mahindra Heavy Engines Ltd.

"Climate change remains a growing, existential threat. We were given stark warnings of this in 2018 from scientists in the Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius report of the International Panel on Climate Change and from nature in the form of record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events," says UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa.

"Are we doing enough? The answer is clearly, no. We need to commit to urgent, increasingly ambitious global climate action," she said in her foreword.
Visakhapatnam, Dec 23 : Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday embarked on a mission to cobble up a Federal Front, halting at this port city in Andhra Pradesh to worship at a temple and seek blessings of a seer.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, along with his family members left Hyderabad in a special aircraft. After landing at Visakhapatnam Airport, they drove to Sharada Peetham.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and his family members performed special prayers at Rajasyamala Temple. They later took the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra.

KCR will leave for Bhubaneswar in the evening and call on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After a night halt in the Odisha capital, KCR will visit the Konark Temple and Jagannadha Temple on Monday and later leave for Kolkata, where he will call on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

After a meeting with Banerjee, the Telangana Chief Minister will visit Kalimata Temple. Subsequently, he will leave for New Delhi, where he will have separate meetings with former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his two-three day stay in the national capital, the TRS chief will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will have meetings with some central ministers and discuss state related issues.

KCR, who led TRS to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in December, has announced that he will focus on national politics to work for cobbling up an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

After the electoral victory on December 11, he had stated that a consortium of regional parties may emerge soon.

The TRS chief, who plans to visit various states, has hired the special aircraft for one month.
Managua, Dec 23 : Nicaraguan police shut down operations at a major TV network and arrested the owner, accusing him of instigating hate and violence in the country, officials said.

The Nicaraguan broadcaster is one of the few independent news networks in the country. Its journalists have continuously covered the country's political turmoil since waves of anti-government protests and crackdowns erupted in April and hundreds of people were killed.

Law enforcement raided the headquarters of 100% Noticias here late on Friday and took several people into custody, including the broadcaster's owner and director, Miguel Mora, and news director Lucia Pineda, CNN reported.

Mora appeared in court on Saturday and has been formally accused of "fostering and instigating hate and violence" in the country, according to an attorney with the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights representing Mora.

Pineda's whereabouts remain unknown, her colleagues told CNN. "I demand his (physical) integrity and his release from custody because he's innocent," Mora's wife Veronica Chavez, who is also a journalist, told reporters on Saturday.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital is all set to start surgeries using robotic technology in the Urology Department from January 2019 onwards, with the aim to increase the number of treatments in OTs.

"Currently we conduct two-three surgeries in a day. But with the introduction of robotic surgery, we will be able to finish four-five surgeries. This will help us reduce the burden of long pending cases," Anup Kumar, Doctor and Professor in the Urology Department, Safdarjung Hospital told IANS.

Currently, the hospital is using the '3D laparoscopy' technology for conducting urology surgeries.

While in a conventional procedure, surgeons have to make a cut to access internal organs, robotic surgery is performed making three small holes -- through one hole a camera is inserted for 3D vision and the other two holes help the surgeon operate using instruments held by robotic arms.

According to Anup Kumar, the robotic surgical procedure reduces the duration of the operation and the chances of risk of error as a surgeon only has to manoeuvre the robotic arms using a command centre with a 3D screen that looks like a computer.

He also claimed that Safdarjung Hospital is the only government-run hospital to conduct OTs with robotic surgery.

"The cost of establishment of robotic surgery procedures is very tough. There are private hospitals which conduct robotic surgeries and the cost is approximately Rs 4-5 lakh, while here at Safdarjung a patient below poverty line gets it done without any payment while those admitted in private wards will have to pay a subsidised amount," Anup Kumar said.
: Vehicles are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten province, in Indonesia, Dec. 23, 2018. The total casualty of a ... Image Source: Xinhua/Veri Sanovri/IANS

PANDEGLANG, Dec. 23, 2018 - Vehicles are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten province, in Indonesia, Dec. 23, 2018. The total casualty of a tsunami triggered ... Image Source: Xinhua/Veri Sanovri/IANS

Jakarta, Dec 23 : The death toll from the tsunami triggered by volcano eruption in Indonesia rose to 222, and over 800 people were injured, Xinhua reported quoting officials on Sunday.

The catastrophe has killed 222 people, while 843 others were injured and 28 people missing, media reports quoted Indonesia's national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho as saying.

The number is expected to increase, according to the spokesman.
Kolkata, Dec 23 : West Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress on Sunday termed the Bharatiya Janata Party as "anti-people" and said the party's state leadership is busy courting controversies to be in the news instead of thinking about people's issues and betterment of Bengal.

"The BJP does not talk about people's issues. They are busy making controversial statements sitting in air-conditioned room to stay in news," Trinamool Congress secretary General Partha Chatterjee said.

"They are not saying or doing anything for the betterment of Bengal and its people. Nor do they have anything to say against the anti-people policies by the Centre. They are only making destructive comments. These should not be carried as news," he alleged.

On state BJP leadership's claim to move the Supreme Court, following the Calcutta High Court's division bench decision on the party's proposed Rath-Yatra in Bengal, Chatterjee said the saffron outfit will not be able to win the people's hearts in Bengal no matter what it does.

State BJP leader Dilip Ghosh had earlier accused the Mamata Banerjee government of trying to stop BJP's progress in Bengal at any cost and warned that the law and order situation would "further deteriorate if their party is stopped forcibly".

"The Trinamool Congress is trying to stop BJP at any cost. They are using the police to stop us. But if they think that they would be able to forcibly stop BJP, they are making a mistake. If they do not stop these activities, law and order situation the entire state will deteriorate," Ghosh said.

Refuting the allegation, the Trinamool leader said Bengal's law and order situation is much better than certain other states in the country and urged the local media to boycott the BJP leaders, who are trying impede Bengal's development "There is no law and order problem in West Bengal. It is not the state where police officers are shot dead or innocent men are burnt alive. Bengal is keeping the environment of peace and harmony alive under the current regime. They are trying to impede the ongoing development. Media should boycott such people," Chatterjee added.
Ghaziabad, Dec 23 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid tributes and unveiled the statue of late Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his 116th birth anniversary in Patla town here on Sunday.

Addressing farmers, the CM said that he is a true follower of the farmer leader, and after coming to power in UP, he had waived off farm loans of Rs. 36,000 crore.

The UP Government had given recognition to selected farmers for their achievements relating to crop production, he added.

The Chief Minister said that under BJP rule, criminals have fled the state and all communities are feeling safe.

He declared that no community should be worried as his government is wholly responsible for their safety.

Observed as Kisan Divas in Patla, the birth anniversary celebrations were attended by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ghaziabad MP and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh.

Adityanath also inaugurated 20 developmental projects worth Rs. 310 crore here, including a degree college in Sara village in Modinagar for which a grant of Rs. 176 crore has been sanctioned.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh, who is the local MP from Baghpat, requested Adityanath to take action against Modi Sugar Mill owner Umesh Kumar Modi for not paying the previous year's dues to sugarcane farmers.

The farmers groups presented a memorandum to the CM in which they requested him to mount pressure on Modi Sugar Mill to clear the dues, running into several hundreds of crore of rupees.

The Chief Minister assured the farmers that he will look after their interests.
Jasdan (Gujarat), Dec 23 : The BJP came up trumps and touched the 100-seat mark in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly by capturing the Jasdan seat in the Saurashtra region from the Congress in a by-election, the result of which was declared on Sunday.

For the BJP winner, Kunwarji Bavalia, it was a cakewalk. He retained the seat which he had won in 2017 as a Congress candidate. It was his quitting the Congress earlier that necessitated the by-election on December 20.

Bavalia won by almost 20,000 votes defeating Congress' Avsar Nakia, once his campaign manager.

Bavaliya had quit the Congress because he was denied the leader of the Opposition post, which is an equivalent to a Cabinet minister, and the ruling BJP made him a cabinet minister hours after he joined it.

The Jasdan election became a prestige fight for both the BJP and Congress, particularly after the ruling party's rout in the recently concluded elections to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections.

After the by-poll result was declared on Sunday, Bavaliya, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP president Jitu Vaghani described it as good tidings for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"That the Congress is gaining ground in the Saurashtra region has proved as a myth. The BJP is still in the hearts of the people of Gujarat and we will repeat the 2014 performance by winning all the 26 lok Sabha seats in the state," Rupani said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted on the Jasdan by-poll thanking the voters for reposing their faith in the developmental politics of the BJP.

State Congress leaders accused the BJP of misusing the government machinery to win the seat and claimed that the outcome of a by-poll did not necessarily reflect the mood of the people.
New York, Dec 23 : Following the massive #MeToo movement, around 50 million Google searches on sexual harrasment, reporting and prevention of such behaviour were recorded in the US during October 2017 to June 2018, a US study suggests.

The study found that sexual harassment and assault searches were 86 per cent higher than expected from October 15 in 2017 to June 15 in 2018, reaching a record high.

An estimated 40-54 million Google searches for sexual harassment and assault were recorded in the US in the eight months after public accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein and the ensuing #MeToo movement, according to the researchers, including John W. Ayers from the University of California, San Diego.

For the study, the research team monitored the volume of Google searches originating from the US that were indicative of sexual harassment and assault awareness from January 1, 2010, through June 15, 2018.

They further monitored the subset of these searches that focused on seeking resources for reporting of sexual harassment and assault and preventive training.

The search volumes were provided as a ratio of all Google searches (per 10 million), thereby adjusting for changes in Google usage over time, suggested the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The team found that searches related to reporting and preventive training for sexual harassment and assault were 30 per cent higher and 51 per cent higher than predicted.

On October 15, 2017, following the public accusations of sexual harassment and assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged victims to bring the taboo topic out of the shadows by sharing their own stories on social media.

#MeToo was tweeted 300,000 times the day after Milano's post and generated widespread support with scores of accusations made against media, political, and business leaders, giving voice to previously unheard victims.

In India, the #MeToo movement began this year after Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment.
Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 : TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said there was a need for unifying regional parties in the country, as he met BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Both the leaders met at Naveen Niwas, residence of Naveen Patnaik, to build a consensus on brining regional parties together.

"There is a dire need for the unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to BJP and Congress," said Rao.

He said they have just begun the dialogue.

"It is certain that the country needs a change, qualitative change for which dialogue has begun. We are making our efforts. However, nothing has come out concrete now," said the TRS president.

"We have just begun the dialogue. We need to talk with more leaders. We just started the dialogue and we will meet again to discuss how to take things forward. There is a need to talk to some more people," said Rao.

On allegations that he is the B-team of BJP, the TRS president said that it is the big joke of the country.

"Narendra Modi in Hyderabad said I am the B-team of Congress while Sonia and Rahul (Gandhi) alleged me as the B-team of BJP," said the Telangana Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "We discussed several things including friendship among the like-minded parties."

Telangana Chief Minister said he supports the move of Odisha Chief Minister on 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

He also praised Naveen Patnaik for his recent KALIA scheme for farmers and other social welfare schemes.
Imphal, Dec 23 : Leader of Manipur's insurgent group, the Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group), Oinam Ibochouba, was brought by air from Delhi to Imphal on Sunday, police sources said.

Security was tight at the Imphal International Airport and other areas from where the rebel leader would be taken to an Imphal police station.

Police sources said Ibochouba was arrested from Delhi by a combined team of the state and Delhi Police on August 28.

Ibochouba had allegedly posted some messages in the social media threatening to assassinate Manipur Chief minister N. Biren.

Officials said Ibochouba hails from Thanga islet in Bishnupur district. However, he was staying in a house at Ningthoukhong, also in Bishnupur. Police said soon after posting the death threat, he had fled fearing arrest.

Police said the accused will be interrogated in connection with some cases pending in Manipur.
Washington, Dec 24 : US President Donald Trump has announced that Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been appointed acting Pentagon chief.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments," Trump tweeted on Sunday, the BBC reported. "He (Shanahan) will be great!" the President added.

Shanahan will take over on 1 January, an earlier date than expected.

The move follows the resignation of James Mattis, who hinted at policy differences with Trump when he stepped down on Friday.

Mattis, 68, said the President had the right to appoint someone "whose views are better aligned with yours".

Mattis had been expected to leave the job in February, but on Sunday it was reported that the President had been considering removing him early.

Shortly after announcing Shanahan's appointment, Trump shared details of a "productive call" he had had with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

Trump said the pair had discussed "our mutual involvement in Syria, and the slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal of US troops from the country.

Mattis resigned shortly after President Trump announced the decision to withdraw all troops from Syria.

While not mentioning it in his resignation letter directly, he is understood to oppose the decision and has previously warned that an early withdrawal would be a "strategic blunder".
Baghdad, Dec 24 : An Iraqi government security body held a meeting on Sunday chaired by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, to discuss security issues including the withdrawal of US forces from the neighbouring Syria.

The National Security Council "confirmed that the government is carrying out its duties to protect the country and take precautions to prevent any possible consequences for the (US) decision," according to Abdul Mahdi's office statement, Xinhua reported.

Abdul Mahdi, who is also commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, asserted on "intensifying efforts by our heroic forces to prevent any terrorist attempt by Daesh (Islamic State group) gang," it added.

The Iraqi National Security Council, established in 2004, is a body in charge of coordinating Iraq's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy.

The meeting came a day after Abdul Mahdi held a phone call with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who explained the details of the scheduled pullout from Syria.

Pompeo also confirmed that the US is still committed to fighting the Islamic State (IS) and terrorism in Iraq and other areas, according to a statement issued Saturday by Abdul Mahdi's office.

The meeting also came days after US President Donald Trump declared a plan to withdraw all US troops from Syria, citing the full defeat of IS militants in the country.

These troops were part of a US-led coalition which has been fighting and conducting airstrikes against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria.
Ram Sareen of Tukatech & Marta Miller of Lefty Production Co. Tukatech helps us achieve our goals and delight our clients. We couldn't ask for a better technology partner.

Tukatech, a leading global apparel technology solutions provider and Lefty Production Co., top full package service provider, have collaborated to open a state-of-the-art TUKAcenter in downtown Los Angeles, California. Tukatech Founder, Ram Sareen joined Marta Miller, Founder of Lefty Production Co., in a commemorative ribbon cutting ceremony of their new laser cutter and to officially launch Lefty Production Co. Los Angeles TUKAcenter.

Lefty Production Co. is a one-stop shop design house, apparel and accessories manufacturer. We work with designers, fashion brands, and retailers of all varieties and sizes, and Tukatechs software and hardware solutions benefits all of them. Our highest priority is ensuring our clients get the best possible products and the best possible service, on time. Tukatech helps us achieve our goals and delight our clients. We couldn't ask for a better technology partner, says Marta Miller.

Lefty Production Co. will continue to offer full-package services, such as design, product development, and cutting/sewing, utilizing the most advanced Tukatech solutions. As part of the new offerings, the facility offers complete pattern-making, grading and marker-making using TUKAcad and SMARTmark, virtual sampling using TUAK3D (eliminating physical samples), sample cutting with the TUKAcut laser cutter, production cutting and sewing, and cloud collaboration and asset management with TUKAcloud. The factory is centrally located in the downtown Los Angeles Fashion District and open to fashion businesses of all sizes.

The purpose of our TUKAcenters is to allow smaller manufactures, independent fashion designers, freelance pattern-makers, graders, marker-makers or anyone else who wants to design clothes to walk in and allow fashion industry experts to assist and guide the way, explains Ram Sareen. Marta has done an amazing job in providing services to the industry and we feel that this partnership will allow her business to excel and give her customers an amazing experience.

About Lefty Production Co.: Lefty Production Co. is a one-stop shop design house, apparel and accessories manufacturer, and Madein-the-USA fashion factory based in the heart of Los Angeles. We guide new and established clothing and accessory lines through sketching and design, fabric and trim sourcing, labels and branding, pattern and sample making, duplicates, fittings, pattern revisions, marking and grading, cutting, production and packing.

About Tukatech, Inc.: Tukatech is the garment and apparel industry's leading provider of fashion technology solutions. Founded in 1995 by garment-industry veteran Ram Sareen, Tukatech offers award-winning 2D pattern making, grading, and marker making software, automated marker making software, 3D sample making/virtual prototyping software, as well as garment plotters, and automatic spreaders and cutters for production. All systems include unlimited training, consulting, process engineering, and implementation of our technologies. The capability of Tukatechs technology remains unparalleled in the fashion industry.
New Zealands road toll is already the highest it's been since 2010.

Reducing the speed limit to 80 km/h and eliminating many road deaths is the 'simple solution' espoused by the experts, but it's not the one resonating with drivers.



Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew Wilson discusses where and when the most speed deaths occur.
By Paul Sperry, RealClearInvestigations

John Huber has developed almost mythical status among pro-Trump tweeters since former Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed him to investigate why the FBI spied on Trumps aides and whether they protected Hillary Clinton and her foundation over alleged misdeeds. They hoped the Salt Lake City-based prosecutor would aggressively expose the malfeasance that has already led to firings and resignations among the bureaus top brass.

Instead, more than a year since his appointment, Hubers lack of traction on either front is leading many once hopeful supporters to dismiss his investigation as a sham."

The Clinton Foundation is heard from; whistleblowers less so, critics say.

RealClearInvestigations has learned from potential witnesses, their lawyers and others close to the investigations, that Huber has not impaneled a federal grand jury to subpoena witnesses or hear evidence.

They are puzzled as to why he has failed to interview key witnesses  such as disgraced FBI officials and Trump advisers targeted by them, as well as Clinton Foundation whistleblowers -- who could shed light on whether FBI and Justice Department officials misused their power when they obtained spy warrants to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page; or whether such officials turned a blind eye to millions of dollars in foreign Clinton Foundation donations influencing Clintons official decisions as secretary of state. Even when whistleblowers have reached out to Huber, offering reams of evidence, his office has not followed up, they say.

While some witnesses and their attorneys complain hes not doing his job, some critics who once had high hopes for Huber now suspect he was never expected to. They say Hubers appointment was always political, that the Justice Department had no interest in exposing its own corruption and named this longtime department official to mollify Republicans who clamored for the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate FBI and Justice activities under the Obama administration.

At the time, people wanted a special counsel, but Jeff Sessions announced he brought in Huber and people said, OK, we got Huber on it,  former Justice Department prosecutor Victoria Toensing said. But it was a head fake.

Now a private attorney in Washington, Toensing represents a whistleblower in the so-called Uranium One scandal, who she says still has not been contacted by Huber. Her client, Doug Campbell, an FBI informant who claims to have evidence that Clinton helped Russians secure U.S.-based uranium rights in a quid pro quo for large donations to her familys foundation and speaking fees for former President Bill Clinton from the Russian company at the heart of the deal.

He should have contacted Doug Campbell within the first two months of being assigned by Sessions to look into the 2010 uranium deal, Toensing said.

Its a farce, she added. "Its an embarrassment how this has been handled.

Hubers office would not speak directly to the complaints, but asserted that his inquiry is active and ongoing.

Two other Clinton Foundation whistleblowers reached out numerous times to Hubers office, starting in April, and offered to turn over 6,000 pages of evidence, only to get the silent treatment for several months before finally hearing back after Republican leaders supporting the expert witnesses made a stink about the snub on Fox News.

Private financial-crimes investigators Lawrence Doyle and John Moynihan say they got no response after sending evidence of alleged foundation tax fraud, misappropriation of funds and pay-for-play schemes to Salt Lake City by mail in April and again in May. After hearing nothing back, they followed up and were told the materials had been lost." So they re-sent them by FedEx in October. But again, they heard nothing. Then, finally, they received a call on Nov. 30 from an assistant U.S. attorney there, who said he would review" the material.

Its disappointing it took that long, said Moynihan, a former Justice official.

Rep. Mark Meadows: Huber doesn't testify.

Just days earlier, GOP congressional leaders had called Huber to testify and give them a progress report on his work at a hearing originally scheduled for Dec. 5. Republicans are suspicious of the timing. The hearing was rescheduled without Huber.

I find it just very coincidental that on Nov. 30  a few days before the hearing [and] after they had been noticed that we wanted them to come and testify -- all of a sudden, they would start following up, said House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Mark Meadows.

Huber ultimately balked at the invitation, reportedly because he would have to appear with the ignored whistleblowers. He was never scheduled to testify, House Oversight spokeswoman Amanda Gonzalez Thompson confirmed.

The Clinton Foundation probe isnt the only case where Huber appears to be dragging his feet.

Sessions told Congress he also tasked Huber with looking into whether FBI investigators and Justice lawyers misled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court by making deliberate misrepresentations about evidence presented against Page, whom they targeted as a Russian agent." Allegations include omitting material facts and exculpatory evidence undermining their probable-cause case.

For instance, they never told judges that their application relied heavily on a dossier of anti-Trump opposition research funded by the Clinton campaign. Recently revealed emails show then-FBI Director James Comey raised concerns about the reliability of the unverified dossier before he signed the initial application for the FISA warrant in October 2016.

Page, who denies the allegations, says he has not been contacted by Hubers office.

Never heard anything from Utah, he said in an interview.

In fact, Page added, I have spoken with no federal law enforcement officials this year.

In addition, Huber has yet to interview a key Justice official involved in the surveillance activities.

Republicans say demoted Justice official Bruce Ohr recently testified to Congress that hes not been interviewed by Huber about his contacts with FBI officials while they were surveilling Trump aides before and after the 2016 presidential election. Nor has his wife, Nellie Ohr, who worked on the dossier used to support wiretap warrants, according to his testimony.

Meadows sent a letter to Sessions demanding Huber interview Bruce Ohr about his connection to the bureaus process in obtaining the wiretap. The Republican leader says the FBI used Ohr as a back channel for dossier information. He followed up with another letter in October asking for an update on Hubers progress.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz: overlapping inquiries.

Defenders say what appears to be slow progress may be a function of Huber having to wait on Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is conducting his own investigation into the departments mishandling of the Clinton and Trump probes. They point out that Huber is shadowing Horowitzs slow-moving probe and lending any prosecutorial support he sees fit to provide. Inspectors general do not have the power to subpoena outside witnesses and compel testimony, or convene grand juries and seek indictments.

I am surprised by witnesses saying that they have not been contacted. And there has been no public indications of his use of grand juries or other powers, said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, who thought appointing Huber instead of a special counsel would bring faster results. But that may reflect a priority given to the investigation by Horowitz [because] he had the experience and evidence going into the investigation."

He also noted that Huber may be avoiding overlap with Horowitzs lines of inquiry.

Some witnesses have already given statements to other investigators, and there may be less of a need for re-interviews, Turley added.

However, neither Page nor Ohr has heard from investigators from Horowitzs office, either.

The lack of movement by the inspector general surprises colleagues.

Michael Horowitz assured me last summer he would have additional reports (including regarding the alleged FISA abuses), but theres still no sign of them, former State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard said.

Im disappointed, he added. "I dont know what is holding them up."

Horowitzs office declined comment. But Hubers insisted he is still conducting his inquiry.

"Mr. Huber was asked to evaluate certain issues and report directly to the attorney general and the deputy attorney general, as appropriate, Melodie Rydalch, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office in Salt Lake City, told RCI. "His review is ongoing."

Asked why key figures have gone unquestioned and what areas of investigation he has pursued, she said, "It would be inappropriate for us to comment on the scope or findings of his review.

Rydalch also declined to provide details about the size of Hubers team and budget, though he is said to marshal several senior federal prosecutors.

Hubers appointment came late last year after the chairmen of judiciary committees on the Hill repeatedly called for a second special counsel to investigate Uranium One and alleged surveillance abuses. Sessions said he designated Huber in November 2017 to look into the matters and see if one was necessary.

Departing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

In a March 29 letter to the GOP congressional leaders, Sessions said he was confident Huber would conduct a full, complete and objective evaluation of these matters. He pointed to his skills as a prosecutor and to his location 2,000 miles from Washington, where he could operate far removed from Beltway politics and conflicts.

But critics say Huber is, in fact, a typical government insider. An Obama holdover who was also very close to Sessions, Huber previously led the attorney general offices national security section in Washington and was the executive assistant attorney general. And some question his chops as a prosecutor, citing several bungled white-collar and public corruption cases that his office opened in Utah, though others are quick to credit Huber with recent reductions in violent crime in the state.

Hes an establishment Justice Department career person, whos not going to take any strong action against what went on at the FBI and Justice, former Justice prosecutor Larry Klayman said.

Toensing noted an inherent conflict in Huber reporting his findings to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who signed one of the warrant renewals for wiretapping Page. Others note that Huber may have a local conflict in the Uranium One matter, since the Russian deal involved uranium mining interests located in his state.

Rod signed one of the FISA applications and is potentially a co-conspirator in the FISA abuse. Why would Huber report anything back to him thats embarrassing on the FISA front? It makes no sense, she said. The whole thing is corrupt and cries out for a special counsel.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton agreed, arguing the FBI and Justice cant be expected to investigate themselves, even with an outside-the-Beltway prosecutor leading the investigation.

Huber was a distraction to ease pressure for a second special counsel, he said, adding that Sessions used sleight of hand in crafting his letter to Congress. Technically, he explained, Huber had a mandate from Sessions only to investigate the investigations, not the underlying allegations.

Huber wasnt tapped to investigate anything, Fitton said. "He was tasked to investigate whether to investigate.

Fitton said he intends to FOIA Justice for the regular updates that Sessions said he was getting from Huber.

Once Democrats take back control of the House, they will have little interest in pressuring Huber to keep them in the loop on what are Obama-era scandals.

That leaves the Senate.

While the Senate Judiciary Committee told RCI it has not received "any updates" from Hubers office or Justice about his work, it plans to continue its oversight as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) takes the gavel from longtime Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in January.

Theres no imminent plan for Huber to testify, said committee spokesman George Hartmann. But Sens. Grassley and Graham have worked closely on oversight issues over the last two years, and I wouldnt expect either of them to forget about it."
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The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably won the bypoll from Jasdan assembly seat in Gujarat on Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100.

IMAGE: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and BJP supporters celebrate the win of BJP leader Kunvarji Bavaliya in Jasdan assembly by-polls, in Gandhinagar. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo

BJP candidate and minister Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya not only retained the assembly seat in Rajkot district, which he had won for the Congress in 2017, but also increased his victory margin.

With this, the BJP now has 100 seats in the Gujarat legislative assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76 in the 182-member House.

The saffron outfit, which is ruling Gujarat for over two decades now, had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress bagged 77 seats.

Bavaliya secured 90,262 votes as against 70,283 polled for Nakiya, officials said.

Besides them, six other candidates were also in the fray.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said.

The bypoll was held on December 20 and the counting took place on Sunday.

The Jasdan by-poll had become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just-held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Bavaliya, who quit as assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

In 2017, Bavaliya had defeated BJP candidate Bharat Boghara by a margin of 9,277 votes.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Speaking after the result was announced, Bavaliya thanked the Jasdan voters, his friends from the Congress who supported him after he joined the BJP, the saffron outfit's leadership and its workers for the bypoll victory.

Bavaliya, who won the Jasdan seat for the sixth time, said he will take up people-centric issues.

This is the victory of the people of this area and also efforts of Chief Minister (Vijay) Rupani, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani and others friends, and my former Congress colleagues who supported me after I joined BJP, and all small, big party workers who worked for me, he said.

We will take up issues affecting the people of this area and ensure its overall development, he said.

As per election rules, Bavaliya was required to get elected to the assembly within six months of resigning to continue as a minister.

As soon as the result was announced, BJP leaders, including Rupani, gathered at the partys state headquarters in Gandhinagar to celebrate.

Rupani said, After results of three states, Congress was spreading many lies in Jasdan out of over-enthusiasm. Kunvarjibhai had won by over 9,000 votes last time. This time is a bigger margin, showing that both BJP and Congress voters voted for the lotus (BJPs poll symbol).

Rupani said the BJPs win in Jasdan, which constitutes mainly rural areas, shows farmers are with the ruling party.

Kunvarjis victory by such a huge margin shows that all sections of Jasdan, including farmers, have trusted BJP. People have endorsed the works of the BJPs central and state governments. Congress gave false promise in the name of farmers, the chief minister said.

Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member who once worked closely with Bavaliya in the Congress, expressed his gratitude to those who voted for him.

I express my gratitude to people from different communities who voted for me, he said, while not rejecting the possibility of electronic voting machines being tampered.

However, state Congress president Amit Chavda accepted his partys defeat in the bypoll.

I thank people of Jasdan for their love and support. We accept our defeat with humility. We will continue to raise the voice of farmers and people in the assembly as well as on the streets. Thanks to all @INCGujarat workers and leaders who worked tirelessly during election campaign, Chavda tweeted.

While Nakiya contested an assembly poll for the first time, Bavaliya had won from the seat, which has 2.32 lakh registered voters, five times in the past as the Congress candidate -- in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.

Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won Jasdan only once -- in the by-election of 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajkot.
Infamous tandoor case convict Sushil Sharma had tears in his eyes as he prayed at the Lodhi Road Sai Temple on Sunday.

I believe in Sai Baba and goddess Durga. I would pray everyday to God and that gave me the hope during my time in jail. Now I have plans to visit Shirdi, said Sharma, a former youth Congress leader said after paying obeisance at the temple.

Sharma walked out a free man from Tihar Jail on Friday night after serving close to 23 years for killing his wife Naina Sahni and then trying to dispose of her body in a tandoor in 1995 at the roof of erstwhile 4-star hotel Ashok Yatri Niwas, now Royal Plaza, at Ashok Road in the heart of the capital.

I also wanted to go to Vaishno Devi with my parents but they are now quite aged and wont be able to travel, he said.

He said his life is a clean slate at this moment and the feeling that he is out of the jail has not yet sunk in.

My life is a clean slate now and I have to write my A, B, C, Ds afresh, he averred.

Sharma, who will be celebrating his 60th birthday on January 24 as a free bird, said his focus now is to serve his aged parents, who have suffered for no fault of theirs.

Every day, before going to bed, my father, who is now 85, would think, Will I be able to see my son walk out of the jail while I am still alive?

My younger brother, who was a first-year student of the Hindu College, died in a road accident in 1978. It was a double tragedy for my family when I was also sentenced. I want to spend maximum time with them as they have gone through a lot despite not being at fault, he said.

Sharma said after he settles his parents, he wants to counsel young couples who are about to get married.

He added that as he looks back, he realises that it was his possessive nature that spelt doom for his marital relationship.

I admit it was my mistake and I had to suffer for it. In the process, one person lost (her) life and the others life was similar to death. I have thought about what happened that moment (when he killed Sahni) and what actually led to it and I have learnt my lessons, Sharma said, while standing outside the temple, with a lump in his throat.

Recalling the time he spent in jail, he said he had decided he would commit suicide when he first entered Tihar.

I was used to a lavish life style before the incident. I had never thought I would go to jail. On the first day in Tihar, I met a DDA official, who was in prison for a dowry harassment case. He asked me, How are you? I told him I was not feeling well and dont feel like living anymore.

He advised me to chant Gayatri Mantra one-and-a-half crore times and and keep a count of it. I started chanting it everyday and after five years, when I counted, I realised I had chanted it almost five crore times, he said.

Sharma said apart from the Gayatri Mantra, his vipassana sessions too helped him fight the depression. He said vipassana is now a part of his daily routine and he does it every morning and evening and recalls all the mistakes he has committed.

I interacted with others who were in jail and realised that most of them had committed crimes at the spur of moment. There are two types of persons - criminals and non-criminals. Non-criminals comprise 90 per cent of Tihars population.

Jails are reformation centres and I have seen people who have spent 14 years never coming back because they have again committed a crime. Jails bring out the goodness in you, he added.

Sharma said he was instrumental in ensuring that Tihar Jail started the facility of counselling its inmates and it was during his jail time, he did an analysis of the psyche of those who are there and will use their experiences in counselling people and preventing road rage.

Couples should at least get three months counselling when they start conjugal life. I have interacted with a lot of inmates during my time in Tihar Jail and I have written essays on different aspects of relationships and now I will use them in helping young couples deal with the stress of relationships, he said.

Sharma was looking at a bright political career when the tragedy struck. He was the college president in Satyawati College in 1977-78 and had contested as an independent candidate opposite Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and National Students Union of India candidates and defeated them.

He was later roped in by the National Students Union of India and fought the Delhi University Students Union elections twice but lost. Later, he became the NSUI president.

I had contested the DUSU elections opposite ABVPs Pinky Anand, who is now the additional solicitor general. I was being groomed by my professors to become a leader. But this was my destiny. But I do not think about how my political career would have shaped up, he said.
Sealing the seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections with Bihar allies, Bharatiya Janata Party president on Amit Shah Sunday announced that his party and Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal-United will contest 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party will fight on the remaining six.

Paswan will be sent to the Rajya Sabha at the earliest opportunity, he told reporters here, following a brief meeting with Kumar and the Lok Janshakti Party chief, who is also a cabinet minister in the Modi government.

Shah asserted that the ruling National Democratic Alliance will win more than 31 seats it had in 2014 and expressed confidence that it will come back to power in 2019. The state has 40 Lok Sabha seats.

The deal suggests a victory of sorts for the LJP, which had adopted an aggressive stand seeking a better bargain from the BJP after the exit of Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party from the ruling alliance.

Kumar too has managed to underline his importance for the saffron party, which will now contest on fewer number of seats than it had contested in 2014 and won 22 of them. The BJP will now have to let go of at least five of its winning seats.

The JD-U, which had fought the 2014 polls independently, and the LJP, which was a BJP ally, had won two and six seats respectively.

Shah said all allies will soon decide on distribution of Lok Sabha constituencies among them for fielding their candidates in 2019.

Paswan, whose son Chirag had created a flutter with his comments seen as critical of the BJP and the central government, claimed Sunday there was never a problem in the alliance as he has nurtured the NDA tree for five years under Modis leadership.

A government under Modi will be formed again, he said.

The Dalit leader also thanked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who played a role in brokering peace between his party and the BJP.

In his comments, the Bihar chief minister, who enjoys good equations with Paswan, noted that the NDA had won 32 of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2009 even though results across the country had gone against it.

This time we will do better than that, he said.

He was a BJP ally in 2009 before parting ways with it in 2013. He joined the NDA again in 2017.

Commenting on the decision to send Paswan, presently a Lok Sabha member from Hajipur in Bihar, to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said it is recognition to his long service to the country and also thanked the BJP for the decision.

Paswan is a nine-term member of the Lok Sabha and the decision means that the 72-year-old leader is unlikely to contest any more popular election and will be handing over the reins of the party to his son, who was also present during the announcement, in the near future.

Later, Shah tweeted that a strong NDA is necessary for a progressive and prosperous India and thanked Kumar and Paswan for strengthening it.

The BJP-JD-U-LJP alliance is an alliance of peoples aspirations, he said.

He also dubbed the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of the opposition in Bihar as opportunist and claimed that people of Bihar are with pro-development politics of the NDA.

I am sure we will make clean sweep in Bihar under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and come back to power (at Centre) with a bigger majority, he said.
MORRIS  Morris author David Fisher, will discuss and sign his new books, Food Zoo and The Story Less Traveled, at 6:30 pm, at the Morris Public Library, Jan. 17. The snow date is Jan. 24.

Fishers passion for rhyming in his stories, poems and lyrics helps him create his whimsical poems and short stories that are amazingly entertaining yet true to life.
How are you doing on your Christmas shopping? For the cooks, bakers, and eaters on your list, shopping should be a snap. For anyone who enjoys a good bottle of wine, fine spirits, or craft beers, its easy to please.

Here are a few wish list suggestions for last-minute shopping that will be an alternative to scarf, hat, and gloves. Theres no need to worry about sizes and, if your lucky, you may be invited to share.

Books are always welcome. Joshua McFadden, farmer, chef, and owner of the renowned Ava Genes restaurant in Portland, Oregon, has divided the year into six parts for his cookbook, Six Seasons, a new way with vegetables. We ate at Ava Genes last year and were swept away by cherry tomatoes on grilled bread. I asked for the recipe and was told to wait for the book. Its finally here. The easy yet magical recipe for tomato rubbed grilled bread topped with tomato salad is on page 263. This recipe alone makes the book worthwhile, but theres so much more.

The rising popularity of Aperitif and Amaro alone or in cocktails seems unstoppable. These French and Italian infused wines are taking over bar carts with their herbal, bitter, exotic flavors. In Aperitif, cocktail hour the French way, Rebekah Peppler dives into the culture with history, drink formulas, and recipes for the delightful snacks served before dinner in France. These low-alcohol, refreshing, classic drinks are a delightful way to start any evening.

This year I got hooked on The Great British Baking Show, a long-running, genteel, amateur baking competition on British TV available here on Netflix. Mary Berry, one of the two host-judges, has been the public face of baking in Great Britain for four decades. Her book, Mary Berrys Baking Bible, includes many of the confections seen on the show as well as the full range of traditional British sweets. Such fun!

I love doughnuts, but Im scared to deep fry at home. My paranoia includes putting a dark greasy spot on the ceiling, filling the house with oily smoke, burns from splashing, and, of course, fire. But if youre more intrepid, then get a copy of Doughnuts, Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home by Lara Ferroni. The second edition, which perfects the recipes, is self described as, 90 simple and delicious recipes to make at home. The book is filled with mouth-watering pictures. If you take the plunge, Id be happy to taste.

If you know someone with a thirst for fine wines and spirits, here are some ideas to make them smile.

Heitz Cellars is one of the great names in the Napa Valley, easily recognized by anyone who enjoys California wines. In the high-value 2016 Chardonnay ($25 Total Wine) peach and citrus flavors are balanced with modest oak and bright acidity. The Heitz family describes the 2014 Cabernet ($46 TW) as powerful, yet elegant from a classic vintage. If you want to splurge, go for the single vineyard Trailside ($76 TW) These are among the last vintages made by the Heitz family before the recent sale of the winery.

Highland Park is one of the great names in single malt whisky. We visited the distillery on the Scottish island of Orkney and tasted a broad range of their spirits. Highland Park 12-year-old ($40) is their flagship bottling and a fine example of their unique heather-honey style.

The 18 ($130), with an additional six years in the barrel, is an exceptional if pricey, single malt experience. Its a bit of an indulgence, but will keep your favorite single malt drinker just as warm as a cashmere sweater for about the same price. In between the two is Valknut ($72 TW), made primarily with local Orkney grain and matured in sherry casks.

You cant go wrong with Chocolate. Krauses Chocolates of Saugerties, New York has been making hand-dipped candies since 1929. If you cant visit the sweet-smelling shop, order online. Caramels, creams, nuts, fruits and truffles come enrobed in milk or dark chocolate by the half or full pound.

For stocking stuffers, no home in Connecticut (the nutmeg state) should be without a nutmeg grater and a supply of whole nutmegs. Look for them at the Cooks Nook in Wilton. Any spices or seasonings from Penzeys Spices on Westport Avenue fit right in the stocking. I particularly enjoy the French and Italian dressing herb blends. Trader Joes has a sweet-tart sugar plum jam that puts visions of Christmas in my head.

Cant decide what to give? Give a restaurant! A gift card to your favorite place is always a winner. We like Washington Prime in SoNo, Barcelona or Peaches Southern Pub on Wall Street. Or you may want to try a stylish new place, like the Tavern at Gray Barns in Norwalk. Perhaps a special occasion restaurant with an excellent reputation like the Whelk in Westport or Bernards in Ridgefield would fill the bill. Any of these will bring Christmas cheer after the holiday hub-bub dies down.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. Get your shopping done soon so theres time for food and drink as you celebrate with friends and family. And from ours to yours, best wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Frank Whitman can be reached at NotBreadAloneFW@gmail.com.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has announced that Assadullah Khalid, the former head of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS), as the country's defense minister and Amrullah Saleh, also a former intelligence chief, as interior minister.

Ghani made the announcement in a December 23 decree in which he asked the parliamentary affairs minister to send the nominations for approval to Afghanistans lower house of parliament, known as the Wolesi Jirga.

Both men will serve as acting ministers until the parliament approves their appointments.

No official reason was given for the shakeup.

The move comes several months after Ghani rejected the resignations of former Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami over political differences.

Khalid and Saleh both served as heads of NDS under former President Hamid Karzai.

Both men have blamed Pakistan for the Taliban's resurgence in recent years and have called for it to be declared a state sponsor of terror.

Khalid was badly injured in an assassination attempt in Kabul in 2012.

Ghanis announcement comes ahead of Afghanistans presidential election scheduled for April 2019.

It also comes amid reports that the United States is planning to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan.

U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has been meeting with Taliban leaders in hopes of bringing the Afghan war to an end.



The Taliban has so far refused to engage with Afghan government representatives.

With reporting by the BBC, and Tolo News
A fugitive jihadist has been deported from Djibouti to France in connection with the deadly 2015 attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, French authorities said.

The Paris prosecutor's office said Peter Cherif was expelled to France after his recent arrest in Djibouti, and was immediately taken into custody and charged upon his arrival on December 23 at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Cherif is believed to have had close contact with the two brothers who carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack.

France's defense minister says he played an "important role in organizing" the attack on Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people.

Cherif had reportedly traveled to Iraq and Syria in the early 2000s, and had been on the run from French authorities since 2011.

Based on reporting by AP and DPA
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he deeply regrets U.S. President Donald Trump's recent decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria.

Macron said during a press conference in Chad on December 23 that "an ally should be dependable."

"I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria," he added.

Trump on December 22 defended his decision and repeated his assertion that the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group had been defeated in Syria.

On December 20, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned over Trump's decision. Two days later, the U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting IS, Brett McGurk, also resigned over the decision.

Many military leaders also said a U.S. withdrawal would represent a betrayal to the Syrian Arab and Kurdish alliance that a U.S.-led coalition had been backing in the fight against IS. Ankara has threatened to move into areas controlled by Kurdish groups that it says are aligned with Kurdish separatists in Turkey.

NATO allies, including France and Germany, expressed concerns that such a drastic U.S. change of course risked the fight against IS, which has been driven from most of the territory it controlled into small slices of Syrian lands.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Iranian activist Reza Khandan, the husband of imprisoned human-rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, has been released from custody in Iran, his lawyer said in a post on Facebook on December 23.



Lawyer Mohammad Moghimi wrote that following Khandan's release, both Sotoudeh and activist Farhad Meysami ended hunger strikes that were partially motivated by support for Khandan.



Moghimi said Khandan was released on December 23 but did not provide details on the circumstances or conditions.



Khandan was detained on September 4 after he complained on Facebook about human-rights violations in Iran, including the imprisonment of rights defenders and the prosecution of women who have campaigned against the requirement to wear the Islamic hijab.



Khandan faced charges of acting contrary to Iran's national security and promoting "anti-hijab" activities.



On December 2, Khandan refused to attend a hearing before a branch of the Revolutionary Court, arguing that the charges against him are political, so his trial should be held in open session before a jury at the Tehran Criminal Court.



Meysami's hunger strike lasted 145 days. Sotoudeh began her hunger strike on August 25.



Sotoudeh, 55, was arrested on June 13 and ordered to serve a five-year sentence imposed on her in absentia in September 2016 for allegedly carrying out "activities against national security in collaboration with domestic and foreign antirevolutionary elements," according to Human Rights Watch.



International rights groups and the U.S. government have denounced the arrest of the lawyer, who earlier in 2018 represented several women detained for publicly protesting the compulsory hijab.



Sotoudeh -- the co-winner of the European Parliament's 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought -- has denied all charges against her.



An outspoken critic of the Iranian establishment, Sotoudeh previously spent several years in prison on security charges, including acting against Iran's national security. She has defended journalists, rights activists, and juveniles.

With reporting by Iranhumanrights.org
London's High Court of Justice has ruled against extraditing Russian businessman Aleksei Shmatko to Russia.

In its December 23 ruling, the court said that if Shmatko were sent to Penza, he would likely be held in conditions that violated his rights under Article Three of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Shmatko is wanted in Penza on fraud charges in a case he said was opened because he refused to give a senior Federal Security Service (FSB) officer a share of his business.

Shmatko was given a suspended sentence on a fraud conviction in 2010. He said that he had been beaten and tortured while held in detention in that case, accusing FSB investigator Valery Tokarev of responsibility.

In 2011, he left Russia and in 2014 filed for political asylum in the United Kingdom.

The London court heard evidence that three defendants in the so-called Network (Set) case had been tortured by local FSB officers in Penza at the same detention facility where Shmatko had earlier been held. Tokarev was also named in connection with those alleged rights violations.

The FSB claims the three defendants were members of an underground organization called Set that was fomenting public unrest and planning terrorist acts.

With reporting by Meduza and Mediazona
Moroccans have mourned two Scandinavian university students killed by suspected jihadists in the Atlas mountains.

Hundreds of people paid tribute on December 22 to Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland outside the embassies of their homelands in the capital Rabat.

Some held banners saying "Sorry" and condemned the killing.

The bodies of the two women were found last week after they had pitched their tent at an isolated mountain site.

One of them was reportedly beheaded.

Four suspects have been arrested in connection with their deaths.

The four suspects pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) in a video made last week, Moroccan authorities said. In the video, they said the murders were revenge for events in Syria.

Nine other individuals have been arrested over suspected connections to the perpetrators.

Moroccan authorities have described the killings as a terrorist act.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
When a SpaceX rocket blasted off on December 5, sending a load of cargo to resupply the International Space Station (ISS), it was a soaring example of how private companies are helping fuel the next generation of U.S. space exploration.



Six days later, two Russian cosmonauts floated outside the ISS and, wielding a knife and pliers, sent shreds of insulation drifting into space as they dug for evidence of why a tiny hole had appeared in one of the Russian-built Soyuz modules docked at the orbiting station.



Taken together, the events exposed the growing gap in the countries' symbiotic space partnership, in which one plays the role of the flashy, technologically advanced pioneer, and the other the stable provider of decades-old yet reliable designs and equipment.



The countries' respective space agencies -- NASA and Roskosmos -- have cooperated for more than two decades now. In 2011, the two space-race foes grew closer than ever when the United States retired its Space Shuttle fleet, making Russian Soyuz rockets the only way to shuttle people and equipment to and from the ISS, and resulting in NASA paying Roskosmos some $2.5 billion for its services since. The relationship has survived despite the spiraling political tensions that have arisen between Moscow and Washington of late.



That's all changing.



An alarming launch mishap in October sent a Russian and American hurtling to Earth, which, along with the mysterious hole, added to the questions about the reliability of Russia's program.

Lucrative Market

The bevy of private companies like SpaceX are gaining ground in their race to build rockets that can carry man and cargo to the ISS. And they are homing in on the lucrative global market for satellite launches -- both commercial and government -- threatening to undercut Russia's market share and deprive Roskosmos of badly needed revenue.



The developments also put the United States on track to replace the Russian-built RD-180 engines it has been using to power its Atlas V launch vehicle -- an uneasy reliance complicated by Washington's efforts to sanction Russia for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.



The United States is officially to halt using the RD-180 in 2022 -- slicing revenues for the venerable power-plant's manufacturer, Energomash -- and some U.S. rocket manufacturers may have replacement engines ready to go before then.

NASA's contract with Roskosmos for the carrying of astronauts ends in February 2020, and SpaceX and Boeing are waiting in the wings to take over, as both U.S. companies have inked deals with NASA to carry astronauts beginning in 2019.



Close watchers of the Russian-U.S. space relationship say it's premature to conclude Washington and Moscow will go completely separate ways in space exploration. NASA, for example, has said it intends to continue working with Russia on the International Space Station until at least 2025. And once private rockets get the final green-light in the coming years, Russian cosmonauts will presumably be among their potential cargo.



"I don't think anything is ending soon," Marcia Smith, a veteran space analyst who runs the online publication SpacePolicyOnline.com told RFE/RL. "We're going to fly our guys on their rockets, and they're going to fly their guys on ours."



NASA's press office did not respond to multiple phone calls and e-mails requesting an interview with the agency's administrator, Jim Bridenstine. But speaking to the Russian state news agency TASS in October, Bridenstine emphasized the two countries' continuing cooperation, and the possibility of working together on the Gateway project, which NASA describes as a "U.S.-led lunar orbital platform" and which is seen as the successor to the ISS.



The United States and Russia "have had a great relationship" working together on the ISS, he was quoted as saying.



"We have both benefited greatly from utilization of the Soyuz crew capsules, Soyuz rockets as though we want to expand on that and go to the Moon in a sustainable way. And certainly we would love to work hand in hand with Russia on the Gateway and other parts of that architecture," TASS quoted him as saying.



Still, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has proposed that by 2025 Washington will stop supporting the ISS altogether, and Moscow has given hints that they may be eyeing other space partners.



Second To None



Bridenstine's statements have been parsed by Russian officials to mean that Russia's future cooperation with the United States will be as a junior partner, something that the chief of Roskosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, had previously complained about.



"I believe that Russia can't afford itself to participate in other countries' project on second-tier roles," TASS quoted Rogozin as saying in September.

A sharp-tongued, and sometimes outlandish, nationalist, Rogozin himself has caused ripples in the space partnership with the United States, mocking how Washington was forced to rely on Soyuz rockets to get its astronauts to the space station.

In May, he was named chief of the Russian space agency -- this despite, or because of, being put on the U.S. list of Russian individuals sanctioned for Moscow's annexation of Crimea four years earlier.



Three months after Rogozin took the helm of Roskosmos, the mysterious hole was discovered in the Soyuz module that was docked at the station. Not long after the hole was plugged, he suggested that sabotage was to blame, possibly by the crew on the station. And when Russian media further speculated that an American astronaut might be responsible, it prompted a sharp retort from the station's American commander.



Rogozin later said in a TV broadcast that people he knows at NASA had told him they are under pressure from what he called "rabid Russophobes." He gave no further evidence.



The December 11 space walk by the two Russian cosmonauts, lasting more than seven hours, was aimed at pinpointing the hole, from the outside, and bringing back a panel for Russian engineers to inspect. As the end of 2018 approached, the final report was still forthcoming.



Rogozin's comments have not fully repelled U.S. efforts at maintaining a semblance on cooperation.



In his interview with TASS, Bridenstine also revealed that the agency had secured a temporary waiver to the sanctions against Rogozin, so that he could visit the United States.



"There is a lot I would like to discuss with Rogozin," Bridenstine was quoted as saying. "If we want to establish a strong working relationship, then we need to begin working closely with each other -- which in turn will be good for both countries."



It remained unclear if Rogozin had in fact been granted a visa, and if he might travel to the United States.



Near Miss



In October, a Soyuz rocket that blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan malfunctioned shortly after takeoff. The incident sent the NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Ovchinin on an emergency trajectory back to Earth. Neither were harmed.

A follow-up report blamed a manufacturing defect, with inspectors pointing blame at the assembly process at Baikonur.

The incident further shook perceptions of Russia's space programs, and raised questions about the quality of engineering and whether a lack of adequate funding was leading to slippage in quality. Adding to the embarrassment for Russia, Bridenstine was present for the launch, and for his first meeting with Rogozin.



SpacePolicyOnline's Smith said Russian and American officials appeared to have handled the incident in their stride, without any outward signs of discord. And in an interview shown on NASA's TV channel, Hague, the American astronaut, praised the Russians for their training and response to the mishap.

A replacement crew successfully launched from Baikonur, aboard another Soyuz craft, on December 3.



But the future of Russia's space program didn't escape scrutiny.



Russia's "reliability is being called into question, so what has to change?" Smith told RFE/RL, noting the loss of veteran agency employees to retirement, and the scarcity of new recruits.



The analyst said Russia had a way to go to restore its reputation, and "these things always seem to get back to the money.".



In its annual report published on October 26, Roskosmos noted several successes, including the launch of 87 satellites, the near completion of the Vostochny Cosmodrome -- which may eventually replace Baikonur -- and progress toward building a new generation of Soyuz-5 rockets.



The agency also pointed to several challenges, including difficulties in obtaining parts and technology from foreign supplies due to Western sanctions, and the rapid growth of private competitors for commercial launches: SpaceX first and foremost.



It also cited a drop in government funding had led to a drop in production of rockets.



Russia's reputation as a major provider of commercial satellite launches also took a hit when the country's main security agency poured cold water on an ambitious venture to launch Internet-capable microsatellites aboard Russian rockets.

In comments before lawmakers in Russia's lower house of parliament on December 11, Roskosmos' deputy chief suggested that the effort to return humans to the moon, and perhaps build a permanent base there, was less of a cooperative effort than a competition between Russia, the United States, and China.



"I consider that a 'moon race' has begun. And now what's happening now is simply a kind of competition between the three space powers," Sergei Dubik was quoted by Interfax as saying.
Thousands of Serbians joined an antigovernment march in Belgrade on December 22. The opposition event was held for a third straight week. Protests were initially triggered by the November 23 assault against the opposition Serbian Left party leader Borko Stefanovic. The protesters are now demanding the resignation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, balanced reporting by Serbia's public broadcaster, and investigation into attacks against politicians and journalists.
The bodies of all nine workers trapped by fire in a Russian potash mine have been recovered, regional officials say.

Perm Krai officials on December 23 initially reported that eight bodies had been recovered but later confirmed that all nine had been found in the mine run by potash producer Uralkali near the city of Solikamsk, about 1,500 kilometers northeast of Moscow.

Perm Governor Maxim Reshetnikov said that "we did everything possible to save the nine miners.

Six attempts to reach them and extinguish open fire [failed]," he added.

Efforts to rescue the miners and recover the bodies were hampered by flames and heavy smoke in the mine.

The blaze broke out at a depth of 340 meters at the mine in Solikamsk, some 215 kilometers from the major city of Perm, near the Urals.

Officials with Uralkali said the trapped miners were employees of a subcontractor doing maintenance work. Potash is a common ingredient in fertilizer.

The subcontractor's chief, Andrei Maksimov, had told the Interfax news agency on December 22 that the chances of finding the trapped miners alive were slim.

One source told Russian news agencies that 17 people had been in the mine when the fire broke out. The source added that eight had escaped to safety.

State-run TASS news agency said investigators have launched a criminal investigation into any possible safety and construction violations related to the fire.

The last reported major Russian mining accident occurred in August 2017, when eight workers disappeared during a flood in an eastern Siberian diamond mine run by state-controlled diamond giant Alrosa.

Alrosa said the workers were at a depth of 210 meters when the flooding began on August 4 at Mir mine in the Sakha-Yakutia region, 4,160 kilometers east of Moscow.

The rest of the 151 workers who were in the mine at the time of the accident were rescued.

With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump again defended his decision to withdraw troops from Syria, saying on Twitter that they were initially only going to be there for three months but have remained for years.

On Syria, we were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago, he wrote on December 22.

We never left. When I became President, ISIS was going wild, using an acronym for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. Were coming home!

Although Trump cited a figure of seven years, U.S. troops were not deployed to Syria until 2015. Syria has been engulfed in a bloody civil war since 2011, with Russia and Iran backing President Bashar al-Assad, while the United States and Turkey have supported differing rebel groups.

The presidents remarks came as he confirmed that the U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting IS had resigned, reportedly in protest at Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.

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 cited an unnamed "official familiar with its contents" as saying McGurk would leave his post at the end of the month.

Media reported that McGurk said in the resignation letter that IS militants were not yet defeated and that the premature withdrawal of U.S. forces 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.

Trump confirmed McGurks resignation late on December 22, writing on Twitter that the envoy was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!"

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on December 20 resigned in the wake of Trump's decision, saying the president deserved a defense secretary whose views "are better aligned" with his.

A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Mattis' departure had a "significant impact" on McGurk's resignation.

U.S. lawmakers and many former government leaders of both parties condemned Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria, asserting it was done without consultations with the military or allies and that it handed victories to Russia and Iran, which are active in Syria.

Many military leaders also said a U.S. withdrawal would represent a betrayal to the Syrian Arab and Kurdish alliance that a U.S.-led coalition had been backing in the fight against IS. Ankara has threatened to move into areas controlled by Kurdish groups that it says are aligned with Kurdish separatists in Turkey.

NATO allies, including France and Germany, expressed concerns that such a drastic U.S. change of course risked the fight against IS, which has been driven from most of the territory it controlled into small slices of Syrian lands.



According to media reports citing unnamed U.S. officials, Trump is also planning to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 U.S. service personnel in Afghanistan, where they are training and advising government forces against insurgent groups.

Trump campaigned on promises to pull U.S. forces out of foreign conflicts, although military officials have cautioned against a hasty retreat.

With reporting by AP and Reuters


U.S. President Donald Trump has named Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary.

In a post on Twitter on December 23, Trump described Shanahan as "very talented" and said the appointment was effective as of January 1.

Shanahan replaces Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned on December 20 over Trump's decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria. Mattis had said that he would continue serving until the end of February to facilitate a smooth transition.

Shanahan, a mechanical engineer by education, is a former senior vice president for U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Turkey has begun bolstering its military presence on both sides of its border with Syria, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops currently based in Syria.

The move comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Trump by telephone on December 23, with the two leaders agreeing on military and diplomatic coordination to prevent a power vacuum forming as the U.S. pulls out.

Reuters said an eyewitness saw hundreds of Turkish military vehicles moving into the southern border province of Kilis from neighboring Hatay Province.

Turkey's IHA news agency reported that a convoy of Turkish forces crossed into Syria during the night of December 22-23.

The Turkish military has not commented on the troop movements.

In a post on Twitter, Trump said he and Erdogan had discussed "the slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area."

U.S. troops have been in Syria working with a Kurdish militia to fight the Islamic State terrorist organization. Turkey views the militia as a "terrorist offshoot" of Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside of Turkey.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
De Beers exploration team landed in Zimbabwe in 1993 and left in 2006, however, they first prospected for diamonds in Marange in the late 1990s. Harare, under the leadership of the then president Robert Mugabe, alleged that De Beers looted diamonds under the guise of exploration. However, De Beers dismissed the allegations as far-fetched.

Mugabe was now history and the new administration of president Emmerson Mnangagwa had been courting international investors. They also recently came up with a new diamond policy, which opened room for two new diamond mining firms and foreign ownership.

The two were not known and it was interesting to hear Reuters reporting that Zimbabwes mines minister Winston Chitando said Harare would allow De Beers and Vast Resources to explore for diamonds in the southern African country. Vast, which teamed up with Botswana Diamonds, had exclusive access to key diamond concessions in Marange through an agreement with a community organisation.

However, a spokesperson for De Beers David Johnson told Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa that the group never had discussions with Harare about returning to explore for diamonds. He also commented on provenance and responsible sourcing, inter-alia.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

Zimbabwes mines minister was recently quoted by Reuters as saying that De Beers will be allowed to explore for diamonds in the southern African country. What is your take on that?

We are aware of the reports, but we have had no discussions with Government in Zimbabwe about returning to explore for diamonds.

Did Harare invite De Beers to operate in the country?

No, we have had no discussions with Government in Zimbabwe about operating there.

What is your view on the potential of Zimbabwes mineral resources?

We currently have no particular view on Zimbabwes mineral resource potential as its not a country in which we operate.

The Zimbabwean government under the leadership of the then president Robert Mugabe once accused De Beers of looting diamonds in Marange. De Beers denied this. Is there bad blood between De Beers and Harare?

As we have stated many times before, accusations of looting are baseless and completely false.

When did De Beers explore for diamonds in Zimbabwe and what made you exit the country?

An exploration team from De Beers arrived in Zimbabwe in 1993 and left in 2006, and first prospected in the Marange area in the late 1990s. Amongst the reasons for relinquishing the Marange licenses back to the Government were that after carrying out sampling across the area we concluded that the deposit did not fit the profile of our other activities elsewhere in southern Africa. De Beers Group's exploration focus is on primary deposits and our view was that our resources would be better invested in other prospective areas more suited to our commercial objectives. In addition, the Government had created an environment of uncertainty regarding the status and future of the concession and by 2006, the area was being worked by unmanaged diggers. All of this resulted in an unacceptable level of risk for De Beers Group in maintaining a presence.

De Beers has a residual presence in Angola since 2014 and you were also recently invited to mine diamonds in the country. Did you accept the invitation?

Bruce Cleaver, De Beers Groups CEO, was invited to meet with President Lourenco in Angola to discuss the countrys diamond sector. While there is nothing further to report at this stage, we look forward to continuing the positive dialogue.

There had been a lack of concessions for the exploration of diamonds issued by Angolas Endiama. Do you expect this to change under the new administration of president Joao Lourenco?

Questions regarding the approach to exploration concessions issued by Endiama would need to be posed to the relevant individuals in Angola.

South Africas Department of Mineral Resources approved 23 of your prospecting licence applications in the Free State, Limpopo and Northern Cape Provinces. Can you provide an update on the remaining 31 prospecting licence applications?

We will be engaging with the Department of Mineral Resources from January next year regarding the remaining prospecting licences.

Reports also suggested that De Beers is set to partially relax its source-disclosure restrictions for sightholders as calls for transparency grow to a crescendo. Why cant you fully lift the ban?

De Beers Group has been at the forefront of the industrys efforts on provenance and responsible sourcing for a long time (for example through key roles in the Kimberley Process, the RJC, as well as the development of the Best Practice Principles and the focus on financial transparency and robustness). We are also currently making substantial investments in Tracr, the end-to-end asset-tracking blockchain platform, developed by the diamond industry, for the diamond industry. Tracr will be the ultimate in provenance assurance in the long run.

De Beers Group has always provided Sightholders with the ability to provide assurance about the responsible sourcing of rough diamonds purchased from Sights through provision of an invoice statement specifying country / countries of origin (all of which  Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada  are Kimberley Process compliant), as well as an invoice statement confirming that the diamonds are compliant with the Best Practice Principles.

However, some Sightholders expressed a desire also to be able to provide a corporate source of origin. As De Beers is both a supplier of rough diamonds and a highly-recognised consumer brand at the retail level, we are in a unique position with a distinct challenge. If Sightholders were to position rough diamonds bought from De Beers Group downstream as De Beers diamonds, this could create consumer confusion with products sold by De Beers Jewellers. Having diamonds positioned as De Beers diamonds downstream without us having any influence on what happens to them after we have sold them also exposes our brand to unacceptable risk.

As such, we are consulting with Sightholders on the proposal for them to be able to use DTC as the source of origin for their diamonds purchased directly from Sights, as this has widespread trade recognition and understanding, but avoids creating challenges related to the De Beers brand name. However, we will go further than many other companies  not only will we provide DTC as corporate source of origin, but we will provide further information on the sustainability credentials of the mines that supply diamonds for this source on a refreshed www.dtc.com website.

Through this approach, coupled with the journey towards provenance assurance in an entirely new way through Tracr, De Beers Group will continue to play a leadership role in this important area.

Lastly, what is your projection of the state of the diamond industry next year?

There remains a great deal of opportunity for the diamond sector, but capitalizing on the opportunity will require all parts of the sector to focus on meeting the evolving expectations of consumers, responding to the changing retail landscape, and harnessing the power of technology. The sector can look ahead with positivity, but we will need to keep an eye on macroeconomic developments and political issues as these could have a significant impact on the sectors prospects.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished


Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia Saturday rejected party MLA Alka Lamba's claim that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had "demanded" her resignation for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. "Neither any resignation has been sought (from Lamba) nor is anyone resigning," Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, told reporters at a press conference here.

Separately, Lamba told PTI, "I am not resigning." 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 Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader. The matter became a major crisis within the AAP with Lamba alleging on Friday that she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

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MLA Alka Lamba

She claimed she spoke to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA. "I am ready to do so," she had said. Sisodia clarified that 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.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Asked if the party will take any action against Bharti, Sisodia said it will talk to him on the matter. Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the assembly, had mentioned Gandhi's name while reading the text and demanded that the Congress leader's Bharat Ratna be withdrawn for "justifying the anti-Sikh riots". Later, he had 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.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal

Sirsa (Har), Dec 23 (PTI) 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.

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Congress

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.

BJP

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"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.

AAP

"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.

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"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.
New research has discovered how plant roots sense the availability of moisture in soil and then adapt their shape to optimise acquisition of water.

The discovery could enable crops to be bred which are more adaptive to changes in climate conditions, such as water scarcity, and help ensure food security in the future.

These findings, published in the journal Science, describe a new molecular mechanism discovered by collaborating teams at the universities of Nottingham and Durham, primarily funded by a joint award from the BBSRC.

Roots are critical for plants to acquire water and soluble nutrients from the soil. Water is essential for plant growth, yet changing climatic conditions makes acquiring moisture from soil even more challenging. Plants are able to adapt to different soil moisture conditions by altering their root architecture, but up until now, it was not understood how this is done.

Root branches only form when in direct contact with soil moisture using an adaptive response termed 'hydropatterning'. Professor Malcolm Bennett of the University of Nottingham, and Professor Ari Sadanandom from the Department of Biosciences at Durham University, discovered that hydropatterning is controlled by a branching master gene called ARF7. Their teams observed plant roots lacking ARF7 were no longer able to hydropattern. The researchers concluded that when roots are exposed to moisture ARF7 remains active and promotes root branching, but when exposed to air, ARF7 is modified and inactivated, blocking root branching.

Professor Sadanandom explained: "Plants are relatively immobile and therefore their growth and development is very much dependent on their environment. Our research has identified the particular protein which can modify, and even inactivate root branching, therefore limiting plant growth and development.

"This is hugely exciting as it opens up the possibility for us to adapt this protein interaction and potentially develop plants that could continue to branch roots even in challenging conditions such as water scarcity."

Professor Bennett concluded: "Water is critical for plant growth, development and, ultimately, their survival. Surprisingly, understanding how plants sense water availability has eluded scientists until now. By studying how plant roots modify their branching in response to water availability, we have uncovered a novel molecular mechanism. This represents a major step forward and opens the way for breeders to develop new crops better adapted to climate change and helping deliver global food security."

Food security represents a pressing global issue. Crop production must double by 2050 to keep pace with global population growth. This target is even more challenging given the impact of climate change on water availability and the drive to reduce fertilizer inputs to make agriculture become more environmentally sustainable. In both cases, developing crops with improved water and nutrient uptake efficiency would provide a solution.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 23)  The son of the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) chief arrested in a drug raid in Naga City has been released.

Bicol Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal confirmed to CNN Philippines Sunday that the case of Nicanor Faeldon Jr. Has been dismissed.

He was charged with operating and maintaining a drug den, violating Section 6 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165.

Escobal said an order for the release of Faeldon Jr. has been issued and they complied with the decision.

The son and namesake of BOC head Nicanor Faeldon, was arrested in a drug raid in Naga City on December 14.

The younger Faledon was arrested along with three other people for possession of illegal drugs. He, however, tested negative for drugs.

Upon his son's arrest, the elder Faeldon said he would not help his son out of the predicament, but said his son did not use drugs.

On the day of the arrest, however, Faeldon said he would kill his son if his involvement in illegal drugs was true.

"Hindi nga ho nagsisigarilyo yan as far as I'm concerned. Baka lang behaved lang sa harap ko. But ang ina-assure ko sa lahat, if it turns out later on that he's involved, sabi ko 'wag na natin gastusan sa litigation. Magagastusan pa ang gobyerno. Papatayin ko na lang 'yung bata para wala nang mapinsala pa siya," he said.

[Translation: He does not even smoke as far as I'm concerned. But he could just be behaving in my presence. But I assure everyone, if it turns out later on that he's involved, I said let's not spend on litigation. The government will be compelled to spend. I will kill the boy so he won't do harm to anyone.]

As of posting, neither Faeldon or his son have commented on the release.
Central African Republic

July 2020

On 14 July, the Security Council issued a press statement condemning an attack against a convoy of MINUSCA (SC/14253). The attack, which occurred on 13 July and was carried out by armed elements of the Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation (3R) in the north-west of the CAR, resulted in the death of a Rwandan peacekeeper. On 28 July, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2536, which extended the CAR sanctions regime until 31 July 2021, including an arms embargo with some exemptions. Resolution 2536 also renewed the mandate of the CAR Panel of Experts, who assist the Sanctions Committee to oversee the sanction measures, until 31 August 2021 (S/PV.8750).

March 2020

On 9 March, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee held informal consultations during which the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts provided an overview of the panels 7 February 2020 progress update. The panel was supposed to present its work plan to the committee during a meeting scheduled about a week later. However, the second meeting did not take place as Council meetings were postponed due to measures taken by the Security Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The work plan has since been presented to the committee in written form.

February 2020

On 20 February, the Security Council held a briefing on the latest Secretary-Generals report on MINUSCA. Special Representative for the CAR and head of MINUSCA Mankeur Ndiaye briefed the Council. Ambassador Olof Skoog, Head of the EU Delegation to the UN; Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions CAR configuration; and Matias Bertino Matondo, AU Special Representative and head of the AU Office in the CAR, also briefed. Consultations followed the public session. On 27 February, Council members agreed on a press statement, welcoming the progress made in the past year to implement the Political Peace Agreement in the CAR and calling on all parties in the country to fulfil their commitments under the agreement. The statement condemned violations of the peace agreement perpetrated by armed groups and expressed concern at a recent campaign of disinformation and incitement to violence against MINUSCA. Council members further called on the CAR authorities to ensure the holding of inclusive, free and timely elections in 2020 and 2021.

June 2019

On 20 June, Mankeur Ndiaye, the Special Representative and head of MINUSCA, briefed the Council on the latest MINUSCA report. The European External Action Service Managing Director for Africa Koen Vervaeke, and AU Special Representative and head of the AU Office in the Central African Republic Matias Bertino Matondo, also briefed. The meeting was followed by consultations.

April 2019

On 9 April, the Council adopted a presidential statement, establishing benchmarks for suspending or progressively lifting arms embargo measures on the government of the CAR.

March 2019

On 22 March, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met with the Group of Experts assisting it, to discuss their programme of work for the year. On 26 March Special Representative and head of MINUSCA Mankeur Ndiaye briefed the Council under any other business.

February 2019

On 13 February, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the signing of the Global Peace Agreement in the CAR. On 21 February, Departing Special Representative and head of MINUSCA Parfait Onanga-Anyanga briefed the Council on the latest MINUSCA report. Ambassador Smail Chergui, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security; Koen Vervaeke, the European External Action Service Managing Director (via video teleconference); Ambassador Gbolie Desire Wulfran Ipo, Deputy Permanent Representative of Cote dIvoire, which chairs the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee; and Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions CAR configuration, also addressed the Council. On 22 February, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee discussed the Panel of Experts progress update with its coordinator.

December 2018

On 7 December, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met to discuss the final report of its Panel of Experts. On 13 December, the Council adopted resolution 2448, extending the mandate of MINUSCA and the authorisation to use all the means to provide operational support to MINUSCA until 15 November 2019 (S/PV.8422). China and Russia abstained on the vote.

November 2018

On 12 November, the Chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Leon Houadja Kacou Adom (Cote dIvoire), briefed on his recent visit to the country. On 15 November, the Council adopted resolution 2446, extending the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 December, in a technical rollover. On 18 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack by suspected members of an armed group, which resulted in the death of one MINUSCA Tanzanian peacekeeper (SC/13588).

July 2018

On 13 July, the Council adopted a presidential statement expressing its concern over the continuing violence perpetrated by armed groups in the CAR and reaffirming its support to the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR. The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met on 13 July to discuss the midterm report of the Panel of Experts assisting the Committee.

June 2018

On 11 June, Council members issued a press statement, condemning a 10 June attack against a MINUSCA patrol in Bambari, resulting in one Burundian peacekeeper killed and another injured. On 21 June, Special Representative for the CAR and head MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, briefed the Council on the latest MINUSCA report. Special Representative of the AU to the CAR Bedializoun Moussa Nebie, and Brigadier General Herminio Teodoro Maio, force commander of the EU Military Training Mission in the CAR also briefed, both by video teleconference. An informal interactive dialogue with Onanga-Anyanga and Nebie followed. The CAR Sanctions Committee held an informal meeting on 22 June, where representatives of the National Commission to Combat the Illicit Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Cote dIvoire, the UN Mine Action Service, and the UN Institute for Disarmament Research briefed on weapons and ammunition management.

April 2018

On 3 April, Council members issued a press statement condemning the attack on a temporary operating base of MINUSCA in Tagbara (prefecture of Ouaka) on the same day, by suspected anti-Balaka elements, which resulted in one Mauritanian peacekeeper killed and 11 others injured. On 11 April, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack on MINUSCA in Bangui the day before by armed groups, which resulted in one Rwandan peacekeeper killed and eight others injured. On 18 April, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui (via video teleconference) and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Council members in an informal interactive dialogue on their joint visit to Sudan and the CAR from 7 to 13 April. During the visit to the CAR from 10 to 13 April, Lacroix and Chergui met in Bangui with senior government officials, including President Faustin-Archange Touadera and Prime Minister Simplice Sarandji. They also met with members of the National Assembly, and jointly chaired with the Economic Community of Central African States a meeting of the International Support Group for the CAR, which is intended to buttress international efforts to support the peace process and provide humanitarian relief.

March 2018

On 6 March, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack against education workers near Markounda in the northwestern part of the CAR on 25 February 2018 by unknown assailants, which resulted in the killing of one UNICEF education consultant, two officials of the Ministry of Education of the CAR, and three members of a UNICEF national partner organisation, Bangui Sans Frontieres. On 16 March, the Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee presented their programme of work to the committee.

February 2018

On 22 February, the Council was briefed on CAR by Special Representative to the CAR and head of MINUSCA Parfait Onanga-Anyanga; the chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoue (Cote dIvoire); the chair of the Peacebuilding Commission CAR configuration Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco); the Special Representative of the AU to the CAR, Bedializoun Moussa Nebie (via video teleconference); and the Director General of the EU Military Staff, Lieutenant General Esa Pulkkinen. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita participated in the consultations that followed the briefing. On 27 February, Council members released a press statement, deploring attacks against civilians and incitement to ethnic and religious hatred and violence. They also reaffirmed their support to the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR as the main framework for a political solution (SC/13226). The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee amended identifying information regarding an individual on its sanctions list on 16 February (SC/13212). The committee was briefed by the Panel of Experts assisting it in informal consultations on 23 February.

December 2017

On 4 December, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack on a MINUSCA detachment in Bria that day by suspected antiBalaka elements, which resulted in one Mauritanian peacekeeper killed and two other Mauritanian peacekeepers and one Zambian peacekeeper injured. Also on that day, the CAR Sanctions Committee met with its Panel of Experts to discuss the final report of the panel and hear briefings by the UN Mine Action Service and UN Institute for Disarmament Research on weapons and ammunition management in the country.

November 2017

On 6 November, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the CAR and head of MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga; the Special Representative of the AU to the CAR, Bedializoun Moussa Nebie (via video teleconference); and the Head of International Relations at the Community of SantEgidio, Mauro Garofalo, briefed the Council (S/PV.8084). The briefing was followed by consultations in which the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, participated. On 15 November, the Council adopted resolution 2387, renewing the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 November 2018 (S/PV.8102). On 27 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack on MINUSCA the day before, which resulted in one Egyptian peacekeeper killed and three others injured (SC/13092).

July 2017

In a meeting on 13 July, the Council adopted a presidential statement that expresses concern at the ongoing clashes between armed groups in the CAR and the targeting of civilians from specific communities, UN Peacekeepers and humanitarian workers. At the subsidiary level, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met on 21 July to discuss the six-monthly report of the committees Panel of Experts. In a press statement on 24 July Council members condemned the attack on a MINUSCA convoy in Bangassou (Mbomou) on 23 July by anti-Balaka elements that resulted in one peacekeeper killed and three injured. Another press statement was issued on the Central African Republic on 26 July, condemning the 25 July attacks on MINUSCA peacekeepers. On 27 July, Council members discussed recent developments in the CAR under any other business.

June 2017

On 12 June, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the CAR, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, briefed the Council on the implementation of MINUSCAs mandate. Onanga-Anyanga described the recent increase in violence in the CAR, particularly of violence directly targeting civilians and MINUSCA personnel, and insisted that MINUSCA would maintain a robust posture towards armed groups, although this would need to be accompanied by increased peacebuilding efforts. Onanga-Anyanga was joined by the President of the Community of SantEgidio, Marco Impagliazzo, who described his organisations efforts to enhance inclusive dialogue by all groups.

May 2017

On May 10, Council members issued a press statement condemning the attack on a MINUSCA convey in Bangassou by anti-Balaka militants that resulted in the deaths of five peacekeepers and the wounding of ten others. On May 15, Council members issued a press statement condemning anti-Balaka attacks on MINUSCA and civilian populations in Bangassou. On 17 May, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee approved targeted sanctions against a former Minister identified as engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR.

April 2017

On 4 April the Council issued a presidential statement reaffirming the Councils support for CAR President Touadera, expressing concern at the ongoing violence between armed groups, acknowledging reconciliation efforts, and condemning attacks against civilians. The statement followed the 16 March briefing of the Council by President Touadera and then Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous. The delay between the March briefing and the issuing of the presidential statement was reportedly due to scheduling rather than any significant disagreement amongst Council members.

March 2017

On 16 March, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous and the CAR President Faustin Archange Touadera briefed the Council on the situation in the CAR. The Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met with the Committee to present its programme of work on 31 March. Council members held an informal interactive dialogue on 13 March with the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission for Central Africa and the Central African Region, Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt.

February 2017

On 15 February, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on the latest Secretary-Generals report on the situation in the CAR. The chair of the CAR configuration of the PBC, Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco) also spoke. In addition, Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko addressed the Council in his capacity as Chair of the CAR 2127 Sanctions Committee. The briefings were followed by consultations. On 17 February the Sanctions Committee met to discuss the Panel of Experts latest progress report.

January 2017

On 27 January, the Council adopted resolution 2339, renewing the CAR sanctions regime until 31 January 2018 and the mandate of the Panel of Experts until 28 February 2018. Council members issued two press statements on 4 January and 6 January condemning attacks that resulted in the death of 1 Bangladeshi and 2 Moroccan peacekeepers in the CAR, respectively. On 25 January, the CAR Sanctions Committee held a meeting with representatives of the CAR, Cameroon, Chad, the DRC, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda.

December 2016

On 2 December, the Panel of Experts briefed the CAR Sanctions Committee on its final report.

October 2016

On 10 October, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on the MINUSCA report. The Chair of the Central African Republic configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, Abderrazzak Laassel (Morocco), also briefed.

September 2016

On 9 September, the Central African Republic (CAR) Sanctions Committee held a meeting with the representatives of the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda in connection with the midterm report of the Panel of Experts dated 11 August 2016.

August 2016

On 5 August, the coordinator of the Panel of Experts of the 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee briefed members on the Panels mid-term report. Also on 5 August, Zainab Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence, briefed members, emphasising the important role of the UN and humanitarian actors in ending impunity with regard to sexual violence in the Central African Republic. On 23 August, the Committee imposed targeted sanctions on Ali Kony and Salim Kony, deputies in the Lords Resistance Army).

July 2016

On 8 July, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on the special report on the strategic review of MINUSCA. The chair of the CAR configuration of the PBC, Omar Hilale (Morocco), also briefed. Volodymyr Yelchenko (Ukraine), in his capacity as chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee updated the Council on the recent activities of the Committee. On 23 July, the 2127 Committee met with the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura. On 26 July, the Council adopted resolution 2301, renewing the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 November 2017.

April 2016

On 15 April, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on the latest MINUSCA report. The chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, Abdeslam Jaidi (Morocco) also briefed. On 26 April, the Council adopted resolution 2281 that extended MINUSCAs mandate until 31 July and requested the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of its mandate by 22 June. Council members issued a press statement on 18 April condemning the killing of a MINUSCA peacekeeper. The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee held a meeting on 29 April with representatives of the EU regarding the activities the European External Action Service and the planned EU training mission in the CAR.

March 2016

On 17 March, Council members discussed the MINUSCA mandate renewal under any other business. On 7 March, at the request of France, the UK and the US, the 2127 Committee added the LRA and its leader, Joseph Kony, to the CAR sanctions list. The Committee held a meeting on 9 March with the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, (via video teleconference from Bangui) and a representative of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to discuss the sanctions-monitoring mandate of MINUSCA and the role of UNMAS in the management of weapons and ammunition in the CAR. On 18 March, the 2127 Committee met with its Panel of Experts to discuss their tentative programme of work for the next year.

February 2016

On 9 February, the Council adopted resolution 2264 to increase the number of corrections officers in MINUSCA from 40 to 108.

January 2016

On 5 January, Council members were briefed under any other business on the situation in the CAR by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous. On 27 January, the Council adopted resolution 2262 renewing the CAR sanctions regime. Ahead of the renewal, Council members considered the final report of the 2127 Sanctions Committees Panel of Experts (S/2015/936). At press time, it seemed likely that the Council would soon adopt another resolution on CAR to authorise an increase in the number of corrections officers in MINUSCA.

December 2015

On 3 December, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict held a joint meeting during which they were briefed by the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous and the chair of the Committee, Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania), briefed the Council on the report on 14 December, followed by consultations. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, also participated in the consultations. On 17 December, the Sanctions Committee added Haroun Gaye, one of the leaders of the FPRC acting in the PK5 neighbourhood, and Eugene Barret Ngaikosset, an anti-Balaka leader, to the sanctions list at the request of France, the UK and the US (SC/12169).

November 2015

On 11 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning recent attacks against Internally Displaced Persons and an attack that led to the death of a Cameroonian peacekeeper in the Central African Republic. On 16 November, Council members were briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen OBrien in consultations. In an exchange of letters with the Secretary-General on 17 and 19 November (S/2015/894 and S/2015/895 respectively), the Council authorised the temporary deployment to MINUSCA of 300 Senegalese troops currently serving in Cote dIvoire for a period of eight weeks. On 20 November, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met with its Panel of Experts to discuss their annual report.

October 2015

On 7 October, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on the deteriorating security and political situation in the CAR. On the same day, Council members condemned an attack on a MINUSCA convoy which resulted in the death of one Burundian peacekeeper the day before. On 20 October, the Council adopted a presidential statement expressing its deep concern about the recent upsurge of violence and instability and reiterating the importance of holding the constitutional referendum and first rounds of presidential and legislative elections by the end of 2015.

September 2015

On 10 September, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on his recent visit to the CAR. Later that day, the chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania), briefed the Committee on her 24-29 August visit to the CAR. On 28 September, Council members issued a press statement reiterating their support for the Transitional Authorities and called for an immediate end to the recent upsurge in violence in Bangui.

August 2015

On 3 August, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack against a MINUSCA convoy in Bangui (SC/11995). On 9 August, Council members issued another press statement expressing sorrow at the death of five peacekeepers when one killed himself and four others (SC/12004). On 5 August, the Council was briefed on the latest MINUSCA report by the then Special Representative and head of MINUSCA, Babacar Gaye, and by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Morocco, Abderrazzak Laassel, in the stead of Ambassador Omar Hilale, the chair of the CAR configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission. The briefing was followed by consultations with Gaye. On 13 August, the Secretary-General briefed Council members on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by MINUSCA peacekeepers in the CAR. On 18 August, Council members issued a press statement, expressing their outrage at these allegations and welcoming the commitment of the Secretary-General to strictly enforce his zero-tolerance policy (SC/12010). They also took note of the Secretary-Generals decision to ask for the resignation of Gaye, and of the appointment of Parfait Onanga-Anyanga (Gabon) in his place as acting head of MINUSCA. The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met on 3 August with the regional countries to discuss the arms embargo (SC/11999). On 21 August it met with the regional countries again regarding the arms embargo and then with its Panel of Experts to discuss the Panels recent midterm report (SC/12024). The Committee added three individuals and one entity to its sanctions list on 20 August (SC/12018). Finally, the chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania), began a five-day visit to the CAR on 24 August.

May 2015

On 7 May, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on his latest visit to the CAR. On 15 May, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the holding of the Bangui forum on national reconciliation from 4 to 11 May 2015 (SC/11895). Council members commended the adoption of the Republican Pact for Peace, National Reconciliation and Reconstruction, including commitments for a swift presidential and legislative electoral process.

April 2015

On 14 April, the Council was briefed by the Special Representative Babacar Gaye on the latest MINUSCA report. On 28 April, the Council adopted resolution 2217, renewing MINUSCAs mandate at current authorised troop levels until 30 April 2016.

March 2015

Council members visited the Central African Republic (CAR), Burundi and the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa from 10 to 13 March (S/2015/162). Angola and France co-led the visit to CAR and Addis Ababa. The CAR visit assessed progress and challenges facing MINUSCA and gave Council members an opportunity to meet with the transitional authorities on the political process, including preparations for elections. In addition to their activities in Bangui, Council members went to Bria in eastern CAR to visit local authorities, civil society and ex-Seleka members. On 12 March, the Council held its Ninth Annual Joint Consultative Session Meeting with the AU Peace and Security Council. Following an additional week of negotiations, a communique on the joint session was issued (S/2015/212). Angola, France and the US co-led the Burundi visit where Council members met with MENUB, the UN Country Team, government officials, other political actors and civil society. The focus of these discussions was whether President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek a third term, which the opposition contests would violate the constitution and could lead to violence. In the meeting with Nkurunziza, Council members stressed that he take actions that ensure the countrys unity. France and Angola briefed the Council on the visiting mission on 18 March (S/PV.7407).

February 2015

On 26 February, Council members were briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous under any other business at the request of the Secretary-General for a troop increase for MINUSCA contained in his 29 January letter to the Council.

January 2015

On 20 January, Council members met with Fatimata MBaye and Philip Alston (two of the three commissioners) who briefed at an Informal Interactive Dialogue on the final report of the International Commission of Inquiry on the Central African Republic (S/2014/928). The Commission was established in resolution 2127 to investigate violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law and abuses of human rights in the CAR. On 22 January, the Council adopted resolution 2196 renewing the CAR sanctions regime (arms embargo, assets freeze and travel ban) until 29 January 2016 and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee until 29 February 2016.

December 2014

The Council was briefed on 9 December 2014, by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous on the MINUSCA report (S/PV.7329). According to the report, since October 2014, there have been gross human rights violations and a resurgence of violence perpetrated by the anti-balaka, the Seleka and other groups. The chair of the 2127 Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite of Lithuania, also briefed. On 10 December, the Council adopted a presidential statement on the activities of the UN Office for Central Africa and LRA-affected areas. The statement expressed concern about the ongoing crisis in CAR and its regional impact and about continued LRA attacks against communities in eastern CAR. The Council adopted a presidential statement on 18 December that urged the transitional authorities to accelerate preparations for the Bangui forum and elections, which are to be held by August 2015. It also urged the Secretariat and MINUSCA to accelerate deployment of civilian, police and military capabilities, intensify the implementation of its mandate and move forward on adopting urgent temporary measures to restore law and order.

November 2014

In sanctions-related developments, the Panel of Experts presented its final report to the CAR Sanctions Committee on 7 November and put forward a list of individuals to be sanctioned by the Committee. The Committee could not agree on a recommendation to request neighbouring states to supply the Committee (on a confidential basis) with complete statistics on the import and export of natural resources, as two permanent members were against it. In this context, the Committee was able to agree on releasing a press statement on 14 November, drawing attention to a recommendation by the Panel of Experts urging exporters, importers, processors and consumers of gold in the CAR to mitigate the risk of further exacerbating the conflict by following due diligence guidance as implemented through the Regional Certification Mechanism of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

October 2014

On 10 October, Council members issued a press statement (SC/11596), condemning an attack against a MINUSCA convoy in Bangui, in which one peacekeeper was killed and several others injured. Council members expressed concern about the upsurge of violence and strongly condemned all attacks against civilians and acts of violence between communities. The statement supported the transitional authoritys call for all armed groups to implement the 23 July agreement to cease hostilities and violence. On 21 October, the Council adopted resolution 2181, extending the mandate of the EU operation in the CAR until 15 March 2015. The next day, Council members were briefed under any other business on recent events in CAR by Special Representative Babacar Gaye via video-teleconference.

September 2014

On 15 September, Council members issued a press statement (SC/11562) welcoming the transition of authority from the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). They stressed the importance for MINUSCA to accelerate the deployments of its civilian, police and military capabilities, including the necessary logistical support and command and control structure, in order to reach its full operational capacity as soon as possible.

August 2014

The Council was briefed by the Special Representative and head of MINUSCA, Babacar Gaye (Senegal), and the chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions CAR configuration, Omar Hilale (Morocco), on 19 August (S/PV.7246). Hilale informed Council members that the configuration could only form its long-term framework once peace is achieved, but it could support the political process, reconciliation and reforms. Gaye welcomed the ceasefire agreement and concentrated mostly on the political process and said that the new government must be an inclusive one. He told Council members that MINUSCA troop capacity will be at 65 percent by 15 September but apparently did not provide specific information on preparations for deployment.

July 2014

Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous briefed Council members on 16 July on the preparations ahead of MINUSCAs official deployment. He told them that MINUSCA would not reach its authorised strength by 15 September, despite contributions from states outside of MISCA. He added that except for one contingent, all of MISCAs troops would be re-hatted into MINUSCA. Ladsous further informed Council members that MINUSCAs civilian component was in the process of recruiting the remaining necessary individuals to fulfil its tasks. Finally, he said his office had completed the concept of operations for MINUSCA. In sanctions-related developments, the Council was briefed (S/PV.7215) on 11 July by Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania) on the interim report of the Panel of Experts (PoE) assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee and on the activities of the Committee (S/2014/452). Council members issued a press statement on 24 July welcoming the ceasefire as a first step in a wider political process that is meant to ensure durable peace, respect for human rights, protection of civilians and the rule of law (SC/11491).

June 2014

The Council was briefed on 24 June via video-teleconference by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of MINUSCA Babacar Gaye, who stated that civilians are regularly targeted while the government lacks its own security forces or necessary finances (S/PV.7206). He added that the current number of CAR refugees in neighbouring countries is at 360,000 and expressed scepticism about holding the planned elections in February 2015 due to the deteriorating situation. Also briefing was Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN-Women, who recently visited the country. She mentioned reports of rape, sexual slavery and early and forced marriages perpetrated by armed actors. Marguerite Marie Maliavo-Samba, CAR Minister for Public Health and Social Affairs, who addressed the Council, stated that the rule of law was practically confined to the capital and that there was no national army, the judiciary was sick, the national police needed rehabilitation and judges could not return to their posts. In the consultations that followed, Gaye expressed concern that MINUSCA may not be able to fill its allotted troop level by 15 September, that the transitional political process is stagnant and that the country remains de-facto divided between Christians and Muslims.

May 2014

Following the killing of French journalist Camille Lepage in western CAR, Council members issued a press statement on 13 May (SC/11394), recalling their demand that all parties comply with applicable international humanitarian law, including as related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. They also called on the transitional government to bring the perpetrators to justice. The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee made its first sanctions designations on 9 May (SC/11389). Seleka leader Nourredine Adam, anti-balaka leader Levy Yakete, and former President Bozize were listed for undermining the peace, stability or security in the CAR. Adam was also listed for suspected international human rights law and international humanitarian law violations.

April 2014

On 8 April, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay briefed Council members in consultations on several situations, including the CAR. On 10 April, the Council adopted resolution 2149 that established the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) with an initial deployment of up to 10,000 military and 1,800 police personnel (S/PV.7153). MINUSCA is to take over from the AU troops currently deployed in the country by 15 September. Its tasks include protecting civilians; facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance; protecting human rights; supporting the rule of law; and ensuring the disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and repatriation of former combatants.

March 2014

The Council was briefed (S/PV.7128) on the situation in the CAR on 6 March. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous summarised the Secretary-Generals recent report (S/2014/142) on the transformation of MISCA into a UN peacekeeping operation, as requested by resolution 2127. Also briefing on their recent visits were Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. The briefing was followed by consultations. On 14 March, Council members held an Arria-formula meeting chaired by France and Nigeria that focused on communal and religious tensions and violence in the CAR. The speakers were the leaders of the main religious communities in the CAR: Dieudonne Nzapalainga, the Archbishop of Bangui; Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, President of the CAR Islamic Community; and Nicolas Guerekoyame Gbangou, President of the Alliance of Evangelicals of the CAR. In sanctions-related developments, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met with its PoE on 5 March before the experts deployed to the CAR. The PoE presented its initial plan to provide information on the arms embargo, designations and visits to countries in the region.

February 2014

The Secretary-General briefed the Council on UN-EU cooperation on 14 February. He stated that there is a crucial opportunity to fortify the collective efforts of the UN, AU and EU in the CAR (S/PV.7112). He added that he would return to the Council with recommendations for containing and then ending this crisis. The Council was briefed again on 20 February on the situation in the CAR by the Secretary-General and Smail Chergui, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security (S/PV.7114). This was followed by an interactive dialogue session between Council members and Chergui and the head of MISCA, Major General Jean-Marie Mokoko. On 21 February, while briefing Council members in consultations, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman reiterated the urgency of the situation. In sanctions-related developments, on 6 February, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee held an exchange of views on the implementation of the arms embargo with countries from the region. On 13 February, the Secretary-General, after consulting with the members of the Committee, appointed the Panel of Experts. The chair, Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania) briefed the Council on the work of the Committee on 21 February.

January 2014

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed (S/PV.7092) the Council on the BINUCA report (S/2013/787) on 6 January. Feltman elaborated on the dire situation in the CAR and called for action without specifying what action should be taken. During consultations, he addressed allegations that Operation Sangaris and components of MISCA are favouring one religious group over the other and suggested that international forces on the ground take a more integrated and coordinated approach to address this issue. In comments to the press after consultations, Prince Zeid Raad Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan), the president of the Council in January, said that Council members still disagreed about the transformation of MISCA into a UN peacekeeping mission. At the initiative of Luxembourg, the Council was briefed on 22 January on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the CAR by Special Representative of for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at the OCHA Kyung-wha Kang. On 28 January, the Council adopted resolution 2134 renewing BINUCAs mandate for a year. The resolution enhances the role of the mission in assisting the transitional process, reforms and human rights monitoring. It also authorises the deployment of the EU force for six months and expands the sanctions regime to include targeted sanctions (travel ban and assets freeze) on individuals that hinder the political process, violate international humanitarian law and human rights law or violate the arms embargo. The 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee held its first formal meeting on 16 January to discuss preliminary procedural issues after an informal meeting the day before. Committee members agreed on the Committee guidelines and the text of the letter to be sent to UN member states, inviting them to report to the Committee on the implementation of sanctions.

December 2013

On 5 December, the Council adopted resolution 2127, authorising the deployment of an AU International Support Mission to the CAR (MISCA), with a mandate to protect civilians, support reform efforts and create conditions for humanitarian assistance. The resolution further authorised the French forces in the CAR to take all necessary measures to assist MISCA. The resolution also requested the Secretary-General to establish an international commission of inquiry, and it established an arms embargo, sanctions committee and panel of experts. France briefed the Council on its deployment in the CAR under any other business on 9 December.

November 2013

France and Rwanda organised an Arria formula meeting on 1 November on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the CAR. Participants heard from the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide; OCHA; the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; and a legal expert from the CAR. During the meeting, several Council members took the view that a peacekeeping mission to the CAR may eventually need to be authorised to try to resolve the situation. On 14 November, the Secretariat informally briefed Council members on the options for MISCA laid out in the Secretary-Generals report. The Council heard a briefing on the report on 25 November from Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. The briefing was followed by consultations in which Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet and Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye-Brook Zerihoun also participated. After consultations, France circulated a draft resolution authorising MISCA to protect civilians for adoption in early December.

October 2013

Following a set of recommendations from the Secretary-General, on 10 October the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2121 updating the BINUCA mandate in five areas: implementation of the transition process; conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance; stabilisation of the security situation; human rights; and coordination of international actors. The resolution also encourages member states to support the African-led International Support Mission in the CAR and requests a report from the Secretary-General within 30 days outlining specific options in this regard.

August 2013

On 14 August, the Council was briefed on the Secretary-Generals BINUCA report by Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, who was recently appointed as Special Representative and head of BINUCA. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos and Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic also briefed. Following the briefing, the Council issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the security situation in the CAR, violations of international humanitarian law and widespread human rights violations, and it emphasised that those responsible must be held accountable. Separately, the Council received the AUs concept of operations for the African-led International Support Mission in the CAR (AFISM-CAR) on 9 August. AFISM-CAR was authorized by the AU in July for an initial period of six months, to take over from the Economic Community of Central African States Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the CAR.

June 2013

The Secretary-General appointed Babacar Gaye as his new Special Representative and head of BINUCA.

May 2013

On 15 May, the Council was briefed by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of BINUCA, Margaret Vogt, on the latest BINUCA report. Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye of the Central African Republic also addressed the Council. The meeting was followed by consultations. In a 29 May presidential statement, the Council expressed concern at the recent pause in operations to counter the LRA in the CAR due to the 24 March Seleka seizure of power.

April 2013

The head of BINUCA, Margaret Vogt briefed Council members in consultations via video-teleconference on 9 April. She reported that the political and security situations remained highly volatile and the humanitarian situation was dire and emphasised that the Libreville agreements were key to restoring order in the country. On 25 April, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, issued a statement expressing alarm about the use of child soldiers by the Seleka. Council members were briefed in consultations again on 29 April by Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman after his recent visit to Cameroon and CAR, where he met with CAR Prime Minister NicolasTiangaye, representatives of political parties and civil society and Vogt. After consultations, Council members issued a press statement calling for the quick implementation of the ECCAS framework and expressing its concern of human rights violations in CAR.

March 2013

On 20 March, Margaret Vogt (Nigeria), the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of BINUCA, briefed Council members in consultations after renewed fighting broke out when Seleka rebels claimed the government had not fulfilled its promises under the 11 January Libreville agreements. The same day, the Council condemned these attacks in a press statement. Urgent consultations were convened again on 22 March and Council members were briefed by Taye-Brook Zerihoun, Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, after which the Council issued a press statement calling for the cessation of hostilities. Seleka rebels took over the capital Bangui on 24 March causing President Francois Bozize to flee to Cameroon. On 25 March, the AU Peace and Security Council suspended the CAR from participation in AU activities and imposed sanctions on seven Seleka leaders. Council members were briefed by Zerihoun and Ambassador Michel Tommo Monthe (Cameroon) the same day in consultations and released a press statement condemning the Seleka advancements, noting the AU actions and calling for the implementation of the Libreville agreements. At the insistence of Rwanda, the statement added that the Council will consider further steps if required.

January 2013

On 3 January, Council members were briefed in informal consultations by Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, on recent developments related to the uprising by the Seleka rebel alliance in CAR. The following day, Council members issued a press statement calling for a cessation of hostilities and for parties to engage in political dialogue. On 11 January, the Council was briefed by Margaret Vogt (Nigeria), the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of BINUCA via videoconference from Libreville, Gabon where she had been participating in peace talks. The Council also heard from Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura (Sierra Leone) during the same briefing on her recent visit to the country. The same day, Council members issued another press statementthe fourth over a period of four weekswelcoming the signing of the Libreville agreements and calling for their implementation. On 24 January, the Security Council adopted resolution 2088 extending BINUCA for twelve months and requesting the Secretary-General to provide a report on the situation on the ground, as well as an assessment of the implementation of the missions priorities by 31 March, possibly allowing for an adjustment to the mandate.

December 2012

On 19 and 27 December, the Security Council issued press statements (SC/10867 and SC/10874) condemning continuing attacks on several towns perpetrated by the Seleka rebel alliance, undermining the stability of the Central African Republic. During a Council briefing on 18 December, the head of UNOCA announced plans to organise a resource mobilisation forum early next year with the aim of raising funds for the most critical areas of the UN regional strategy to address the threat and impact of the LRA on several areas, including the CAR.

June 2012

On 6 June the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of BINUCA briefed the Council on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the situation in the country. The Council adopted a presidential statement on 29 June, welcoming a UN regional strategy to address the threat and impact of the LRA on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Uganda and the CAR.

December 2011

On 21 December the Council extended the mandate of BINUCA until 31 January 2013 in resolution 2031. The Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of BINUCA briefed the Council on 14 December, raising alarm at the lack of funding to complete the DDR process and to launch phase two of the SSR process, saying that the situation could put the country back on the brink of disaster.

November 2011

The head of UNOCA presented the Secretary-Generals report on the LRA to the Council on 14 November. Subsequently, the Council issued a presidential statement strongly condemning the LRA whilst commending the efforts undertaken by the CAR military in addressing this issue. Moreover, the Council welcomed BINUCAs added focus on LRA-related issues in CAR.

August 2011

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of UNOCA briefed the Council on 18 August. The Special Representative described rebel groups, such as the LRA and the militia led by Baba Ladde that moves between Chad and CAR, as primary cross-border threats.

July 2011

On 21 July, the Council issued a press statement condemning the ongoing attacks by the LRA and commending the efforts being undertaken by the CAR military as well as other regional militaries. The Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN briefed the Council on 7 July, noting that CAR faced serious challenges despite the progress made since the establishment of BINUCA.

June 2011

On 21 June the head of the UN Office to the AU (UNOAU), briefed the Council saying he had intensified strategic-level consultations with the AU on responding to the challenges to longstanding peace efforts in CAR and elsewhere. The Councils Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict issued a statement to all parties to the conflict on 22 June. This statement was in connection with the consideration of the Secretary-Generals second report on Children and Armed Conflict in CAR. It noted with serious concern the recruitment and use of children by local militias and called on the government to reiterate its prohibition on the recruitment and use of children.

May 2011

On 19 May, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Margaret Vogt of Nigeria as his special representative and head of BINUCA, replacing the outgoing Sahle-Work Zewde.

December 2010

On 31 December MINURCAT completed its withdrawal and the handover of its programmes to the governments of Chad and CAR and UN agencies. On 14 December, the Council extended the mandate of BINUCA for 12 months. On 8 December the Special Representative of the Secretary-General briefed the Council, as did the chair of the CAR configuration of the PBC.

October 2010

On 20 October, the Head of MINURCAT told the Council that the security situation in northeastern CAR was volatile and worrisome.

June 2010

On 28 June, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative told the Council that the peace process in CAR depended on the DDR process, reintegrating former combatants and successful elections. Subsequently, the Council adopted a press statement calling on all national stakeholders to move forward expeditiously to prepare and conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections. The Council also expressed concern at the slow pace of the implementation of the DDR process and strongly condemned the attacks by the LRA.

January 2010

The UN Integrated Peacebuilding Offics in CAR (BINUCA) opened on 1 January, replacing the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in CAR.

December 2009

The Council adopted a presidential statement on 21 December welcoming the establishment of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in CAR (BINUCA) on 1 January 2010. This followed a debate on the situation in CAR on 15 December.

17 November 2009

Ugandan special military forces were reported to have killed a senior commander of the rebel Lords Resistance Army, Okello Okutti, in CAR.

11 November 2009

The International Criminal Court set the date for the trial of former Congolese Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who faces charges relating to the actions of his former rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo, or MLC) troops in CAR in 2002 and 2003, for 27 April 2010.

9 November 2009

Former CAR president Ange-Felix Patasse met with (current) President Francois Bozize (who had deposed him in 2003) and reaffirmed his intention to run in the 2010 presidential election.

30 October 2009

Former CAR president Ange-Felix Patasse (1993-2003) returned from seven years of exile in Togo.

14 October 2009

The Secretary-General submitted a report to the Council updating it on operations of MINURCAT.

27 August 2009

The president of the Security Council forwarded a letter from the chairman of the Councils Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to the Secretary-General, asking the Secretary-General to designate a child protection adviser and consider strengthening the child protection capacity for BINUCA.

13 August 2009

CAR President Francois Bozize, launched a DDR sensitisation programme across the country.

August 2009

The LRA launched several attacks in Guli, Nguili Nguli and Maboussou. LRA raids in CAR displaced thousands of civilians.

23 June 2009

The head of MINURCAT, Victor da Silva Angelo, visited the CAR capital Bangui.

22 June 2009

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, last briefed the Council on the situation in CAR and the activities of BONUCA.

6 and 21 June 2009

Attacks in the Vakaga region, drove out most inhabitants of the area, which was already hosting some 300 refugees from Darfur and 3,000 IDPs.

21 to 22 May 2009

The chair of the CAR country configuration, Ambassador Jan Grauls of Belgium, visited the country to interact with the government and other key national players on the newly adopted peacebuilding framework.

6 May 2009

The Central African Republic country configuration of the PBC formally adopted a Strategic Framework for CAR.

24 April 2009

Edmond Mulet, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations briefed the Council (S/PV.6111) on the Secretary-Generals first report on MINURCAT since the transfer of authority from EUFOR to the UN on 15 March (S/2009/199).

7 April 2009

The Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2009/5) welcoming the Secretary-Generals recommendation, in his letter dated 3 March (S/2009/128), to establish a UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) to succeed the Peacebuilding Office.

17 March 2009

Edmund Mullet, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed the Council in closed consultations on the transfer of authority on 15 March from the EU Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (EUFOR) to a UN military component for MINURCAT.

15 March 2009

The mandate for the EU mission in eastern Chad and northeastern CAR ended and there was a transfer of authority to MINURCAT.

11 March 2009

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Fall briefed the PBC on developments in CAR.

10 March 2009

The outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of BONUCA, Francois Lonseny Fall, briefed the Council on the situation in CAR.

3 March 2009

The Secretary-General wrote to the Council recommending that an integrated UN presence should be set up in CAR, against the backdrop of the outcome of the December inclusive political dialogue.

14 January 2009

The Council adopted resolution 1861 extending the mandate of MINURCAT until 15 March 2010. The resolution also authorised the deployment of a 5,200 strong military component of MINURCAT to follow up EUFOR in both Chad and the CAR after its mandate expires on 15 March 2009.

2 December 2008

The Council considered the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in CAR and the activities of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (S/2008/733). The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the CAR, Francois Lonseny Fall, and the Chair of the CAR configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission and Permanent Representative of Belgium, Jan Grauls, briefed the Council (S/PV.6027).

24 September 2008

The EUs High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, presented its mid-term review of the EUFOR operation in Chad and the Central African Republic. The Council unanimously adopted resolution 1834 renewing the mandate of MINURCAT until 15 March 2009.

15 July 2008

The Council heard a Secretariat briefing in consultations on the Secretary-Generals latest progress report on the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) (S/2008/444).

24 June 2008

A follow-up military experts meeting was held in Senegal, when it was decided that Sudanese and Chadian troops would monitor the border together with regional military observers.

21 June 2008

The CAR government and two major rebel groups signed a comprehensive peace agreement in Libreville, a move seen as essential for a planned national political reconciliation conference. However, the rebel Front democratique pour le peuple centrafricain (FDPC) did not sign as reportedly its leadership in Libya feared arrest in connection with proceedings at the International Criminal Court.

16 June 2008

The Council adopted a presidential statement, calling upon states in the region to implement the Dakar Agreement and expressing readiness to act against those who constitute a threat to stability in the region or violate international humanitarian law.

23 June 2008

The Secretary-General submittted a report on BONUCA to the Council.

12 June 2008

The Peacebuilding Commission placed the CAR on its agenda, and Belgium was elected to chair the CAR country-specific configuration. Likely next steps in the short-term include agreement on the membership of the PBCs CAR configuration and discussions with the government on peacebuilding priorities.

9 June 2008

The Dakar Agreement Contact Group held a ministerial-level meeting in Brazzaville to discuss plans to deploy a regional border monitoring force as provided for in the Agreement.

31 May  10 June 2008

The Council undertook a mission to a number of African countries, including Chad, where it focused on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in eastern Chad and the north-eastern CAR and stressed its continued support for MINURCAT.

30 May 2008

In a letter from the Councils President to the PBC Chairman, the Council referred the CAR for consideration by the PBC in response to a request from Bangui.

13 May 2008

The Council adopted a statement condemning the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attack on Khartoum and warning that no retaliatory action should be taken against civilian populations, or that had an impact on stability in the region.

10 May 2008

Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) carried out an unprecedented attack near the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The Sudanese government subsequently cut off diplomatic ties with Chad, saying it was complicit in the attack. This prompted Chad to close its border with Sudan.

9 May 2008

The CAR government and the north-western CAR rebel group Armee populaire pour la restauration de la democratie (APRD) signed a ceasefire.

1 May 2008

The Council held consultations on Chad and the CAR. Discussions included a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General Edmond Mulet on progress with the deployment of the UN Mission in the CAR and Chad and the EU Force. In a press statement, members expressed concern with the situation in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR, encouraged the governments of both countries to promote national dialogue and also encouraged implementation of the Sudan-Chad Dakar Agreement (SC/9295).

17 March 2008

EU Force (EUFOR) was officially declared operationally.

March 2008

The security situation in the CAR further deteriorated after a group of Ugandan rebels belonging to the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

March 2008

The rebel Armee populaire pour la restauration de la democratie (APRD) was still active in the northwest, a region outside the area of operations of MINURCAT and EUFOR. There are reports that the APRD and the Chadian army have become embroiled in inter-communal tensions in the area, with a number of Chadian army incursions noted particularly in January through March. Displacement and abuse of civilians continues.

28 January 2008

The Secretary-General informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Victor Da Silva Angelo of Portugal as his Special Representative for Chad and CAR and head of MINURCAT.

12 December 2007

The council expressed its concern over the situation in CAR and urged the government to engage in all-inclusive dialogue.

3 December 2007

The Council extended the mandate of BONUCA until 31 December 2007 (S/2007/703).

November 2007

An initial MINURCAT civilian nucleus was deployed.

October-November 2007

The northwestern rebel group Armee populaire pour la restauration de la democratie (APRD) was apparently willing to negotiate a ceasefire in early October, but no progress seemed forthcoming especially after an attack on 26 November. (Two other groups signed agreements with the government earlier this year.)

26 October 2007

A CAR donors roundtable facilitated by the EU further underlined the countrys dire need for development aid. There appear to have been pledges of increased EU assistance, including for security sector reform.

25 September 2007

The Council unanimously passed resolution 1778, which established the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT).

19 September 2007

Under Secretary-General Jean-Marie Guehenno briefed the Council on major aspects of proposed deployments in the CAR and Chad.

18 September 2007

CAR confirmed its consent to proposed deployments by the EU and the UN.

late August 2007

Media reports suggested that the CAR was willing to follow up on plans to hold an all-inclusive national dialogue conference with UN support.

27 August 2007

The Council adopted a presidential statement expressing readiness to authorise deployments in Chad and the CAR.

10 August 2007

The Secretary-General unveiled new recommendations for peacekeeping in Chad and the CAR, including an EU military component.

23 July 2007

EU foreign ministers said that military staff had been asked to plan a possible operation in support of the multidimensional UN presence in eastern Chad and northeastern Central African Republic with a view to improving security in those areas.

13 July 2007

The Security Council heard a briefing by Under-Secretary-General Jean-Marie Guehenno on prospects for peacekeeping in eastern Chad and Central African Republic.

3 July 2007

The Security Council held consultations on the CAR with a briefing by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Lamine Cisse. The Council issued a press statement encouraging CAR authorities to organise a dialogue with all political forces and civil society and expressed serious concern at reports of the use of disproportionate force by CAR government forces.

26 June 2007

The Secretariat mission concluded its trip to Chad and the Central African Republic.

Summer 2007

The humanitarian crisis in Chad and the CAR continued to be acute, with a continuing flood of refugees and internally displaced persons. In the Central African Republic, there are 300,000 displaced. In the northwest, the situation continued to deteriorate with army raids and increasing rebel activity along the Cameroon border. In the north-eastern area adjacent to Sudan, the situation seemed to have improved after peace agreements earlier this year.

13 April 2007

The Central African Republic government and the rebel faction Union des forces democratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR) signed a peace deal including a ceasefire and amnesty for the UFDR faction. However, conflict continued with other factions.

4 April 2007

Under Secretary-General John Holmes briefed the Council on the humanitarian situation in the region. Holmes suggested that, given Chads reluctance, alternative options would be deploying a UN mission solely in the Central African Republic for the time being, or strengthening of the Central African Economic and Monetary Communitys (CEMAC) military operation deployed in the Central African Republic (FOMUC).

Spring 2007

Hit-and-run rebel attacks continued. Central African Republic forces with French support managed to regain control over the northeastern town of Birao from the rebel group Union des forces democratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR).

February 2007

The Secretary-General presented finalised options on a UN operation in Chad and the Central African Republic. In Libya, Chad and Sudan agreed to re-energise the Tripoli Agreement and the Central African republic government and the Union des forces democratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR) signed a peace deal. Chad opposed the deployment of the UN advance mission and of an operation with a robust military contingent.

January 2007

The Council requested finalised options on a UN operation in Chad and the Central African Republic. Attacks against civilians, military conflict and humanitarian chaos continued unabated in Chad and the Central African Republic.

December 2006

Cautioning against deployment without a political process, the Secretary-General unveiled preliminary options on a UN operation in Chad and the Central African Republic. The situation in Darfur, Chad and Central African Republic continued to deteriorate. In Chad and the Central African Republic, government forces with French military support succeeded in containing recent rebel advances. But the lethality and coordination of rebel attacks seem to have stepped up in tandem with mounting desertions from government forces in Chad. The Council issued a presidential statement expressing concern on 15 December.

Late November 2006

A UN assessment mission visited Chad and the Central African Republic. However, in the absence of security, it was unable to visit the affected areas to assess requirements on the ground.

Late Fall 2006

The Central African republic requested increased military assistance from France and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). CEMAC, Chad (a CEMAC member) and France responded positively.

Fall 2006

Reports of rebel activity in the north continued. Concerns that the crisis in Darfur could spread into the Central African Republic, largely as a result of an increase in the regional flow of arms and the cooperation among CAR rebel groups, Chadian anti-government forces and pro-Khartoum Sudanese militias known as the Janjaweed. Those foreign militias regularly operate from northern Central African Republic into Chad and Darfur.

August 2006

The Council adopted resolution 1706 mandating a multidimensional UN presence in Chad and the Central African Republic and requested recommendations.

February 2006

An international donors conference drew no new financial commitments.

September 2005

Skirmishes between the army and anti-government forces intensified. Rebels included former supporters of Boizize who claim he has not paid them promised bonuses. Bozize responded by sending elite presidential guard units into the northwest, which further provoked civilian fears as these soldiers are accused of burning villages. Throughout the region, armed bandits interfered with agriculture and commerce, often extorting money at roadside checkpoints.

May 2005

The country held an election, in which Francois Bozize competed with ten other candidates and won. The election was observed by a mix of national and international observers and was declared by them to be free and fair.

2003

The country experienced a coup by Francois Bozize.

November 2002

With pro-Bozize forces controlling one-third of the country, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) decided to deploy a force to the central African Republic in November to replace Libyan troops. The 300-strong force is known as the Multinational Force of the CEMAC (FOMUC).

January 2002

A request by the Organisation for African Unity that the Council consider deploying UN peacekeepers to Central African Republic was not heeded.

2002

The Chad-Central African Republic border was the scene of several skirmishes

2001

Following the failed coup, then-Army Chief of Staff General Bozize was sacked and subsequently refused to answer the questions of a special inquiry committee. The refusal sparked a political crisis that resulted in a government attempt to arrest Bozize in November, whereupon Bozize fled to Chadwhich refused to extradite himand began an insurgency.

May 2001

Former-President Kolingba launched a coup. The putsch was defeated with the assistance of Libyan and Chadian troops and Congolese rebels. In intervening to defend Patasse, Chad hoped to prevent destabilisation from affecting its oil reserves, which lie near the CAR border. Patasses government was accused of atrocities against members of Kolingbas Yokomba tribe in its response, while the capital was racked by looting.

2000

MINURCA was followed by the UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA).

October 1999

MINURCA was extended a final time until 15 February 2000. Patasse implored the Council to extend the mission through the end of 2000 to no avail.

19 September 1999

In presidential elections Ange-Felix Patasse was re-elected with 51.6 percent of the vote, and brought several members of the opposition into his cabinet. Nevertheless, political tensions remained high after the 1998 election produced near equal representation in the national assembly between government and opposition supporters. Hostility between the army, dominated by the southern Yakoma tribe of former-President General Andre Kolingbawho ran against Patasseand the Presidential Guard, dominated by Patasses northern Sara group, threatened to reignite conflict. The UN had difficulty raising the necessary donor funds to restructure the forces, strengthen civilian police capacity and demobilise and reintegrate soldiers in accordance with the Bangui Agreements.

November-December 1998

MINURCA supported legislative elections in November and December of 1998, and began preparations for a presidential vote in September of 1999.

March-April 1998

When French support was due to be phased out by mid-April 1998, the Secretary-General recommended a subsequent UN peacekeeping operationthe UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA)which the Council authorised in resolution 1159 of 27 March 1998.

6 August 1997

An 800-strong force under Gabonese command, with the logistical support of France  the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB)  was deployed with the Councils endorsement in resolution 1125.

27 January 1997

The Presidents of Gabon, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali helped mediate a peace agreement between the rebels and then-Central African Republic President Ange-Felix Patasse, which resulted in the Bangui Agreements.

1996

Provoked by a crisis over salary arrears alongside pervasive social and economic difficulties, there were three mutinies by members of the armed forces of the Central African Republic.

1960

The Central African Republic became independent from France in 1960.
There are moments when the symbolic aspect of architecture, a structures power to embody larger aspirations or fears, becomes impossible to ignore.

We are seeing one such moment in the reaction to the demolition and possible resurrection of the Largent House, architect Richard Neutras once-modest and much-altered house on the slopes of Twin Peaks.

It was built in 1936 as a four-room home for a teacher and artist. It was razed in the fall of 2017 by construction workers for the owner, a developer who lives in Florida. San Franciscos City Planning Commission now insists that it be rebuilt to look as it did on day one.

As a blow for historic preservation or the citys architectural heritage, the decree is a feeble gesture at best. Look on it instead as an act of cultural defiance. There might be better ways to make the point that builders shouldnt be rewarded for a cavalier leveling of the landscape, but its hard to imagine one that would provide such visceral satisfaction.

What its saying is, You cant just come in and tear down historic buildings by important architects, said Mitchell Schwarzer, a professor in visual studies at California College of the Arts and author of Architecture of the San Francisco Bay Area: History and Guide. Were going to make you rebuild. This is a statement for the future.

The unlikely object of attention is one of the citys five residential buildings designed in the 1930s by Neutra, who grew up in Vienna but made his career in Los Angeles. The now-gone Largent House at 49 Hopkins Ave. on Twin Peaks was the first. The other four, still intact, range from an easy-to-miss duplex on Russian Hill to a big, boxy, balconied duplex that hugs the crest of Telegraph Hill.

Neutras work was neither as photogenic as Frank Lloyd Wrights nor as distinctive as Mies van der Rohes. But he was one of Americas leading modern architects, the subject of a cover profile in Time magazine in 1948 in which he proclaimed, I want every house I build to be a stepping stone to the future.

If so, the Largent House was a modest step: Neutra didnt have it photographed or publicized. Plans for the house are among Neutras papers at UCLA, but they have not been published. The house has gone through so many changes since 1959 that the city determined in 2014 that it was not a historic resource.

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

Altered beyond recognition, was the succinct verdict in Thomas Hines Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture, published in 2005.

Barbara Lamprecht, author of 2010s Neutra: Complete Works, described the Largent House as important because of the architects use of wood siding, and how he harnessed the existing vernacular of San Francisco in what then was a startling modern design.

But she has never seen images of the building in its original form. And when Lamprecht traveled to the Bay Area to research her book, her reaction to seeing the altered house at 49 Hopkins was sadness, she said this month. When you take a house and add to it in a way that misunderstands the house so profoundly, thats sad.

So why the fuss over 49 Hopkins demolition?

Specific circumstances, and larger tensions.

According to the presentation by owner Ross Johnston and his team at a Planning Commission meeting Dec. 13, it was all an unfortunate mistake. Johnston had purchased the house and a set of approved expansion plans so that, supposedly, his family could relocate from Florida to San Francisco. The contractor and his crew were on-site when they discovered such hazardous conditions that an immediate demolition was required for life-safety reasons, according to attorney Justin Zucker.

The Planning Commission didnt buy it  pointing out, for starters, that all the crew had to do with regard to perceived dangers was to leave the site and call the Department of Building Inspection.

Johnston, meanwhile, appeared in a recent online real estate video  since taken down  in which he happily talked development strategies but said nothing about a move to the West Coast. Quite the opposite: He said he intends to raise his family in central Florida.

Nor is this an isolated incident.

Across San Francisco, houses are dismembered in defiance of approved plans, with permit changes filed after the fact and developers insisting the prior home was in such poor condition that they had no other option. The culprits include Troon Pacific, fined $400,000 after buying a Willis Polk-designed home on Russian Hill, then tearing it down to erect what the developer claimed was a historically accurate replica.

Troon Pacific paid $4.5 million for the house. The redo, now a 9,500-square-foot estate complete with seven bathrooms and a two-story subterranean art gallery, went on the market in October with an asking price of $45 million.

Such dubious transformations are magnified by the legal ones seen from Glen Park to Corona Heights, and in Bay Area neighborhoods beyond San Francisco. Houses in desirable settings lacking historic protections or zoning controls are replaced by ones several times larger, at costs that regular working people cannot conceive.

In this context, Johnstons protestations of simply wanting to build a 3,960-square-foot family home ring hollow. The crackdown by planning commissioners is seen by many as a deserved comeuppance.

I think theyre doing the right thing  something as onerous as that (a rebuild) is whats needed, said Schwarzer, the California College of the Arts professor. People in cities like San Francisco feel that we are under assault, that our cities are changing beyond recognition.

This view is echoed by Thompson Mayes, author of Why Old Places Matter and senior counsel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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Im a practicing attorney, and this seems like the perfect remedy for an illegal demolition, Mayes said.

Not that Mayes expects a replica to somehow bring Neutras spirit back to life.

You shouldnt try to pretend this is a new old thing. It would be a reconstruction, but one that acknowledges older values, Mayes said. Whats more important than the specific work of architecture is the sense of place more generally.

Thats assuming the Planning Commissions strong stand doesnt waver. Or that Johnston doesnt fight back in court and win. The commission decision requires Johnston to rebuild the house  not as it was when he bought it, but to its 1936 dimensions. Attorneys could challenge the commissions legal right to make such a sweeping edict.

If the house indeed was rebuilt as originally intended, it wouldnt be a first. For instance, St. Marks Campanile on the Piazza San Marco in Venice collapsed in 1902 and was promptly rebuilt as if the year again was 1513.

Of course, Largent House isnt the equal of St. Marks. Or Dresdens Frauenkirche, a Baroque masterpiece completed in 1743 and reborn in 2005 after Allied bombers leveled it in 1945.

Another solution in San Francisco might be to let Johnston build his house on Hopkins Avenue however he desires. With a catch: When he sells it, all revenue above the $1.7 million he paid in 2017 would go to the citys Historic Preservation Fund, to be spent on architectural surveys and the research of possible landmarks.

This type of penalty might deter other builders tempted to raze first and apologize later. It also would have benefits throughout the city. But lets be honest: It wouldnt be nearly as much fun.

John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron
When Jerry Brown was governor from 1975 to 1983, he pardoned 404 convicted criminals, removing the convictions from their records, and granted one commutation, shortening a prisoners sentence.

But during his past eight years in office, he has granted 1,189 pardons and 152 commutations, far more than any other governor in modern California history.

The atmosphere, the gangs, the hopelessness, sentences that are so long ... the no-exit attitude has made it virtually impossible to have any strong rehabilitative atmosphere, Brown said in an interview. This has given me the interest, where I can, in instilling hope.

When asked what has changed, Brown pointed to another set of numbers: California had 12 prisons and about 25,000 inmates in 1975. By 2011, thanks to tough-on-crime changes that imposed fixed-term sentences, mandatory prison time for certain crimes, and long increases for repeat offenders, the state had 173,000 inmates in 35 California prisons and some private lockups in other states, a population since reduced to 128,000 by federal court orders and new laws.

Along the way, Brown said, California prisons became places of punishment and despair, with dwindling prospects of turning lives around to prepare inmates for release to the free world.

Clemency isnt the only way the governor has tried to change that atmosphere.

Brown backed laws to move up parole hearings for youthful offenders and elderly prisoners. He also sponsored Proposition 57, the 2016 initiative that allowed the state parole board to consider releasing inmates after their term for the crime that sent them to prison, without waiting until they had served additional years for previous crimes. The new laws left the final decision to the parole commissioners, appointed by the governor to decide whether an inmate can be safely released.

Most of Browns pardons have erased long-ago convictions for drug crimes and nonviolent offenses. Pardons allow individuals to obtain many types of state licenses unavailable to convicted felons, and, for those whose crimes did not involve weapons, to possess firearms. For noncitizens who are legal U.S. residents, a pardon also spares them from deportation.

Similarly, while some of Browns sentence commutations set prisoners free, more often they have made inmates serving life-without-parole terms eligible for parole, or moved up an inmates previous parole eligibility date, allowing the parole board to weigh issues of rehabilitation and public safety. So far, he has not sought to commute the death sentences of any of the states 739 condemned prisoners.

Its not a get-out-of-jail-free card, said Heidi Rummel, a University of Southern California law professor who works with inmates and supervises students who represent them in parole proceedings. The fact that the governor is willing to look at how people do in prison has created a lot of momentum for positive rehabilitation. ... There are long waiting lists for rehab programs where there never were before.

Its also increased the number of prisoners and ex-convicts applying for clemency, far more than Brown said he could consider But he has set up a review process in which his staff screens the application, then studies the applicants record both in and out of prison and meets with prison staff and others who know the inmates or ex-convicts before recommending a commutation or pardon.

The final decision is up to the governor, unless the prisoner or former inmate has two or more felony convictions. The state Constitution then requires a majority of the California Supreme Court to approve a grant of clemency. The court, apparently anticipating a wave of applications in Browns final months in office, adopted a new policy in March that said it would not second-guess a governors decisions, but would reject them only if they represented an abuse of power.

In recent weeks the court, without stating reasons, has rejected one of Browns proposed pardons and two commutations.

When Brown first took office, virtually all felony crimes carried a range of sentences  one to 10 years, for example  and the parole board determined release dates. The system drew criticism from across the political spectrum, with conservatives claiming undue leniency and liberals alleging discrimination against minorities. Those indeterminate sentences were discarded in 1977 when Brown signed a law setting fixed terms  like two, four or six years  for most felonies, with the sentencing judge making the decision.

He wouldnt sign that 1977 law today, Brown said.

I didnt fully understand the implications of where it would lead, with substantial increases in the legally mandated sentences, particularly for gun crimes and repeat offenders, he said. I thought about the idea of making things clear, certain and fair with sentences defined for each crime. I never thought that when you tell a man that you know when hes getting out, he loses the incentive to transform his life.

The 1977 law left the parole board with the sole task of deciding when to release inmates serving terms of up to life in prison, including convicted murderers, and, later, three-strikers serving 25 years to life for a third felony under a 1994 ballot measure. The laws also allowed the governor to veto a parole boards decision to release an inmate, authority that was often used by previous governors but seldom by Brown.

I believe in wide discretion for the parole board, Brown said in the interview. I believe in pardons, and I believe in commutations.

Kate Chatfield, a University of San Francisco Law School professor and policy director of Re:store Justice, which advocates for less severe prison sentences, represented an inmate who spent about 20 years in prison for shooting and wounding a robbery victim before Brown commuted his sentence and freed him in August. She has another application pending.

Most of those who have won commutations are poor, people of color, without attorneys, Chatfield said. She compared Browns pardons and commutations to Pope Francis washing the feet of migrants. ... It hasnt made a dent in mass incarceration but it is wonderfully symbolic. It speaks to a belief in rehabilitation, in people being more than the worst of their actions.

Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, also sounded a spiritual theme.

From my background, I do believe that redemption is an essential element of being human, he said.

Many people in todays society do not believe in either forgiveness or redemption, Brown added. They believe that what you do is who you are. That philosophy is not something that I share. I dont think its Christian ... and it does not comport with historical notions of justice.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Three major banks have stopped offering mortgages for homes at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, an extraordinary move likely to complicate the already troubled effort by the city and developers to transform 500 acres of waterfront in San Francisco.

The banks, Wells Fargo, Chase and Citi, all confirmed to The Chronicle that they are not providing loans to any buyers at the San Francisco Shipyard development at the moment. They cited reasons related to unresolved questions about the safety of the land where mega-developer Lennar Corp. has built about 450 homes and is planning thousands more.

The home area  a 75-acre hilltop site known as Parcel A  is adjacent to Americas largest Superfund site, hundreds of acres contaminated with radioactive materials spread by the Navy during the Cold War and undergoing cleanup since the early 2000s. In recent years, a scandal involving falsified radiation tests has marred the effort, raising concerns that toxic hazards were missed or covered up  and spawning lawsuits against Lennar from angry homeowners.

It is unclear how many banks may still be offering mortgages for homes on Parcel A. Lennar said in a statement that multiple banks are still lending to home buyers. But real estate and economics experts said the decision by the three banks is exceptionally rare and reflects an atmosphere of uncertainty about the shipyard and its future.

The move might affect current shipyard homeowners as well as potential buyers, they said, because if banks arent lending, people wanting to buy might have to pay in cash, and people wanting to sell could struggle to unload their properties.

If you freeze financing on that  wow, said Denis DeSaix, a real estate appraiser and incoming president of the Northern California chapter of the Appraisal Institute. Depending on the extent of any contamination and the difficulty of removing whatever hazards exist, It could be a ghost town there for a while.

Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, an economic consulting firm based in California, said the banks move could cause serious ripple effects, possibly making it more difficult to pay off construction loans, upsetting the developments investors and potentially leading to more lawsuits.

If the banks arent lending to people to buy these homes, then everything else falls apart, Thornberg said. Basically all hell breaks loose.

The only comparable drama to play out in San Francisco in recent years has been at Millennium Tower, a glass pillar of lavish condos that is leaning and sinking  and plunging its residents, the developer and the city into litigation. The Chronicle reported in 2016 that after writing $67 million worth of loans for condos at the tower, First Republic Bank decided to stop lending.

While all-cash transactions are common in the Bay Areas superheated housing market, shipyard condos have been designed and pitched as a relatively affordable solution for first-time homebuyers, with some condos previously selling from around $560,000.

Were not talking about high-tech millionaires, said Patrick Carlisle, chief Bay Area market analyst for Compass, a residential real estate firm. Were talking about people buying their first homes, or looking to stay in the city. If they cant get a loan, its over. They cant buy.

And when large banks shut off funding, Carlisle added, other banks usually follow. Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of a financial situation like this, he said.

According to records from San Franciscos Office of the Assessor-Recorder, only one housing unit sold in the hilltop area from Sept. 1 to Dec. 12. A condominium with a reported sale price of $725,000 sold in mid-September, with a mortgage provided by Quicken Loans.

Quicken Loans did not respond to a question about whether the company is still lending at the shipyard.

In response to questions from The Chronicle, Lennar said the home area at the shipyard is safe and that the company has sold and closed homes since August.

As the facts become more widely known, we believe the lending environment will normalize and more banks will provide loans, the company said in a statement.

Headquartered in Miami, Lennar is the nations largest home builder, completing almost 30,000 new homes last year and generating $12.6 billion in annual revenue. The shipyard development is an $8 billion project that has been fueled in part by EB-5 funds, a U.S. immigration program that essentially trades green cards to foreign financiers in exchange for investments that lead to jobs.

Lennar also has long-established ties to the citys power structure. Willie Brown, the former mayor and current columnist for The Chronicle, raises money for Lennar as a principal with the EB-5 investment fund Golden Gate Global. Browns onetime deputy Kofi Bonner is a top executive with Lennar spin-off FivePoint Holdings.

The shipyard is the citys largest redevelopment project in a century, part of a new bayshore community where developers have planned 12,000 homes, more than 3 million square feet of office space and 300 acres of parks. Lennar is in charge of the first phase, and FivePoint Holdings is handling the second wave, which includes homes at nearby Candlestick Point. Between the two phases, about 750 housing units have been created so far, and Lennar is currently selling a new outcropping of luxury townhomes that start at $1.4 million.

Asked if the company had ever experienced a similar situation in any of its hundreds of home communities throughout America, Lennar said in a written response: No.

The shipyard scandal has already taken a toll on the developers, according to city records and an interview Bonner gave to The Chronicles editorial board this year. By early 2017, city documents show, six buyers of Lennar homes at the shipyard had backed out of their contracts because of concerns over their health and safety.

Bonner also told the editorial board that if uncertainty about the shipyards future becomes too great, FivePoint could consider abandoning its plans to build homes at the shipyard and focus on developing at Candlestick Point. But he didnt think such a step would be necessary.

We are very excited by the prospect that this cloud will be lifted at some point  at the end of the day, uncertainty is bad for business and terrible for the people who live there, Bonner said then.

A FivePoint spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

The Parcel A home area was transferred from the Navy to the city in 2004; multiple agencies declared it safe for development and free of harmful radioactivity. But in 2014, whistle-blowers who had worked for lead cleanup contractor Tetra Tech emerged and said that the cleanup process on the Navy-owned portions was fraudulent and broken. Two former shipyard workers also raised questions about possible contamination on Parcel A.

Since then many of the whistle-blowers allegations have been confirmed by government agencies. This year the Department of Justice announced that two former Tetra Tech cleanup supervisors had admitted to faking radioactivity tests to make the site appear cleaner. Tetra Tech has said that all problems were caused by a few rogue employees, but both the Navy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have concluded that the companys radioactivity measurements cant be trusted and the site should be retested.

The Navy has said that may end up costing taxpayers more than a half-billion dollars and could delay the transfers of other shipyard parcels by about a decade.

Uncertainty about the extent of contamination has caused some homeowners to question the safety of the hilltop home area. The California Department of Public Health recently agreed to perform a limited search for radiation, walking across some pieces of the parcel with handheld and machine-towed detectors that can see one type of radiation but not other types.

The survey, which began in July and was completed in October, turned up a buried, highly radioactive object: a radium-filled deck marker once used by the Navy. Beyond that, the scan found nothing out of the ordinary, the state has said. But critics have said the only way to confirm the safety of the parcel is to take soil samples, as the Navy has done in other parts of the shipyard.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The state health department says the final report on its scan will be released in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, about 20 homeowners have filed lawsuits against Lennar and Tetra Tech, alleging that the companies withheld key facts about contamination at the shipyard. Lennar and Tetra Tech have said the suits are baseless.

One of the plaintiffs, Salustiano Ribeiro, said he bought a condo at the shipyard last summer and has since grown worried about his health after learning of fraud that occurred in the shipyard cleanup.

I love the condo, said Ribeiro, who works as a laboratory scientist. The view is beautiful. But I dont know if in 10 years if Im going to develop a type of cancer thats related to the area where I live.

A spokesman for Wells Fargo said the bank is not lending at the shipyard because of the homeowner lawsuits against Lennar.

Due to the nature of the pending litigation, Tom Goyda said in a statement, the Naval Shipyards development does not meet Wells Fargo and industry project eligibility standards and we are unable to provide mortgage loans on individual condominiums and townhomes in the development.

According to an email that a Chase loan officer sent to Ribeiro, Chase is not lending at the shipyard because it is waiting for the state health departments final report on the radiation scan. A Chase representative confirmed that the company has halted lending, but did not comment further.

The government-sponsored mortgage giant Fannie Mae stays away from loans for condominiums when the developer is named as a party to pending litigation that relates to the safety, structural soundness, habitability, or functional use of the project. Fannie Mae guarantees home loans, and many banks use the organizations guidelines to design their own lending policies.

In the end, it is mortgage loans that are going to cover this project, Thornberg said. And if those arent being made, then someone is going to be left holding the bag.

The state health department has already released a letter saying that its radiation scan of the home area is complete, only the one radioactive deck marker was found, and the rest of the scanned areas appeared normal, though the agency is still reviewing the data. Lennar said it expects that when the final report is issued, the lending environment will return to normal.

Like the other agencies that perform oversight of the shipyard cleanup, the state health department did not discover problems with Tetra Techs work until whistle-blowers emerged in recent years. Its unclear whether homeowners will accept the conclusions of the departments final report on Parcel A.

Lets do a soil testing, said Ribeiro, the homeowner and plaintiff against Lennar. Lets do a full evaluation of the soil. But they will not do it.

Ribeiro worries that until all questions are fully answered about Parcel A and what went wrong with the wider shipyard cleanup, he will have a hard time trying to sell his home.

I feel stuck in the moment, he said. I just want to get out of here.

Chronicle staff writers J.K. Dineen, Roland Li, Kathleen Pender and Gwendolyn Wu contributed to this report.

Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com, cdizikes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone, @cdizikes
An African American student leader who was targeted by a racist troll storm says she hopes an unusual legal settlement with one of her harassers will send a strong message to white supremacists that they will be held responsible for online abuse.

Taylor Dumpson had sued Evan James McCarty of Eugene, Ore., and two other defendants, including the publisher of the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer, after she was viciously harassed online. As part of the settlement, filed this past week, McCarty has agreed to apologize, renounce white supremacy, undergo counseling and help civil rights groups fight hate and bigotry.

People that decide to participate in this kind of activity, they should know that theyre going to be held accountable, Dumpson said Friday.

She added that the settlement gave her a sense of closure, and that she was proud that important educational and advocacy work would result from it. She called it a unique opportunity rooted in the principles of restorative justice, which focuses on rehabilitating offenders through reconciliation with victims.

Im using what was a traumatic experience for me to help promote racial justice, she said.

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 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 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 civil rights leader Medgar Evers. He was identified as McCarty by an anti-fascist group in April.

The lawsuit stated that 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, McCarty agreed to assist Dumpson in her legal efforts against his two co-defendants, Anglin and Brian Andrew Ade.

Karen Zraick is a New York Times writer.
China Aviation Daily | Dec. 21, 2018

ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu was in Beijing earlier this week, where she provided remarks to a special closing ceremony for the ICAO Civil Aviation Authority Senior and Middle Managers Training Course conducted there.

Dr. Liu expressed ICAO's deep appreciation to the Government of China for its important funding contributions, under its South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF), which were instrumental to both the development and global delivery of this new course. She similarly praised the important contributions made by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE).

"Because of all of this valuable support, ICAO has been able to provide scholarships to over 500 senior and middle managers from civil aviation authorities in all seven ICAO Regions, and from over 80 Member States," Dr. Liu stressed.

The managers selected to participate in the course were chosen because ICAO's safety and security auditing and related analyses identified them as being critical to the strategic and day-to-day decision-making which together ensure effective ICAO compliance.

Dr. Liu emphasized that compliance training is especially important today because of "the challenges now confronting global civil aviation in terms of sectoral growth, skilled personnel shortages, and the key role of ICAO-compliant air transport connectivity in helping States to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

"Providing this type of quality training, which has such clear tie-ins to many States' ultimate realization of the Agenda 2030 SDGs, is directly in line with ICAO's No Country Left Behind Initiative and core commitments in support of our Member States," she added.

While in Beijing for the course closing ceremony, Dr. Liu also forged progress on a number of additional priorities for ICAO.

To help ensure additional future cooperation under China's SSCAF framework, she met with Mr. Zhou Liujun, Vice Chairman of CIDCA, and later conducted joint discussions with Mr. Wang Shengwen, Director General of Outward Investment and International Cooperation in China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and Mr. Zhang Yi, Deputy Director General of the CICETE.

The three major SSCAF stakeholders praised the dedication and professionalism which ICAO demonstrated in the successful launch and effective implementation of the new GAT training course.The three stakeholders further agreed to expedite the 2019 launch of USD $2 million ICAO-SSCAF Technical Cooperation projects in Africa and to consider providing the funding to extend the scope and scale of the Senior and Middle Managers Training Course.

Dr. Liu also held a series of meetings in Beijing focused on further partnerships and cooperation with the Administrator and Vice Administrators of Civil Aviation Administration of China, the President and CEO of the Capital Airport Holding Group, the President of the Civil Aviation University of China, and other senior officers from the Chinese Civil Aviation sector.

During her mission, the Secretary General was accompanied by the Director of her Office, Ms. Yan Jiarong; the Chief of ICAO's Global Aviation Training Office, Mr. Meshesha Belayneh; ICAO's Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, Mr. Arun Mishra; and the Head of ICAO's Strategic Planning, Coordination and Partnerships Office, Mr. Henry Gourdji.

Contributed by ICAO
A fatal four-car crash early Sunday near San Francisco International Airport shut down northbound Highway 101 lanes for five hours, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol officers responded at 3:30 a.m. to a report of a crash blocking all lanes on Highway 101 in San Bruno near the North Access Road exit.

At least one person was killed in the collision, according to the CHP. The person was not immediately identified.

The crash scattered debris across the roadway, prompting CHP to issue a traffic alert as crews cleaned up the scene. The alert was canceled at 8:31 a.m.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu
WASHINGTON  When President Donald Trump grows frustrated with advisers during meetings, which is not an uncommon occurrence, he sits back in his chair, crosses his arms and scowls. Often he erupts. Freaking idiots! he calls his aides. Except he uses a more pungent word than freaking.

For two years, Trump has waged war against his own government, convinced that people around him are fools. Angry that they resist his wishes, uninterested in the details of their briefings, he becomes especially agitated when they tell him he does not have the power to do what he wants, which makes him suspicious that they are secretly undermining him.

Now, the president who once declared that I alone can fix the system increasingly stands alone in a system that seems as broken as ever. The swirl of recent days  a government shutdown, spiraling scandals, tumbling stock markets, abrupt troop withdrawals and the resignation of his alienated defense secretary  has left the impression of a presidency at risk of spinning out of control.

At the midpoint of his term, Trump has grown more sure of his own judgment and more cut off from anyone elses than at any point since taking office. He spends ever more time in front of a television, often retreating to his residence out of concern that he is being watched too closely. As he sheds advisers at a head-spinning rate, he reaches out to old associates, complaining that few of the people around him were there at the beginning.

Trump is said by advisers to be consumed by the multiplying investigations that have taken down his personal lawyer, campaign chairman, national security adviser and family foundation. He rails against enemies, who often were once friends, nursing a deep sense of betrayal and grievance as they turn on him.

Can you believe this? he has said as he scanned the torrent of headlines. Im doing great, but its a war every day.

Why is it like this? he has asked aides, with no acknowledgment that he might have played a role. The aides, many of whom believe he has been treated unfairly by the news media, have replied that journalists are angry that he won and proved them wrong. He nods in agreement at such explanations.

As the president vents, he constantly rattles off what he sees as underappreciated accomplishments. Look what I did for Mexico and Canada, he has told allies. Look whats happened with terrorism.

The portrait that emerges from interviews with about 30 current and former administration officials, personal friends, political allies, lawmakers and congressional aides suggests a president who revels in sharp swings in direction, feels free to disregard historic allies and presides over near constant turmoil within his own team as he follows his own instincts.

White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. But as the president struggles to find a way forward, the path is about to become much more hazardous. As tumultuous as events have been so far, Trumps first two years may ultimately look calm compared to what lies ahead.

In less than two weeks, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California will take the speakers gavel held until now by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and subpoena-wielding House Democrats will be empowered to investigate Trumps family, business, campaign and administration. At some point after that, he will face the results of whatever Robert Mueller, the special counsel, finds about campaign ties to Russia and obstruction of justice.

At some point after that, Pelosi may come under enormous pressure from her liberal base to open an impeachment inquiry and many Republicans anticipate a battle over whether Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors even if they hold enough votes in the Senate to block removal. Amid all that is a rising budget deficit that will shrink Trumps domestic options and signs of a possible economic downturn that would undercut his most potent bragging point.

Nothing hes going to face in the next two years is going to be like the challenges of the previous two years, said Michael Steel, a longtime adviser to Republicans like Ryan and former Speaker John Boehner. Given the staff turnover and the increasing feeling that the president is encircled or cornered by legal and political enemies, its entirely possible it gets worse, not better.

Yet even with a 38 percent approval rating in Gallup polling, Trump has dominated the national conversation as no other modern president has, and his base thrills at his fights with the establishment, seeing him as a warrior against self-satisfied elites who look down on many Americans. Determined to maintain that base, he has insisted  despite the seemingly long odds  onhis pledge of a border wall, aware that abandoning his signature campaign promise would make him less authentic, the quality that his voters often cite as his appeal.

As a result, a partisan war may be just what he wants. He has privately told associates that he is glad Democrats won the House in last months midterm elections, saying he thinks that guarantees his re-election because they will serve as a useful antagonist. That may be bravado, but history provides some support. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, his Democratic predecessors, both endured even bigger midterm setbacks and went on to win re-election.

Its absolutely fair to say that its better to have Nancy Pelosi as a foil than Paul Ryan as a foil, said Marc Short, the presidents former legislative affairs director. Its better for the party and its better for unity. He added: The reality is the Democrats could overplay their hand.

Both sides gamely talk about possible cooperation on issues like rebuilding the nations tattered network of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The opportunity in the era of divided government is to work with both sides to get something done for the country, said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

Recent days showed the possibilities when Congress overhauled the criminal justice system, the most significant bipartisan domestic legislation of Trumps tenure. Trump has hopes of winning bipartisan support for his new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. But one congressional Democrat said the party has gone from thinking it could make discrete deals with Trump to believing he must be stopped at all costs because he is so dangerous.

Trump has struggled with fellow Republicans lately too. They objected loudly to his decisions to draw down troops from Syria and Afghanistan and pushed through a Senate resolution essentially rebuking his handling of Saudi Arabia after the assassination of dissident Jamal Khashoggi. The departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who protested the troop pullouts and Trumps cavalier approach to Americas alliances, sent shudders through Republican ranks.

House conservatives, meanwhile, revolted against Trump when he seemed to retreat on his demand for border wall funding to avert a government shutdown. At the same time, Senate Republicans, who had voted unanimously to keep the government open without the wall money Trump had demanded, were angry when he reversed course and refused to sign such a measure.

Such conflict comes with a cost. Trump has a way of stepping on his own successes. The border wall fight overshadowed his signing of the criminal justice overhaul. The abrupt way he decided to withdraw from Syria overshadowed the military victories against the Islamic State group. Trumps focus during the midterm campaign on a caravan of migrants overshadowed the positive economic story he had to tell before the latest stock market gyrations.

When hes talking about the economy, hes gotten a much more positive reaction, said David Winston, a Republican pollster. Obviously on other topics he hasnt been able to get it to the point where hes able to create an overall job approval. The question is do you address weaknesses or do you play to your strengths?

Always impulsive, the president increasingly believes he does not need advisers, according to people close to him. He is on his third chief of staff, third national security adviser, sixth communications director, second secretary of state, second attorney general and soon his second defense secretary. Turnover at the top has reached 65 percent, according to the Brookings Institution.

Some left in a cloud of corruption allegations, including his health and human services secretary, his Environmental Protection Agency chief and, most recently, his interior secretary. Others left after clashing with Trump. Mattis was the last of the so-called axis of adults seen by some as tempering a volatile president, following the ouster of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, H.R. McMaster as national security adviser and John Kelly as chief of staff.

Rex Tillerson and Jim Mattis are two of the finest people ever to serve in government, said Steve Goldstein, who was undersecretary of state until he was fired along with Tillerson. They were very close and worked hard at trying to do what was best for the country and sometimes that meant being brutally honest with folks at the White House.

But Fred Fleitz, who worked for nearly six months this year as chief of staff for John Bolton, the current national security adviser, said the new team is more cohesive and better suited to Trump than one constantly undermining him.

He came in as the ultimate outsider and he brought in some unorthodox policies that worked and he tried some things that didnt work, and one of the things that didnt work was bringing in some staffers who didnt work like McMaster and Tillerson, Fleitz said.

In a recent public talk, Tillerson said out loud what others say in private, that Trump often pushes for actions that exceed his authority and does not like it when told he cannot do something. He bristles at constraints and expresses envy of autocrats like President Xi Jinping of China who do not have to deal with independent power centers like the Federal Reserve or the courts.

In recent days, Trump has asked aides whether he can fire Jerome Powell, the Fed chairman he appointed, telling advisers that Powell will turn me into Hoover, a reference to the Great Depression-era president. During a meeting with German car executives this month, Trump threatened to impose higher fuel efficiency standards on their imported cars than required on American vehicles even though aides told him he could not do that.

And he can be hard on his staff. He regularly curses at them, some say. Even his humor can be abrasive. When Larry Kudlow, his economics adviser, returned after a heart attack this year, the president ribbed him in front of aides. Larry, youre here six weeks and you had a heart attack? Others laughed uncomfortably.

More recently, the president has told associates he feels totally and completely abandoned, as one put it, complaining that no one is on his side and that many around him have ulterior motives. That extends even to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who was credited for helping push through the criminal justice bill, praise that Trump took note of.

Longtime associates said Trumps relationship with his children has grown more removed and that he feels he does not have a friend in the White House. He disagrees with Kushner and Ivanka Trump much of the time, but cannot bring himself to tell them no, leaving that instead to Kelly, according to former aides. That made Kelly the heavy, they said, and therefore the target of their ire until he was finally forced out.

Trump has spent far less time lately with older friends. The sense of isolation was on display at this months holiday parties when he appeared for a few minutes, took a few perfunctory photographs with preselected guests and then disappeared back upstairs rather than mingle. He spent part of this preholiday shutdown weekend alone until Melania could return from Florida.

Trump still views the presidency through the lens of a television showman. He told his staff that he wanted a fireworks display over Mount Rushmore. Before signing the farm bill, he posted a goofy video of himself at the 2005 Emmy Awards dressed in overalls and a straw hat, holding a pitchfork and singing the theme song to the old television show Green Acres.

For election night in November, he insisted on throwing a lavish party in the East Room and originally wanted aides to be on display for his guests, a simulation of officials gathering election return information like aides did at Trump Tower in 2016. When White House officials warned that a party would look discordant given the likelihood of losing the House, he insisted on going forward anyway.

By all accounts, Trumps consumption of cable television has actually increased in recent months as his first scheduled meetings of the day have slid back from the 9 or 9:30 a.m. set by Reince Priebus, his first chief of staff, to roughly 11 a.m. many mornings. During executive time, Trump watches television in the residence for hours, reacting to what he sees on Fox News. While in the West Wing, he leaves it on during most meetings in the dining room off the Oval Office, one ear attuned to what is being said.

Of late, allies concede, the news has been particularly grim. He was infuriated by his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to organizing an illegal scheme to pay hush money to women to keep quiet about alleged affairs with Trump before the 2016 election, a scheme he said Trump had directed.

More for you Fleeing death threats, family joins record number crossing border in search of asylum

Still, for all the reports of a fuming president alarmed at possible impeachment, 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, 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 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 authorities, cheated on their taxes, skirted campaign finance laws and secretly worked for foreign interests. The question is what Mueller will say about 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.

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 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 Obama. But we can now say theres collusion with the Russians on foreign policy and its not to Americas benefit.

More recently, 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 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.

But those highs have been hard to recapture. The days are filled with conflict, much of it of his own making. More advisers are heading for the door. The divisions are widening, not closing. If it is a war every day, there are no signs of peace.

What Im trying to figure out is where does it end, Goldstein said. The language gets coarser on all sides. The respect for the office of the presidency seems less to me than it was. How do we move people back? Or are we in the new reality?

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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38 Chinese brands among world's 500 most influential in 2018

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2018-12-20

An AI robot offers services at the State Grid service hall in Tongling, East China's Anhui province, Aug 22, 2018. State Grid ranks 30th on the world's 500 most influential brands in 2018. [Photo/VCG]

A total of 38 Chinese brands have been ranked on the newly released 2018 edition of the World's 500 Most Influential Brands list from brand consulting and research firm World Brand Lab on Dec 19. Brands from 28 countries are included in the list, with Amazon, Google and Apple grabbing the top three spots.

State Grid, Tencent and Haier are the three Chinese companies with the highest rankings, landing at the 30th, 39th, and 41st spots respectively on the full list.

The list, published annually since 2004, tracks three key indicators: market share, brand loyalty and global leadership, according to worldbrandlab.com.

Some 223 entries, nearly half of the total, are from the United States, 10 less than last year. France and the UK each have 43 and 42 entries this year, finishing in second and third, respectively, with both gaining three spots in 2018.

China ranks fifth on a sub-list, Top 10 Countries with the Most Brands Selected, with 38 entries in 2018, up one from last year and two from 2016. Representative brands include State Grid, Tencent, Haier, ICBC and Wuliangye.

The 30-year-old Chinese insurance company Ping An is the second-fastest rising star this year, jumping 52 spots from 231st last year to 179th this year.

The Chinese companies ranked on this year's list are from multiple industries, with energy, food and beverage, bank, internet, computer and communication, telecom, and media the biggest winners, said the report.
Patmos, a Korean Christian culture and mission organization, conducted a study called Perspectives on Christmas with 199 lay people, the results which were released on November 28. Patmos has been conducting this study from August 8 to September 5 by posting survey questions on major, widely-used websites. As the Christmas season approaches, Christmas trees and lights are becoming more and more visible on the streets. And though Christmas comes again each year, people of all ages, children and adults alike, eagerly await the holiday. What is it exactly that people think of when thinking of Christmas, and what are some ways that they would like to celebrate?

When thinking of Christmas, 33 percent said they think of Christmas carols; 22 percent said they think of Santa Claus and presents; 21 percent said they think of Christmas parties; 17 percent said they think of Jesus; 7 percent said they think of concerts and other performances; and 1 percent said Other.

18 percent of study participants said that when thinking of the meaning of Christmas, they consider it to be a worldwide celebration. 24 percent consider it as a time to help those in need. 8 percent consider it to be to celebrate Jesus birthday, and 50 percent consider it a holiday to spend meaningful time with families and friends.

When asked what participants do on Christmas day, 15 percent said they spend time with family, 5 percent said they participate in community service, and 22 percent said they go on dates with their significant others. The answers participate in church activities, and go to see performances, each had 29 percent of the participants votes.
NAPA (BCN)



Power has been restored in the area of North Kelly Road in Napa after a vehicle crashed into two PG&E power poles early this morning, the California Highway Patrol said.



The solo-vehicle crash was reported around 3:30 a.m. on northbound State Route 29 at North Kelly Road. No one was injured, CHP Officer Marc Renspurger said. It is unclear what caused the crash.



The right-hand lane of the two-lane highway remains closed as PG&E crews repair the damage to the power poles. It is expected to reopen around noon.





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.
With Christmas Eve around the corner, Santa Claus will be paying a visit to an Alameda County Fire Department station in Newark today as part of a fundraiser to support the firefighters' holiday toy drive.



The Santa at the Fire House event runs from 4-8 p.m. at Station 28 at 7550 Thornton Ave.



Visitors are asked to bring a new and unwrapped toy, a gift card or a monetary donation of at least $10 and can get a picture with Santa on an antique fire engine, according to the fire department. The donations are suggested and not a requirement to attend.



There also will be hot chocolate, milk and cookies and holiday fire safety information handed out at the event. All money and gifts collected will go to the department's toy drive, which partners with local nonprofits to help children in need.







No one was injured but two apartment units were destroyed and two others damaged Saturday night by a two-alarm blaze at the Bridges of San Ramon apartment complex, police and fire officials said.



Twelve people were displaced by the fire, which was first reported at about 8 p.m. Saturday at the apartment complex about a quarter-mile south of City Hall and Bollinger Canyon Road, said Dan McNamara, a battalion chief with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. The flames appear to have started in a ground-floor unit, and spread to the second floor, prompting the second alarm.



A total of 29 firefighters responded, McNamara said, who took about an hour to put out the fire.



The American Red Cross was on scene helping the 12 people who lost their homes. The cause of the fire was under investigation, McNamara said, and there was no damage estimate.







Police are asking for help in finding a 28-year-old man who has been missing for two days.



Jesus Velazquez was most recently in contact with family and friends at approximately 8:52 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20. He does not have a history of disappearing, nor does he have any known medical conditions.



Velazquez is 5 feet tall, weighs about 115 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a blue Nike sweater, blue jeans and red Nike shoes.



Anyone with information as to where Velazquez may be, contact the Santa Clara Police Department at (408) 615-5580.







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. 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 ZooLights continues Wednesday through Dec. 30. The zoo also is open regular hours on Christmas Day.







Holiday plans to visit Point Reyes National Seashore won't be affected during the partial federal government shutdown, National Park Service officials said on Saturday.



Park roads, lookouts, and trails at Point Reyes will remain accessible, but emergency and rescue services will be limited, according to park service spokesman John Dell'Osso.



The shutdown, however, means there will be no visitor services at the national seashore. That includes visitor centers, public information, some restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance.



Some services by concessionaires may be available, such as the Point Reyes Hostel, Five Brooks Ranch, and Drakes Beach Caf/Bookstore, Dell'Osso said.



Visitors in park-service campgrounds will not be asked to leave unless there are safety concerns. Those with reservations should be aware that there is no guarantee their reserved campsite will be ready and available if they arrive during a government shutdown, Dell'Osso said.



The federal government partially shut down at midnight Saturday, after Congress failed to pass a spending bill. President Trump has said he would not sign any spending bill that did not include funds for a border wall.







A teenage girl who jumped from a moving car on southbound Interstate Highway 880 in San Jose on Saturday afternoon was hospitalized with extensive lacerations, the California Highway Patrol said.



The 19-year-old girl was a passenger in a 2004 Toyota Corolla driven by her 54-year-old father on I-880 north of the Montague Expressway around 1 p.m., according to the CHP.



The girl undid her safety belt and jumped out despite her father's attempt to stop her, the CHP said. Both are San Jose residents.



The car was traveling around 60 mph when she jumped out, and she sustained lacerations over most of her body, the CHP said. She was taken to Valley Memorial Hospital for injuries and a psychological evaluation.







Borrowers from any Marin County library won't have to pay fines on overdue materials returned before Jan. 21.



The Marin County Free Library has been offering the fine forgiveness program since mid-November. The program continues through the holidays and ends on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.



"We appreciate our community's great support of libraries and this is a way to make library use easier in the busy holiday season," Library Director Sara Jones said in a news release.



Fines are normally 25 cents per day.







Fumes from a concrete-cutting machine temporarily overcame two plumbers working in an underground tunnel at San Francisco International Airport, and triggered a 2 1/2-hour search and a robust response by emergency workers for one of the men, an airport official said.



The call came in about 3:30 p.m. Saturday of a possible explosion in a cramped tunnel underneath a space occupied by Gate Gourmet, which prepares an estimated 70 percent of meals served to passengers on outbound flights, said Russell Mackey, the airport's duty manager.



The men, Mackey said, were working on plumbing underneath the airport's "649 building."



Though it appears the two men were overcome by fumes from the gasoline-powered concrete cutting machine they brought with them, the call initially came in as a tank rupture of some sort, prompting a sizeable response by emergency workers, Mackey said. One of the men apparently was overcome by the exhaust fumes, and passed out. The other man dragged his co-worker to a seemingly safer space, and left the tunnel before he too passed out, Mackey said.



When searchers descended into the cramped tunnel, that other man -- who was still disoriented, Mackey said -- had crawled away from where his co-worker had left him. The tunnel network, Mackey said, is fairly extensive.



"It took about 2 1/2 hours before the fire department found the other man, crawling toward them," Mackey said. That second man was taken to a nearby hospital for examination.



As for the fairly significant emergency response, Mackey said, "We didn't really know what kind of incident we were responding to."







A man was stabbed in the neck at the Monterey Transit Plaza Friday night and another man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said on Saturday.



Dustyn Wilson, 35, was arrested and booked at the Monterey County Jail around 9 p.m., according to police. Wilson and the victim had apparently been involved in a verbal dispute before the stabbing, police said.



The victim was taken to the Natividad Medical Center, and no further information is available about his condition.



Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Sergeant Jeremiah Ruttschow at (831) 646-3814 or the confidential tip line at (831) 646-3840.





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.
Do you remember actress Sneha Ullal who made dream debut opposite Salman Khan in Lucky and starred in few super hits such as Ullasamga Utsahamga, Simha and Ala Modalaindi? The Aishwarya Rai lookalike is out of action for long time. Antha Nee Mayalone released in 2014 was the last film Sneha feated in a Telugu film. Since then, she didnt sign any new film.

The reason is Sneha Ullal had health issues. The actress herself announced that, she was having severe back pain which is keeping her away from signing new projects. However, she always has support from Salman Khan who launched her.

Meanwhile, when almost everyone forgot her, Sneha Ullal stunned all with her first ever bikini treat. The actress after posting the above picture from her vacation in Maldives stated, My first ever bikini pic.. @fushifaru Maldives .The vibe was just right.
Termen Extins: Terre des hommes Moldova este in cautarea unui /unei consultant/e sau a unei echipe de consultanti, care va elabora un program de instruire pentru adolescenti in domeniul dezvoltarii competentei digitale
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 23)  The wife of slain lawmaker Rodel Batocabe revealed that her husband was killed on the day of their wedding anniversary.

In a Facebook post, the widowed Gertie Duran-Batocabe expressed her grief over the AKO Bicol Party-list solon's death.

Batocabe, who is gunning for a Daraga, Albay mayoral post in the midterm polls, was at a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities on Saturday afternoon when he was shot by unknown gunmen.

His colleagues at the House of Representatives have denounced the crime, with several of them raising at least 30-million bounty for the capture of the suspects behind his death.

National police chief Oscar Albayalde said a team is being formed to investigate the crime.

In a separate post, however, Batocabe's wife hinted of political motives behind the crime.

Palace, lawmakers denounce killing

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Rep. Batocabe's wake on Sunday. She was with Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. and AKO BICOL Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin.

In an ambush interview, Arroyo said she condemned Batocabe's slay.

"Life has become so cheap. That should not be so. Nothing can justify that gruesome murder. So I hope our authorities could conduct a thorough and speedy investigation," Arroyo said. "He is very much loved in Congress both by the congressmen and non-congressmen."

Malacanang also denounced the killing, and extended condolences of Batocabe's family.

"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," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Saturday.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, in a statement, urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to clamp down on election-related violence.

"While we cry out for justice and demand that our law enforcers go after the killers and the mastermind, one cannot help raise the question as to who will be next in this growing list of daily killings now reaching tens of thousands," Pangilinan said.

Senator Nancy Binay, in a separate statement, urged Comelec to declare Albay as an election hotspot following the incident.

Batocabe's remains will be at Arcilla Hall, Bicol University in Daraga. His interment will be on December 31.

A memorial service for Batocabe will be held at the House of Representatives on January 14.
NAIROBI, Kenya  An 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 Qaeda-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those killed include three staffers from the Universal TV station, based in London, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, said police Capt. Mohamed Hussein.

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 the 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, said police officer Mohamed Harun.

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 has greatly increased air strikes against al-Shabab under the Trump administration. At least 47 U.S. strikes have been carried out this year.

Abdi Guled is an Associated Press writer.
3 1 of 3 Ronald / AFP / Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Dian Triyuli Handoko / Associated Press Show More Show Less 3 of 3





JAKARTA, Indonesia  A tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed at least 62 people around Indonesias Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing 65 feet inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said.

About 600 people have been reported injured when the tsunami hit 9:27 p.m. Saturday, the Disaster Management Agency said. At least 20 others are unaccounted for.
Gareth Fuller / Press Association

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, said law officers identified the two as Paul Gait, 47, and his wife Elaine Kirk, 54. Police said they had detained a man and a woman of the same ages Friday night, but they did not name them. They are from Crawley, a town just south of the airport.
Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

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. 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.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk 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 Islamic State.

The resignation letter to Pompeo was submitted Friday and described to the AP on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that I do not know the envoy and its a nothing event. He noted McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: Grandstander?

Shortly after news of McGurks 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. Were coming home!

Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the U.S. did not begin launching air strikes against Islamic State militants until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015.

Trumps declaration of victory has been contradicted by his own experts assessments, and his decision to pull troops out was widely denounced by members of Congress.

Among 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 militant fighters.

Matthew Lee is an Associated Press writer.
CARITA BEACH, Indonesia  The deadly tsunami struck in the dark, without warning.

At least 281 people were killed as waves smashed into houses, hotels and other beachside buildings Saturday night along Indonesias Sunda Strait, in a disaster that followed an eruption and possible landslide on the volcanic island of Anak Krakatau.

More than 1,000 others were injured and dozens were reported missing after the tsunami hit coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands at 9:27 p.m. Saturday amid a Christmas holiday weekend, the Disaster Management Agency said. The death toll could increase once authorities search all stricken areas.

It was the second deadly tsunami to hit Indonesia this year. However, the one that killed more than 2,500 people on the island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28 was preceded by a powerful earthquake that gave residents at least a brief warning before the waves struck.

On Saturday night, the ground did not shake beforehand to alert people to the oncoming wave that ripped buildings from their foundations and swept terrified concertgoers on a popular resort beach into the sea.

Azki Kurniawan, 16, said his first warning was when people burst into the lobby of his hotel shouting, Sea water rising!

Video posted on social media showed the Indonesian pop band Seventeen performing under a tent on popular Tanjung Lesung beach at a concert for employees of a state-owned electricity company. Dozens of people sat at tables while others swayed to the music near the stage as strobe lights flashed and theatrical smoke was released.

Seconds later, with the drummer pounding just as the next song was about to begin, the stage suddenly heaved forward and buckled under the force of the water, tossing the band and its equipment into the audience.

The group released a statement saying their bass player, guitarist and road manager were killed, while two other band members and the wife of one of the performers were missing.

Scientists, including those from Indonesias Meteorology and Geophysics agency, said the tsunami could have been caused by landslides  either above ground or under water  on the steep slope of the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano. The scientists also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon. Anak Krakatau has been erupting since June and did so again about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.

Niniek Karmini is an Associated Press writer.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The South Shore Rotary Club continued their annual tradition of spreading holiday cheer to the 385 special needs students of PS37 in Great Kills.

Our visit brings big smiles to the faces of these children, said Frank Cilento, a South Shore Rotary member, who for 26 years has helped to organize this event. We want these children and their families to know that they are in our thoughts, especially during the holidays.

During the two-day celebration, volunteers from the South Shore Rotary Club helped Santa bring gifts, candy canes and chocolate Santas to the children of PS37.

Toys 4 Autism, run by John Sublett, partnered with the South Shore Rotary Club for the second straight year, and provided 100 toys specifically designed for children with autism.

"The South Shore Rotary has a long history of responding to the needs of our community, said South Shore Rotary Club member John Vernazza. We believe in Service Above Self and we work throughout the year to make the lives of others better. We are proud to participate in this event that brings such joy to these special children.
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London: Huawei equipment will be ripped out of the core part of a UK communications network for police and other emergency responders by the company delivering the 2.3billion ($5.4 billion) project, British telco BT said on Sunday.

BT has been pulling equipment from the Chinese tech giant out of its own core structure since the 2016 acquisition of mobile carrier EE, which used Huawei gear throughout its systems. That work extends to the Emergency Services Network (ESN) the company has been building for Britain, though some Huawei parts will remain in the broader access network.

The Huawei office building in Dongguan in south China's Guangdong province. Credit:AP

While BT says it's been an ongoing process to remove some Huawei gear and the ESN decision aligns with a long-standing corporate policy to keep the Chinese company out of the core, critics of Huawei will be emboldened by the step to limit its involvement. Huawei has come under fire from governments globally over fears its equipment could enable Chinese spying.
For most Sydneysiders, Christmas Day lunch is spent at home - or a relatives home, the beach or Yamba holiday house - surrounded by mountains of food and a lounge close by napping purposes.

Prawns, ham and turkey are menu standards, but whats on the Christmas plates of Sydneys public service workers, chefs, inmates and homeless who wont be spending lunch at the family table?

Pyrmont fire officers prepare for lunch. Credit:Janie Barrett

Long Bay Correctional Complex

Hello Dan, its Joe here... Unlike the newly imprisoned character in Paul Kellys How to Make Gravy, many inmates at NSW correctional facilities will be on lunch duties for Christmas Day. Corrective Services trains inmates in work skills to enhance employment opportunities on release and the food service unit is responsible for meals in all state prisons.
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.
A north Geelong man has been charged and will face court tomorrow following a fatal hit-run in South Geelong on Saturday.

Two pedestrians are dead after being hit by cars in separate incidents with one death a suspected hit-run.

The driver who struck a 32-year-old local man James Travers in South Geelong in the early hours of Saturday morning left before police arrived.

The family of South Geelong man James Travers has been left devastated after he was killed in a hit-run on Saturday morning. Credit:Facebook

A family member told The Age Mr Travers was "the most amazing man" and requested privacy because "we are all shattered and heartbroken".
A 29-year-old man will face court today after allegedly causing havoc in a dramatic police chase in Werribee.

The chase began after police directed a silver Mercedes sedan into a booze bus site on the Princes Freeway about 11.40pm on Saturday night.

The driver, who was travelling alone, allegedly sped away from the breath test site - nearly hitting two police members at high speed as he fled.

When police began to chase the car, the driver jumped out of the moving Mercedes onto the freeway from the passenger side door - just near the Werribee exit.

"The vehicle continued travelling on its rims on the freeway for some distance before it crashed into the wire safety barrier in the centre of the freeway," said Leading Senior Constable Natalie Dean.
Melbourne's Anglican Archbishop Dr Philip Freier spoke of the true meaning of the joy of Christmas, not the over-commodifaction of it, and referenced the plight of Christians in the Middle East. "It is a joy that transcends the painful circumstances in which so many people find themselves," he said. "Recently I was in Amman, Jordan, in the midst of the terrible tensions wracking the Middle East, and yet I saw and heard the joy of Gods people. "Christmas is a time for joy and peace. Yes, it can be sentimentalised, trivialised by all the business and commercialisation of what should be a simple celebration, and it can be challenged by the pace, pressures and pain of ordinary life.

"But reflecting on Jesus Christ and how he fulfilled the promises of God is inspiring." The Uniting Church Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania moderator Sharon Hollis addressed her 2018 Christmas message to the elderly, as well as the overlooked or judged: "the childless, the old, the young women not conforming to societys norms". UCA Vic/Tas Moderator's 2018 Christmas message from Uniting Church VIC/TAS on Vimeo.

"When we think of Christmas nativity plays what often first comes to mind is a group of adorable children acting out the Christmas story," she said from an aged care facility in Kingsville. "[But] one of the interesting things about Lukes nativity story is that most of the characters, except for the holy family, are old. "Marys cousin Elizabeth and husband Zechariah are beyond child-bearing years, yet Elizabeth becomes pregnant with a son, John, who will tell of what Jesuss coming means to the world. "They remind us that when our bodies are weak or despised Jesus is with us. "When we are judged harshly by the world Jesus looks at us with love. When we are ignored because we old or frail Jesus sees us and cherishes us."

The Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church of Australia moderator-general Reverend John Wilson said the Christmas story was one of "amazing love" which should inspire people towards "higher thoughts". "The Christmas story is so unbelievable it must be true. You couldnt make it up. God enters the world through a baby!," the reverend from Reservoir wrote. "It leads us to think higher thoughts, outside of ourselves and above our world. "To think that Gods love was so great that he was prepared to be born as a child among us so that he could grow to be the crucified saviour  the perfect Lamb of God. This is amazing love.
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.
But this was just an estimate, he said, and the agency now had experts in the field evaluating the aftermath. Some news organisations described people running in fear for their lives from waves up to 5 metres high. He also flagged that another tsunami was possible because Saturday night's wave had been caused by an eruption of the Anak-Krakatau volcano, rather than an earthquake. A man inspects his house which was damaged by the tsunami in Carita. Credit:AP "We are waiting for a status update from Anak-Krakatau. The chance of a tsunami returning a second time is very small if it caused by an earthquake. But since this is caused by an eruption, it is a different case. We have to continue monitor."

"There was no early warning, because it's a tsunami caused by a volcano." "We urge people to stay away from Anak-Krakatau and the beach." A machine that monitors volcanic activity on Anak-Krakatoa, which is 156 km west of Jakarta, was damaged by the volcanos eruption, the BMKG said. This meant that authorities did not have enough accurate data about the event. In turn, there was confusion initially over whether a tidal wave - rather than a tsunami - had been triggered by the eruption.

It also meant the tsunami early warning system was not triggered. Among those to have perished in the natural disaster were the band manager and bassist for the Jakarta pop band Seventeen, who were performing at resort in Tanjung Lesung when a wave collapsed the stage from behind. In chilling footage posted online, the band are seen performing on stage before the wave strikes and sweeps them into the audience. The concert was for around 300 employees of the state-owned electricity company and was at the Tanjung Lesung beach, in Banten province.

In a statement, the band confirmed that its bass player, M. Awal Purbani, and road manager Oki Wijaya had lost their lives. Guitarist Herman Sikumbang, drummer Andi Windu Darmawan, crew member Ujang and Dylan Sahara, the wife of lead singer Ifan are still missing too. Editor-in-chief of iNews Media Masirom was holidaying in Karangbolong Beach at the time the tsunami hit. "Around 9.30pm I was relaxing inside the bungalow, suddenly there was a loud noise, like an explosion ... the playground where my children played earlier has been filled with sea water," he said. "The panic due to this disaster has not completely subsided. Moreover, it is now raining heavily. Our family [is] not just fighting off feelings of worry, but also the cold weather."

Oystein Lund Andersen, an employee of the Norwegian embassy in Jakarta, was also on holidays in Anyer, on the Javanese coast with his family when the wave hit. "I was myself at the beach photographing the well known volcano - Anak Krakatau, when I suddenly saw a big wave," he wrote in a Facebook post. "I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m inland. [The] next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it." Residents walk past a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia. Credit:AP Indonesian president Joko Widodo said in a statement that he had instructed the army, disaster agencies and the social affairs ministry to work together to handle the disaster.

"I'd like to extend my deep condolences to the [families of] victims in Banten province, Serang and Pandeglang. I hope the families will have strengh [coping with this incident], he said. The pre-Christmas tsunami is the latest in what has been a series of natural disasters that have struck Indonesia in 2018, including earthquakes that hit the resort island of Lombok in August and an earthquake and tsunami that struck the city of Palu and the surrounding region, on the island of Sulawesi, in late September. Endan Permana, an official from the disaster agency BNPB's local office in Pandeglang said he hoped that not more than 100 people had been killed within the region. Four districts in Pandeglang had been affected, he said: Sumur, where 12 people found were found dead on Sunday morning, Panimbang, Carita and Labuhan.

Permana said about 20 locals were thought to be missing in the resort region of Tanjung Lesung, about five hours by road from Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and close to where the tsunami struck. "We have problems in Tanjung Lesung because there has been heavy rain and we are short of personnel," he said. "The military and police and local people are helping local victims but we still need more people to help in Tanjung Lesung." A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Australian Embassy in Jakarta was "making urgent enquiries to determine whether any Australians have been affected by the tidal wave that hit beaches in the Sunda Strait area." Prime Minister Scott Morrison desribed the "high-wave event" as a "terrible blow for Indonesia."
London: Police in Britain say it's possible the reported drones, which grounded flights at Gatwick Airport for one and a half days and caused chaos for more than 100,000 travellers, may have never existed.

The mind-boggling admission came as police released without charge a man and woman they had arrested on Friday night, and said they were no longer suspects.

The couple were named and shamed by the UK tabloid The Mail on Sunday, which published a large front-page photo of them with the headline, "Are These the Morons Who Ruined Christmas?"

Jason Tingley from Sussex Police told the BBC that there was no footage or photographs of the reported drones. There was "always a possibility that there may not have been any genuine drone activity in the first place."
Belbek, Crimea: 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, have arrived in Crimea.

Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have risen in the past weeks after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships and their crews on November 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.

Early in December, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said Russia had deployed "more than 80,000 troops, 1400 artillery and multiple rocket launch systems, 900 tanks, 2300 armoured combat vehicles, 500 aircraft and 300 helicopters" along their common border.
Kabul: Never mind who's being naughty or nice, Santa Claus himself supposedly has had bigger problems in Iraq and Syria, where he either did or did not get arrested in the run-up to his big night this year.

Various accounts widely shared in local social media during the weekend before Christmas had Papa Noel, as Christians in Iraq and Syria call him, being arrested by Iraqi police, drafted into the Syrian army or going off to fight the Islamic State group.

Acrobatic performers, dressed in Santa Claus costumes in Iraq. Credit:AP

The reports grew so widespread that police in Iraq, a country where sectarian divisions often lead to bloodshed, took pains to publicly deny them.

"A group of sarcastic posts spread talk of the arrest of Papa Noel with a picture written on it, 'Karbala police arrest Papa Noel,' and this picture spread on social network sites," said Colonel Alaa Al-Ghanimi, the spokesman for police in Karbala, the Shiite holy city in central Iraq.
Asked whether he's willing to increase the price tag as long as the money is not spent on a wall, Durbin responded: "Absolutely." A stalemate over the wall led parts of the government to shut down Saturday after funding for numerous departments and agencies expired. The closure, affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the country, was expected to last at least through late this week after the House and Senate, which each met in a rare weekend session, adjourned until Thursday. Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas, respectively, are federal holidays, meaning the federal government would already be closed. Wednesday is the first day the public could begin to feel the effects of a shutdown, Mulvaney said. He predicted it could extend into January, when Democrats will assume control of the House based on their midterm election gains. "It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mulvaney said.

Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer, countered: "If Director Mulvaney says the Trump Shutdown will last into the New Year, believe him, because it's their shutdown." Democrats held firm Sunday in opposition to a wall, which Trump promised his political base would build. Mulvaney said that "the president's not going to not accept money for a border wall." Members of the Secret Service look out from atop the White House on Sunday. Credit:AP Trump faced resistance from some Republicans. Retiring Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has criticized Trump on other issues, called the battle for border wall funding a "made-up fight so the president can look like he's fighting." "This is something that is unnecessary. It's a spectacle. And, candidly, it's juvenile. The whole thing is juvenile," Corker said in arguing for real measures that he maintains will secure the border better than a wall.

Trump tweeted on Sunday, the shutdown's second day, that what's needed is "a good old fashioned WALL that works," not aerial drones or other measures that "are wonderful and lots of fun" but not the answer to address drugs, gangs, human trafficking and other criminal elements entering the country. Across the country, the shutdown played out in uneven ways. The Statue of Liberty remained open for tours, thanks to New York state, and the US Postal Service, an independent agency, was still delivering mail. A sign at the National Park Inn at Longmire at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Credit:AP But the routines of 800,000 federal employees were about to be disrupted. More than half are deemed essential and are expected to work without pay, through retroactive pay is expected. Another 380,000 were to be furloughed, meaning they will not report to work but would be paid later. Legislation ensuring that workers receive back pay was expected to clear Congress. Trump was staying in Washington for Christmas because of the shutdown, the White House said.

With Democrats set to take control of the House on Jan. 3, and House Speaker Paul Ryan retiring from Congress, the shutdown provided a last gasp for the conservative majority before the new Congress. Trump had savoured the prospect of a shutdown over the wall. He recently said he'd be "proud" to close down the government and has gone back on his pledge to not blame Democrats for the closure. He had campaigned on the promise of building the wall and forcing Mexico to pay for it. Mexico has refused. Schumer and Pence met Saturday at the request of the White House, according to Schumer's office. But the senator's spokesman said they remained "very far apart" on a spending agreement. Schumer said the "Trump shutdown" could end immediately if the president abandons the wall.

Democrats said they were open to proposals that didn't include the wall, which Schumer said was too costly and ineffective. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security. Senators 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 as Trump faced criticism from conservatives for "caving" on a campaign promise, he pushed the House to approve a package temporarily financing the government but also setting aside $5.7 billion for the border wall. The impasse blocked money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice. Those being furloughed included nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. Many national parks were expected to close. The Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services are among that Congress has fully funded and will operate as usual. Also still functioning were the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard.
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WASHINGTON  SpaceX in its first national security launch for the U.S. Air Force will not attempt to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. The Block 5 version of the vehicle scheduled to lift a GPS 3 satellite on Dec. 23 is an expendable rocket with no legs or grid fins.

The Air Force decided that only an expendable rocket could meet "mission performance requirements," said Walter Lauderdale, mission director of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise Systems Directorate.

A number of factors led to this decision, including the mission trajectory and payload weight. "There simply was not performance reserved to meet our requirements and allow them, for this mission, to bring the first stage back," Lauderdale said Dec. 14 in a conference call with reporters. [See the Evolution of SpaceX's Rockets in Pictures]

Lauderdale during the call mentioned the word "uncertainty" several times to underscore the Air Force's thinking about reusable rockets and about working with a new launch provider.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA)

Lauderdale insisted that the Air Force will need time to review SpaceX's performance as it executes these missions before it would consider flying military payloads on reusable rockets. The Air Force will not compromise performance or reliability, he said. "We have to ensure the rocket performs safety and accurately." The $529 million GPS 3 payload is "precious cargo."

The satellite is the first of 10 GPS 3 vehicles the Air Force plans to put into orbit in the coming years. The spacecraft, made by Lockheed Martin, will broadcast more secure and more accurate signals than the current GPS satellites. Once the new satellite reaches orbit and completes up to 18 months of tests, it will replace an aging GPS satellite that has been in service since 1997.

Lauderdale said the Air Force will wait to see what happens in this first launch and study the data before it can engage in any discussions about reusability.

"We are continuing to look at this as we try to drive down uncertainty," he said. "As we work through this first flight together, we will look at the performance, do all the calculations and analysis so we can continue to look for opportunities in the future."

Lauderdale said he could not predict if and when SpaceX would be allowed to fly a reusable Falcon 9 for a GPS launch. "I don't want to commit to a particular mission but, fundamentally, we need to work through the uncertainty, analyze the performance," he said. "We're getting flight experience with SpaceX, and that removes uncertainty, gives us more confidence in what performance the vehicle can deliver. We'll continue to work as partners to see what's possible in the future."

In this first flight, the focus is on performance and safety, said Lauderdale. "After we see the performance of the Falcon 9 we are going to refine our analysis and look if we can get performance back that would enable SpaceX to recover their booster," he added. 'It's an ongoing project."

After the Tuesday launch, he said, "We're going to analyze the results." One way or the other, he added, "We're not going to compromise the requirements that we need to deliver our spacecraft. But as we become more confident, as we get more data to support our assessments, we can always revisit, see the art of the possible. But we're not going to do it without having confidence that we can deliver the spacecraft safely to orbit."

Safety practices under scrutiny

SpaceX's first key test as a national security launch provider comes in the wake of revelations that NASA initiated a review of the company's safety practices, presumably prompted by the recent behavior of SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the SMC Launch Enterprise Systems Directorate, said the Air Force has no issues with the company's safety culture. "We have a standard of 100 percent mission success and a robust mission assurance process," he said. "We have worked hand in hand with SpaceX to review the design of the Falcon 9," he told reporters. "We very much understand their mission success processes. We absolutely did not have a concern about their process.  A key part of mission assurance is understanding what's happening in testing, and making sure no issues cross over to this launch."

The Air Force, however, has not determined when it might allow reused hardware instead of brand-new Block 5 rockets. "We intend to certify flown vehicles," he said. SMC is working with SpaceX "to understand what's different and what do we have to watch out for," he added. "SpaceX has a lot of experience doing this. We are working with them to help us put together a plan so we can learn as well."

SMC officials said they would wait and see how pre-flown first stages performed in commercial launches before they decide if they are suitable for national security missions. Gen. John Raymond, commander of Air Force Space Command, told Bloomberg News in October 2017 that the Air Force would be "absolutely foolish" not to utilize SpaceX's reused rockets in order to take advantage of the cost savings.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The United States' venerable Global Positioning System (GPS) is about to get a shot in the arm.

The first advanced, next-generation "GPS III" satellite soared into space today (Dec. 23) atop a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:51 a.m. EST (1351 GMT) after nearly a week of delays. The spacecraft, dubbed "Vespucci," was deployed into medium Earth orbit about 2 hours after liftoff.

SpaceX has launched payloads for the U.S. military before, but Vespucci is the company's first official "National Security Space" mission  a designation reserved for liftoffs deemed critical to national defense. [See Photos of SpaceX's GPS III Satellite Launch!]

SpaceX usually attempts to land Falcon 9 first stages shortly after liftoff for future reuse, but that didn't happen today. The rocket flew in an expendable configuration, without any landing legs, at the request of SpaceX's customer, the U.S. Air Force.

"There simply was not a performance reserve to meet our requirements and allow for this mission to bring the first stage back," Walter Lauderdale, mission director at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Launch Enterprise Systems Directorate, said during a prelaunch call with reporters on Dec. 14.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the new GPS III SV01 navigation satellite for the U.S. Air Force lifts off from a pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Dec. 23, 2018. (Image credit: SpaceX)

It's possible that future SpaceX GPS III missions could feature first-stage landing attempts, Lauderdale added; it depends on what the data from this flight show. (SpaceX is under contract to launch four additional GPS III spacecraft.)

The GPS constellation provides precise positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) information to a variety of users, from soldiers in the field to drivers trying to find the best route through rush-hour traffic.

The network currently features 31 operational satellites, which orbit about 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers) above Earth. The SUV-size Vespucci, which weighed 9,700 lbs. (4,400 kilograms) at launch, won't push that number up; it will replace a GPS craft known as SVN-43, which launched in July 1997.

The solar-powered Vespucci will provide a number of advantages over the old-guard satellites, Air Force officials said. For example, the new satellite will deliver PNT information three times more accurate than that of currently operational GPS craft. (The constellation now allows users to locate objects on the ground with an average accuracy of about 20 inches, or 50 centimeters.)

In addition, "we're going to see an increase in power," Col. Steve Whitney, director of the SMC Global Positioning Systems Directorate, said in the Dec. 14 telecon. "We put a requirement on there to produce stronger signals, to try and fight through some of that jamming that we see, particularly on our military signals."

GPS III signals will also be compatible with other satellite-navigation systems, Whitney said, which should "maximize the availability and accuracy of navigation signals worldwide."

But it'll be a while before Vespucci, which was built by aerospace company Lockheed Martin, is fully up and running. It'll likely take six to nine months to perform checkouts on the satellite in orbit, and a similar amount of time to do an integrated-systems test of the newly constituted constellation, Whitney said.

The 31 currently operational GPS satellites belong to four different iterations  Block IIA, which launched from 1990 to 1997; Block IIR, which lifted off from 1997 to 2004; Block II-RM, which launched from 2005 to 2009; and Block IIF, which took to the skies from 2010 to 2016.

Satellites in Blocks IIA, IIR and II-RM were designed to operate for at least 7.5 years on orbit, and Block IIF craft have design lifetimes of 12 years. GPS III satellites such as Vespucci are built to keep working for at least 15 years. (GPS satellites commonly outlast their design lifetimes by considerable margins, however.)

Vespucci's nickname honors Italian cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci, after whom North and South America were named.

This morning's launch was originally scheduled to occur on Tuesday (Dec. 18), but SpaceX called off that attempt after receiving an "out of family" reading from sensors on the Falcon 9's first stage. Bad weather thwarted two more launch attempts on Thursday (Dec. 20) and Saturday (Dec. 22).

The successful GPS III SV01 mission marked SpaceX's 21st and final launch of 2018, beating the company's 2017 flight rate of 18 launches.

Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate) is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Originally published on Space.com.
After just two weeks in space, it looks like rookie Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques is feeling comfortable in microgravity. On Dec. 18, he read a new e-book in space while "launching" to the International Space Station ceiling, dodging pretend asteroids and making creative rocket noises and cries of excitement along the way.

The father of three small children is featured heavily in the new Canadian Space Agency book, called "The Explorers Club." Saint-Jacques did the reading in French, but the book is also available in English. Both English and French versions are free on the CSA's website. The book is also available for the iOS app store and Google Play. You can check it out here.

The reading, whose earthly component was hosted at CSA headquarters at Longueuil, Quebec (near Montreal) attracted 125 students from Saint-Jacques' former elementary school, the Montreal-area Des Saints-Anges School. CSA also broadcast the event via livestream. [Canada Celebrates Launch of First Astronaut in 6 Years]

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques read the new e-book "Explorers Club" aloud on the International Space Station. (Image credit: CSA)

The picture book follows the fictional adventures of the Explorers Club, made up of the children Niko, Layla, Mathias and Gemma and their dog Chewie, "the most adventurous dog in the universe  or at least, in his neighborhood."

The club decides to build a rocket ship to visit Saint-Jacques in space after he suddenly appears on what the kids thought was a broken television. In the book, Saint-Jacques inspires the kids with a short speech ending with his mission motto, "Dare to Explore."

The children's "spaciest spaceship to ever visit space" encounters many fun adventures along the way, including seeing the International Space Station, the robotic Canadarm2 and the Northern Lights (one of the research priorities for Canada, a northern country).

Part of larger literacy push

Saint-Jacques and his wife, Veronique Morin, read nightly to their three small children when he was on the ground. Because Saint-Jacques wanted to continue the tradition in space, the CSA took the opportunity to create an event where more children could participate.

The book is aimed at ages 4 to 8, spanning a group that includes children who are "pre-readers" (kids who don't know how to read, but could have the book narrated to them) and children who can read. To ensure the text was age-appropriate, CSA teamed up with a Vancouver-area firm called Pug Pharm that has experience in creating reading products for children, CSA officials said.

Uploads to the space station sometimes can be a little slow, so Saint-Jacques had a paper-based version of the book (with key images) just in case the app on his iPad didn't work, CSA spokesperson Annie Belanger, who is part of the outreach team assigned to Saint-Jacques' mission, told Space.com.

This event is just one of a network of activities that Saint-Jacques is taking part in to bring a love of literacy and science to children. He participated in Canada's Science Literacy Week this past September. Starting in October, the agency began a "Wanted: Creative Writers" contest aimed at all Canadians ages 9 and up, divided into three age categories (9 to 12 years old, 12 to 15 years old and 16 and over). The deadline is Dec. 31 and you can get more details at this link. Saint-Jacques may read some of the entries from space.

CSA is also offering opportunities to do science with Saint-Jacques. For the Little Inventors initiative, children drew possible science experiments for space; the contest closed Dec. 21. Kids can also take part in an ongoing collaboration with the nonprofit Let's Talk Science to measure environmental conditions in a room, or another joint project with the European Space Agency and Kids Code Jeunesse to develop Astro Pi programs for space station computers.

And there are many more activities to come, including a children's game and an opportunity to measure radiation (as kids did before during Chris Hadfield's mission in 2012-13). A full list of mission activities past, present and future is available at this CSA website.

A unique moment

Saint-Jacques is the first Canadian astronaut to visit the space station since Hadfield. He arrived at the orbiting complex on Dec. 3 along with the rest of the Expedition 58 crew  NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.

Belanger said the agency is taking the opportunity of a Canadian in space to promote science among schoolchildren, while interest is high. The impact is already substantial; the Let's Talk Science initiative alone will touch 1,000 classrooms, she said. [Best Kids' Space Books for the Holidays]

"It really shows how a space mission can inspire students to learn more about space and STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] in general," she said.

While Saint-Jacques was featured in a more public relations-heavy event today, one of his projects in orbit will be participating in nine Canadian experiments ranging from science investigations to technological demonstrations. You can read more about those experiments in this Space.com article; according to the CSA Twitter feed, Saint-Jacques has already done work for the Vection and MARROW experiments.

These Canadian investigations are just a handful of the more than 200 experiments a typical space station crew performs on top of maintenance and other space station operations.

The Canadian e-book is the latest in several children's books that have made it to the space station. In past years, a nonprofit organization called "Story Time for Space" sent several print books for kids to the orbiting complex, which astronauts read aloud. You can read about some of their past books on this 2015 article.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.
The exoplanet 55 Cancri e falls into a new category of super-Earth with a composition that suggests such alien planets might be rich in rubies and sapphires.

A newfound kind of super-Earth alien planet might glitter with rubies and sapphires, a new study finds.

As researchers have discovered worlds around other stars, one class of these exoplanets that popped up was the super-Earths: rocky planets that can reach up to 10 times the mass of our own. Much remains a mystery about super-Earths, since none are known in the solar system.

To shed light on super-Earths, a group of researchers working in Switzerland and England investigated how they might form. Planets coalesce from protoplanetary disks of gas and dust that surround newborn stars. Temperatures vary within these disks, depending on how close or far their ingredients are to or from stars, which influences what minerals form across the disks. The scientists reasoned that this could lead to the formation of a variety of planets that differed from one another, based on composition. [Historic Photo Is 1st View of Alien World Being Born]

Now the researchers suggest they may have discovered a new class of super-Earth  one that's rich in sapphires and rubies.

"We showed that the compositional diversity of planets  super-Earths in particular  might be much larger than previously thought," lead study author Caroline Dorn, an exoplanet scientist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, told Space.com.

Scientists conducting previous research have often thought of super-Earths as rich in iron, much like Earth, Dorn said. These would have formed in the cooler parts of protoplanetary disks.

However, Dorn and her colleagues suggest this new type of super-Earth is loaded with calcium and aluminum, as well as minerals rich in these elements, including sapphires and rubies. These planets would have formed in the hotter parts of protoplanetary disks.

The scientists calculated that this new class of super-Earth should be 10 to 20 percent less dense than Earth. Moreover, they noted previous research has discovered super-Earths that match this description.

For example, Dorn and her colleagues examined the super-Earths 55 Cancri e and WASP-47 e, which prior work suggested had unusually light densities. One potential explanation for these low overall densities might be that they have thick atmospheres, but they discounted that possibility, since the planets orbit their stars so closely they are extraordinarily hot, which makes it likely that any thick atmosphere they had would have evaporated away long ago. A third previously studied planet, HD 219134 b, appears to have this composition as well.

"Given our models and the observations, there are good chances that the studied planets have very different interior compositions compared to the majority of super-Earths," Dorn said.

The scientists detailed their findings online Dec. 18 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.
Update for 3 a.m. EST, Jan. 21: The total lunar eclipse of 2019 has ended. See our full story here! See more photos here!

Overnight from Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, into Monday, Jan. 21, millions of people in North and South America will have a prime view of a total lunar eclipse. During a special nocturnal hour, the full moon will become fully tinted with the red-orange color of sunset.

Eclipse Photos | Next Lunar Eclipse | Famous Eclipses | For Kids! |

The Jan. 21 total lunar eclipse will be the last one until May 2021, and the last one visible from the United States until 2022; the most recent total lunar eclipse previous to this one appeared in July 2018. Here, learn more about what makes lunar eclipses so special.

Editor's note: If you capture an amazing photo or video of the Jan. 21 total lunar eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments to: spacephotos@space.com.

Skywatcher Keith Burns took this montage of images, which shows the Dec. 20, 2010, total lunar eclipse. The montage won a NASA contest to become an official NASA/JPL wallpaper for the public. (Image credit: Keith Burns/NASA/JPL)

Resources, Tips and Multimedia

Don't Miss the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse! It's the Last Until 2021.

Skywatchers in North America will get a celestial treat late Sunday (Jan. 20) and early Monday (Jan. 21), when the moon goes into eclipse and turns blood-red.

Super Blood Wolf Moon Webcasts! How to Watch the 2019 Total Lunar Eclipse Online

Catch the January 2019 total lunar eclipse on your digital devices if weather or circumstances prevent direct viewing of the marvelous celestial event.

Here's the Weather Forecast for the Super Blood Wolf Moon of 2019 Tonight!

The National Weather Forecast for the lunar eclipse tonight (Jan. 20) is basically a coin toss.

Super Blood Wolf Moon of 2019! Visibility Maps for the Total Lunar Eclipse

See visibility maps for the Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse of 2019 here!

Teach Your Kids About the Total Lunar Eclipse with These NASA Resources!

NASA published moon-observation worksheets to teach kids about the science of total lunar eclipses.

Use Mobile Astronomy Apps to Plan Your Lunar Eclipse Party!

Sunday night, Jan. 20, will bring the first celestial spectacle of 2019 for skywatchers all across the Americas: a total eclipse of the moon.

Total Lunar Eclipse

During a lunar eclipse, a full moon's bright facade will change. As the moon enters Earth's shadow, all of the moon (or a section of it in the case of a partial eclipse) will turn a rusty color. Sunlight scatters to produce the red colors of sunset and sunrise when it enters Earth's atmosphere at a particular angle.

What a lunar eclipse displays is the color of all of Earth's sunrises and sunsets reaching the moon, NASA scientist Noah Petro told Space.com. If someone stood on the moon during a total lunar eclipse, Earth would appear to have a reddish ring all around it, as the person would gaze at the 360-degree sunrise and sunset they'd perceive at that particular intersection of Earth and lunar orbits.

During a lunar eclipse, Earth blocks most of the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. This NASA illustration is not to scale. (Image credit: NASA)

When the lunar eclipse begins, the bright moon dims as it enters the outer part of Earth's shadow, called the penumbra. The deep tint of a full lunar eclipse is visible once the moon enters the deepest part of Earth's shadow, or umbra. The bright-red color appears once the moon is fully engulfed in the shadows, and it's the reason "blood" moon is a popular moniker for lunar eclipses.

To a certain extent, lunar eclipses reveal something about Earth, too. "Lunar eclipses ... reflect our world," astronomer and podcaster Pamela Gay told Space.com in an email. "A blood colored moon is created [by] ash from fires and volcanoes, ... dust storms and pollution all filtering sunlight as it scatters around our world. A grey eclipse is clear skies.

"Our world can change the appearance of another world, and during an eclipse, the universe lets us see this color play," she said.

The Jan. 20-21, 2019 total lunar eclipse will last 1 hour and 2 minutes, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center lunar eclipse projections.

The full experience, from the start of the partial eclipse to the end, will last 3 hours and 17 minutes.

The peak of the total lunar eclipse will happen shortly after day's end on Sunday, Jan. 20, on the U.S. east coast, at 12:16 a.m. EST (0516 GMT) on Monday, Jan. 21. This peak is also known as the "greatest eclipse" and is defined as the moment when the moon comes closest to the axis of Earth's shadow.

This NASA graphic offers basic details about the Jan. 21, 2019, total lunar eclipse. The red circle is Earth's darkest shadow, the umbra. The thick grey ring around it represents the outer portion of Earth's shadow, the penumbra. The thin black rings indicate the position of the moon as it moves through Earth's shadow. (Image credit: Espenak/Meeus/NASA/GSFC)

Below is a lunar eclipse timetable for several locations from which the celestial event is visible, based on information from timeanddate.com.

People in Hawaii and eastern Africa will catch the dramatic lunar eclipse as the moon rises and sets over the horizon, respectively. Those viewers will see a total eclipse, but not all of the partial eclipse that leads up to and ends the celestial event. All of North and South America, including the Caribbean nations, will see the entire event. People in countries in Europe such as Iceland, Ireland and Portugal will also get to view all of the eclipse. And although people in the Ukraine and Turkey won't catch the whole eclipse, they'll still wake up to an impressive lunar sight. [Total Lunar Eclipse Gets a Cloudy Halo in Cool Time-Lapse Video]

Anchorage, Alaska 6:33 p.m AKST 7:41 p.m. AST 8:43 p.m. AST 9:50 p.m. AST Los Angeles, California 7:33 p.m. PST 8:41 p.m. PST 9:43 p.m. PST 10:50 p.m. PST Mexico City, Mexico 9:33 p.m. CST 10:41 p.m. CST 11:43 p.m. CST 12:50 a.m. CST Miami, Florida 10:33 p.m. EST 11:41 p.m. EST 12:43 a.m. EST 1:50 a.m. EST Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic 11:33 p.m. AST 12:41 a.m. AST 1:43 a.m. AST 2:50 a.m. AST Nuuk, Greenland 12:33 a.m. WGT 1:41 a.m. WGT 2:43 a.m. WGT 3:50 a.m. WGT Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1:33 a.m. BRST 2:41 a.m. BRST 3:43 a.m. BRST 4:50 a.m. BRST Reykjavik, Iceland 3:33 a.m. GMT 4:41 a.m. GMT 5:43 a.m. GMT 6:50 p.m. GMT Lagos, Nigeria 4:33 a.m. WAT 5:41 a.m. WAT 6:43 a.m. WAT Moon is below

horizon

Lunar Phases and Eclipses

A new moon occurs roughly every month, when the moon's far side is facing the sun and the moon's near side is in darkness. Every time a viewer sees the moon, it's always the same face, because the moon is tidally locked with Earth. So, when the moon is between the sun and Earth, a viewer doesn't see the near side; it cannot be seen in the sky. New moons are the phases that produce the other major celestial-shadow event: solar eclipses.

A lunar eclipse occurs during the full-moon phase, the opposite phase to new moon. During lunar eclipses Earth sits in the middle, between the sun and the moon. That's how the moon is able to pass through the planet's shadow.

A map showing the regions that can view the Jan. 21, 2019, total lunar eclipse. (Image credit: Espenak/Meeus/NASA/GSFC)

Recent and Upcoming Total Lunar Eclipses

The last total lunar eclipse occurred on July 27, 2018, and was visible over Africa and countries in Central Asia such as India. Several months prior, on Jan. 31, another total lunar eclipse could be seen from Central Asia, the Pacific region and Alaska.

The first total lunar eclipse to follow Jan. 21's event will occur on May 26, 2021, and will be visible over the Pacific Ocean, with viewing possibilities in North America, South America and east Asia.

Follow Doris Elin Salazar on Twitter@salazar_elin. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A series of reports by NASA's Office of Inspector General have warned of problems with overall IT management at the agency, and cybersecurity in particular.

WASHINGTON  A cyberattack that may have compromised information about current and former NASA employees is only the latest sign of ongoing information security problems that have plagued the agency for years.

In a Dec. 18 memo to NASA employees, Bob Gibbs, assistant administrator for the office of human capital management, said that the agency was investigating a "possible compromise" of NASA servers first detected in October. Those servers, he said, stored personally identifiable information about NASA personnel, including Social Security numbers. The memo was first published by NASA Watch.

"NASA and its Federal cybersecurity partners are continuing to examine the servers to determine the scope of the potential data exfiltration and identify potentially affected individuals," Gibbs wrote, saying that process would take time. "The ongoing investigation is a top agency priority, with senior leadership actively involved."

The scope of the data breach is unclear, but Gibbs said in the memo it could affect both current NASA civil servants as well as those who joined or left the agency, or transferred between centers, as far back as July 2006. He said that when it knows who has been affected, NASA will contact them to provide more information including providing identity protection services. Systems related to the operation of NASA missions were not compromised, he added.

"Our entire leadership team takes the protection of personal information very seriously," Gibbs wrote. "Information security remains a top priority for NASA."

However, NASA's cybersecurity efforts have been criticized for years by its own Office of Inspector General (OIG), who has noted in a series of reports shortfalls in overall information technology (IT) management as well as security issues in particular.

"Through its audits, the OIG has identified systemic and recurring weaknesses in NASA's IT security program that adversely affect the Agency's ability to protect the information and information systems vital to its mission," the office stated in its latest semi-annual report, dated Oct. 31.

In May, the office published an audit of NASAs Security Operations Center (SOC), a facility at the Ames Research Center in California established in 2008 to deal with security threats to NASA IT systems. That audit found several problems with the center, ranging from high management turnover to a lack of formal authority to manage information security issues for some parts of the agency.

"Since its inception a decade ago, the SOC has fallen short of its original intent to serve as NASA's cybersecurity nerve center," the inspector general concluded in its report. "In sum, the SOC lacks the key structural building blocks necessary to effectively meet its IT security responsibilities."

NASA concurred with the report's recommendations, such as creating a formal charter for the center and changing the structure of the contract for the center. In most cases, though, NASA did not estimate completing their implementation until some time next year.

An October 2017 report by the inspector general on overall IT management issues at the agency also raised concerns, citing limited insight by NASA's Office of the Chief Information Officer into agency IT systems that are funded and managed primarily by field centers and mission directorates. "This lack of authority and visibility over the majority of the IT budget limits the Agency's ability to consolidate IT expenditures, realize cost savings, and drive improvements in the delivery of IT services," that report concluded.

Those problems extended to cybersecurity. "Lingering confusion about security roles coupled with poor IT inventory practices continues to negatively impact NASA's security posture," that report stated.

The 2017 report recommended, among other issues, that NASA give the official responsible for cybersecurity at the agency, formally known as the Senior Agency Information Security Officer (SAISO), more authority to manage IT security for systems run by centers and mission directorates.

NASA only partially agreed with that recommendation, stating that it "disagrees that dispersed responsibilities implicitly weaken the SAISO position" who, it argued, "has full authority over NASA's cybersecurity."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Shaheed Alhafeed, December 10, 2018 (SPS) - The Permanent Bureau of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front has considered the resolution of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of December 03, 2018, comes in support of the Court previous resolutions and confirmation that Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco are separate and distinct countries.



The Permanent Bureau, during its meeting on Sunday chaired by the President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, referred to the CJEU resolution, which stipulates that no authority shall have the right to decide on granting a license or legal insurance to airplanes, wishing to cross Sahrawi atmosphere under any pretext.



In a statement following its meeting, the Permanent Bureau reiterated its condemnation of the unfortunate attempts by known parties within the European Union to sign agreements with the Kingdom of Morocco, including the occupied parts of Western Sahara, in flagrant violation of these resolutions and international humanitarian law. (SPS)



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Bir Lehlu (Liberated Territories), Dec 20, 2018 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Mr. Brahim Gali received a letter of thanks from his Angolan counterpart, Mr. Joao Lourenco in response to the congratulatory message sent by the Saharawi leader on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Angola.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco conveyed his thanks for the congratulations and the signs of brotherhood and solidarity.

Angola recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on March 11, 1976 and since then the two countries maintain excellent diplomatic relations at a high level. The Republic of Angola has also shown during these four decades its support and support for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. SPS

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Shaheed Alhafeed, December 21, 2018 (SPS) - The National Secretariat of the POLISARIO Front has reaffirmed the commitment of the Saharawi party and its readiness to cooperate with the international efforts led by former German President Horst Koehler, in a statement following its 9th ordinary session.



The National Secretariat noted the holding of the round table in early December in Geneva, emphasizing the importance of the UN efforts led by President Horst Koehler, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, reiterating the willingness of the Sahrawi party to continue to cooperate with these efforts in order to complete the decolonization of Western Sahara and to enable the Saharan people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.



The National Secretariat of the POLISARIO Front held its 9th ordinary session on Thursday, chaired by President of the Republic, Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front, Brahim Ghali. The session reviewed and analyzed the developments in various aspects of the Sahrawi national liberation struggle during the period between the 8th and 9th ordinary sessions. (SPS)



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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.



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A surround-sound experience would be the most direct way to describe the new, long-running installation in the Sanctuary at the Grace Farms center in New Canaan  if it did not border on the irreverent.

Titled Joy, still, it is a site-specific work by Julianne Swartz, an artist much praised for her use of sound, sometimes paired with sculpture. Here, in the Sanctuary, Swartz relies on sound only. The joys her title promises are not of the IMAX sort. Rather they are meditative, profound, elusive.

Their discovery is mostly self-guided. A leaflet instructs visitors that Joy, still is a 16-channel electronic composition that incorporates human voices and has a duration of 21 minutes and 38 seconds. But it runs in a continuous loop. The unnamed voices speak in fragments and sometimes overlap. So there is no clear beginning and no clear narrative.

Here is a sampling from one 22-minute sequence:

A low, pulsating moan, sounding like something from Himalayan horns.

Reverberating gongs.

A male voice asking where joy can be felt in the body.

Monastic chanting.

Rumbling, almost felt tremors, as if signaling the approach of some giant creature.

(One IMAX element of the installation is powerful speakers embedded in the Sanctuary floor.)

Whistling.

A female voice seeming to say she recognizes joy when her muscles loosen.

More gongs, slowly tolling, as if marking time.

One voice followed by a second, third and fourth, until their speech dissolves into gibberish.

One heard fragment states, Everyone lives with some profound sorrow. What if we join our sorrow? What if that is joy?

Listing these elements discreetly fails to capture the immersive nature of Joy, still. The Sanctuary is actually a 700-seat glass enclosed amphitheater that looks out over the fields and trees of Grace Farms. To enter it with Joy, still playing is to enter a zone of enchantment. There is a sensation of flickering, of unseen beings.

Voices and sounds come from first one direction, then another, and then several directions at once somewhere high up. The impulse is to turn to look for the source, but none is visible. If the spoken words are koan-like, its impossible to know whether the sounds are produced by actual instruments or electronic manipulation.

Pamela Ruggio, the Grace Farms arts initiative curator, says one element is a heartbeat. It was altered, though. Perhaps caught in that low rumble? With no visual cues and meager written ones, the experience of Joy, still is freely subjective. Because there is nothing to see but the Grace Farms grounds, Ruggio says it can change with the time of day or weather.

The installation itself marks a departure from Grace Farms previous temporary exhibitions because of its long run. Begun in September, it lasts until March 2. It is part of a much longer process.

Ruggio first contacted Swartz about two years ago, having followed her growing body of work. Swartz, who lives west of the Hudson River in Stone Ridge, N.Y., has a permanent 20-channel sound-scape footbridge at Mass MOCA and a sun-harnessing installation in Perth, Australia. In 2012, Swartz was given a major show at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum outside Boston. The critic for the Globe wrote that her pieces alternated between delight and disturbance.

Actual work on Joy, still started early in 2018 when Swartz convened a series of workshops with collaborators chosen by Ruggio and Kenyon Adams, director of the Grace Farms arts initiative.

They included Ross Gay, a prize-winning poet, and Meredith Monk, the eternally avant-grade composer and choreographer. Several were active theologians, including Christian Wiman, a professor at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, who also happens to be a poet and the former editor of Poetry Magazine.

Joy, still grew from Swartzs distillation of those workshops and follow up interviews, Ruggio says. Julianne recorded the sessions and collected sonic material and incorporated it into the installation. She created an experiential record of the workshops, the discourse, the inquiry, the discovery.

One departure point was Christian Wimans introductory essay to an anthology of 100 modern poems on joy he edited. The essay, titled Still Wilderness, proposes that joy, like faith, defies easy definition. Certainly, it is not a synonym for happiness.

The anthology intersperses prose passages among the poems. The shortest, a statement made by the experimental animator Oskar Fischinger to the experimental composer John Cage, could be an epigram for Swartzs installation. It says, Everything in the world has spirit that can be released by its sound.

Joy, still is the fourth and final exercise in what Grace Farms calls its Practicing Series. Earlier multidisciplinary groups explored empathy, awe and silence. Joy, still actually has three components.

The main one is in the Sanctuary. But there is also a four-channel sound installation in the Sanctuarys enclosed accessibility corridor. Its voices belong to Meredith Monk, Wiman, Willie Jennings, a Yale Divinity School professor, and Maria Fee, a painter who is also a theologian. One of the womens voices declares, There is no abstract thing called joy.

The third element is in the Grace Farms library where four hand-carved boxes contain recordings or transcriptions of poems. Again, the labeling is minimal and the boxes sit silently on shelves. But once picked up and held to the ear, the sensation is akin to listening to a seashell.

One of the poems is by Stanley Kunitz. It is the last in Wimans anthology and its closing line are also repeated in the Sanctuary installation. They say:

The sands whispered, Be separate,

the stones taught me, Be hard.

I dance, for the joy of surviving,

on the edge of the road.

Copies of Wimans joy anthology are available in the library. Taking one into the Sanctuary to read would be a good way to give Swartzs installation time do its joyous work.

A variety of events are planned around Joy, still, including tours with the artist on Jan. 12 and Feb. 9.

Joel Lang is a frequent contributor to Sunday Arts & Style.
M usic legend Freddie Mercury would live a healthy and happy life and continue to bring joy to the world if he was diagnosed with HIV now, Bohemian Rhapsody star Lucy Boynton says.

Boynton, who played the Queen frontman's longtime companion Mary Austin in the biopic, is today delivering the 11th of our 12 Days of Christmas messages in support of the Evening Standard's AIDSfree appeal.

Donations to AIDSfree will help fund the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation to boost awareness about HIV and testing for the virus, as well as offering support and treatment to those who need it.

Boynton said: "I am so honoured to be supporting the Elton John AIDS Foundation and their mission making London and our global cities AIDS free.

"Being part of the Queen story and knowing what Freddie Mercury went through before he died of Aids has really shown me how far we've come in fighting this disease.

"If diagnosed today, Freddie would be on treatment and inevitably giving the world so much joy."

However, Boynton said this was no reason to be complacent or think the battle had been won.

She continued: "Despite our progress, 1m people died of Aids last year, which means we need to get even better at helping people before they get sick.

"The global goal is to eliminate Aids as a public health threat before the year 2030, which means we have just 11 years to do this.

"So, on this 11th day of Christmas, we would love your support at reaching this monumental target.

"Every donation counts and can help save a life.

"Thank you so much and Merry Christmas for Tuesday."

We have a special message tomorrow to finish off the 12 Days of Christmas.

TODO: define component type apester
F our men have been charged with affray following an incident on a cargo ship in the Thames Estuary..

Samuel Jolumi, 26, Ishola Sunday, 27, Toheeb Popoola, 26, and Joberto McGee, 20, were detained after police boarded the ship on Friday amid reports of stowaways threatening crew.

Essex Police were called at around 9.15am to a call 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.

It arrived at the Port of Tilbury in Essex just after 4.20am on Saturday, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The ship's operator, Grimaldi Lines, said there were no reports of injuries.
A lmost 40m has been paid in overtime to Metropolitan Police constables in the last two years, official figures show.

In 2017 and 2018, Pcs in London worked more than a million hours in overtime, clocking up a total of 1,799,741 extra hours.

Figures released to the Standard under Freedom of Information show how police are being called on to shoulder increasing hours on duty.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan said the Met had faced 1bn in cuts since 2010. This week he raised council tax to help make up the shortfall in police funding.

In 2017, the Met said 20,140 Pcs were in employment, but this number was reduced down to 19,078 in 2018  the year Londons murder rate was the highest in a calendar year for nearly a decade.

Police form a line as climate activists demonstrate outside Downing Street on November 14 / Getty Images

22,625,288 was paid out in overtime in 2017. In 2018, from January to October, this figure was 16,855,056.

The Met said that the last two years have been an unprecedented period for policing with a number of terrorist incidents, increases in violence, and other major incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire, requiring more officers.

The force said it is only right officers are paid the correct overtime for their hard work".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said we are going to continue seeing money spent on overtime because without funding, it will not be possible to invest in more officers that we "significantly need".

Mr Khan said officers were currently being "overstretched".

Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he would like to see more officers in employment, as he claims the money spent on overtime could have "trained thousands" of new officers.

The Home Office said "there are more officers for each Londoner than anywhere else in the country".

Ken Marsh / ITV

Mr Marsh said: We are seeing a lot of overtime, and a lot of it is for firearms [trained officers], and this is because its cheaper to pay officers overtime than train up new ones.

He added: Its not an eight-hour job and then you go home, you can be told to stay on longer at work. Its one of the few jobs where you can be told to stay longer. Its not a day time job, if something happens, officers have to stay, its something that is factored in.

We do need more officers, but how are we going to get them when they are starting out on such a low salary?

Mr Marsh added working so many extra hours can have a big effect on Pcs, as he said: having a good work/life balance is a difficult thing for officers to have.

Police officers stand at a cordon in Queensbury, north-west London / PA Archive/PA Images

A spokesman for the Home Office said: This Government has ensured police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work, by providing a strong and comprehensive settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by up to 970m in 2019/20.

There are more officers for each Londoner than anywhere else in the country. The Metropolitan Police will see a total increase in funding of up to 172m next year including pensions funding and precept.

Decisions about the allocation of police resources and the recruitment of officers are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

Mr Marsh said he would like to see more officers in employment and said he would like to see the Government bring the number to over 30,000 officers in employment.

Police cordon off the area around at the scene in London Bridge and Borough Market in London following last year's terrorists incidents. / PA Archive/PA Images

Mr Khan said: The Met are overstretched and officers are being overworked because of the eight years of damaging cuts to police funding by the government.

The Home Secretary promised to give the Met Police the funding he acknowledged it needs to tackle the rise in violent crime and yet when he had the chance to do so, he failed to reverse the 1 billion of hugely damaging cuts the government has inflicted on the police.

His police settlement was a one-year sticking plaster which means we are going to continue to see money spent on overtime because without long-term funding we are not going to be able to invest in what we really need, which is significantly more officers on the street to keep Londoners safe.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the amount spent on overtime must be considered along with how big the force is.

Sadiq Khan speaking with officers / PA Wire/PA Images

The spokesman said: The Metropolitan Police Service is the largest police service in the country.

Overall, Met officers account for around a fifth of all the police officers in the UK - it is important that our overtime spend is viewed in this context.

The Met is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour organisation. Overtime provides the flexibility and resilience the Met needs to keep London safe and allocate resources to meet demand.

Police officers sometimes have to work on rest days, and sometimes at short notice and on bank holidays, and it is only right they are paid the correct overtime for their hard work.

We are committed to their support and welfare and we continue to have enormous gratitude for the dedication they show day-in and day-out to keep our city safe.

Police officer numbers in London could plummet to the lowest level since 2002 unless funding is urgently increased, Sadiq Khan has said / PA Wire/PA Images

2017 and 2018 has been an unprecedented period for policing in London with a number of terrorist incidents, increases in violence, and other major incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire with ongoing investigations  all of which involved significant overtime expenditure.

We have also faced additional overtime costs in relation to our restructure of the delivery of policing across London boroughs and as a consequence of falling officer numbers, although we continue to actively recruit.

Overtime costs and contingency are factored into annual budgets, and do not incur an additional cost which impacts other business areas.

In 2013, 30,398 police officers were in employment across the entire Metropolitan police force, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Of these, 23,283 were working as PCs. In May of this year the number of police officers protecting the capital symbolically dropped below the 30,000 mark for the first time.
T he new Banksy artwork which has appeared in a Welsh town was attacked by a drunk halfwit who tried to pull down its protective screen.

The culprit was chased away by a security guard on Saturday and police were reportedly called.

Local resident Gary Owen posted about the incident on Neath Port Talbot Life, a local Facebook page that he runs.

He said: "Some drunk halfwit has tried to pull the fencing down and the protection glazing at the Banksy artwork.

The security guard chased him off and police were called.

This art is for Port Talbot, Neath and surrounding areas. We do not want it wrecked.

A Perspex covering and fencing have been put up to protect the black and white mural after it appeared earlier this week as thousands flock to Port Talbot to see it.

Crowds have flocked to see the mural since it appeared earlier this week / Getty Images

Michael Sheen, who grew up in Baglan, the adjoining village to Port Talbot, has contributed towards security costs to protect the painting.

Banksy claimed responsibility for the new artwork on his website and Instagram account on Wednesday.
T he Government has been slammed for failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick Airport despite repeated warnings.

Labour has called for an independent inquiry after more than 140,000 passengers were affected by Wednesdays travel chaos.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald claimed there were missed opportunities to prevent the airport from coming under such an attack.

Mr McDonald said: "The Government was repeatedly warned about the risks posed by drones to aviation but failed to act.

A home in Crawley was searched on Saturday / REUTERS

"The delay in bringing forward legislation is indicative of this Government's 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."

A 47-year-old man and 53-year-old woman are still being questioned after the two drones were flown inside the perimeter of the UKs second biggest airport.

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.

Passengers wait at Gatwick Airport after drones flying illegally over the airfield forced the closure of the airport / REUTERS

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 couldn't be any more clear."

Superintendent James Collis said investigations are ongoing.

He said: "Our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones, by deploying a range of tactics.

"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.
M embers of the UKs Armed Forces have been commended for their courage and ingenuity in a Christmas message from Theresa May.

The Prime Minister highlighted the work done after the Russian Novichok attack in Wiltshire as well as those serving further afield.

The praise comes in her end-of-year message to those who will not be at home with their loved ones.

She also stated UK forces had "continued to demonstrate why you are the finest in the world".

Mrs May said: "From playing a vital role in cleaning up after a sickening nerve agent attack on the streets of Salisbury, protecting our waters and our skies from Russian intrusion and strengthening our allies in Eastern Europe, striking at terrorism as part of the Global Coalition against Daesh, and along with our US and French allies - sending a message to the Assad regime that we will not stand by while chemical weapons are used, as they were in April on families, including young children.

"Time and again, you have stood up to aggression and those who flout the rules-based international order."

Following this, she spoke of her pride in the forces, and that of the public.

"You should be incredibly proud of all that you do, just as the whole country is proud of you," she said.

"Now as we approach the New Year, there will be new challenges ahead.

"But I know you will continue to meet them in the same way that you have always done. With courage, determination, resilience, ingenuity.
P resident Donald Trump has said he is making Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan acting Pentagon chief.

The President said he will be replacing Jim Mattis on January 1, after he quit following the proposed withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

President Trump, writing on Twitter, said: "I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"

Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan speaks to the news media before US Vice President Mike Pence arrives at the Pentagon on December 19 / EPA

Lt. Col. Joseph Buccino, a spokesman for Mr Shanahan, said the former Boeing executive will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

"Deputy Secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defense will remain focused on the defense of the nation," he said on Sunday.

Mr Mattis previously resigned over policy differences, though he offered to stay in his post for two more months.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis is set to quit his role / EPA

His resignation letter implicitly criticised President Trump's foreign policies, as well as his treatment of military allies after his decision to pull troops out of Syria.

On Saturday a US State Department official confirmed Brett McGurk, special envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, had also handed in his resignation.

Donald Trump has defended his actions over withdrawal from Syria / AP

The 45-year-old also referenced the Syria move as being behind his decision.

Criticism has been levied at President Trump from a number of sources, following his shock Syrian announcement on Wednesday.

This was made via a video on Twitter and the President is acting to pull all 2,000 US troops from Syria.

He also declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments.

He has stood by his decision, saying he should be being praised for it.
E mmanuel Macron bemoaned Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

The French president said: "An ally should be dependable."

During a press conference in Chad he said: "I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria."

"To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It's the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military."

Emmanuel Macron made the comments at a press conference in Chad / AFP/Getty Images

As well as this, President Macron stressed the importance of the work of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which has captured large parts of northern and eastern Syria from Islamic State.

"I call on everyone ... not to forget what we owe them," he said.

President Trump has faced criticism from numerous angles over the move, with high profile resignations in the US government over the situation.

However, he has been steadfast in defending the choice, writing on Twitter that anyone else who did the same would be "the most popular hero in America".

President Trump has defended his decision / Getty Images

On Saturday a US State Department official confirmed Brett McGurk, special envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, handed in his resignation.

The 45-year-old joined Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an exodus of experienced national security officials over the withdrawal.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump released a video message on Twitter to announce the surprise decision.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis is set to quit his role / EPA

We have won against ISIS [Islamic State], said President Trump.

Weve beaten them and weve beaten them badly. Weve taken back the land and now its time for our troops to come back home. I get very saddened when I have to write letters or call parents or wives or husbands of soldiers who have been killed fighting for our country. So our boys, our young women, our men, theyre all coming back and theyre coming back now. We won, and thats the way we want it.
Rescues ongoing

The tsunami is reported to have reached 10ft high and hit coastal areas in the north and south-east of the Sunda Strait, which runs between the islands of Java and Sumatra.

The worst affected area is the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, to the south-east of Anak Krakatau.

The tsunami also hit the Serang province on Java and South Lampung in Sumatra, which lies to the north of the volcano.

Rescue workers and ambulances were finding it difficult to reach affected areas because some roads were blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees.
T his is the shocking moment a tsunami thought to have been caused by a volcanic eruption tore through a pop concert in Indonesia sweeping band and audience members away.

At least 222 people have been killed after the tsunami hit the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, on Saturday night.

Hundreds of people have been reported injured after it struck shortly before 9.30pm local time (2.30pm GMT).

Footage posted on social media showed a pop band named Seventeen performing under a tent on a beach at the Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort in the province of Banten.

With dozens of people sat listening at tables covered in white cloths, a wall of water suddenly hits, throwing the band and their equipment into the audience.

The band released a statement saying their bass player and road manager were found dead, while three other band members and the wife of one of the performers remained missing.

Death toll in Indonesia tsunami passes 220

"The tide rose to the surface and dragged all the people on site," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, when the current receded our members are unable to save themselves while some did not find a place to hold on."

Indonesia tsunami December 2018 1 /22 Indonesia tsunami December 2018 A resident searches for items among the ruins of a villa after the area was hit by a tsunami, at Carita beach in Padeglang, Banten province REUTERS Damaged cars are seen among collapsed houses after a tsunami hit Banten REUTERS A ruined vehicle sits in the water after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Anyer, Banten EPA A man stands among ruins after a tsunami hit at Carita beach in Pandeglang, Banten province REUTERS Relatives mourn at a health facility where the bodies of tsunami victims are collected EPA A man reacts after identifying his relative among the bodies of tsunami victims in Carita AP Residents inspect a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, after the area was hit by a tsunami following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano AP Rescuers search for tsunami victims in Carita, Indonesia AP Residents inspect damaged buidlings in Carita AFP/Getty Images Residents inspecting their damaged homes in Carita AFP/Getty Images Residents inspect the damage to their homes on Carita beach AFP/Getty Images A man looks for salvageable items from a damaged home on Carita beach AFP/Getty Images Debris is seen from a damaged home on Carita beach AFP/Getty Images A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami in Carita AP Residents walk past a house damaged by a tsunami, in Carita AP Cars are covered by debris at an area ravaged by a tsunami in Carita AP Indonesian police and army personnel searching for victims among the ruins buildings near Anyer Beach after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Anyer, Banten, Indonesia EPA An Indonesian man looks at ruined vehicles after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait EPA A soldier examines as he takes care of a local resident who was injured following a tsunami which hit at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province REUTERS The ruins of a house after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Banten, Indonesia EPA A ruined car that was rolled over after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait, in Anyer, Banten, Indonesia EPA Video still showing Anak Krakatau volcano erupting in Indonesia on Saturday, December 22 AP

It is thought the tsunami could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years following the devastating 19th century eruption of the nearby Krakatoa volcano.

Hundreds of houses and a number of hotels were swept away as waves reported to be as high as 10ft left a path of destruction in their wake.

NASA image from September shows Anak Krakatau erupting volcanic ash and steam over the Sunda Strait / EPA

Tourists are also thought to have been caught up in the disaster during the long holiday weekend before Christmas.
M eghan Markles estranged sister has penned an emotional Christmas card begging her end the rift with her estranged father.

Samantha Markle revealed the card in which she said Thomas was very hurt that the Duchess of Sussex was avoiding him.

Meghans paternal half-sister wrote to the royal saying it was "time" she reunited with father, the Sunday Mirror reported.

According to Mr Markle, 74, the father and daughter have not spoken for more than six months.

Thomas Markle urges Meghan to contact him after months of silence

Mr Markle was caught up in controversy days before the wedding of Harry and Meghan after he allegedly staged paparazzi photographs of himself.

In a picture of the card, Samantha wrote: "Dear Meg,

This is not meant to be formal.

The holidays are a time for family and are sentimental.

"As you know, Dad has been trying to contact you and is very hurt because you are avoiding him.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry in Windsor / AFP/Getty Images

"Life is short and you know Dad is wonderful. Please give him joy in his last years by showing you love him. The time is now.

Please think about this.

Samantha, 54, who lives in the US, added: Dad could die before next Christmas.

Im hoping that wont be the case, but it would be tragic and sad if he doesnt get to be around to resolve this.

I think Meg would harbour a lot of regret if this were his last Christmas alive and she didnt reach out and make things right.

Meghan Markle on her wedding day (Left) and father Thomas / Getty

There is not another day or week guaranteed, so Meg needs to act quickly. The clock is ticking.

Speaking from San Diego during an interview with Good Morning Britain earlier this week, Mr Markle made a public appeal to his daughter to get in touch.

He said: "I'm hopeful that soon something will be resolved and we'll be talking. This can't continue forever.

"People are saying I should be quiet about this and not speak, if I don't speak, they will speak to me.

That hasn't happened. I don't plan to be silent for the rest of my life.

"I love my daughter very much and she has to know that.
T he US Government shutdown could last until 2019, a top White House official has stated.

A stalemate over Donald Trump's fund demands for a Mexico border wall led parts of the government to shut down Saturday.

Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday it is "very possible" the partial government shutdown will stretch into next year.

Mr Mulvaney, who is White House budget director and its acting chief of staff, said the White House presented a counteroffer in the dispute.

Mick Mulvaney said an offer was made by the White House / REUTERS

"It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," he said.

He said he is awaiting word from Senate Democratic leader Chuck on this and declined to outline the offer further.

However, he said it is between President Trump's $5.7 billion request and the $1.3 billion Democrats offered.

The stalemate over the wall meant funding for numerous departments and agencies expired.

President Trump has continued to fight for funding for his proposed wall / EPA

Both the House and Senate have adjourned until later in the week.

Democrats held firm Sunday in opposition to paying for a border wall.

This is a sticking point as it was a central promise of President Trump's campaign for president.

Sen Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, said the administration is sitting on most of the money Congress gave President Trump last year for border security, excluding a wall.

"If you're not going to spend nine out of 10 dollars on an issue, you obviously don't care about it that much," Sen Merkley said.

"This is politics, not policy."

On the second day of the federal closure, President Trump tweeted on Sunday what the country needs is "a good old fashioned WALL that works".
A ctor Dominic West has suggested that the the next James Bond should be transgender.

The actor, 49, said the next 007 should be Hannah Graf, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the British Army.

The 31-year-old serves as a captain in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Suggestions have already been made that Daniel Craigs replacement should be black or female.

He told the Sunday Times Magazine: "She's a beautiful blonde girl who could be Bond.

"That's actually a brilliant idea. They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army."

West met Graf after he appeared alongside her actor husband, Jake, a transgender man, in his latest film Colette.

Mrs Graf told The Sunday Times she was "taken aback" to hear Mr Wests recommendation.

She said: "I'm very flattered that Dominic thought of me.

I don't think I'm going to become an actress any time soon, but there's no reason why there shouldn't be a transgender Bond.

"I think it would be amazing to have a woman who is more than capable of being a hero in a story.

A woman Bond would be a great role model."
T his past year has seen an explosion of gadgets. From countless smartphones, to new smart speaker launches, smart watches and everything else in between.

A lot of different devices make it across the ES Tech desk so we thought we'd round up some of our favourite gadgets from the past 12 months.

Heres to lots more gadget fun in 2019.

Favourite smartphone: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

2018 is the year that Huawei came to dominate the smartphone scene. it managed to overtake Apple as the second biggest phone maker in the world, just behind Samsung, and the Mate 20 Pro is an emblem of all that hard work.

It's the ultimate smartphone for this year. It has an eye-catching design, a great camera lens line-up thanks to Huaweis partnership with Leica, responsive OS and unbelievable battery life. All supported by the Huawei Kirin 980 chipset, one of the most powerful on the market.

Huawei has its work cut out to top the Mate 20 Pro for next year.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro in Twilight / Huawei

Favourite camera: Polaroid OneStep+

The newest addition to the Polaroid family, the Polaroid OneStep+ is everything you want from a 2018 camera.

It combines the classic Polaroid style of gorgeous analogue photos with an intuitive, user-friendly app that brings some welcome digital additions.

The Polaroid originals app unlocks six new features for the device including double exposure, light painting feature, and the exciting noise trigger feature so that when you clap your hands, the camera takes the shot.

Fun for all the family.

Favourite headphones: Sony WH-1000X M3 headphones

London is a busy city and the only way to deal with all that excess noise is with a pair of decent noise-cancelling headphones. Sony took all the features of its previous headphones and made them better with the new M3 pair.

Design changes mean the M3 headphones are not as bulky as previous iterations and should fit snugly on your ears. Theres also been a switch to USB-C charging, necessary when most smartphones support this too, so you only need to carry one cable around, and that 30-hour battery life comes in handy during long journeys.

Sony's latest wireless headphones can block out the noise of shopping / Sony

Favourite smart speaker: Google Home Hub

There werent many surprises at Googles annual Made By Google event but what Google lacked in surprise it made up for in great products.

The Google Home Hub is a welcome addition to the companys growing smart home expansion, with all the power of the Google Assistant and the visuals of a tablet screen.

Use it to control your smart home devices, play music, cast the radio or tune into YouTube videos. If you use Google Photos, you can set up a slideshow of your favourite photo albums to relive happy memories.

It's having easy access to the Google Assistant where you really benefit. Google can tell you your commute time in the morning, what the weather is going to be like, and notify you of any meetings and engagements that day too.

109, down from 139, Store.google.com

Favourite console: PlayStation Classic

2018 may have been the end of the PlayStation 2 for good, but retro gaming is still a major trend in tech. Case in point: the PlayStation Classic release.

This fun-sized version of the OG PlayStation came out earlier this month and is full of your favourite PlayStation games, including Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash and Wild Arms.

More titles are set to come in 2019 so this is really the gadget that keeps on giving.

The new PlayStation Classic is so small you can hold it in one hand / Sony

Favourite coding toy: Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit

In our tech-focused world, everyone should be learning to code whether they are eight or 80. The company making this fun and enjoyable is Kano.

This year, the East London-based company unveiled its Harry Potter Coding Kit, complete with its own magical wand. You build the wand yourself, connect it via Bluetooth to your laptop and get ready to start coding. There are more than 70 challenges in the Harry Potter universe, to teach you about sensors, data and how to create magic with the flick of the wand.

Favourite tablet: Apple iPad Pro 2018

Apples latest iPad Pro promises to be more powerful than the majority of PCs sold last year, and when you put it to the test, its easy to see why. Theres little you cant do on this device, perfect for design-intensive tasks like Photoshop, or simple web-browsing and Netflix bingeing.

The newest iPad Pro is more secure too: gone is the home button in favour of Apples FaceID facial unlock. All this power is packed into an 11-inch or 12.9-inch device, depending on your size preference, making it perfect for on the go.

The Apple iPad Pro 2018 with the smart keyboard folio / Apple

Favourite fitness tracker: Xiaomi Mi Band 3

Chinese tech company Xiaomi finally arrived in the UK earlier this year, bringing its extremely affordable and effective gadgets.

The Mi Band 3 is here to take on your old Fitbit: its light, sleek and provides all the fitness tracking you need from step count, sleep tracking, a heart-rate monitor, water resistant up to 50m, and a minimum of 20 days of battery life.

The kicker with the Mi Band 3 though is the price. Its only 26.99, whereas you would pay at least 100 more for competitor models.

Favourite e-reader: Kindle Paperwhite 2018

Amazons Kindle Paperwhite 2018 is hands down the companys best e-reader yet. It packs in some of the best features from the more expensive Kindle oasis, including an IPX8 water resistant rating, an improved glare-free screen for reading in direct sunlight, and the addition of Bluetooth for audiobook streaming, at a lower price point.

Theres more storage to fit in all those books and audio books too: starting at 8GB and going up to 32GB.

Water resistance means you can now have piece of mind when you read your Kindle Paperwhite by the pool / Amazon

Overall favourite gadget of 2018: Bose Sleepbuds

Of all the gadgets and tech we tried out this year, the Bose Sleepbuds are the one thing we didnt realise we needed before.

These sleek earbuds block out city sounds, masking unwanted noise like sirens or snoring, and there are 10 sleep tracks including gentle waves and rustling leaves, to lull you into an easy sleep.

One of the most useful features is that you can set your alarm to ring in your ears, instead of your phone, something your partner will certainly appreciate.
Oh what a lovely big stocking-filler for the Kiev regime this week from Washington. Just in time for Christmas too, and only weeks after President Petro Poroshenko tried to incite a war with Russia from a naval provocation in the Kerch Strait.

First we had US government envoy Kurt Volker announcing this week that an additional $250 million in military weapons were being packaged in Congress for Ukraine. Then the DC-based international lending institutions, the IMF and World Bank, signed off on multi-billion-dollar loans for Poroshenkos regime.

US government-owned Radio Free Europe described the new financial loans as a victory for Poroshenko. The apparent investor confidence bestowed by the Washington-based development agencies will boost the incumbent presidents re-election prospects in the forthcoming ballot in March. Up until recently, Poroshenko was trailing in opinion polls and looked set for a trouncing defeat in the election. How convenient that the IMF and World Bank  under the control of US government  should step up to the plate with a very big helping hand. And thats not seen as interference in a countrys sovereign affairs?

Since the CIA-backed coup detat in Kiev in February 2014 against the elected government of Viktor Yanukovych, it is estimated that the US has provided the cabal that seized power with up to $1 billion in military aid. And those dubious gifts keep coming, with the envoy Kurt Volker this week announcing to a forum in Brussels that the US Congress is processing an additional $25o million.

It doesnt seem to bother American lawmakers that the Kiev regime is dominated by Neo-Nazi demagogues and paramilitaries who worship Stepan Bandera and other Ukrainian collaborators in the Third Reichs Final Solution. Just recently President Poroshenko was photographed inspecting Ukrainian special forces some of whom were donning insignia of the Third Reichs SS.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in his annual press conference this week, the Kiev regime has been waging a war and a blockade against its own Ukrainian citizens in the eastern Donbas region for over four years, in which civilians continue to be killed on a daily basis.

One reason why that war remains largely unknown in the West is because Western news media dont report on it. Or when they do, they distort with lies that Russia has invaded Ukraine. This is similar to how the Western news media largely forgot to report on the war in Yemen, and when they have bothered to mention Yemen at all, they again distort by calling it a proxy war with Iran.

The Ukraine war against the ethnic Russian people of eastern Ukraine is driven by a rabid Russophobia subscribed to by the Kiev regime consistent with the exterminatory mentality of the Third Reich with whom their antecedents collaborated with during the Second World War.

The criminal recklessness of Washington knows no bounds. Just as President Donald Trump announces this week that he is pulling out American troops from Syria (illegally present there for the past four years), the same administration is stepping up its military involvement in Ukraine.

After the November 25 incident in the Kerch Strait when three heavily armed Ukrainian warships violated Russias maritime border, one might have thought that the US backers of the Kiev regime would have prevailed upon it with caution not to incite Russia. Not a bit of it, it seems. The US is giving notice that it is increasing its already hefty military support. That amounts to a green light from Washington to the Kiev regime to continue its provocations.

The timing of the IMF and World Bank financing is also blatant, and equally reprehensible. The IMF said it had approved $4 billion in new money for the Kiev regime, the first tranche of which will be disbursed by December 25, Christmas Day in the Western calendar! Together, the IMF and World Bank loans will enable the Kiev regime to seek taking on even more debt from other international sources, their approval acting as an endorsement of sound economy.

Ukraine is already lumbering from huge national debts of around $115 billion. The IMF and World Bank are therefore pushing the country into deeper arrears. No doubt that is part of the threadbare pattern of how Western capital will strip the country of its resources and the populace thrown into debt slavery.

Nevertheless, grave legal questions arise. It is understood that the Bretton Woods institutions of the IMF and World Bank, officially affiliated with the United Nations, are forbidden from lending money to states which are in the midst of armed conflict. How is it then possible that those institutions are bank rolling the Kiev regime given the latters horrendous assault on its own people in eastern Ukraine, its explicit affiliation with Neo-Nazi ideology, and its brazen attempts to provoke a war with Russia?

Furthermore, IMF lending was supposedly put on hold in 2017 because the Kiev regime was not complying with demands to crack down on corruption and implement political reforms. If anything the economic and political corruption in Ukrainian territory under the control of the Kiev regime has become an even bigger, more rampant problem. The IMF and World Bank announced their financial goodies this week without providing any evidence of purported conditional improvements.

This all makes for a grim prognosis over the coming months. The Kiev regime has no intention to go back to the 2015 Minsk accords which called for a negotiated political settlement in Ukraine. As Putin remarked recently, as long as the current cabal in Kiev remains in power then conflict will be the order of the day.

The US government and the Washington financial institutions are ensuring that the cabal remains in power with their generous rewards of military and capital injections. More disturbing is that the Kiev regime will feel emboldened to take its warmongering against Russia to an even more reckless level.

Father Christmas is supposed to reward good boys and girls. For Washington, the gifts are evidently doled out for a Neo-Nazi rogue regime with blood on its hands.
Donald Trump and the US Congress, heeding the call of an odd alliance of the Religious Right and progressive human rights advocates, have imposed the threat of a US visa ban on any Chinese official deemed responsible for barring access to Tibet for US diplomats, journalists, and tourists. On December 19, Trump signed into law the "Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018," which previously passed the Senate and House unanimously. The law sent Sino-American relations back to the Cold War era.

The US law requires American diplomats, journalists and tourists to have the same level of access to the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas as their Chinese counterparts enjoy in the US Other Tibetan areas include those former parts of Tibet that were cleaved off from Tibet and annexed to other Chinese provinces. These include Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Gansu, which became "Tibetan autonomous areas" within the respective provinces.

Within 90 days of Trump's signature, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to assess Americans' level of access to Tibet and issue a report to Congress. The report will include the identities of those Chinese officials responsible for banning Americans from Tibet. Pompeo will then issue a ban on US visas for those Chinese officials, barring them from entering the United States. Annually, the State Department must provide Congress with a list of US citizens blocked from entering Tibet.

The act had the strong support of Senator Marco Rubio (Republican-Florida). Rubio is also championing other US sanctions and visa bans for officials of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. It was also pushed by Trump's Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, former Kansas Republican Governor Sam Brownback.

Brownback has also taken up the cause of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu in Sichuan province. China is concerned about such "charismatic" churches taking hold and serving American right-wing interests, which has already occurred in Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Vice President Mike Pence, a fundamentalist Christian, who shares many of Brownbacks views, outlined the Trump administrations aggressive stance with China over Tibet in an October 4, 2018 speech at the neo-conservative Hudson Institute in Washington. Pence criticized China over its treatment of Christians, Tibetans, and Muslim. It was no coincidence that the Hudson Institute followed up Pences speech by inviting Lobsang Sangay, the president of the Tibetan government in-exile in Dharamsala, to address the organization this past November.

On November 28, Pompeo re-designated China as a "country of particular concern (CPC), pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act. Pompeo's re-designation cited China's "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom, including against the Tibetan people." China's treatment of the Muslim Uighurs, who dominate China's Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region in western China, has also come in for sharp criticism by Pompeo's State Department.

China joins as a CPC, other countries similarly designated by the State Department. These include Pakistan, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Supporters of the Tibet access act likened it to the very dubious Magnitsky Act of 2012, which is routinely used by the US to sanction certain Russian leaders with asset freezes and visa bans. The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 has been applied to, in addition to Russia, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, Myanmar, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed the act, saying it "interferes in Chinas domestic affairs with reckless disregard for facts, and goes against the basic norms of international relations." In response, China said it is prepared to deny visas to American officials.

At a time when China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan were discussing opening rail and road links between Tibet and the Indian sub-continent, the US law on Tibet could not have come at a worse time. For Nepal and Bhutan, Washington's re-ignition of the Cold War, about Tibet, brought back memories of the Central Intelligence Agencys secret Tibetan guerilla war against China in the 1950s and 60s. The CIA trained Tibetan guerrillas in Nepal, some later parachuted into Tibet, to attack Chinese military targets.

Although Bhutans role in the CIAs operations against China in Tibet have remained obscured, more information has come to light about the US role in plotting against Bhutans king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, in 1974. A series of plots to kill the Bhutanese king were traced back to the Central Tibetan Authority (CTA) in Dharamsala, India, which operated as a virtual government-in-exile for the Dalai Lama, after his exile from Tibet in 1959. The plots against Bhutans king were traced back to the CTA and the Dalai Lamas older brother, Gyalo Thondup, who was on the CIAs payroll. With the connivance of the CIA, the CTA hoped to annex Bhutan under its rule as Free Tibet territory. In other words, the CIA hoped to establish a Himalayan Taiwan, from which it could launch attacks on China.

There is another reason why the Trump administration is immersing itself into Tibetan affairs. Washington has said it will not recognize a Chinese-selected successor to the current 14th Dalai Lama, who is now 83 years old. A major tenet of Tibetan Buddhism is that when the current Dalai Lama dies, he is reincarnated in another person. China said it reserves the right to identify the reincarnated Dalai Lama and many Tibetan Buddhists believe that the selectee will be a person who is loyal to China.

Laura Stone, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs stated during a congressional hearing, that religious decisions, should be made within religious organizations, that this isn't the role of the state. The Tibetan cause has been taken up by Senator Cory Gardner (Republican-Colorado). There are old ties between Colorado and Tibet. During the Cold War, the CIAs ST CIRCUS program saw Tibetan guerrillas trained at Camp Hale in Colorado.

Taking up the cause of Tibet by Washington will not only strain American relations with China but will be viewed as unwanted interference by both Nepal and Bhutan, as they seek closer economic relations with China.

As part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), there are plans to extend the railway between Lhasa and Xigaze in Tibet to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu. The railway would be the first to cross the Nepal-China border.

Nepal, which is landlocked, has historically been forced to rely on India for external trade with the rest of the world. Much of Nepal's trade outside the sub-continent has been routed through Kolkata. A rail link to Lhasa would provide Nepal with more flexibility in its trade relations, opening the Chinese ports of Tianjin, Shenzhen, Lianyungang and Zhanjiang as alternatives.

Nepali relations with China have warmed since Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of the unified Nepal Communist Party took power in February 2018. Nepal withdrew from a joint military exercise with India in September of this year. However, it did participate in a military exercise with China, dubbed "Sagarmatha Friendship," in Chengdu the same month.

If China is forced to increase security in Tibet as a result of the US Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, progress on the trans-Himalayan railway linking Lhasa to Kathmandu may be put in jeopardy. China is wary of some 20,000 Tibetan refugees who reside in Nepal, some strongly linked to the Tibetan government-in-exile in India.

Trump and his Republican Party have decided to re-launch a cold war atop the roof of the world in the Himalayas. The only victims of this misadventure will be the people of the region who desire unimpeded cross border travel and commerce between Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sikkim.
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In todays weather forecast we are expecting more rain, heavy at times. Also easterlies.

Its a one-clothing layer day today with a high of 22 and an overnight low of 19 degrees. Humidity is 97 per cent.

High tide is at 8.40am and low tide at 2.40pm(Tay St). Theres a sea swell of 0.5m and sea temperature is 20 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 8.33pm.

If youre going fishing the next best fish bite time is between 7 and 10pm.

On this day in NZ history in 1953 the worst railway disaster in New Zealands history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the WellingtonAuckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai in the central North Island.

On this day in world history in 1814 a treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, ending the War of 1812, was signed at Ghent, Belgium. The news did not reach the United States until two weeks later (after the decisive American victory at New Orleans).

In 1914 over 577,000 Allied soldiers were to spend Christmas as prisoners in Germany.

In 1956 African Americans defied a city law in Tallahassee, Florida, and occupied front bus seats.

In 1966 a Soviet research vehicle soft-landed on the moon. In 1968 the first pictures of an Earth-rise over the moon were seen as the crew of Apollo 8 orbited the moon.

In 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, destroying more than 70 percent of the citys buildings, including 80 percent of its houses.

Today is the birthday of King John of England. Born in 1166 he once said There shall be one measure throughout Our kingdom.

To get involved in activities around the Bay of Plenty, please check out our Whats on page.

Have a great day!
ith almost universal literacy and high levels of educational attainment among many of the adult citizens in the country, one would have expected by now overwhelming public support for a State based on secular, liberal values. Yet, the country continues to be highly divided on fundamental, secular democratic values. Religious leaders at all levels, people who offer solutions to existential problems based on superstition, age old archaic rituals, semi-literate monks who have subverted the teaching of Gauthama Buddha to prop up a populist religion that blends with day to day politics of the land and politicians who thrive on primordial divisions among people, continue to have great influence on large segments of the population including the so-called educated opinion makers and have the ability to sway public opinion on matters of great social, economic and political significance at a critical time like the run up to a crucial national election.



This situation clearly indicates that, despite many decades of democratic rule and rapid expansion of school and university education in the country following political independence, the large swathes of the population remain uncommitted to social, cultural and political values that underpin modern, secular democracies in many other parts of the world. How do we explain this situation? There is no simple answer. In this article, an attempt is made to explain this paradoxical situation by looking at some of the post independence policies that continue to produce and reproduce social and cultural divisions that underpin political and ideological divisions in society.



As is well known, Sri Lankan political elites at the time of political independence had a broadly liberal political and economic outlook. Despite a large rural population dependent on an expanding small-holder peasant economy, the countrys economy was widely identified as an export import economy dependent largely on the export of a few plantation products. Moreover, society was polarised between an urban, English-educated elite and a mass of vernacular educated rural peasants. It is this state of affairs that came under severe criticism from both the left and the Sinhala Buddhist nationalists. It is the mobilisation of these social forces through a popular democratic process that brought about the 1956 political transformation.



The emergent post-1956 political formation had both ethno-nationalist and social democratic connotations as is evident from a myriad of state policies that were subsequently adopted. These included Sinhala only policy, vernacular education policy, segregation of schools on ethno-linguistic and religious lines, import substitution industrialisation, land reforms, protection of labour and peasant rights, expansion of peasant settlements through irrigation rehabilitation and colonisation schemes, expansion of the state sector through increased public services, etc. All these policies together contributed to a significant expansion of the lower middle class creating opportunities for upward social mobility for rural and urban lower classes.



Yet, by the early 1970s, a rapidly expanding population coupled with rising aspirations for upward mobility among youths belonging to all ethnic communities gave rise to unrest among educated segments of the population as was clearly evident from the 1971 JVP uprising followed by youth agitations in the north. Liberally oriented political opposition at the time saw the emerging crisis entirety as a failure of the state domination over a closed economy and sought to swing the pendulum to the other extreme by adopting an unregulated open economic policy.



What happened under the post -1977 open economic polices has been widely examined and documented and therefore, needs no detailed elaboration here. Suffice it to say that the socioeconomic order that came into being after 1956 was not critically evaluated looking at its negative and positive elements and no attempt was made to adopt policies that would have reversed the negative trends while building on more socially and economically desirable aspects. A few illustrative examples can help explain the emergent situation here.

"English language has been widely accepted as the major link in global business and communication"

As already mentioned, the large state sector consisting of pervasive state services, import substitution industries, diverse specialised state institutions, extension services, etc. absorbed most of the vernacular educated, upwardly mobile youth in large numbers creating a massive rural lower middle class. Many of them over time reached very high positions in the state sector. But, with economic liberalisation , private corporate sector emerged as the dominant and lucrative sector of the economy. Privatisation of state enterprises including plantations reinforced this trend.



Meanwhile, the English language, which was largely pushed to the background until 1977 emerged as an increasingly significant language of communication and business in the emergent globalised economy, creating the demand for English language skills. Increasing demand for English led the the proliferation of English language classes, expansion of urban private schools and the establishment of dozens of international schools. Yet, the neglecting of teaching English in the public school system for decades gave rise to a mostly monolingual teacher population, making it virtually impossible for rural children to acquire basic English language skills.



Many people migrated to the Middle East and elsewhere for employment in order to earn money to spend on their childrens education in private and international schools. Others sought to find places in urban schools. But, by now, the capacity of most state schools to impart English language skills had dwindled so that even most of those who were admitted to Royal College in Colombo left school with little or no English language skills. Meanwhile, many well-to-do families dispatched their children overseas for education.



The result of the above developments was a clear polarisation of the countrys education system. While the vast majority of rural schools remained ill equipped to cater to the emergent demand for English language and other skills, private and international schools in urban centres prepared children and youth from more privileged socio-economic backgrounds for more lucrative employment in the private sector, international agencies

and overseas.



The vast majority of rural lower and lower middle class families dependent mostly on vernacular schools for their children s education realised that the life chances of the latter were severely restricted by their education. Meanwhile, the stagnation of the rural agricultural economy and rural industrial enterprises due to conditions created by the open economy, also restricted income opportunities in the countryside at a time when the need for monetary incomes also increased rapidly due to the proliferation of private health, education and transport services.

"The situation in many fast growing economies like India, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore is quite different"

Many rural lower and lower middle class families responded to increasing social and economic pressures by adapting to the changing circumstances in numerous ways. Many people migrated to the Middle East for employment. Many young men dropped out of school and migrated to urban centres to find employment as drivers, construction workers, informal sector activists, etc. Many women also migrated to city centres as domestic workers, pavement hawkers, sales workers, etc. But, all these options were a far cry from their long cherished aspirations for upward social mobility through education. While many with educational qualifications could still find lower rung positions in state institutions and become members of the large lower middle class, many others could not even do so. This is clearly evident from the fact that thousands of graduates passing from public universities could not find employment in the private sector and had to wait till the governments recruited them for non-existent jobs in government institutions. Persisting unemployment of graduates despite such ad hoc measures shows that there is no solution to this problem.



Meanwhile, increasing consumer aspirations and growing economic pressure made their lives an increasingly agonising experience. Colombo continues to be the focal point of the economy, creating income opportunities for many rural people who look for non-agricultural employment. It is also the place where the best social infrastructure facilities like well equipped hospitals, public and private educational institutions, etc. are concentrated. Making use of such facilities is often beyond the means of people living in the far away provinces. Yet, they can easily see the widening disparities between rural and urban areas.



Being brought up, socialised and conditioned in a mostly ethno-linguistically segregated educational, cultural and social environment, several generations of rural inhabitants have been receptive to ethno-nationalist interpretations of their predicament in the context of the post-independence political environment where many political parties and their leaders have sought their political fortunes through the mobilisation of political support on the basis of ethno-religious loyalties. Moreover, post 1977 liberal economic reforms have also been widely perceived by the members of the rural lower and lower middle classes as a way of undermining the moral economy established in the 1950s and the 60s by disturbing the rural urban balance in terms of equitable life chances, creating huge income disparities and bringing back the English educated urban elites, marginalising the vernacular educated rural intelligentsia.

"Many well-to-do parents prefer international school education for their children"



The lack of diversification of the economy over several decades due to diverse circumstances flushed out many people out of relatively stable rural agricultural communities, making many of them itinerant workers in Sri Lanka and overseas, with almost no formal social protection. Job creation has not been the main objective of economic growth in the country for decades. Structure of employment and income shows this clearly. What we have is a very narrow employment pyramid, indicating the relatively small size of the middle class. This situation frustrates many people in the lower segments of society. The situation in many fast growing economies like India, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore is quite different.



In conclusion, it is not difficult to understand why the members of a vast rural lower middle class in the country feel that they have been dislodged from the post independence moral economy that flourished in the 1950s and the 60s, which was also largely shaped by ethno-nationalism. Given the fact that nationalist discourse has been an integral part of the post independence political discourses in the country, many ardent nationalists have interpreted social and economic inequalities in terms of the competition for scare resources as one among ethno-religious groups, ignoring its obvious social class connotations. This is widely accepted by the members of the large lower-middle class in Sri Lanka, particularly in the rural hinterland where nationalist politicians and their ideologues have an almost captive audience.

Author is a Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Colombo.
A 53-year-old woman was charged Friday with illegally posing as a midwife in a small community in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, according to state police.

Elizabeth J. Catlin used a rented house in Milo, N.Y., to operate an unlawful midwifery practice called the Prenatal Place and Penn Yan Prenatal, according to New York State Police.

Elizabeth J. Catlin. Provided by New York State Police

Troopers say she used the name and address of an actual doctor in Penn Yan to set up an account with medical lab in Rochester. Shes accused of taking blood samples from clients then sending them to the lab for testing, police say.

Using forged lab requisition forms, Catlin gained access to medical lab results without proper licensing, training or authorization, according to state police.

On Nov. 14, Catlin was charged with unlawfully practicing midwifery without a license in Ontario County, state police said.

On Friday, Catlin was charged with the following felonies:

second-degree identity theft

first-degree falsifying business records

second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument

unlawful practice of a profession

Catlin was arraigned this morning and bail was set at $15,000.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Irritated with the criticism and fallout from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' resignation, President Donald Trump on Sunday pushed the Pentagon chief out the door two months earlier than planned, an acrimonious end to a tense relationship that had been eroding in recent months.

In a series of tweets, Trump appeared to questions why he had put Mattis in his Cabinet in the first place, and said deputy defense secretary Patrick Shanahan will take over as acting secretary on Jan. 1 to cover the accelerated departure.

The sudden change strips Mattis of any chance to further frame national security policy or smooth rattled relations with allies through the originally planned transition at the end of February. And it reflects White House displeasure with the retired Marine Corps general's blistering resignation letter, which he delivered to Trump on Thursday.

Mattis resigned in protest over Trump's decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria. U.S. officials, however, said that the reaction to his decision to leave  including the shock and dismay expressed on Capitol Hill  annoyed Trump and likely led to Mattis leaving earlier than planned.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

Lt. Col. Joseph Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, said the former Boeing executive will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

"Deputy Secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defense will remain focused on the defense of the nation," Buccino said on Sunday.

It is unusual for the Pentagon to have an acting secretary of defense. Historically when a secretary has resigned, he has stayed on until a successor is confirmed. For example, when Chuck Hagel was told to resign in November 2014, he stayed in office until Ash Carter was confirmed the following February.

While Mattis' resignation followed Trump's announcement that he would soon pull all of the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials said that the decision was the result of an accumulation of disagreements.

In a stunning resignation letter, Mattis made clear he did not see eye to eye with a president who has expressed disdain for NATO and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

Earlier Sunday, Trump's acting chief of staff said that Trump had known for "quite some time now" that he and Mattis "did not share some of the same philosophies ... have the same world view."

Mick Mulvaney told ABC's "This Week" that the president and his defense chief "just could never get on the same page" on Syria, adding that Trump had said since his presidential campaign that "he wanted to get out of Syria." Mulvaney said the president "is entitled to have a secretary of defense who is committed to that same end."

Asked whether Trump wanted a Pentagon leader willing to challenge him or someone in lock step with his views, Mulvaney said "a little bit of both."

"I've encouraged him to find people who have some overlap with him but don't see the world in lockstep with him," Mulvaney said.

The Pentagon on Sunday would only say that Mattis serves at the pleasure of the president.

Other officials said it wasn't clear whether Mattis had spoken directly to Trump about the accelerated departure. Mattis had been at work on Friday, and defense officials had insisted he was planning to stay through February, when he would attend a NATO defense ministers meeting.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined leading Republicans on foreign affairs in urging Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria.

"We believe that such action at this time is a premature and costly mistake that not only threatens the safety and security of the United States but also emboldens" the Islamic State group, President Bashar Assad's government, Iran and Russia, according to the letter, signed by McConnell and eight other senators, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who organized it.

They asked Trump to "not make any final decision for 90 days to allow time to adequately study the impacts of this decision on our partners, our allies and the re-emergence of ISIS and other terror groups, to ensure our nation's strategic interests are secured."

But Mulvaney, asked on ABC whether there was any chance the president might change his mind on Syria decision, said: "No. I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever. You're seeing the end result now of two years' worth of work. But keep in mind it's not unusual for a president to lose members of the Cabinet over these types of disagreements."

Just after tweeting the announcement about Shanahan, Trump said he had had "a long and productive call" with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump said they discussed IS, "our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home."

Shanahan, a longtime Boeing Co. executive, was nominated for the deputy job in early 2017.

He moved up through the management ranks at Boeing over a career that began in 1986. The Puget Sound Business Journal called him a Boeing fix-it man in a March 2016 report. He oversaw the companys global supply chain strategies and use of advanced manufacturing technologies. Shanahan was central to getting the 787 Dreamliner on track after production problems in the programs early years, the report said.

By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press. Robert Burns contributed.
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Aggrieved parents of former T.M. Landry College Prep School students are aghast that Michael Landry, once convicted of abusing a student, continues to direct and teach at the Breaux Bridge school amid new abuse allegations.

Landry, the founder of the school, pleaded guilty to simple battery in 2013 after being accused of beating a student at the school. Dozens of others have come forward to say they too suffered physical and psychological abuse at T.M. Landry or personally witnessed it. The schools board of directors supports Landry, so he will stay in his position for the time being.

Parents have unsuccessfully sought intervention from state child welfare and education authorities, who say the school operates beyond their reach. Officials point to laws restricting who can be investigated for child abuse, as well as laws providing autonomy to Louisiana schools such as T.M. Landry that dont seek Board of Elementary and Secondary Education credentials.

+9 T.M. Landry director to continue teaching at school while abuse allegations are investigated The man accused of physically and mentally abusing students at T.M. Landry College Prep School will continue teaching there while the allegati

As one of thousands of non-approved schools in Louisiana, T.M. Landry can employ whomever it pleases as teachers. Abuse allegations jeopardize teacher certifications, and thus employment, for those working in approved schools, officials say.

More than 18,000 students in Louisiana attend non-approved institutions like T.M. Landry, according to state data.

Its frustrating for the parents because it does seem like these agencies who are in charge of caring for and ensuring the safety of the children are abdicating responsibility, said Ashlee McFarlane, a lawyer working with more than two dozen families of former T.M. Landry students.

That leaves law enforcement as the only recourse for parents who believe their children have been harmed at non-approved schools. Mary Mitchell says that hasn't helped her. Nearly two years ago, she complained to Breaux Bridge Police that Landry had choked her son, and multiple eyewitnesses supplied statements to investigators.

Four months later, having heard nothing about the case, Mitchell took to Facebook for advice.

What happens when an assault took place between a minor and adult and there are witnesses of the incident, youve gone to local PD and nothing is happening, Mitchell wrote in a post. Whats the next step anyone???

City police referred Mitchells case to the St. Martin Parish Sheriffs Office, which opted not to bring charges for reasons it has declined to explain. The case was reopened after allegations of physical abuse, transcript fraud and a culture of psychological manipulation at the school surfaced in a Nov. 30 article in The New York Times.

State Police to take over probe of abuse, misconduct at T.M. Landry Preparatory School Louisiana State Police will be handling the abuse allegations at T.M. Landry Preparatory School, taking over from the Breaux Bridge Police Dep

State Police are now investigating Mitchells case and more than 10 new ones reported to law enforcement following the Times article. Last year, long before the media interest in the case, Mitchell said she tried to get help from every state authority she could think of.

I called everybody, Mitchell said. There was a loophole for every single thing because of the way this school was set up.

State Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, said former T.M. Landry parents have called him "wanting to know where they can go for relief." Mills said the school appears to lack oversight and his staff is researching possible legislation to address that.

"I am researching all our options and where the shortfalls may be in the regulatory sense," Mills said. "I really want a piece of legislation that maybe is addressing where this place is falling through the cracks."

Not obligated to even speak to us

The allegations raised in the Times article, and also by parents, have upended T.M. Landrys carefully cultivated image as an innovative, non-traditional and nationally acclaimed school that puts disadvantaged students on track for elite college educations.

The image wasnt the reality Adam Broussard said he discovered last year when his son tested far below grade level in reading and math. Evaluations showed his son did not have a learning disability, Broussard said.

Broussard pulled his son from the school at the end of the year, and he is now receiving private instruction with a group of other former T.M. Landry students to catch up to his grade level.

If you could see his work then versus now, its just a world of difference, Broussard said. Hes writing paragraphs now whereas before he could not write a sentence.

Some T.M. Landry graduates have indeed been accepted to well-reputed colleges, but McFarlane, the lawyer working with former T.M. Landry families, said those among her clients who advanced to higher education attended T.M. Landry for short periods, after doing well at other schools.

T.M. Landry is ineligible for state diploma recognition, as well as public funding, because it does not seek state approval of its education program. But T.M. Landry and others like it still meet rudimentary standards to qualify as schools for the sake of mandatory attendance laws.

Any adequate physical plant where a teacher provides 180 days of instruction per year is considered a school in state law. The law is silent on what constitutes adequate space, and anyone can be a teacher.

Most of the approximately 6,500 non-approved schools in Louisiana have enrollments in the low single digits, suggesting they are home schools that have opted not to seek approval as home-study programs, which is allowable under state guidelines.

More than 100 non-approved schools have enrollments of 10 or more, however, with some in the hundreds. The total enrollment at these schools exceeds 5,500, nearly one-third of all those studying non-approved curricula, according to The Advocates analysis of state data.

In some cases you are talking about a parent or an individual that teaches out of their home, said Erin Bendily, an assistant state school superintendent. But then you also have, within that same category, actual schools like T.M. Landry and others, that have a school facility where parents send their children and pay tuition.

Non-approved schools are required only to report enrollment totals to state authorities, who then turn that information over to child welfare and attendance officers in every public school district. The officers, who are school district employees, are mandated to investigate truancy cases, which includes verifying attendance at non-approved schools, Bendily said.

Part of the officers job in verifying school attendance is determining whether students are being educated, even when the government has no say in what they learn. That necessitates delicate subjective judgments at non-approved schools, Bendily said.

Does it just mean you have to be teaching the four core subjects? Does it mean you look at the level of quality? The law doesnt say that, Bendily said. The child welfare and attendance officer doesnt get to go out and, for example, make a judgment based on what curriculum is being used.

Officers are nevertheless duty-bound to report to judges when they find children arent being educated, Bendily said, and from there children can be compelled to attend approved schools.

The officers mandate appears to allow, at the very least, a limited measure of government interaction with non-approved schools. But thats not how it plays out on the ground, said Frederick Wiltz, the St. Martin welfare and attendance supervisor.

Wiltz said he typically only visits schools where he can determine if the curriculum matches what was submitted to the Department of Education.

Non-approved schools are not obligated to open the door for me, and I cant force my way in, Wiltz said. They are not obligated to even speak to us.

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'Narrow line of business' in child welfare

Children and Family Services maintains it can only investigate abuse allegations against caretakers, as defined in state law. This includes parents and guardians, licensed day care employees and tutors, among others, but not school employees, according to the department.

At the same time, virtually every type of school employee is legally required to report suspected abuse. The department has a hotline for such mandatory reporters, but the department will not investigate abuse at a school unless the alleged abuser meets the definition of a caretaker, said Deputy Secretary Terri Ricks.

We will likely tell them this is a case for law enforcement, or we will pass it along ourselves, Ricks said. We would expect the laws related to schools would kick in, the civil and criminal laws related to battery.

Some parents wonder why T.M. Landry employees aren't considered "tutors," which are not defined in the caretaker law. This is a quirk of the Louisiana civil code, which uses the term to describe what are commonly understood as legal guardians.

"The law might find someone needs to be legally in charge of another human," Ricks said. "It's definitely not a math tutor."

Children and Family Services stance on what it can and cannot investigate is not universally understood in the education community. Bendily and Wiltz both said they believed Children and Family Services is the agency that investigates abuse on school property.

Ricks acknowledged that her department needs to continue to figure out how to communicate to everybody this narrow line of business we have in child welfare.

We want the general public to know they can call DCFS, Ricks said. But I do think its true many people may not realize exactly what we do.

Child protective services can't help

The T.M. Landry board has hired Couhig Partners, a New Orleans law firm, to look into the allegations as the State Police investigation proceeds, but it chose to not place Landry on administrative leave in the meantime. The board chairman, Greg Davis, whose two grandchildren attend T.M. Landry, said the board's decision to allow Landry to continue teaching was based on discussions with current parents.

Ive spoken to most of the parents. They all say that whats in that (New York Times) article does not reflect their experience," Davis said. "There is nothing in my experience that would say there's anything going on here at the T.M. Landry school that's consistent with what's in that article."

+10 T.M Landry Prep scandal: Reports of abusing students, falsifying records surface in NY Times story The New York Times published a report Friday accusing officials at the T.M Landry Prep School in Breaux Bridge of falsifying records in an att

The Times interviewed 46 former T.M. Landry students, parents and teachers, as well as current students and law enforcement agents. Davis said he had not spoken with any of those alleging abuse, and would leave that to investigators.

The Times article alluded to Landrys previously unreported guilty plea for simple battery, but subsequently released St. Martin Parish Sheriffs Office reports showed the victim was a 12-year-old T.M. Landry student. Landry was accused in that case of choking, slapping and whipping the student with a belt. He pleaded guilty to simple battery and received one year of probation.

Asked about the appropriateness of Landry continuing to teach in light of the guilty plea, Davis said Landry and Landry's wife Tracey, a co-founder of the school, had provided "a nurturing environment for our students."

"I can attest to that as a grandparent," Davis said. "Many other parents who have children attending school here have the same opinion. As far as we are concerned, the Landrys are exactly where we want them to be."

Michael and Tracey Landry have not responded to several calls and emails from The Advocate.

Broussard, who pulled his son from T.M. Landry for academic reasons, is among those making new abuse allegations. Broussard said his 9-year-old son came forward after watching a television news report on the allegations mentioned in the Times article. The boy was afraid to confide in his parents sooner because he was afraid of what Landry might do, Broussard said.

He said he felt comfortable saying something because people finally know how they are, Broussard said.

Broussards son accused Landry of assaulting him three times last school year, according to Broussards Dec. 3 written statement to Breaux Bridge Police, which turned it over to State Police.

Landry allegedly dragged Broussards son by the collar in one incident, and in another he shoved the child onto his knees, causing him to fall chest first onto concrete, according to Broussards written statement. In another incident, Broussards son said Landry used a belt to whip him and several other children on the hands.

Broussard said he called the Department of Children and Family services, in addition to reporting to police. The staffer he spoke with was sympathetic, Broussard said, but he hung up feeling cheated.

She said its just a shame they cant do anything, Broussard said. Im a taxpaying citizen in the State of Louisiana. I have a child in the state of Louisiana. And Child Protective Services said they cant do anything to help.
he core message and challenge of Christmas embody a powerful call to foster the goodwill of all and an imperative for efforts at creating harmony and seeking reconciliation of differences. It involves easing tensions, calming anger and contention, resolving conflicts and exercising restraint in all matters, initiating dialogue in patience and establishing mutual understanding between divergent ideological positions, as well as healing the wounds incurred and restoring law and order which guarantee a peaceful society of justice and solidarity. Despite the valid legal attempts made to tame the constitutional crisis, the recent political upheavals and corresponding social disturbances call all, both those at the helm of government and citizens as well of our dear motherland to give serious thought to re-discovering the lost national cohesion and the international prestige of our country whilst ushering in paths of political stability, economic recovery, national security and ethnic harmony.



The country in all its modern history had never been so severely strained under such pain, anxiety, scandal and disruption, the like of which even the civil society had never ever seen before. One is reminded of the sad eras of invasions by our former colonial rulers of this blessed land, known as Tambapanni to King Vijaya, Serendib to the Arabs and Tabrobane to the Greeks. A very serious question looms large over the horizons as we gaze in wonder at the mighty oceans that surround us, the graceful rivers that flow down and streams that trickle by, glazing mountains of the hill country with their mighty water-falls cascading, adding grace and luster to our landscape: What in the heavens has befallen this Dhamamadeepa of ours after 70 long years of liberation from the clutches of foreign rule, with the country finally coming into our own hands as on a platter?

Early Challenges

In any growth process there are ups and downs as in evolution there are natural selections and random mutations. As a nation newly freed and able to take our destiny in our own hands, we had a plethora of resources both in terms of human and natural endowments in our country. We were well away in our system of education with the social fabric steady and healthy. Being a repository and sanctuary of four of the worlds greatest and living religions, Sri Lanka had a strong religiously cultural and socially cohesive structure. What was needed was a strong and stable political movement to keep the country well-anchored in her prosperity and growth. It is unfortunate, that the country and its pawned people became the battleground for party-politics vying for power purely driven by greed even at the present moment of national disaster.

"Sri Lanka had a strong religiously cultural and socially cohesive structure"

The agricultural economy of the early independence era should have been consolidated with our farmers and paddy fields taken to the fore. Agricultural farming could have been modernized with the latest technology as we ventured into the 1950s. The political upheavals were on the prowl already by this time with the capitalistic rightist ideology on one side and the socialistic leftist ideology intruding from the other side. Battles were drawn polarizing the country for a long time along these two major treks, until the open economy appeared in the late 1980s with an executive presidential form of government that enjoyed absolute power on many fronts until it

came to an unprecedented crisis about three years ago. There was an outcry either to abolish or at minimum to reduce the excessive powers of the executive presidency.

The Burning Issues

Our foreign relations went helter-skelter too between being beholden to the capitalistic western nations and socialistic eastern nations as well as some nations of the Middle-East. Once it was the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan which were our great benefactors. Then there was a radical swing towards China and India. The relations with these latter countries proved very difficult, since they were and are still, the biggest powers in Asia. It was difficult for governments to walk the way of the non-aligned path that she had taken at the Bandung conference in 1955. At Bandung in Indonesia in April, 1955, representatives from 29 governments of Asian and African nations gathered to discuss peace and the role of the Third World in the Cold War, economic development, and decolonization. The core principles of the Bandung Conference were political: self-determination, mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, and equality. These issues were of central importance to all participants in the conference, most of which had recently emerged from colonial rule. The delegates built upon the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, worked out in negotiations between India and China in 1954, as they sought to build solidarity among recently independent nations.

The countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations members and contain 55% of the world population. These two historical institutions were of immense importance to Sri Lanka viz-a-viz her international relations and integration into the community of worlds nations. Internally, a false extremist trend of nationalism based on hatred towards anything that was foreign and divisive politics that preyed on the ignorance of the rural masses, paved the way to instability oftentimes.

Battle for Power

It was unfortunate that within the domain of internal politics, parties and people became polarized into two major blocks of the UNP and the SLFP. In the meanwhile, rural people felt left in the lurch and youth violence began to emerge in early 1970s. They wanted their right to good employment and quality education for the rural youth. Having failed in many ways at making their voices being heard, they took to insurrectional violence threatening institutions and political authority. Hundreds of thousands of our youth were killed in this rebellion which raised its head again in the mid 80s. In both cases, state violence was unleashed to quell the rebellions. It was resorted to sometimes in very cruel, inhuman and crude ways. Mass deaths and mass graves were the inevitable results of this

national tragedy.

"Weak coalition govts. became the order of the day until recently the two major parties decided to work as a national govt."



The culture of violence came to a hilt in the 30-year ethnic war that really throttled Sri Lanka in a terrible way, slowing down also its economy. Armaments had to be bought and the military maintained. These 30 years of war and terrorism sank the country in misery as never before and is greatly to be blamed on an unjust and bloated false nationalism as well as a plethora of social injustices that ensued there-from. Everyone began to realize that politics and government based on religion, race, language and ethnicity would end up in inevitable disaster. Also the fact, that no political party at elections mustered an absolute majority, prevented the formation of a strong legislature.

The Way Forward

Weak coalition governments became the order of the day until recently the two major parties decided to work together as a national government having agreed on a common agenda for developing the country. It is at this point that a crisis came over due to policy and ideology clashes within the ranks of the government and aggravated by a radical decision from the Executive giving rise to an unprecedented political imbroglio. This crisis will not be solved easily unless there is conversion of heart and goodwill for collaboration once again with the interest of the common good of country at heart on the part of politicians and political parties. The people at large also need education on this important issue for the country to move forward. They should not allow themselves to be bullied into fanciful party manifestos which tend to hypnotize them into false dreams. Mistakes must be humbly accepted and all errors corrected forthwith.

Having learned enough and more from this national tragedy, politicians, civil society and people in general (the hoi polloi) must stand together in bringing the nation out of its current chaos and impasse, shock and confusion. There has been an avalanche of errors and bad discernment spilling up all fronts in the rank and file of political authority: the executive, the parliament and political leadership. It is unjust to carry the masses as well into this mess who would still be blissfully ignorant of the depth of misery this constitutional crisis involves. The professionals and the intelligentsia of the nation must intervene to help translate this crisis into a moment of opportunity for insight, enlightenment and growth.
When state District Judge Mike Erwin sentenced a Baton Rouge woman to 40 years in prison in the gruesome 2014 bedsore-related death of her 82-year-old mother, he said no case in his 27 years on the bench had affected him more.

Now, a state appeals court is being asked to decide whether Joleslie Looney's penalty  the maximum allowed for manslaughter  is cruel and unusual punishment, or proper and justified.

Looney's appellate attorney claims the lengthy prison term Erwin meted out in May is excessive for a 57-year-old woman and is essentially a life sentence.

+2 Baton Rouge woman sentenced to 40 years in 82-year-old mother's bedsore-related death The judge who sentenced a Baton Rouge woman to 40 years in prison Thursday in the gruesome 2014 bedsore-related death of her 82-year-old mothe

"Ms. Looney's 40-year sentence makes no meaningful contribution to acceptable goals of punishment and is nothing more than a purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering," Louisiana Appellate Project lawyer Bertha Hillman argues in documents filed at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge.

East Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Allison Rutzen, however, sees things differently in her written arguments to the appeals court and focuses on the "ghastly condition" of Bessie Looney when she died in September 2014 and the pain and suffering she endured.

Rutzen noted the elderly woman weighed a mere 82 pounds  down from 130 pounds in April 2013  when she was found completely slumped over in a filthy wheelchair in her fly-infested home with only a dressing gown draped over her head. She was strapped into the chair at the waist, and a large wound on the right side of her body leaked "thick, green mucus."

"When the Coroner's Office removed the strap to get the decedent out of the wheelchair, a large chunk of her skin came off with the strap," Rutzen wrote.

Joleslie Looney's daughter, 21-year-old Lauren Looney, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the case and was sentenced to five years in prison. She was 17 when her grandmother died in their North Acadian Thruway West home.

+2 Granddaughter sentenced in 82-year-old Baton Rouge woman's bedsore-related death A 21-year-old Baton Rouge woman was sentenced to five years in prison Friday in the horrific, bedsore-related death of her 82-year-old grandmo

Dr. William "Beau" Clark, the East Baton Rouge Parish coroner, classified Bessie Looney's death a homicide, saying she died from a blood infection caused by severely infected bedsores. He also determined malnutrition, dementia and heart disease contributed to her death.

Authorities said Joleslie and Lauren Looney were Bessie Looney's primary caregivers. The mother and daughter told police they were aware of Bessie Looney's condition but said it didn't appear severe to them, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

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Hillman contends Joleslie Looney was suffering from depression and stress when she was caring for her mother, and was overwhelmed.

"Joleslie had limited resources and the necessary skills to deal with the situation. Her mother was becoming increasingly weaker and demented, and she did not have a car, making it difficult for her to obtain proper medical treatment for Bessie," Hillman argues in the appeal.

Rutzen, though, points to what she termed Joleslie Looney's "complete inaction with respect to her mother."

+3 Daughter swiftly convicted of manslaughter in elderly mother's 2014 bedsore-related death A 56-year-old woman was swiftly convicted of manslaughter Friday in the horrific 2014 bedsore-related death of her 82-year-old mother in their

"Admittedly, (Joleslie Looney) presented herself as a somewhat depressed and overwhelmed individual who had taken on more responsibility than she could handle. However, she brought her mother into the situation and refused to ask for help, in spite of the many people who testified that they could have provided help if asked," the prosecutor wrote in her argument.

Rutzen added that Joleslie Looney knew she was responsible for her mother's medical decisions, "yet she completely neglected this responsibility for at least a year prior to her mother's death."

"Anyone in (Joleslie Looney's) situation would have been overwhelmed. But, a reasonable person in that situation would have sought help when she realized the situation was spiraling out of control," Rutzen adds. "A reasonable person would not have done nothing  especially for the very person who brought her into this world."

Rutzen described Joleslie Looney's sentence as appropriate, justified, proper and proportionate.

Hillman vehemently disagreed.

"This case helps only to solidify Louisiana's unflattering position as the poster child for imprisonment and as the incarceration capital of the world," she insisted in her written argument.

The 1st Circuit's website indicates Chief Judge Vanessa Whipple and Judges Page McClendon and Toni Higginbotham will decide the case based on the written arguments filed by Hillman and Rutzen. The panel will not be hearing oral arguments.
Vulnerable people are being lured into buying alcohol by extremely low upfront costs made possible by the boom in "buy now pay later" services, according to health groups calling for government intervention.

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has urged the federal government to ban the sale of grog through services such as Afterpay and zipPay, which allow customers to buy and immediately receive items and pay for the purchase over time.

With Afterpay, it's possible to pay as little as $1.56 for a bottle of wine. Credit:Marina Oliphant

In its submission to a Senate inquiry into credit and financial services targeting struggling Australians, FARE warned that Afterpay and zipPay were increasing the availability and accessibility of alcohol products.

"The use of 'buy now pay later' services for alcohol subverts established mechanisms to minimise harm to public health from alcohol, by enticing the consumer with a much lower upfront price," it said.
A homeless man has died after he was stabbed in Bondi Junction on Saturday night.

Emergency crews were called to Oxford Street about 8pm after reports that a man had been attacked multiple times.

NSW Ambulance acting inspector Paul Sweetland said paramedics treated the 60-year-old at the scene but were unable to revive him.

Police allege the altercation began in KFC Bondi Junction before spilling out into the streets.

"This was obviously a horrific scene for paramedics due to the chaotic and confronting nature of the incident," he said. "NSW Ambulance staff support services have been activated for all of these paramedics involved."
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 seven-year-old Japanese boy has died after he was pulled unconscious from a far north Queensland lagoon hours after landing in the country on a family holiday.

Lifeguards retrieved the boy from the water at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon on Pier Point Road just before 4pm on Saturday.

The Cairns lagoon where the boy's family holiday was tragically cut short on the weekend. Credit:Tourism Queensland

Lifeguards began resuscitation efforts until paramedics arrived and the boy was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition.

Police confirmed his life support was turned off about noon on Sunday.
More than 45,000 people from nearly 14,000 families have been affected due to heavy rains and floods in all the five districts of the Northern Province, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) said.

The affected districts are Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya and Jaffna. The DMC said that 8,539 people have been sheltered in 52 welfare camps. Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena directed relevant officials to provide immediate relief to the affected people.

The Mullaithivu main road has been blocked due to the floods. In the Kilinochchi District all the sluice gates of the Iranaimadhu Tank have already been opened and a large number of families have been displaced.

The Navy and the Army personnel were engaged in relief and rescue missions in the Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi Districts, which are worst affected by the inclement weather condition.

Accordingly, the Navy has deployed nine dinghies and six relief teams in aforesaid areas since December 22, to assist victims.

Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command were promptly deployed into action following the flood in Iranaimadhu, Samikulam, Oddusuddan and Vasanthapuram to rescue the people.

The Sri Lanka Air Force said a Bell-212 helicopter and Y12 aircrafts had been deployed over Iranaimadhu and Mullaithivu areas to assess flood situation. (Romeh Madushanka and Sithum Chaturanga)

Video by Romesh Madusanka
A man has been left with two chipped teeth, a black eye and a bloody nose after a violent road-rage attack in Melbourne's north.

Police believe the 20-year-old victim was driving about 8pm on Friday when the attack occurred on the corner of Mickleham and Barrymore roads in Greenvale.

The corner of Mickleham and Barrymore roads where the attack occurred. Credit:Google Maps

The exact circumstances of the attack are still being established by police, however it's believed three men - unknown to the victim - assaulted the man before fleeing.

Its believed multiple witnesses stopped at the scene to help the victim, but they had all left by the time police arrived on scene.
There have now been three reports of violent attacks in recent days at Park Towers, the high rise public housing estate in South Melbourne. These include the death of a woman, shortly after she was heard screaming for help because someone wants to stab me and hours after police had attended.

There are many violent assaults at Park Towers. Whats unusual, and only because of the tragic death of a 46-year-old woman, is that right now they are getting the public attention that is desperately needed.

The victim: Nicola Stephens aka Nicole Rodden.

Residents have been warning that someone was likely to be killed  again. Thats why they campaigned for daytime security guards for years, a move supported by police. Additional security finally arrived last week but Park Towers needs more than this to be a safe place to live.

Like the slums it replaced in the 1960s, Park Towers is a relic of another era. Its land used to be narrow streets and lanes and this meant the poverty and disadvantage were obvious. Today it is largely hidden in a shabby and badly maintained high rise that is obviously at the end of its lifespan.
State MP Kim Wells has launched defamation action against a political rival who claimed on social media he was assaulted by the veteran Liberal at a polling booth before last month's election.

Guiseppe 'Joe' Cossari, 72, posted on Facebook that he was "bullied, attacked, threatened and intimidated by the standing Liberal Party candidate Kim Wells".

Liberal MP Kim Wells. Credit:Craig Abraham

Mr Cossari was running as a Transport Matters Party candidate in the seat of Rowville, which has been held by Mr Wells since 1992.

"He grabbed and twisted my left arm and demanded to see who I preferenced. I am still traumatised now by yesterday's incident and I am requesting a formal apology," according to a Facebook post by Mr Cossari on November 13.
ACT government executives must "actively encourage" their staff to join a union, under a new policy that has been criticised as politicising the public service.

Directorate bosses now have to supply new starters with union membership forms and fee structures, according to the new "Union Encouragement Policy" distributed to ACT public servants last week.

Workplace relations minister Rachel Stephen-Smith. The ACT government has set a new policy forcing public service bosses to actively encourage their staff to join a union. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

The policy requires all executives, managers and supervisors to put aside their personal views, and adopt a "positive and supportive role, not simply passively accept membership recruitment and representative activity by unions".

Union officials or representatives also must be given the chance to recruit new members during work hours "provided that work is not unreasonably disrupted".
n two days - on December 25 - the world commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, who preached a message of love, forgiveness and demanded irrespective of religious or political beliefs, a steadfastness to truth, justice and the upholding of the dignity of man.

In our little corner of the world here, in Sri Lanka, while we celebrate this great festival of love, we also remember it as a time when four years ago -We the people voted into power a new regime comprising political forces and personalities of widely diverging political ideologies. The goal was to ensure good governance in the country and live up to the high expectations generated by the change of regime. The aim was to change the political culture where corruption was rampant. The media controlled. A time when people were disappeared off the streets in the dreaded white vans. A time when the forces of law and order became pawns in power games of the rich and powerful and the

media subservient.



In short, it was a period when corruption was widespread, justice was not seen to be done, religious fundamentalism and racism were seen to operate with the blessings of the state and the CoL out of the reach of common folk. And so as we come to the dawn of what would be the final year, it is as good a time as any to check, how much of what was promised/expected has been achieved. Its time to recognise failures and put in place plans of action to rectify the short-comings and failures of the past four-year period and set up a reasonable time limit for correcting mistakes of the past and ensuring goals and

targets are met.



A major platform of the Sirisena-Wickremasinghe combine; prior to victory at the the presidential elections of December 2014, was its promise to eliminate corruption which was widespread, endemic and affecting all levels of society. It also charged the past president and his family of being involved in mega corruption. Promised to charge them before the courts of law, bring corrupt officials to book and bring to an end corruption in public life. Instead, what the country witnessed were charges of mega corruption against the very government which promised to eliminate corruption.



The Prime Minister himself has been accused of involvement in a $ billion bond scam. The former Minister of Finance - a close associate of the Premier - had been forced to resign from the Cabinet in the face of charges of bribery and corruption. The incumbent President and his government levelled charges of corruption running into billions of Dollars against his predecessor and members of his (past Presidents) family.



Neither the past President, nor any members of his family have been charged in a court of law on charges of bribery or corruption. So far, no evidence has thus far been produced. The charges remain unsubstantiated and the government has failed the public totally on this count too.

However, one of the biggest successes of the regime has been the elimination of fear which stalked the land. Through the setting up of Independent Commissions governing the public services, the judiciary and the police, the government ensured the independence of the police and judiciary to act without fear or fervor.

Today, the fear of being arbitrarily picked up or the dreaded knock on the door at midnight is a distant nightmare. The enshrining of The Freedom of Information Act has ensured transparency in governance.



The jailing of preachers of hate speech and their hangers-on have eased fears among minority groups. The past three years has also seen the heightened media freedom with hardly any threats made against media personnel or attacks against media institutions. But by far, the greatest achievement of the present regime has been the depoliticising of the judiciary and the strengthening of the countrys judicial system. The proof of the pudding it is said is in the eating, and the role of the judiciary in bringing to an end the recent constitutional crisis stands as a beacon of hope for generations to come.



However, even today there is an ongoing struggle between the executive and the Constitutional Council regarding the appointment of Judges to the Courts of the land. In this struggle the independence of the Independent Commission need to be upheld to ensure the independence of the Judiciary. The continuing tussle between our President now shorn of his executive powers attempting to foist his nominees on the courts of justice needs to be resisted and the independence of the Independent Commissions need to be upheld and strengthened.
Olga Esquivel and Angel Esquivel-Blanco, of Humble, Texas, were charged this week in connection with the Sept. 16, 2018, death of their daughter, Alicia. (Harris County Sheriff's Office)

2-Year-Old Girl Dies After Parents Allegedly Leave Her in Vehicle: Police

Toddler reportedly took video, photos before death

A 2-year-old girl died in a hot car after her parents allegedly left her there, and now, her parents could face decades in prison.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Olga Esquivel and Angel Esquivel-Blanco, of Humble, Texas, were charged this week in connection with the death of their daughter, Alicia.

The girl died of heat exposure after she was left in the back of a car for hours after a party in September.

Authorities say the family got home around midnight and the girl was still alive at 10 a.m. the next day, taking cell phone video in the car.  ABC13 Houston  20181221

Parents have a duty to protect their children, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a written statement obtained by the paper on Dec. 21. And these parents will forever live with their childs horrible death and suffer the consequences of their actions.

Olga was also charged with tampering with a body, the Chronicle reported. Court records indicated that she changed her story regarding what happened to the child.

She first told investigators that her family attended a Sept. 15 party, and the whole family fell asleep at the same time inside their home after helping her intoxicated husband to get inside, the paper reported.

When she woke up at around noon, she said her daughter was hot. An hour later, according to her account, the parents called 911 because their cellphone was charging and couldnt gain access to another phone, the Chronicle reported.

But officials said they have recovered video footage and photos captured via the couples cellphones taken as early as 10:40 a.m. that same day, contradicting Olgas account that she woke up at 12 p.m. The photos and video were apparently shot by the child while inside the vehicle.

The photos showed the inside of the vehicle. In the video, the girl could be heard speaking in distress, investigators told the paper. The video also showed scissors lodged between the door and the passenger seat. Police, meanwhile, found one of the girls sandals in the driveway.

A Harris County Sheriffs Office investigator said that they listened to the video  (and) could hear what appeared to be a female childs voice in discomfort, reported Click2Houston.

In a subsequent interview, police spoke to Olga, who said she left Alicia in the vehicle overnight. Then, she and her husband both fell asleep. It wasnt until 12 p.m. when she woke up, realizing that her daughter was still in the hot car.

After finding her daughter unresponsive, Olga splashed water on her and attempted to perform CPR before calling the police at 2:55 p.m., suggesting the couple waited for some time before calling emergency responders.

Angel Esquivel-Blanco said he didnt know the girl was in the car, saying his wife left her there.

The couple could face as many as 20 years in prison if convicted.

According to Click2Houston, Angel Esquivel-Blanco is a Mexican national. His immigration status is not clear.

Both parents have since posted bond and are out of jail, reported The Associated Press.

Kids and Cars, a website dedicated to raising awareness about hot car deaths, says 38 children on average die each year from heat-related deaths after being trapped in hot vehicles. In 2018, 49 children died in vehicular heatstroke incidents. The website notes that the inside of cars on a warm day can be significantly hotter than outside.
Arizona Congressman Threatens Police Officer During DUI Arrest

An Arizona congressman, pulled over for weaving down the highway, threatened his arresting officers telling them, Youre making a mistake.

An Arizona State Trooper spotted a pickup truck weaving between lanes on Loop 202 in Mesa around 11:22 p.m. on Dec. 20.

According to Department of Public Safety report, the trooper smelled a strong odor of alcohol and noticed that the drivers eyes were very bloodshot, AZ Central reported.

When the trooper asked for a drivers license, the driver instead offered up a state House of Representatives identification card.

According to the ID, the driver was District 8 Republican Congressman David Cook.

VIDEO: Dashcam footage obtained from the Arizona Department of Public Safety shows the DUI arrest of Arizona Rep. David Cook on the night of December 19. pic.twitter.com/pfINGy1TZj  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) December 22, 2018

Youll Get Yours

Cook initially refused the officers order to get out of the truck. When the trooper insisted, Cook replied, Do you know what youre doing, son? Youre making a mistake.

Cook eventually did step out of the vehicle but appeared to be confused and maintained his belligerent attitude.

During the test, Cook complained that he was cold because the police didnt let him wear his jacketbut he was wearing his jacket, Phoenix New Times reported.

When asked to perform a field sobriety test, Cook responded, Thats not gonna happen.

After failing several field sobriety tests, the officer placed Cook under arrest, which seemed to come as a surprise Cook. Can you just arrest me like this? he can be heard asking in dash-cam video released by DPS.

After the arrest, an officer could be heard telling another, Hes kind of all over the place. Hes not following directions, odor of alcohol, the whole nine yards.

When one of the arresting officers warned Cook to watch his head as he entered the police cruise, Cook responded, Im fine, dont worry. Youll get yours.

Receiving a Conservative Achievement award with an #ACUFRating of 87% in #AZleg for defending Arizonans' Constitutional  David Cook  Arizona State Representative  201838

Twice the Limit: Extreme DUI

Cook was taken to a DPS substation where he blew a 0.152 and a 0.158 on a breathalyzer. Those results are nearly twice Arizonas legal limit of 0.08 blood alcohol.

While Representative cook later claimed that he had never asked for special treatment, he was allowed 20 minutes in a private room in order to converse with his lawyer, AZ Central reporteda privilege certainly not accorded to most prisoners.

Cook was told that because he was being charged with extreme driving under the influence and that his driving privileges would be suspended.

Cook responded, Its fine, my wife works at the MVD, (Motor Vehicle Division).

Cook was released into the custody of his wife Diana around 3:15 a.m.

Facebook Apology, Punishment

Representative Cook posted a long apology on his Facebook page later that evening. He blamed his intoxication on not having eaten lunch or dinner before having a few harmless drinks with friends.

In his apology he emphasized that there was no accident, no one got hurt.

Besides facing a judge, Cook, who was overwhelmingly reelected to a second term in November, was disciplined by House Speaker Rusty Bowers.

Im disappointed and saddened by Rep. Cook for failing to meet the standard expected of all Arizonans, much less an elected official, Bowers said.

Representative Cook has the ability to be a talented legislator but he clearly has some personal challenges that he needs to confront, he continued.

Cook was stripped of his seat on the on the House Public Safety Committee as a result of the arrest.

From NTD.com

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Chinese People's Liberation Army cadets train in Beijing on July 22. The Chinese military is setting new standards for studying Communist doctrine, at the expense of training. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

As Communist China Grows Weaker, It Puts On a Bigger Show of Force

The only time I saw a wild beast was in the primeval forests of Tibet in the 1980s. A leopard was prowling up a hill about 70 or 80 meters from our camp. It was at sunset. As the leopard moved, it frequently stopped and turned to look at our camp. We watched it nervously. Even after it went far, we still used a spyglass to track it. Its intimidating yet carefree strength left a deep impression on me.

As a Tibetan proverb put it, the creatures that appear the most ferocious are actually the least of ones fears. This is gleaned from age-old hunting wisdom. The more alert and aggressive an animal shows, the less attacking power it has, since these animals are usually at the lower end of the food chain.

There is a similar saying in Vietnam: Shelled animals have no bones. It means that the harder they are on the outside, the softer they are on the inside.

In the past two years, as the Chinese communist regime buckles down on its official positions, it has adopted an increasingly belligerent attitude that reflects its deep inner weakness.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media has more and more resorted to language such as the bottom line, the red line, or inviolable core interests. This refers to issues like Taiwanese or Hong Kong independence,unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang, religious freedom, North Korea, the South China Sea disputes, internet censorship, the crackdown on human rights lawyers, the one-party dictatorship, universal values, Party ideology and the like.

Whoever questions the Party is considered in league with the foreign or anti-China forces. If the criticism comes from abroad, those countries are considered to be interfering in Chinas internal affairs. If it comes from the Chinese people, it is subversion of state power.

This is all an empty show of force. Speaking from the perspective of political science, when a regime sets all sorts of bottom lines, it means that it suffers all sorts of weaknesses that are open to be exploited by its opponents.

The CCPs habitual aggression over its nearly 70 years of rule have consistently manifested as symptoms of its weakness. For example, during the Cultural Revolution, not only Chinese could could victimized, but foreigners as well. If someone from Hong Kong wearing a counter-revolutionary hairstyle was seen on the streets, they would have their hair cut off all the same. The Chinese at the time were much more fanatical than they are today, and they lived in one of the worlds poorest countries.

The worlds political situation has entered a new era this year. The experiences of the past five or six decades are wholly unable to explain how things will unfold in the future. The turning point is in Sino-U.S. relations: in the past the relationship could be considered cooperation with small conflicts; now it has come to conflict with small amounts of cooperation.

This situation is really Chinas own doing, but I will not go into details here. One thing is certain that in this confrontation, every one of Chinas bottom lines and red lines represents a weakness and will end up becoming an opportunity for the United States. The Taiwan issue is just starting to take effect, and will be soon followed by Tibet and Xinjiang.

I should also mention the situation in North Korea. In the past, the United States saw China as the key to solving the North Korean problem, but now the reverse is becoming true: North Korea will become the key to dealing with China. Earlier, there was a great deal of speculation about how the U.S. and South Korean militaries were holding exercises to simulate decapitation strikes against the North Korean leadership. I think this wont happen: a valuable tool like North Korea wont be wasted so easily!

Zang Shan is an International affairs analyst specializing in US and China affairs.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The LinkedIn page of Tan Hongjin, who was arrested on charges of stealing trade secrets from his former employer, a U.S. energy company. (Screenshot)

Chinese Scientist Charged With Stealing More Than $1 Billion in Trade Secrets From US Petroleum Company

A Chinese national has been charged with stealing trade secrets from a U.S. petroleum company, with the intention of benefiting a Chinese company that had offered him a new job.

Federal prosecutors allege that Tan Hongjin, 35, a U.S. permanent resident, downloaded hundreds of confidential files about cell phone and lithium-based battery systems from his employer, an unidentified petroleum company with significant operations in Oklahoma, according to a Dec. 21 press release by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The value of a product connected to the unspecified trade secrets Tan is claimed to have stolen is estimated at about $1.4 billion to 1.8 billion, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI.

A search of his Linkedin account reveals that Tan worked as a staff scientist at a Phillips 66 research facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, since May 2017. Phillips 66, a U.S. multinational energy company, was ranked No. 28 on the Fortune 500 list for 2018.

The Houston-based company said in a statement that its cooperating with the FBI in a probe involving a former employee at our Bartlesville location, but declined to comment further. The FBI affidavit also said that Phillips 66 called the agency last week and reported that Tan had downloaded hundreds of confidential files, which included information that (the company) considers to be trade secrets and outside the scope of Tans employment, from the companys computer before he resigned. That would match the DOJs allegations.

Tan also told a co-worker at the company that he planned to return to China, according to the affidavit. During its investigation, the FBI found on Tans laptop an employment agreement from a Chinese company that produces lithium-ion battery materials.

Tan was arrested Dec. 20 and will remain in custody until a preliminary and detention hearing in court on Dec. 26, the DOJ said.

According to his LinkedIn account, Tan received a bachelors degree in condensed matter physics and biophysics from Chinas Nanjing University in 2006. He also was an exchange student at Japans Kyushu University. Tan moved to the United States to study materials science at the California Institute of Technology (also known as Caltech), where he earned masters and doctoral degrees before starting a career in the U.S. energy-storage industry.

This is the latest in a string of federal indictments of Chinese researchers and scientists who have or are alleged to have stolen intellectual property from U.S. companies. Their areas of expertise often coincide with science and technology fields that Beijing has sought to aggressively develop.

In August, a Chinese engineer was found guilty of stealing technology related to manufacturing LED products from his former employer, U.S.-based Lumileds, to his new employer in China, a manufacturer of home appliances and LED products named Elec-Tech International. He was ordered to pay $66 million in damages.

That same month, a former employee at General Electric was arrested on charges of stealing turbine technology and transferring the trade secrets to China. He had been recruited by the Beijing-led Thousand Talents recruitment program, which lures top engineers and scientists from abroad to work in China.

Reuters and Epoch Times staff writer Annie Wu contributed to this report.
Ghosn Detention Puts Japan Courts 99 Percent Conviction Rate Under Microscope

TOKYOSince his arrest on suspicion of falsifying financial reports, Nissans former Chairman Carlos Ghosn has been sitting in a humble cell for more than a month, interrogated day in and day out, without a lawyer present.

His case is drawing attention to the criminal justice system in Japan, where there is no presumption of innocence and the accused can be held for months before trial. The system, sometimes called hostage justice, has come under fire from human rights advocates.

When a court denied Tokyo prosecutors request to detain Ghosn another 10 days on Dec. 20, it was so unusual that the Japanese media reported he might be released. But such speculation was dashed when prosecutors rearrested him a day later on suspicion of breach of trust, tagging on a new set of allegations centered on Ghosns shifting personal investment losses of some 1.8 billion yen ($16 million) to Nissan Motor Co. On Dec. 23, a court approved prosecutors request to detain him through Jan. 1.

Japan Conviction Rate Exceeds 99 Percent

But his plight is routine in Japan. People have signed confessions, even to killings they never committed, just to get out of the ordeal.

A trial could be months away and could drag on even longer. And his chances arent good: The conviction rate in Japan is over 99 percent.

Research published in the Journal of Legal Studies titled Why is the Japanese Conviction Rate So High? points to several possible factors why so few accused in Japan are acquitted.

Because Japanese judges can be penalized by a personnel office if they rule in ways the office dislikes, perhaps they face biased incentives to convict, ask Eric B. Rasmusen of Indiana University and J. Mark Ramseyer of Harvard Law School.

But the two researchers concluded, upon closer scrutiny of the data, that the high conviction rates reflect case selection and low prosecutorial budgets; understaffed prosecutors present judges with only the most obviously guilty defendants.

Ghosn Maintains Innocence

Those close to Ghosn and his family say he is asserting his innocence. But it is unclear when release may come for Ghosn, who led a two-decade turnaround at Nissan from near-bankruptcy. Tokyo prosecutors consider Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, a flight risk.

Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmonds School of Law, said such a longtime detention would be highly unusual in a country like the United States.

Each time the government reaches a deadline where Ghosn might be released, the government files new allegations and rearrests, he said.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Shin Kukimoto said prosecutors are merely doing their job of trying to carry out a proper investigation.

When asked by a reporter about hostage justice, he replied: We are not in a position to comment on how the law has been designed.

Under such a system, those who insist on innocence end up getting detained longer. Once the rearrest processes run out and a suspect is formally charged, bail is technically possible but often denied until the trial starts because of fears about tampered evidence.

Horrible Experiences

It is good that the world will learn how wrong Japans criminal system is through the case of this famous person. It is something even many Japanese dont know, says Seiho Cho, a lawyer in Tokyo and an expert on criminal defense. Countless people have gone through horrible experiences.

A famous case is Iwao Hakamada, a professional boxer, who served 48 years in prison, mostly on death row after he signed a confession under questioning and was convicted of killing a family of four. He was freed in 2014 after DNA tests determined blood at the crime scene wasnt Hakamadas, and a court ruled police had likely planted evidence.

A true-life story of a man who refused to sign a confession that he groped a woman on a crowded commuter train became a popular 2007 movie I Just Didnt Do It, directed by Masayuki Suo. The film depicts a five-year legal battle for exoneration, highlighting the burden of proof of innocence was on the accused.

In the U.S., defense lawyers tend to be vocal, but in Japan, it is fairly standardas in the case of Ghosnfor them to stay silent, especially before trial, because thats considered better for the suspects. Lawyers are allowed to visit clients in detention.

Ghosn has been formally charged in the initial set of allegations, underreporting his income by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) for five years through 2015. The maximum penalty for violating Japans financial laws is 10 years in prison, a 10 million yen ($89,000) fine, or both.

Greg Kelly, an American Nissan executive who was arrested with Ghosn, has been similarly charged with collaborating on underreporting Ghosns income. Kelly was not rearrested on the latest breach of trust allegations. Kellys U.S. lawyer says he is innocent and abided by company policy.

Nissan has also been charged as a legal entity, but no person besides Ghosn and Kelly has been charged or arrested. Nissan executives repeatedly say an internal investigation that began in the summer showed clear and serious wrongdoing, which went unnoticed for so long because of complex schemes masterminded by Ghosn and Kelly.

They went to the prosecutors, resulting in the surprise Nov. 19 arrests, and are cooperating closely with the investigation.

Dont Ever Compromise

Being accused of a crime is devastating in a conformist insular society like Japan. Family members also become targets of discrimination, spurned for marriage and ostracized. Some commit suicide.

Cho, the lawyer, said the long detention and trial mean people lose their jobs, reputation, sometimes their families. But he still had this advice: Whatever you do, dont confess to anything you didnt do as that just makes it worse.

Dont ever compromise on your innocence, he said.

By Yuri Kageyama
A GoFundMe page titled, We The People Will Fund The Wall, has raised $16 million out of the $1 billion required for construction as of Dec. 20, 2018 (GoFundMe)

GoFundMe for Trumps Wall Raises $16 Million, Becomes No. 2 All-Time

Counter campaign for ladders gets $135,000

The GoFundMe seeking to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall reached $16 million on Dec. 23 as a competing campaign raised just $135,000 to buy ladders to climb the wall.

After six days, the pro-wall campaign, We The People Will Fund The Wall, exceeded $16 million with more than 264,000 donors. The page, created by triple-amputee Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, has a goal of $1 billion.

Its time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! Its up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling, Kolfage said on the page.

Kolfages GoFundMe could become the top campaign ever on the crowdfunding website. The No. 1 GoFundMe, the Times Up Legal Defense Fund, raised $22 million after it was started in December 2017.

The Fund The Wall campaign is already at No. 2 with $16.1 million, surpassing a fundraiser for families of the Humboldt Broncos team involved in a fatal crash. That one raised $15 million. The next biggest one is a fund for victims of the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting earlier this year, which raised $10 million.

Ladders GoFundMe Started

Meanwhile, a new GoFundMe was created several days later by Ladders for Migrant Siblings to buy ladders to get over the wall.

Seems like a bad idea on countless levels for everyone involved, the page reads.

About $135,000 was donated from 6,000 people Sunday after the GoFundMe page was created on Dec. 19.

The amount of support behind this wall is a lot more than the liberal media, CNN, and all of them want you to believe, Kolfage said. Thats why I was shocked when I got tons of emails from Democrats. It blew my mind because you dont hear anything about that, you dont think Democrats want this wall, but clearly they do want this wall.

Kolfage explained the average donation to his fund is around $60 per contributor, but his page recommends an $80 donation.

If 60 million people donate $80, he added, the $1 billion will be met.

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

President Trump has yet to comment on the GoFundMe, but he tweeted an image of the proposed wall.

A design of our Steel Slat Barrier which is totally effective while at the same time beautiful! the president wrote in a caption of the tall steel fence.
The Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescued over 300 migrants from 3 boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe, on Dec. 21, 2018. (Olmo Calvo/AP)

Open Arms Aid Ship With 311 Migrants to Dock in Spain After Italy Says No

BARCELONA, SpainSpains Foreign Ministry gave permission on Dec. 22, to an aid boat carrying 311 rescued migrants to set course for Spain after Italy and other Mediterranean countries did not answer its request to dock.

The Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms said its ship now has permission to enter the Spanish port of Algeciras.

Proactiva founder Oscar Camps said among the rescued were a woman and newborn child.

She gave birth two days ago on a beach in Libia, Camps tweeted. They spent almost 24h at sea until we rescued them.

The Fun Is Over

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini underscored Italys refusal to permit the ships entry by lashing out at those that profit from the migrant flows to Europehuman traffickers.

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.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said earlier this year, on the occasion of the publication of the Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants 2018, that migrant smuggling is a crime that knows no borders.

Guterres tweeted, At least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled in 2016, generating up to US$7 billion for smugglers. The entire world is affected.

Refugees are especially vulnerable as they typically move under desperate situations, Benjamin Smith, Southeast Asian program coordinator for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told CNBC. This creates a situation where transnational crime organizations can come in and take advantage of them through exploitation or trafficking.

About 1 million migrants entered the European Union just in 2015, with nine out of 10 of them paying smugglers to help them cross borders, according to a joint report by the Interpol and Europol. Most paid 3,000-6,000 euros ($3,400-$6,800), so the average turnover was likely between $5 billion and $6 billion, the report said.

Many unaccompanied minors are also sold into slavery or forced into prostitution.

Smuggling is at the heart of the criminal enterprises surrounding global refugee crises.

In the absence of legal channels, boat smugglers remain the only alternative. These smugglers practically have a monopoly on transporting people across the Mediterranean, said Pal Nesse, senior advisor at the Norwegian Refugee Council, according to CNBC.

29 Women, 5 Children, and 56 Men

The boat belonging to Proactiva Open Arms picked up a total of 313 migrants Friday in waters near Libya.

Proactiva founder Oscar Camps tweeted, Third boat rescued today. This time, 29 women, 5 children, and 56 men.

Tercera barca rescatada hoy. Esta vez 29 mujeres, 5 ninos y 56 hombres algunes menores, senal del exito de las politicas del silencio. O salvas vidas o callas sus muertes.#United4Med @UNICEFenEspanol @ACNURspain @amnistiaespana @hrw pic.twitter.com/7K92fLdbA0  Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) December 21, 2018

Two of the migrantsa mother and child were subsequently airlifted by rescuers and taken to a hospital.

Camps commented the helicopter rescue in a tweet, In the end, we evacuated Sam and his mother Sali to a hospital in Malta today.

Al fin evacuamos hoy a Sam y a su madre Sali, a un hospital de Malta. pic.twitter.com/iVFGrPKnOH  Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) December 22, 2018

We Have a Safe Port

Spains Foreign Ministry said Malta denied the aid boat permission to dock and the boats calls to Italy, France, Tunisia, and Libya have gone unanswered.

The Spanish coastguard due to the refusal or lack of response from the nearest ports, has authorised (the ships) movement to Spanish territorial waters, a government statement said, according to The National.

Permission was granted for the Open Arms ship to dock in the Spanish port of Algeciras. On its Twitter account, Proactiva said it will be many and difficult days sailing, but we have a safe port.

#Astral parte de Badalona para dar apoyo al #OpenArms con mantas, comida y medicamentos. la tripulacion del #OpenArms Esta atendiendo a mas de 300 personas y lo hara durante varios dias. pic.twitter.com/bXz27xNQx5  Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) December 22, 2018

In June, Italy and Malta denied entrance to another aid ship belonging to SOS Mediterranee Sea and Doctors Without Borders that was carrying over 600 rescued migrants. Spain granted it entry to end its weeklong saga at sea.

According to the U.N. refugee agency, over 2,200 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea this year in unseaworthy smugglers boats and 117,540 migrants have reached Europe.

Reuters contributed to this report.
197 countries close to the climate summit with an agreement of minimum

The block of countries that refuse to accept the alert scientific

Thus began the Climate Summit in Katowice 2018

The Climate Summit in 2018, ended on the night of Saturday December 15, a partial agreement that sets out the decisions of 197 countries. The new pact, designed to implement the Paris Agreement in 2020, has been postponed to new encounters some issues of disagreement, and delayed, for up to 24 hours, the final resolution of this conference held in Katowice, Poland.

The negotiations, which kicked off the 3 of December, have been marked by the opposition of the oil-producing countries (USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) to support the scientific report prepared by the panel of experts IPCC, which has been used as a basis for establishing the sane. The study warns of the serious consequences that he will suffer the Land of not reducing greenhouse gases and limiting global warming to 1.5  C above the temperature that the planet had before the industrial era. The text includes the recommendation to take urgent measures to alleviate the extreme weather events that already affect the population, ecosystems and global biodiversity.

Unattended the urgency demanded by scientific experts

In this latest agreement, Katowice (the Conference of the Parties, COP24) not all countries have accepted the indications of the scientists. It is in the air the urgent commitment to meet them. The agreement "invites" states, not "forces", to review and increase the ambition who want to achieve to fulfill what scientists warn. This has been one of the great pitfalls of the discussion, with a block demanding that I wanted to ambitious measures (led by Europe) and another that called for flexibility.

In a statement sent to THE WORLD, Johan Rockstrom, the scientist who co-directs the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (a member institution of the IPCC) has said, "my biggest concern is that the Summit of the United Nations failed to align these ambitions with the science, in particular, the need to make clear that the global emissions of fossil fuels must be reduced by a half in 2030 to keep in line with the IPCC report ". This aspect is going to be difficult to meet since there has not been a global consensus and it will take more meetings to resolve the issue.

The opinion of Rockstrom agree with Ottmar Edenhofer, an economist climate, co-director of the center and director of the Institute Mercator for the Investigation of the Global Commons and Climate Change. "The world needs something more than goals of climate policy and processes, you need concrete measures that need to be taken now. Climate change can no longer be considered simply as the greatest market failure of all time, with the continuous increase of global emissions of gases of greenhouse effect after years of negotiation, has also become a government failure unprecedented", has referred to this medium. Edenhofer has also commented that, through appropriate policy measures, such as fixing the effective price of CO2, "governments have to build a new relationship of trust with the citizens. The price of carbon may not solve everything".

Both of you have highlighted, however, that the agreement of Katowice is a "relief" because "the countries recognize the need for a global collaboration to address the global climate crisis".

A book of rules flexible

In the COP24, on the contrary, it has been advanced in a book of standard rules that determines the common rules that they must follow the countries "invited" to meet them. This is one of the positive aspects of the new agreement, the conclusion of a complicated and technical manual that will serve each country's protocol of action. Now it depends on them in what proportion to apply it and in that sense, has founded a new coalition that is committed to follow fully what is recommended by scientists and by the more ambitious goals to combat climate change.

this Is the newly christened Coalition of Ambition High and make up the European Union, Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, Jamaica, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway and Saint Lucia. The coalition has been driven by the president of the Marshall Islands and the european energy commissioner, Miguel Arias Canete.

Brazil has requested a compensation for the Amazon

Another contentious issue addressed in Katowice is the way in which it calculated the emissions of gases. Brazil showed to be dissatisfied with it and blocked the end of the summit, according to sources who have participated in the negotiations.

Brazil has a vast expanse of tropical forest and subtropical climates, which contributes to the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere of the planet. And despite how vulnerable he is to the action of the man the amazon region, because it strips at high speed, the brazilian delegation has requested a compensation for it and has presented discrepancies concerning the computation of net which determines their emissions, the so-called credits of carbon dioxide.

Indonesia, an example of which escapes him at the COP24

Indonesia, one of the most contaminating countries in the world, is a republic island that is rich in tropical rainforest and biodiversity. Like Brazil, its forests help reduce atmospheric CO2 and, in the same way that happens to the south american country, deforestation is threatening its already poor ecological balance. It is also one of the parts for which you have not closed a commitment that will help reduce emissions.

a Stop to deforestation is a natural solution to contribute to 37 per cent of the target global climate. However, "the agreement of Indonesia (NDC) still allows you to deforest an area the size of Belgium up to 2030. Therefore, the indonesian government needs to review its NDC immediately to address this serious mistake", he alerted to this journal Hans Nicholas Jong, environmental journalist of the means of dissemination of scientific information Mongabay in Jakarta (Indonesia). Accounting does not resolved to the carbon

The carbon credits (the right to emit one tonne of CO2) is a well-redeemable listed on the market and can be traded between those who emit more (they pay for it) and those who make less. The mechanism holds the various traps in their count and there are cases in which a single bond is counted more than once in different registers or different entities count it as yours. The balance end is not real and this is has attempted to regulate with a standard to avoid duplication.

The International Association of Emissions Trading (IETA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have approved the development of this standard of international accounting. However, even if you try to avoid the double counting that had been practicing up to now in the carbon markets, the agreement gives a window of time that gives rise to ambiguities

Funding and vulnerable countries

The mechanisms of financing have been one of the sensitive points of the agreement. In this summit has been approved to increase the contributions. The COP24 has promised to an Adaptation Fund of $ 129 million, while the Fund for the Least Developed Countries will be 28.2 million of dollars more. On the other hand, the Green Climate Fund builds up because 10.300 million dollars.

however, the most vulnerable countries requested a game of subsidies exclusively to cover the damages caused by climate change. The Paris Agreement itself specifies a particular category in this respect, which had not been done specifically in the new text approved in Katowice.

Bangladesh, one of the countries at risk due to sea level rise, has developed a national pilot project on loss and damage and invites the rest of the world to participate in it.

Chile will host the COP25 after the controversy of Poland

Brazil, which in principle is postulated to hold the next edition of the summit, withdrew his candidacy before the start of the COP24 and after the new president of Jair Bolsonaro. The COP25 will be held next year in Santiago de Chile, preceded by a pre-meeting that will take place in Costa Rica.

Poland, the host country of the summit that has just finished, has left a bitter mark on the negotiations this year. Very dependent on coal, so you need to make a great effort to renew your energy model, has maintained a position contrary to that of the rest of the European Union to increase the ambition of the agreements and it is one of the responsible that some decisions are postponed to the edition of 2019.

So value the Ngos, the final resolution of the summit

Numerous non-governmental organizations have been present in Katowice and have informed this medium, in real time, the progress of the negotiations. These are his impressions on the agreement:

"The COP24 has not collected the ambition and the commitments of the countries to increase climate action. Now it is key that the countries attending the UN summit in September with a few more ambitious goals. At the national level the government of Pedro Sanchez must pass a law and plans for energy and climate change, to accelerate the energy transition by beginning to mark the closing of the thermal coal in 2025 as "very late". Tatiana Nuno, head of energy and climate change for Greenpeace in Spain.

"The lack of tools, commitment, ambition and the eternal quest for a consensus, do not respond to the urgency of climate change and puts into question the ability of the United Nations to respond to the greatest challenge that we will face as humanity. The texts presented do not clearly establish the process needed to increase the ambition. You lose another year". Javier Andaluz, head of the campaign climate of Ecologists in Action.

"Mark a step necessary at the time of finalizing the Agreement in Paris, in the form of a common regulation. The parties now have some clearer indications of how to implement the agreement. But there is a very important problem: the absence of a call clear in the text, the ambition and the urgency of the climate emergencies. Some Pacific countries are literally disappearing. The IPCC report says that we have to reduce global emissions by 45% by 2030 in order to limit the temperature to 1.5 C. But the final decision is not called directly to all the countries to increase the ambition and the commitment in the reduction of emissions. That depends on each one". David Howell, head of Environmental Governance of SEO/BirdLife.

"The feeling our it is bittersweet. The summit has made progress but has failed the political will to move forward with the urgency and ambition that is needed before the severity of the problem. Lack the urgency of undertaking actions to fight against climate change much more ambitious than we have, that lead us to an increase of temperature above 1.5  C according to the IPCC. In Spain, it seems to us well to the change of policy in the fight against climate change. We urge you to begin to process because the Law of Climate Change and Energy Transition and open a process of public participation both for the law as for the National Plan of Energy and Climate." Mar Asuncion, head of Climate and Energy of the World wide Fund for Nature (WWF Spain).

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Updated Date: 23 December 2018, 08:01

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Police Recover Damaged Drone At Gatwick As Hunt Continues for Culprits

British investigators have recovered a damaged drone near Gatwick Airport as they continue the hunt for the rogue operators that sparked a near shutdown of the airfield, said an official who spoke to Sky News.

The drone will now be taken away for forensic examination in a bid to find the suspect who caused thousands to face major travel disruptions.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley told Sky News officers had found a damaged drone near the north perimeter of the airport.

Obviously we will be doing everything we can with regard to forensically examining that drone, he said, and that is something that is being fast-tracked and expedited.

Unknown culprits flew drones onto the airfield at Londons Gatwick Airport between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21, resulting in three days of crippled operations.

Airport officials were forced to cancel or divert about 1,000 flights, affecting 140,000 passengers.

Police on Dec. 23 released without charge two people arrested in the inquiry into the illegal use of the drones.

Sussex Police arrested Paul Gait, 47, and wife Elaine Kirk, 54, at their Crawley home on Friday night over the attacks.

Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries, and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick, Tingley said on Sunday.

Police said they were actively following lines of investigation to catch those responsible for the most disruptive incursions from unmanned aerial vehicles seen at any major airport.

Tingley called on the public to assist with identifying the perpetrators.

We ask for the publics continued support by reporting anything suspicious, contacting us with any information in relation to the drone incidents at Gatwick.

Police have offered a 50,000-pound ($63,000) reward.

What Happened?

Drones spotted at Gatwick on Wednesday, Dec. 19, forced officials to close its runway.

Every time the airport sought to reopen the runway on Thursday, the drones returned.

Authorities finally regained control over the airfield after the army deployed unidentified military technology to guard the area, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

The drones caused misery for travelers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings.

Airlines operating at Gatwick, which is located south of London, include easyJet, British Airways, and Norwegian.

Drone Laws

British authorities in July restricted drones to 400 feet and banned them from flying within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of an airport.

Jonathan Nicholson, assistant director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) commented on the new laws on July 30:

As recreational drone use becomes increasingly widespread across the UK it is heartening to see that awareness of the Dronecode has also continued to risea clear sign that most drone users take their responsibility seriously and are a credit to the community.

Drones are here to stay, not only as a recreational pastime but as a vital tool in many industriesfrom agriculture to blue-light servicesso increasing public trust through safe drone flying is crucial, Nicholson said.

If convicted, the drone grinch could face up to five years behind bars.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Rapper Juelz Santana Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Gun in Airport

NEWARK, N.J. (AP)Rapper Juelz Santana has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for trying to get a loaded gun onto a plane at a New York-area airport.

Santana, whose real name is LaRon James, was sentenced Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft.

He was arrested in March after security at New Jerseys Newark Liberty International Airport found a loaded .38-caliber handgun and nonprescription oxycodone pills in his carry-on.

Santana left the area and the bags behind, but he turned himself in three days later.

The 36-year-old will not immediately go to prison after having reached an agreement to perform on Long Island.
Santa Tracker Wont Be Affected Government Shutdown, NORAD Says

During the partial government shutdown, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will still run its famed Santa tracker during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

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 tweeted on Dec. 21.

The hundreds of volunteers will be working on Christmas Eve to track Santa Claus and to answer childrens calls.

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

The tradition dates back to some time during the Cold War, NORAD says on its website.

On Dec. 24, 1955, a call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. However, this call was not from the president or a general. It was from a young child in Colorado Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement printed in the local paperthe youngster wanted to know the whereabouts of Santa Claus, said NORAD.

The ad said, Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number. However, the number was printed incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD operations center, according to the website.

A NORAD official, Col. Harry Shoup, received several phone calls from children. He didnt hang up on them, but he instead instructed his operators to find the location of Santa and reported it to every child who called.

And then there was a small voice that just asked, Is this Santa Claus?  Shoups daughter, Pam Farrell, recalled, according to NPR. She said he was annoyed at first, but then the child began to cry before Shoup tried to cheer the boy up.

As NPR reported, volunteers take two-hour shifts starting early on Dec. 24 every year.

NORADs commander, Air Force Gen. Terrence J. OShaughnessy, said hell answer phones on Monday.

This is my first NORAD Tracks Santa, said OShaughnessy, who assumed command in May, reported The Associated Press. Im really excited.

OShaughnessy was asked about the program during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in April to confirm him as the head of NORAD, a joint operation between the United States and Canada based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I assume this committee can count on your commitment to continue that venerable tradition, Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton told him. Yes sir, especially since my son Sam would want to see that as well, OShaughnessy replied, AP reported.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service will not be impacted by the shutdown, it announced.

USPS will not be interrupted during the gov't shutdown. 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. pic.twitter.com/s8asXt9pgc  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 22, 2018

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 govt shutdown, the Postal Service tweeted Dec. 22.

Each year, NORADs Tracks Santa website (can be accessed here) gets nearly 9 million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Meanwhile, volunteers get more than 140,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the world, according to the website.
Surrogate Mom Who Refused to Abort Baby Calls for Law Change a Year Later

A surrogate mother from Texas said she refused to abort a baby suffering a heart defect after his biological parents told her to do so.

Stephanie Levesque, who has been a surrogate mother three times, gave birth to a baby just days before Christmas on Dec. 21, 2017, at the Medical City Womens Hospital in Dallas.

Doctors had told her weeks prior that the child suffered from a severe heart defect, prompting the biological parents to demand that she abort the child due to the risk. Levesque said it runs counter to her beliefs and refused to go through with it.

A surrogate who refused the biological parents demands for an abortion after learning their baby suffered from a heart defect is calling for more defined regulations in the surrogacy process.  New York Daily News  20181222

I thought we were completely on the same page I had no idea that if something did happen, wed be so divided, she told Dallas news outlet WFAA this week. Before you proceed in carrying for a couple, you discuss your beliefs on abortion, you have to have really hard conversations.

Levesque said the confrontation with the parents caused her to reach out to lawmakers to revise surrogacy laws in the state. She wants protection for biological parents and their surrogates.

Levesque said that when Dec. 21 arrived, hospital staff took the baby boy moments after birth. She said to this day, she doesnt know his name 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, she told the station. I assume they immediately took him to the NICU, but I do not know, I do not know.

WFAA reported that one day after the birth, the boys parents, who were not identified, agreed to give the boy the immediate medical care he required.

I had always done it with the excitement of making people parents, she said. I mean, I could not wait to hand those babies over and see them become parents after thinking they never would. But I had to kind of change my mindset and say, OK  this is for him now.

In two previous surrogate pregnancies, Levesque said she delivered healthy babies. She remains close friends with the two other couples. Its the most beautiful gift you can ever give, Levesque, a realtor and mother of two, said of the experience.

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 storys not over, because I cannot end on heartache, she added.

The biological parents ordered her to end the pregnancy over a birth defect and then seized him when she successfully carried him to full term  Daily Mail  20181221

I absolutely think if we can get some laws changed, everyone wins, everyone will benefit from that, she said. I one hundred and ten percent believe in surrogacy. It is my passion, the mom added. I definitely do not want my story to discourage people from being surrogates.

She now is in the process of writing a book about her surrogacy story.

A Year Later

Last week, on Dec. 21, she went on Facebook to thank friends, family, and others for their support a year after her ordeal, the Daily Mail reported.

First of all, thank you all SO MUCH for the support Ive received throughout the last year, she wrote. 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!

The woman then spoke about the boy under the pseudonym Luca.

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,' she wrote. And how unbelievably appropriate is it that his mere existence is bringing light to so many issues?!? Amazing, right??)

According to Texas state law, The law governs gestational surrogacy arrangementsmaking them valid and enforceableand allows surrogates to receive compensation for their time and services. Establishing parentage is seamless as Texas surrogates relinquish their parental rights before the baby is even born. Further, intended parents are recognized as the childs legal parents upon his or her birth certificate [and]  surrogates wont ever appear in court. Even in cases where a post-birth action is warranted (i.e., intended parents citizenship needs), the surrogates wont need to appear in court, Circle Surrogacy says.
The Logo of Lenovo is displayed at a computer center in Shanghai on August 19, 2010. Lenovo has been accused of patent infringement by Reflex Packaging for stealing its packaging design. (Philippe Lopez/Getty Images )

Tela Innovations Files Complaint Against Lenovo, Chinas Largest PC Supplier

Tela Innovations, a California-based tech company, filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission charging that Lenovo, Chinas largest supplier of personal computers, exports products to the United States that infringe on its patents.

On Dec. 19, Tela filed complaints with the commission (USITC) to protect its patent rights on lithography-optimized design solutions for integrated circuits. Lenovo Group Ltd. of China, and Lenovo (United States) Inc. of Morrisville, North Carolina, are listed among the respondents.

Tela, which is headquartered in Los Gatos, claimed that Lenovos 520S-231KU compact all-in-one desktop and other items produced by the Chinese company use certain integrated circuits and products containing the same components as its own products.

Lenovos electronics are made in China, then exported to and sold in the United States. Should Tela win the case, it would indicate that Lenovo acted in violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1337). Lenovo could then be barred from marketing these products.

To support its claims, Tela supplied product introduction and photos of the Lenovo 520S-231KU, showing the relevant parts.

In 2017, Lenovos revenue was $45.35 billion, as compared with Dells $78.66 billion. Thirty-one percent of Lenovos revenue that year came from the Americas.

According to Section 337 of the Tariff Act, the USITC will first review the complaint, after which a decision to start an investigation is usually reached within 30 calendar days. Historically, the USITC has strived to complete most investigations within 15 months. If Lenovo is found guilty of the charges, it could face three outcomes: general-exclusion orders, limited-exclusion orders, or cease and desist orders.

A general-exclusion order directs the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to exclude all infringing products, without regard to source, from entry into the United States. A limited-exclusion order directs the CBP to exclude the infringing products that originate from a specified firm, Lenovo in this case, from entry to the United States. A cease-and-desist order directs the defendant to cease its unfair acts, including selling the offending products in the U.S. market.

In its complaint, Tela asked for a limited-exclusion order plus a cease-and-desist order.

In the same case, Tela also filed complaints against Taiwans Acer, AsusTek, and Micro-Star International, as well as Intel and MSI Computer.

Lenovo was founded in 1984 as a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Academy became Lenovos holding company following its joining the Hong Kong stock exchange in 1994.

In 2005, Lenovo accelerated its access to foreign markets by acquiring IBMs personal-computer business, including its ThinkPad laptop and tablet lines. In 2014, Lenovo acquired Motorola Mobility from Google. Apart from these acquisitions, Lenovo also had acquired CCEs owner, the Brazilian electronics company Digibras, and U.S. software company Stoneware.

Lenovo has set up joint ventures with Japanese electronics firms NEC and Fujitsu, German electronics manufacturing company Medion, as well as Americas EMC and DataCore.

Since 2013, Lenovo PCs and laptops have been found to contain backdoors in their hardware that allow remote manipulation of the devices, media reports say. Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand have announced bans on Lenovo products by their intelligence agencies.

In 2015, the Israeli software Superfish, which came pre-installed on Lenovo laptops, was discovered to be leaving users vulnerable to security loopholes. In 2017, Lenovo agreed to pay $3.5 million as part of a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Filing complaints with the USITC has increasingly been a tool for both U.S. and Chinese firms to settle patent disputes. In May, American sound equipment maker Bose filed a complaint alleging that a number of firms, in China and elsewhere, have infringed on the companys copyrights on earpiece devices.

In September, Autel Robotics, a U.S. subsidiary of the China-based Autel, alleged that Chinese rival DJI had infringed on its patented drone features for aerial photography.

Meanwhile, China is the source for more than 70 percent of the worlds physical trade-related counterfeiting, at a value of more than $285 billion, according to a 2016 report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker gives remarks on national security efforts to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York on Nov. 21, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The Next Crucial Step: President Trump Declassifying It All

Commentary

Ever since former Attorney General Jeff Sessions voluntarily recused himself from having oversight over any of the 2016 election-related investigations at the Department of Justiceincluding the Mueller special-counsel probethose investigations have been under the authority of his chief lieutenant, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

But now, a major shift has occurred at the Justice Department (DOJ). Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has taken command of those investigations from Rosenstein. Whitaker wont recuse himself, meaning the oversight of the Mueller probe and all the other 2016-related investigations has passed to Whitaker from Rosenstein.

Many Trump supporters are understandably upset that its taken until this late date to get many key Spygate playerssuch as former FBI Director James Comeyon the record before Congress about their actions during the 2016 election and its aftermath.

While there is value in getting Comey and the other plotters on the record before Congress, people need to step back and remember the bigger picture.

What people need to rememberand this cant be stressed enough, in my opinionis that the real investigations arent being done by Congress at all. In fact, much of the time, the most crucial evidence has to be kept from Congress because of the incontrovertible fact that politically partisan leakers sit on these oversight committees. Giving over vital evidence to these committees is tantamount to giving them to the media. Can any reasonable person deny that?

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) had this fact starkly thrown in his face by one of his own witnesses during a recent congressional hearing, when two whistleblowers faced his House Oversight Committee on Dec. 13. In a report headlined Oversight Panel Hearing on Clinton Foundation Blows Up, the Washington Examiners Alana Goodman reported the following:

John Moynihan and Larry Doyle, financial analysts who say they have uncovered evidence of pay-to-play and financial crimes at the Clinton Foundation, were invited to testify on their findings by the House Oversight Committees Republican Chairman Mark Meadows.

But tensions erupted between Meadows and the two witnesses after Moynihan and Doyle refused to turn over 6,000 pages of documents that they say back up their claimsdocuments that the pair has already given to the FBI and the IRS.

When Meadows demanded to know why these investigators testifying to his panel would hand their 6,000 documents over to the FBI and to the IRS but not to Congress, Moynihan didnt mince words, as video of the encounter will attest.

Moynihan absolutely stunned Meadows by reminding him Congress is not a law-enforcement body and doesnt do actual criminal investigations.

Meadows: Youve shared all those documents with those entities [meaning the FBI, the IRS, the U.S. Postal Service] and yet somehow do not believe that you should share it with Congress and the American people.

Moynihan: Can you prosecute the Clintons? Can you bring an action against the Clintons that would yield U.S. consortium?

Meadows: Dont get cute with me. I thought you said you were all about the rule of law, all about justice and truth!

Moynihan: Thats why we presented [the documents] to law-enforcement agencies, which youre not.

Meadows certainly didnt want to hear that, but its true. These two financial investigators whod just spent three years of their own time and money investigating the Clinton Foundation were not about to hand their hard-earned evidence over to congressional committees stocked with suspected leakers. The moment the Republicans on these committees get that evidence, the Democrats also get it.

There have been enough anonymous leaks out of Congress in recent memory to dissuade any reasonable person from believing that any evidence that might tip off the Clintons and the Spygate plotters, or blow up ongoing investigations, will remain confidential.



In a recent WSJ column, Kim Strassel touched on the fact that, to all appearances, Trump is waiting to take the one step that will make the entire incredible truth about the Spygate plot public: Hes waiting for Mueller to officially end his probe and turn in his final report to Whitaker before he declassifies all of the related documents.

Congressional Republicans have the names, the actions, a timeline, and the documents.  Yet the public doesnt have this full story yetbecause Congress isnt authorized to tell the key remaining parts, which are classified, Strassel wrote.

As I noted in my last column, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and other Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have seen classified Defense Intelligence Agency information that puts Lt. Gen. Michael Flynns case in a different light, but they cant share this information with the public, due to its classified nature.

This is where things will stand until Trump follows through on his intention to declassify this information. Top people in Congress and inside the DOJ know what happened. They just cant discuss it publicly until the declassification happens.

The latest reports have Mueller turning in that final report to the attorney general sometime in February. One thing is certain: Trump will move on this when he is ready, and not before.

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 @drawandstrike.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Government Shutdown Could Continue Into Next Year

President Donald Trump has canceled plans for a scheduled Christmas vacation in Florida, because of the partial government shutdown that officially began Dec. 22, the White House announced on the same day.

Press secretary Sarah Sanders said First Lady Melania Trump, who had left for Florida, will return to Washington. The president was planning to spend 16 days at the Mar-a-Lago club with his family. He said earlier that he would remain in the nations capital if Congress couldnt reach a solution.

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, Sanders said in a statement.

The Senate adjourned after lawmakers failed to break an impasse on budget legislation, including Trumps request for funding for a wall on the border with Mexico. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sent senators home until Dec. 27 after there appeared to be no immediate hope of a new deal on the bill.

This is a partial shutdown that impacts 25 percent of the government. Its not a normal situation where all discretionary funding has lapsed, a senior administration official told reporters on a Dec. 21 call. Were dealing with about 15 percent of the federal workforce.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director and incoming Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Dec. 23 that the partial shutdown could potentially continue until next year. He said the White House had since reduced the requested $5 billion in border-wall funding and hopes the Democrats can move higher than the $1.3 billion amount floated previously.

We moved off of the 5 and we hope they move up from their 1.3, Mulvaney told Fox News.

Mulvaney didnt mention the new amount requested and said that the Democrats are moving in the wrong direction after they had offered $1.6 billion in funding about two weeks ago. He said that the White House provided a counter-offer on Dec. 22 to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and is currently still awaiting a response.

He also added that federal paychecks would go out Dec. 28, and only their future pay period, scheduled on Jan. 11, would be affected.

Its very possible this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress, Mulvaney said.

Turning to Twitter on Dec. 23, Trump again appealed for the border wall.

The only way to stop drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into our Country is with a Wall or Barrier, he wrote. Drones and all of the rest are wonderful and lots of fun, but it is only a good old fashioned Wall that works!

Trump could also potentially convene a special session of Congress that would force the Senate or even both the chambers to miss their holiday recess.

Whats Affected

Most government services are set to run as usual, since the majority of the government has already been funded by existing legislation.

The shutdown affects nine out of the 15 federal departments that will either close or reduce operations, according to a projection released by Senate Appropriations Committee staff. Among those affected are the departments of Justice, Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security.

More than 420,000 government employees would be working without pay and over 380,000 would be furloughed, according to the projection by Senate Appropriations Committee staff.

We appreciate their public service. Our hope is that by the time they come back from the holidays, we will have a resolution, a senior administration official said on a call with reporters. The majority of programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the U.S. postal service, the military, the border patrol, and museums will remain open, among others. The Food and Drug Administration and NASA are among the departments and agencies that are closing due to the partial shutdown. Since each agency has its own plan when a shutdown arrives, the IRS and national parks could see limited services. The National Park Service said that parks would remain open but wouldnt be staffed and most bathrooms would be closed. The IRS also indicated plans to furlough roughly 52,000 staff. The workers who do report for work typically receive back pay once the new appropriations legislation is approved. Its unclear how long the shutdown will last. Democrats have repeatedly opposed Trumps requested border wall funding. Trump also indicated that the shutdown could last for longer than usual because of their opposition. 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, Trump wrote on Twitter on Dec. 21. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People dont want Open Borders and Crime.
Woman Removed From Life Support Miraculously Starts Breathing Moments Later

Four months ago, 57-year-old Michele De Leeuw was believed to be nearly brain-dead with no hope of recovery, and her husband Karl, 58, made the heartbreaking decision to take her off of life support.

However, in what has been dubbed a miracle, the Sterling Heights, Michigan, woman started breathing on her own just moments later. After a few days, she woke up and then started talking.

She told the nurse shes hungry, Karl told NBC News. I said, Well, feed her.  Two days later she was sitting up in bed feeding herself.

Michigan miracle lady starts breathing moments after plug is pulled on life support https://t.co/pcyeyAVptF pic.twitter.com/8T9Wo15MfQ  Covensure Brokerage (@CovensureLLC) December 21, 2018

When Michele had a heart attack in August, her husband called 911, saying he didnt know how to do CPR. She lost consciousness and stopped breathing, and Karl feared she had already died.

Over the phone with the 911 operator, Karl was given instructions on how to help his wife, reported People. He laid her flat on the floor and performed chest compressions, but even so, her brain had been without oxygen for about 15 minutes.

Paramedics soon arrived and were able to revive her before taking her to the St. John Macomb Hospital, reported NBC.

When my father called me after she was rushed to the hospital, was that he felt that she was dead. It was the most earth-shattering phone call of my young life, Micheles daughter, Myles De Leeuw, 24, told NBC.

It was horrible to see my mother on more IVs and tubes than you can ever imagine.

Michele remained unconscious for several weeks, and doctors told her family that her brain and heart activity had plummeted. They recommended removing her from life support.

Michigan Woman Makes a Miraculous Full Recovery After Being Taken Off of Life Support https://t.co/mciO8cFNwG  People (@people) December 22, 2018

Then Karl said I had to make the hardest decision of my life, he told NBC. He agreed to take her off the ventilator. And then the miracle happened.

Michele began to breathe by herself. Her life was not over yet.

The woman was sent to comfort care, since doctors still did not expect her to survive much longer. Then she opened her eyes, and she was soon on her way to a full recovery.

I truly believe she is a depiction of a miracle, Karl told WDIV, speaking about his wife.

However, Michele did have to undergo open heart surgery and lots of therapy.

I dont think Ive really processed everything that had happened in the last four months, Michele said to WDIV.

She was recently presented with the Sterling Heights Fire Department Survival Coin in a touching reunion with the first responders who treated her.

.@NBCNews features #SterlingHeights resident Michele De Leeuw who miraculously survived when taken off life support. She was awarded the SHFD Survival Coin bringing heart attack survivors together with first responders who treated them. Full story here > https://t.co/Ds0yTUfUI8 pic.twitter.com/nIK3zX89kH  Sterling Heights (@sterlingheights) December 7, 2018

You wouldnt believe it if you didnt know what shes gone through, Karl told NBC. Shes a miracle lady.

The couple has now been married for 26 years, and theyve experienced the meaning of their marriage vows for richer or for poorer and in sickness and in health. However, their vows of until death do us part have not yet come to fruition.

I just thank God I was saved, Michele told WDIV. I know it means something good is going to come of this.
STAMFORD  Its been a turbulent year for a Darien church whose status has been stripped and is now embroiled in a legal battle over its rectors alleged dishonesty.

A Stamford judge is considering whether to dismiss a case brought by the lay leaders of St. Pauls Episcopal Church who want to remove rector George Kovoor, alleging he misrepresented himself when he was hired in 2016.

In June, the church vestry sent Kovoor a termination letter, ignoring Episcopal Bishop Ian Douglas call for the rector to remain at the Mansfield Avenue parish.

Kevin Daly, an attorney representing the episcopal diocese, argued last week in state Superior Court in Stamford that the lawsuit should be dismissed since the churchs vestry was disbanded in October when the diocese demoted the church from parish to worshiping community. With the vestry gone, Daly said the lay leaders do not have a legal position to terminate the 61-year-old Kovoor.

Previously, there was a vestry that had a certain role in the governance of the church, Daly told Judge Trial Referee Kevin Tierney. The vestrys role was eliminated when St. Pauls was converted from a parish to a worshiping community.

Daly said the rules of the church allowed the diocese to demote St. Pauls.

Since these individuals no longer have a role in governing of the church, they do not have standing to address these claims and harms to the church, he said.

Daly also said having a judge decide whether the lay leaders efforts are valid would require the court to enter into the area of church governance and doctrine, which is prohibited by the First Amendment that allows for freedom of religion.

However, Ralph Dupont, an attorney for the lay leaders, said they were only requesting a judge to settle a simple matter of contract law.

Dupont said the lay leaders wanted to fire Kovoor for allegedly misrepresenting himself by claiming, among other things, that he was a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II and needed to take four annual trips to England to perform his royal duties.

However, the lawsuit states Kovoor was only an honorary chaplain and was not needed in England. The suit also states there were other misrepresentations on Kovoors resume.

Dupont said since Kovoor was dishonest, the contract for his $70,000-per-year job should be considered null and void.

There just is no contract, Dupont said. And if there is no contract, of course, there is no godly judgment that can be given on a contract that does not exist.

The mini-trial will resume on Jan. 3.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
As his tenure comes to a close, it is time to acknowledge that Dannel P. Malloy has proven one of the finest, most successful, indeed most transformative, governors ever to serve the state of Connecticut. Its impossible to touch on all of his achievements in one op-ed, but here are some of them.

Start with health care. Gov. Malloys innovations made Connecticut a national leader in Medicaid management, shifting from a managed care model to a self-insured managed program with value-based payment strategies. His reforms led to the largest reductions in per-patient Medicaid spending of any state in the country.

Under Gov. Malloys leadership, and over Republican opposition, Connecticut established Access Health CT, the states health insurance exchange, that cut the uninsured rate in half and today enrolls more than 100,000 residents in its insurance policies. The exchange ran so smoothly and successfully from the outset that President Barack Obama selected its CEO, Kevin Counihan, to turn around the faltering federal exchange.

Under Gov. Malloys leadership, Connecticut legalized medical marijuana in 2012, leading to more than 31,000 patients now receiving cannabis products statewide.

Turning to education, before Gov. Malloy took office, Connecticuts high school graduation rate had declined each year for five years straight years. Under Gov. Malloy, that trend reversed, and graduation rates have risen each year hes been in office.

Further, Gov. Malloys Next Generation Connecticut initiative directed substantial investments into biotechnology, and into the University of Connecticut. Next Gen CT investments helped UConns school of engineering boost undergraduate enrollment by 70 percent, and financed UConns new state-of-the art science and engineering laboratory facility that has sharply enhanced Connecticuts research capabilities.

Gov. Malloys environmental initiatives put the state on a long-term path to increase sustainable energy sources, and created Connecticut Green Bank, a first-of-its-kind institution that leveraged private-sector capital to finance green energy infrastructure. Connecticut Green Bank recently surpassed $1 billion in green energy projects it has financed. So successful has it been that Harvard Universitys Ash Center awarded Green Bank its Innovations In American Government Award for sparking a green bank movement ... and increasing the affordability and accessibility to green energy.

Gov. Malloy has been acknowledged as a national leader in criminal justice reform. After the Sandy Hook massacre, Gov. Malloy took the lead in crafting and passing, over Republican opposition, strict new gun control laws that were so effective that over the following five years, Connecticut achieved the steepest decline in violent crime of any state in the nation  by far. Under Gov. Malloy, Connecticut discarded the barbaric practice of capital punishment, and engineered the decriminalization of marijuana, reducing arrests by more than 8,000 a year.

Gov. Malloys Second Chance Society initiative has led to dramatic reductions in incarceration rates, putting Connecticut on path to soon cut its inmate population in half, the first state in the nation to do so. His initiatives eliminated cash bail for poor inmates, reduced sentences for non-violent crimes, and increased assistance to inmates transitioning to life on the outside. While reducing recidivism, Gov. Malloys reforms have cut Connecticuts crime rate to the lowest level in half a century.

While neighboring states struggled with rising homelessness, Gov. Malloys initiatives succeeded in making Connecticut the first state to eliminate chronic homelessness among veterans, the second state to eliminate general homelessness among veterans, and last year reached the goal of connecting every chronically homeless person with permanent housing.

Under Gov. Malloy, and over Republican opposition, Connecticut implemented the earned income tax credit, helping nearly 200,000 hard-working, low-income families make ends meet. Gov. Malloy implemented a fairer tax system, replacing Connecticuts regressive flat-tax with a graduated tax that shifted more of the burden for funding the state to those who could best afford it.

Gov. Malloy implemented the nations first paid sick leave, and made Connecticut the first state to raise its minimum wage to $10/hour.

In transportation, Gov. Malloy, over Republican opposition, created CTfastrak, Connecticuts first rapid transit bus system. Today, CTfastrak extends from New Britain to East Windsor and the University of Connecticut-Storrs campus. Confounding his critics, the system has achieved ridership levels not expected until the 2030s, while stimulating significant new commercial and residential development along its routes.

Gov. Malloy also went against his Republican critics to establish the states Springfield-to-New Haven commuter rail line. Today, the line carries twice as many passengers as Amtrak, which has served the route for years.

Gov. Malloy created the Connecticut Airport Authority, under whose management Bradley Airport has recorded six straight years of rising passenger growth, attracted several new airlines and routes, and for the past two years was named by Conde Nast as one of the nations best-run airports.

But perhaps Gov. Malloy will be remembered most not for his government innovations, but for his moral courage and decency. In 2016 the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation awarded Gov. Malloy its Profiles in Courage award for personally welcoming a family of Syrian refugees to New Haven after they had been turned away by Indianas then-Gov. Mike Pence. President Kennedys grandson Jack Schlossberg stated that, Gov. Malloy put principles above politics and upheld my grandfathers vision of America that has always served as a lantern in the dark for those who love freedom but are persecuted, in misery, or in need.

A visionary, a man of courage, a brilliant innovator, history will acknowledge how dramatically Gov. Dannel Malloy transformed the state of Connecticut, and improved the lives of its citizens.

Sean Goldrick is an investment professional who served on the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation.
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Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 23, 2018 05:32 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3a28c8 1 Lifestyle PT-Hero-Supermarket,Bekasi,grocery Free

Retailer PT Hero Supermarket has officiated a new supermarket at Lagoon Avenue in Bekasi, West Java, the companys 16th outlet in the Greater Jakarta area.

Hero Supermarket operational director Roy Soeradji explained why the company had chosen the aforementioned location. Its a strategic place in West Bekasi with lots of potential, Roy said during the grand opening of the new outlet on Friday.

Its surrounded by residential areas as well, and it has 13,000 to 15,000 households suitable as our target market, meaning they care about a healthy lifestyle.

The only Hero Supermarket in Bekasi for now, the outlet offers more than 10,000 products, comprising around 95 percent local and 5 percent imported items.

Read also: Retailer Hero Supermarket records spike in profit

Tony Mampuk, general manager of corporate affairs of PT Hero Supermarket (left), Wirna Soeratno, project director PT Hero Supermarket (second left), Roy Soeradji, operations director of PT Hero Supermarket (second right) and Sinurlinda Gustina, commercial director PT PP Property (right), open the new Hero Supermarket outlet in Bekasi, West Java, on Friday. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)

While several retailers in Indonesia have teamed up with online grocery shopping services that allow customers to have their groceries delivered to their door, Hero Supermarket stresses the continued necessity for brick-and-mortar outlets. Were still analyzing it, but based on our customers behavior, many of them still prefer to come to our stores and experience it by themselves, said Roy. But that doesnt mean its impossible to collaborate with online [platforms].

Furthermore, Tony Mampuk, the companys general manager of corporate affairs, said Hero Supermarket still focused on providing outlets and had a strategy to face e-commerce retailers: Our staff has been trained to give our customers knowledge on products, especially those related to a healthy lifestyle. They can share knowledge about what seasoning matches a particular ingredient, said Tony at the same occasion. (mut)
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Linkedin Asmara Wreksono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 23, 2018 17:46 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3b2567 1 Entertainment Netflix,Netflix-original-series,HBO,HBO-Asia,series,Maniac,Patriot-Act-with-Hasan-Minhaj,The-Haunting-of-Hill-House,Kims-Convenience,Sharp-Objects,Queer-Eye,Narcos-Mexico,Bodyguard,folklore Free

The year is almost over and if you havent been hooked on at least one of these Netflix or HBO series, then you can probably catch up before the ball drops on Dec. 31. Here are 10 series favorites from The Jakarta Posts lifestyle editors.

1. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Netflix

If you grew up with Archie comic books for laughs and appreciated their humor, youd probably be thrown off by how the creators decided to make Riverdale as it is today. However, in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, also adapted from a comic book series, the producers dont only adapt, they elevate the stories, making it come alive without having to change much. Enter Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), half human and half witch, who at the age of 16 has to make a choice between the two worlds. Things started getting weird and scary when Sabrina couldnt make up her mind.

Binge-worthiness:



2. Maniac - Netflix

The 10-episode miniseries Maniac that has an all-star roster stole the spotlight with Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. The two play strangers who got to know each other during a mysterious pharmaceutical experiment. Dubbed as giving their career-high performance, both Stone and Hill step out of their typical roles under the direction of director Cary Fukunaga who has just been confirmed as the new Bond director. If youre into science fiction drama and testing actors limits, Maniac is for you.

Binge-worthiness:



3. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj - Netflix

Rising comedy star Hasan Minhaj offers a show consisting of only his well-choreographed monologues, combined with graphics, wit, well-researched material and great comedic timing. Minhaj offers his perspective, mostly as a millennial and an immigrant in America on the modern geo-political and cultural landscape'. The show may remind you of Minhajs Netflix stand-up comedy special that was released in 2017, Homecoming King. If you like that format, youd love Patriot Act.

Binge-worthiness:



4. Sharp Objects - HBO

Amy Adams portrays Camille Preaker, a reporter who investigates the murders of two young girls in her hometown and ends up having to face her personal demons. If youre into dark, psychological thriller and mystery, and havent had the chance to give this series a try, what are year-end breaks for? Go ahead and transport yourself to Wind Gap, Missouri and join Preaker in her investigation.

Binge-worthiness:



5. Queer Eye - Netflix

Five gay guys, one makeover; the reboot of Bravos Queer Eye for the Straight Guy now features a new set of Fab Five: Antoni Porowski the food expert, Karamo Brown the culture and lifestyle expert, Tan France the fashion expert, Jonathan Van Ness the grooming expert and Bobby Berk the design expert. Together, the Fab Five visits those who need a makeover not only in their looks but also their lives. The series have been renewed for its third season that will be launched in 2019. If you need a feel-good, lift-me-up show to survive the last seconds of 2018, go for this one.

Binge-worthiness:



6. Narcos Mexico - Netflix

With its previous seasons exploring the Colombian drug cartel, Narcos Mexico focuses on the illegal drug trade in Mexico. First intended to be the fourth season of the parent series, Narcos, the Mexico edition finally gets its own series and has now been renewed for a second season. Michael Pena stars as DEA agent Kiki Camarena who takes a new post in Guadalajara, just in time for the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s. The cat-and-mouse play between Camarena and drug kingpin Felix Gallardo (Diego Luna) is an intense one, ultimately unraveling a chain of events that affects the drug trade in the future. For you who are into stories that are inspired by true events, Narcos Mexico may just be your thing.

Binge-worthiness:



7. Bodyguard - Netflix

Game of Thrones fans may have known him as Robb Stark, heir of House Winterfell. In Bodyguard, Richard Madden may have stepped down a few pay grades to the bodyguard level, however his performance as David Budd cements his status as a solid actor with many under his belt. Those who love political drama will be absolutely hooked on this series, and may start 2019 anxiously waiting for the second season while calling every woman around Maam, David Budd-style.

Binge-worthiness:



8. Folklore - HBO

A horror anthology series from six Asian countries including Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea, Folklore premiered on HBO last October. Stories are based on each countrys superstitions and folkloric myths, and each story is directed by a director from the corresponding country. The anthology opens with A Mothers Love from Indonesia, directed by Joko Anwar, and adapted from the Indonesian myth of Wewe Gombel. Brush up your Asian ghosts and eerie beliefs knowledge to enjoy Folklore to the max.

Binge-worthiness:



9. Kims Convenience - Netflix

If youre from Asia, or an immigrant, or both, youd relate so much to Mr. Kim and his family. Telling a story about a Korean family in Canada, Kims Convenience stories revolve around Mr. Kim or Appa, Mrs. Kim or Umma, their convenience shop, their relationship with estranged son, Jung and live-in daughter, Janet and their daily lives. With a great sense of humor, the writers manage to put in current issues like womens equality, homophobia, diversity and many more, in a lighthearted manner.

Binge-worthiness:



10. The Haunting of Hill House - Netflix

Horror lovers surprisingly said that if you really think about it, The Haunting of Hill House is really a psychological thriller rather than a typical horror series. Telling a story about five siblings who grew up in the most haunted house in America, the series goes back and forth in time, with enough jump scares while forming a strong story. Hugh and Olivia Crane along with their children Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke and Eleanor moved into Hill House with the intention to build and sell it. Twenty-six years later, a tragedy occurred and the family reunited to face their past. Adapted from the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the series will scare you and get you discussing it for days after your binge. We recommend you see this one with a friend.

Binge-worthiness:


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Linkedin Kate Holton (Reuters) London, United Kingdom  Sun, December 23, 2018 12:01 1076 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3aa9af 2 Art & Culture Banksy,graffiti,graffiti-art,Wales,Britain Free

Banksy fans are flocking to the Welsh town of Port Talbot to see a new mural by the elusive British street artist depicting a child covered in snow that is in fact ash from a burning bin.

The subversive artist confirmed on Instagram that the "Season's Greetings" mural on a breeze block garage wall was genuine. It shows a small boy wrapped up against the cold with his tongue stuck out and arms aloft to catch snowflakes.

The rest of the mural around the corner of the garage shows that the white flakes are in fact ash from an industrial bin.

Port Talbot, on the edge of the Swansea Bay, is home to one of the biggest steelworks in the world, which has recently had to battle for survival.

Local councilor Rob Jones said the "globally viewed, newly arrived piece of guerrilla art" made Port Talbot the perfect place to house 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," Jones said.

Read also: Belgium impounds touring Banksy works over insurance fears

He added that when it came to pollution, Port Talbot was on a par with or cleaner than many other towns and cities and that its transport connections were very good too.

"Ease of access could perhaps have been one of the many reasons Banksy may have chosen Port Talbot," he said.

The graffiti artist is known for producing politically charged sketches on walls from New York to Paris and Gaza City.

In one of the artist's most provocative stunts, a painting of "Girl with Balloon" shredded itself into pieces the moment it sold at auction for more than 1 million pounds ($1.3 million). The buyer went ahead with the purchase. ($1 = 0.7902 pounds)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 23, 2018 21:16 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3b71c5 4 Science & Tech Sunda-Strait-tsunami,tsunami,telco-operator,Indosat-Ooredoo,Telkomsel,XL-axiata,networks,telecomunication,Lampung,Banten Free

Communication service providers XL Axiata, Indosat Ooredoo and Telkomsel have informed the public about the state of their respective networks following the Sunda Strait tsunami that occurred on Saturday night.

XL Axiata group head of corporate communication Tri Wahyuni said in a statement quoted by the Antara news agency, Praise God, our network around Pandeglang/Anyer and Kalianda/Lampung is safe and normal so far. [It is] not affected by [the tsunami].

Tri added that XL Axiata had a team on the ground to ensure the service stayed stable.

We would also like to extend our condolences and concerns regarding the natural disaster. We hope the communities in the affected areas will be given strength during this difficult time, the statement read.

Indosat Ooredoo group head of corporate communications Turina Farouk also announced via a statement that, Indosat Ooredoos communication network is safe and able to serve the public, despite disruptions at several base transceiver stations (BTS) due to the lack of electricity supply from PLN.

Read also: Help arrives at areas struck by Sunda Strait tsunami, while death toll reaches 168

Indosat Ooredoos ground team was also actively monitoring the situation to restore the network as soon as possible.

On behalf of the management of Indosat Ooredoo, we would like to convey our sympathy and condolences to those affected by the disaster. We hope conditions will return to normal soon, Turina added.

Meanwhile, Tempo.co reports that Telkomsel assured its users about the availability of its services. Telkomsel's general manager of ICT Network Management Region Sumbagsel, Ahmad Wahyudi, said in an official statement on Sunday that Telkomsel services in South Lampung are able to serve the public [with coverage] in the [affected areas].

Following the tsunami that struck South Lampung on Saturday night, two Telkomsel sites  Ujau Rajabasa and Kunyir  went down because of a power cut. Telkomsel sent mobile backup power (MBP) units to both sites despite challenging traffic conditions.

Read also: Seventeen loses band members in Sunda Strait tsunami

At the time of writing, the Ujau Rajabasa site is supplied with electricity from the MBP, while another MBP unit was approaching the Kunyir site.

Telkomsels corporate communication manager for the Jabodetabek and West Java area, Aldin Hasyim, said the Telkomsel BTS had not been affected by the wave, however, several were not functioning because of a disruption of power supply from PLN. Telkomsel is currently installing power generators for the affected BTS. We are currently working to restore the communication services, Aldin said, as quoted by tempo.co.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the latest death toll as of Sunday at 1 p.m. was 168 people, 750 injured and 35 reported missing. Five beaches in Bantens Pandeglang regency were affected by the tsunami, namely Panimbang, Carita, Teluk Lada, Sumur and Tanjung Lesung. (asw)
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

The governments target of attracting 17 million foreign tourists this year has flopped, as only 13.24 million foreign tourist arrivals were recorded as of October.

Realistically, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya predicted the total number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia might only reach around 16.2 million by the end of the year.

Although the government had been optimistic about reaching its target, a series of natural disasters in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and Palu, Central Sulawesi, followed by the crash of Lion Air flight JT610 are believed to have put off foreign tourists.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Sat, December 22 2018

With deepest condolences: Witness and Victim Protection Agency deputy chairman Lili Pintauli Siregar symbolically hands over compensation of Rp 241.85 million (US$16,540) to Yohanes Trianta, a victim of an attack at St. Lidwina church in Bedog, Sleman, Yogyakarta, in February, at the Yogyakarta administrations office on Friday. An unidentified man attacked churchgoers using a sword at the church in the morning on Feb. 11, injuring four people.(JP/Bambang Muryanto)

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.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 23, 2018 14:38 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3adf13 4 National death-toll,Sutopo-Purwo-Nugroho,BNPB,BMKG,#SundaStraitTsunami,Sunda-Strait-tsunami,disaster-mitigation Free

Search and rescue and medical teams have arrived in areas struck by the Sunda Strait tsunami on Sunday, while the latest death toll has climbed to 168 as of Sunday noon.

Dozens of ambulance cars have been deployed to Tanjung Lesung, Panimbang, in Pandeglang regency, Banten by the local administration and the private sector.

"Volunteers have reached Tanjung Lesung for search and rescue," Edi, 40, a resident of Tanjung Lesung, who is also a survivor of the tsunami told Antara news agency on Sunday.

Edi said the tsunami lasted for 10 minutes. He was carried by the waves until the tide died down, and was left with injuries.

Some of the tsunami survivors have been brought to Panimbang community health center (Puskesmas) in Pandeglang regency, Banten, which has recorded a death toll of 10 so far.

The center has seen 63 patients with injuries such as broken bones, bruises as well as breathing difficulties caused by consuming too much sea water.

"All 10 people who died were tourists in Tanjung Lesung," Iwan, a staff member at the health center told Antara news agency.

On the other side of the Sunda Strait in Bandarlampung, survivors took shelter at the Lampung governors office.

Since Sunday morning, residents have been going to the office, many bringing clothes and beds.

Lampung regional secretary Hamartono Ahadis asked residents to stay alert.

"Don't easily trust information saying there will be a tsunami in the city. However, residents should remain vigilant and be careful should the high waves come again," he said as quoted by Antara.

At least seven people died and 89 were injured after tidal waves hit South Lampung on Saturday at around 10:00 p.m.

Head of the Lampung Disaster Mitigation Agency, I Ketut Sukerta, said there were four severely affected districts in South Lampung, including Kalianda, Rajabasa, Sidomulyo and Katibung.

He said search and rescue had been underway since last night and would be focused on the four districts.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the latest death toll as of Sunday at 1 p.m. was 168 people, with 750 injured and 35 reported missing. Hundreds of houses and buildings have been damaged, and heavy equipment has been deployed for recovery efforts.

Data from the Banten Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) received by The Jakarta Post reveals that a total of five beaches in Banten's Pandeglang regency were affected by the disaster, namely Tanjung Lesung, Sumur, Teluk Lada, Panimbang and Carita. The Banten BPBD said at least 43 houses and 10 hotels were severely damaged. (ars/evi)
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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, December 24, 2018 08:08 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3b0d79 1 National Papua,Nduga,Lukas-Enembe,Retno-Marsudi,Australia,human-rights,Istaka-Karya,Trans-Papua-road,rebel-groups,separatism Free

The government has denied a report in The Saturday Paper, an Australian weekly, about the alleged use of chemical weapons in a military operation in Nduga, Papua, calling it totally baseless, nonfactual and gravely misleading.

The story was published in the middle of rising tensions between the local administration and central government in the aftermath of attacks by separatists that led to the death of 19 PT Istaka Karya construction workers and one soldier earlier this month.



It features a picturesupposedly taken between Dec. 4 and Dec. 15--of a villager wounded from what some claim was white phosphorus used by the Indonesian Military (TNI) in retaliation for the attacks.



The troops were going in, heavily armed and with full air support, to teach the West Papuans a lesson. They were going in to kill, wrote John Martinkus and Mark Davis in The Saturday Paper. They wrote at least seven civilians had died in the operation.



In its response, the Foreign Ministry said that, as a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Indonesia did not have any chemical agents listed in Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.



Schedule 1 substances are chemicals that can be used as chemical weapons and which have little or no use for purposes not prohibited under the convention, such as mustard and nerve agents. These substances may be produced for research, but production of more than 100 grams per year must be declared to the OPCW.



Chemicals that can be used as weapons or in the manufacture of weapons but have legitimate applications as well are listed in Schedule 2 (small-scale applications) and Schedule 3 (large-scale applications).

Indonesia also imports, uses and stores Schedules 2 and 3 chemical agents for strictly peaceful purposes in supporting national industry, confirmed by no less than 19 OPCW inspections since 2004, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday evening.



The involvement of a military component in the operation, particularly rotary-wing aircraft, the statement continues, was "strictly as an assistance to [the] law enforcement apparatus, and not a military deployment per se in an otherwise internal security [operation]".



The government said the report had eclipsed the real issue at hand, which was the mass killing of 19 construction workers on Dec. 2 by the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB).



The attacks and the military operation that followed have resulted in high tension in the region, where Papua Governor Lukas Enembe called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to withdraw the troops from Nduga regency, so that the people could celebrate Christmas in peace.



The presence of Indonesian Army and police personnel in Nduga caused trauma to the community, resulting in them fleeing to the forest, he said on Thursday, as reported by tribunnews.com.



In response, the Home Ministry said Lukas statement violated the Constitution and the Regional Administration Law.



Home Ministry spokesperson Bahtiar Baharudin said Lukas had made a far-fetched and provocative argument, and reminded him that, as a governor, he was the representative of the central government in the region and should support the National Police and the TNI in carrying out law enforcement efforts and guarding every inch of [the country] against armed separatists who committed crimes against humanity.



He added that, under the Regional Administration Law, Lukas could be dismissed if he was proven to have violated his oath as governor and disobeyed the Constitution and state law.

Earlier, the TNI denied reports that they had used explosives in their hunt for rebels in the area.

Rev. Benny Giay, chairman of the Kemah Injili Church Sinode of Papua, confirmed that five civilians  two in Mbua and three in Yigi  had been killed when security personnel were attempting to retrieve the bodies of the construction workers.

"I'm pretty sure that [explosives] were involved. There were seven [explosions] in Yigi and five on Mount Kabo," he told The Jakarta Post last week.

The government also denied the allegation of the death of the civilians. (evi)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem  Sun, December 23, 2018 22:40 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3b76ba 2 World #USA,#Israel,BenjaminNetanyahu,concerns,US,soldiers,withdrawal,Syria Free

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought on Sunday to calm domestic concerns over US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria, saying his country will still act against Iran there.

Netanyahu will also reportedly meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he travels to Brazil for the January 1 inauguration of new president Jair Bolsonaro.

The prime minister's office has not confirmed the meeting reported by Israeli media.

Trump last week said the Islamic State group had been defeated and he was withdrawing the United States' 2,000 troops from Syria.

Israel has seen the US presence in neighbouring Syria as a bulwark against its main enemy Iran and a counterweight to Russia.

Both Russia and Iran support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the country's civil war.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US soldiers from Syria won't change our consistent policy," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

"We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish a military presence in Syria, and if the need arises, we will even expand our activities there."

He added that he wanted to "calm those concerned".

"Our cooperation with the United States continues full-force, and takes place in many fields -- the operational field, the intelligence field, and many other security fields."

Separately, Israel's military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot told a conference on Sunday that the US decision was "a significant event but it should not be overstated".

"For decades weve been handling this front alone," Eisenkot said.

Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria -- as well as reduce forces in Afghanistan -- led US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to quit in disagreement.

The US special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, has also resigned.

The withdrawal abruptly ends American influence in the war-ravaged country and gives Turkey an opening to attack US-backed Kurds in Syria.

But Israel is particularly concerned about the presence of Iran there as well as Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group backed by Tehran.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced weapons deliveries to Hezbollah.

A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike has however complicated Israeli operations there.

Russia subsequently upgraded Syrian air defences with the delivery of the advanced S-300 system, which Damascus had said would make Israel "think carefully" before carrying out further air raids.
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Pekanbaru/Denpasar  Sun, December 23, 2018 18:36 1075 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e3b6978 1 National 2018-Christmas,2019-NewYear,National-Police,security,church-attack Free

Nearly 168,000 police personnel have been devoted to secure around 58,000 objects of security during Christmas and New Year to anticipate terror attacks and other crimes.

National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen Dedi Prasetyo said more than 48,000 churches and 1,904 New Year celebration locations would be guarded by security forces this year.

Other locations to be secured include tourist attractions, shopping centers, terminals, seaports, airports and train stations.

"The number of security objects and personnel rose 20 percent from the previous year," he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

In May, a string of suicide bombings claimed by terrorist group Islamic State (IS) killed more than 30 people in the city of Surabaya, East Java. Bombs were also planted at two other churches in the city but failed to explode.

In the same month, the police shot dead four men after they used samurai swords to attack officers at Riau Police headquarters in Pekanbaru, Riau. Two officers were wounded in the attack, while another was killed after one of the perpetrators tried to escape and crashed into the officer.

Surabaya Disaster Mitigation Agency head Eddy Christianto said they were already coordinating with the police to secure churches in Surabaya ahead of Christmas.

In a meeting with the churches, we also asked them to prepare security early on, for example by installing metal detectors and other tools, he said.

Eddy also said security forces would conduct patrols to secure churches during Christmas. He hopes that this Christmas can be a safe one.

People prepare an 11-meter-high Christmas tree made of plastic bottles in front of Denpasar Cathedral in Bali, on Thursday, December 20, 2018. The tree is set to enliven Christmas celebrations and promote a campaign to reduce the use of plastics. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)

In Pekanbaru, the National Polices counterterrorism unit Densus 88 and the Riau Polices antiterror task force arrested on Friday three terrorism suspects related to the attacks this year.

"Three people were arrested, we are still observing the others," Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Widodo Eko Prihastopo said.

He said the three suspects were allegedly related to a number of terror attacks in Indonesia.

They were related to the attack at Riau Police headquarters and other areas in Indonesia, including those in Surabaya. I will not mention here the terrorist group that they come from, but they are clearly part of a terrorist group", he said.

He added that the prevention of terrorism during Christmas and New Year was the main focus in Riau because the region had had a bad experience during a past Christmas celebration. In 2000, a bomb exploded at the Batak Protestant Christian Church on Jl. Hang Tuah, Pekanbaru.

Therefore, they are launching security operations, which also cover crowded places such as shopping centers as well as inner and outer city traffic lines.

"That is why we must remain vigilant about terrorism. Dont underestimate this. Weve devoted 940 personnel to secure more than 300 churches in 12 regencies and cities in Riau, he said. (ggq)
8 hours ago

China clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again

BEIJING (AP)  Chinas aviation regulator cleared the Boeing 737 Max on Thursday to return to flying with technical upgrades more than two years after the plane was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes. China is the last major market where the Boeing 737 Max was awaiting approval after the United States allowed flights to resume in December 2020 and European Union regulators gave permission in January.

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America is suffering from a level of degradation no one ever thought possible. The commercial for the Ford F-150 truck says that the vehicle does not just set the bar, it is the bar! Applying that slogan to the United States of America, the worlds lone superpower, when it comes to fundamental democratic rights, basic human rights and common decency, the official position of the United States, since its victory over Nazis and Aryan Supremacy in World War II, has been the bar, until now! Every president of the United States since that war has provided leadership toward making these American principles universal, embodied in institutions of governance worldwide, but not Donald Trump.

Recently, Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude Jr., a pundit for MSNBC, made a profound observation about our President and the current situation of the nation that is accurate, powerful and frightening when it comes to racism and our democracy. Glaude stated that he had overestimated white people because he did not think that they would vote for a person whose history was one of being a con man and whose racism, misogyny, and business practices are often corrupt. As Seth Meyers said at one of the White House Correspondents dinners, the thought of Donald Trump running for President had to be a joke. In fact, a majority of the American people did not vote for him. Hillary Clinton received 3 million more votes than Trump. His victory was a function of the Electoral College and Russia.

Trump won the South and the nations white spaces. When looking at the electoral map, the outcome shows urban/diverse spaces were blue, but the red showed rural/white spaces the majority of whites voted for Trump. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Acts in 1965, no Democratic presidential nominee has received a majority of the white vote. As things stand now, around 40% percent of the American electorate, as well as, Fox News the nations most watched cable news outlet, support a moral monster as described by Glaude. The label came in context of the Khashoggi murder and Trump not showing proper respect to the Jewish families and the Pittsburgh community following the Tree of Life massacre. Importantly, Glaude went on to say that this period under the Trump presidency may make America irredeemable. Everything this nation has stood for  foreign and domestic  since World War II is being undermined by this president.

When it comes to international or foreign policy, President Trump shows deference to authoritarians, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Trumps actions seem to accommodate the desires of Putin. In Helsinki, he met one-on-one with Putin in secret. Nobody knows what they talked about. In all likelihood, the major discussion was how soon the Obama sanctions would be lifted allowing Putin to continue pursuing expansionist policies to reconstitute, a non-communist, but fascist Russian federation.

Next in power among the Presidents role models is Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The world has come to know that MBS has two faces: one of reform and one that is murderous. Contrary to our weak but irresponsible lying President, the CIA and the world are horrified by the barbaric torturous murder Jamal Khashoggi. Trump then places a higher value on the financial ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia than the life (!) of Khashoggi and holding the Crown Prince accountable. Such callousness, demonstrates this presidents lack of fitness to represent America. The Saudi ambassador should be expelled and relations reestablished when there is civilized leadership in Saudi Arabia.

On the domestic front since World War II, the Supreme Courts 1954 Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka decision followed by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, made America respectable around the world. The stigma of the Jim Crow South had been an obstacle to Americas world leadership. In fact, Americas appeal to the newly independent nations of Africa and Asia, in competition with the Soviet Union, was marred by the burning of buses, the murders of civil rights activists, voter suppression and other forms of discrimination. Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and masses of black folk along with their allies, these American democratic principles and basic human rights provided an example for the world, such that We shall overcome became an anthem for the pursuit of human rights all over the globe.

So, given this presidents record, we have to wonder if his aim to Make America Great Again, is not more to take us back to the reign of white nationalism, where the nation was before human rights, before decency. Trumps nationalism is an appeal to the many whites who voted for him on the basis of white resentment. His response to Charlottesville was more one of acceptance than condemnation.

Given that white resentment in white spaces seems to have driven Trump and the white majority vote, the question may be: is America redeemable?

Robert Newby is professor emeritus in the department of sociology, anthropology and social work at Central Michigan University. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Morning Sun.
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.
LONDONThe U.S. dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the companys biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.

Some European governments and telecom companies are following the U.S.s lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government.

Bans in Europe could significantly increase the financial pressures on Huawei. They would also cost Europe tens of billions of dollars as the region looks to build up 5G networks, which are meant to support a vast expansion in internet-connected things, from self-driving cars to factory robots and remote surgery.

Europe is still divided over Huawei, but the trendline is moving in a fairly clear direction as the U.S. exerts pressure on allies to block it, said Thorsten Benner, director of the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute think-tank .

Geopolitical tensions over Huawei intensified after its chief financial officer, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested Dec. 1 in Canada in connection with U.S. accusations that the company violated restrictions on sales of American technology to Iran.

Huawei has been blocked in the U.S. since 2012, when a House Intelligence Committee report found it was a security risk and recommended that the government and private companies stop buying its network equipment.

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Canadian businesses face retaliatory risk after Huawei arrest, say analysts

China is blowing a golden opportunity from the Huawei arrest

Germanys Deutsche Telekom said last week it takes the global discussion about the security of network elements from Chinese manufacturers very seriously. The company said it uses multiple companies to build its network, including Ericsson, Nokia and Cisco.

Nevertheless, we are currently reevaluating our procurement strategy, the company said.

The statement is significant because until recently it had been one of Huaweis biggest cheerleaders based on its cheap and reliable equipment, said Benner.

It came shortly after Alex Younger, the director of Britains Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, said in a speech that Britain needs to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies, according to local media reports.

At about the same time, mobile provider British Telecom said it was removing Huawei equipment from key parts of its current 3G and 4G networks as part of an internal policy not to use it for core infrastructure, which will also apply to 5G networks.

The British government-run centre that tests the companys equipment and software this summer identified shortcomings in Huaweis engineering processes that have exposed new risks in U.K. networks. Huawei said its working on fixing those issues.

Norways telecom ministry said it was considering clarifying requirements from network operators, without being more specific.

Belgiums cybersecurity agency is reportedly considering a ban on Huawei. And the Czech Republics prime minister ordered his government office on Tuesday to stop using Huawei mobile phones, after the national cybersecurity agency warned that products by Huawei and another Chinese telecom company, ZTE, pose a security threat.

The European Unions head of technology policies, Andrus Ansip, said we have to be worried about possible security risks from Huawei when asked about the companys role in European 5G and driverless car projects.

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, denies accusations its controlled by Chinas ruling Communist Party or designs equipment to facilitate eavesdropping. It said it recognizes and shares security concerns around the rollout of new 5G networks and is happy to take part in Deutsche Telekoms review.

The company noted German officials have said publicly theres no reason to exclude Huawei and it has never been involved in any confirmed cybersecurity breaches.

Cybersecurity is incredibly important to Huawei. It is central to every decision and product we make, said Vincent Pang, the companys president for Western Europe. We think the answer lies in global co-operation and collaboration to ensure that networks are as secure as possible.

The Europe, Middle East and Africa market is Huaweis second biggest after China, accounting for 27 per cent of its nearly $90 billion revenue last year. Executives said the company has now signed contracts with 25 telecom carriers for commercial or test use of 5G and shipped more than 10,000 5G base stations.

The rollout of 5G networks is expected to take a decade. As technologies advance, the amount of data flowing between machines is set to surge, prompting governments to increasingly view telecom networks as strategic national assets.

Not everyone is endorsing quick action to ban Huawei.

The CEO of the French telecom company Orange, Stephane Richard, said last week his company wouldnt use Huawei gear for sensitive parts of its network because of messages of prudence from French authorities. But he said that was not for any technical reason, and that the debate on Huawei had become politicized.

Were in the realm of fantasy: Theyre Chinese. They have links to the Chinese army, thus there are spies, thus we cant let them touch our telecom equipment, he said.

Excluding Huawei wont be easy, analysts said.

Its not like theres some cheaper alternative, said Paul Triolo, head of geotechnology practice at the Eurasia Group. Ericsson and Nokia dont produce the whole spectrum of equipment, referring to the Scandinavian companies that are the only non-Chinese competitors.

Huawei has thrived in major European markets like Germany and Britain because their telecom industries wanted to ensure there were multiple equipment suppliers to avoid relying on one.

So if youre asking them to remove a major vendor from their markets, its going to be difficult, Triolo said.

German companies wont be happy if they cant use Huawei because their costs will go up and it will delay rolling out 5G networks, which will initially rely on existing 4G infrastructure for which Huawei is already a major supplier, said Benner.

But German decisions are also likely to influence those by smaller countries that are part of the German industrial manufacturing supply chain, such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Theyll all wake up if Germany takes a decision and worries about the security of its infrastructure, said Benner.

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EDMONTONWhen Doug Allen reached his four-bar limit at Sweet Convenience for Cuban Lunch, a chocolate bar hed been hoping would be restocked for months, he knew he had to get his hands on more before Christmas.

So he went to his car, put on a rudimentary disguise of a hat and sunglasses and came right back.

I wasnt 100 per cent sure if it would work, said Allen, a born and raised Edmontonian who hasnt eaten a Cuban Lunch bar for about 30 years, since they disappeared off the Canadian market.

She told me before everybody can just have four. So come back tomorrow. But I have so much to do tomorrow so I cant. So I had this stupid hat and glasses in my car  I think she would have sold them to me anyway, he said before savouring the bar.

Cuban Lunch is a Canadian chocolate bar made of peanuts and dark chocolate, originally manufactured by the Paulin Chambers Company in Winnipeg as early as the 1930s. It started to become more scarce in the 1970s and 1980s, before going off the market in 1991, said Crystal Regehr Westergard, who bought the bars patent with her husband Bert and revived it last year out of Camrose, Alta.

Since then, people from the prairies have been clamoring to get their hands on a Cuban Lunch, which seems to have been most popular in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Regehr Westergard said. To her knowledge, the furthest east it was distributed was Thunder Bay, Ont.

On Friday, Laurie Radostits, owner of Sweet Convenience (a shop that specializes in unique and novelty treats), posted that she would have a limited number of Cuban Lunch bars for sale on Saturday. The next day, there were 20 cars waiting outside when she arrived to open her shop. She sold about 100 bars in an hour and was nearly sold out by end of day.

We opened the door and instantly there was a straight lineup for an hour  Its the craziest thing Ive ever seen, Radostits said. Ive been doing this for four and a half years now, and Cuban Lunch is the No. 1 most popular request.

The last time she had them in stock were in September. Since then, shes been getting more than 30 calls a day, on average, asking when it would be back in stock.

During the Christmas season, where many shoppers have been asking for Cuban Lunch as a stocking stuffer, there has been lots of yelling and screaming as well as some questionable methods to exceed the four-bar-per-customer limit.

This one lady kept sending her kids in one at a time with $20 bills and I finally had to say you need to be 18, Radostits said with a laugh.

But theres also more heartening stories, such as one person who bought the bar for their mother in a nursing home, or another who bought it for their mom after she underwent open-heart surgery.

Its the most Canadian chocolate bar  it brings back memories and people love it, Radostits said.

Regehr Westergard said the bar was pushed out of the Canadian market in the 1970s and 1980s after American candy companies flooded the shelves with their own bars. Back in those days, a chocolate bar was a rare treat.

It was my moms favourite, Regehr Westergard said. Everyone ate it and we all enjoyed it  my dad would bring that to mom instead of chocolates and flowers. Because in the olden days you didnt get chocolate every day.

Allen said hed be keeping three bars for himself and five for family. Upon tearing into a Cuban Lunch, he marvelled at the fresh smell of peanuts.

It really is exactly the same. Its incredible, Allen said. Because I havent had it in so long its even better than I remember.

And although the bars arent 25 cents like he remembers (they go for $2.95 at Sweet Convenience), hes willing to cough up the extra cash for a taste of nostalgia.

Its a Christmas bonus for me, it really is  Its just a little piece of heaven for me.

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GAO, MALIPrime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the work of hundreds of peacekeepers during a surprise visit here on Saturday even as he defended his governments refusal to extend their mission several months to help the United Nations.

The visit to this hot, dusty camp in northern Mali was Trudeaus first since 250 Canadian troops and eight helicopters arrived this summer to begin providing life-saving medical evacuations for wounded UN peacekeepers and workers.

It will also likely be the prime ministers only visit, as operations are currently scheduled to wind down at the end of July  even though the UN and some allies would like Canada to stay until Romanian replacements arrive in the fall.

Trudeau flew into Gao aboard a military transport plane  and under a veil of secrecy due to security concerns  with a delegation that included Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.

The bright sun and hot desert air belied the fact that the prime ministers visit to this part of Africa was timed to coincide with a pre-Christmas celebration for the troops.

We think often  and we hear this from Canadians  that Canada has a great history of peacekeeping, Trudeau told the assembled troops after helping serve turkey dinners to them.

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Canada resisting UN request to extend Mali mission

Canadian peacekeepers in Mali concerned by reported delays in evacuations

But it wasnt just because we were nice and polite. It was always because we had consistently demonstrated the capacity to step up and punch well above our weight class  to make a significant and positive impact wherever needed around the world.

The Mali mission is the culmination of years of political promises and military planning that started three years ago when Trudeau promised during the last federal election to renew Canadas involvement in UN peacekeeping.

While Mali was always seen as a likely destination for Canadian troops, the Liberals took years to commit  because of the missions danger, and because Donald Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential election diverted the governments attention.

More than 175 peacekeepers have been killed in Mali since the UN arrived in 2013, including 22 this year, as drought, extreme poverty and an influx of Islamic militants from surrounding countries have led to escalating violence and insecurity.

Yet the Canadians have evacuated only six UN peacekeepers and civilian workers since August. Two civilians were seriously injured by an improvised-explosive device, but military officials say the other cases were non-critical.

One senior military official said the extreme violence that has gripped Mali for the past several years has shifted southward, away from Gao and toward the largely peaceful capital of Bamako, which the source acknowledged was a concern.

Trudeau nonetheless emphasized the importance of the Canadian mission, which also involves moving equipment and troops around Malis sprawling, desolate landscape, saying it helps the entire UN peacekeeping effort in the country.

They are able to do more because  this extraordinarily professional group of Canadians are here to give them the support should an incident happen, the prime minister told reporters.

That level of assurance allows for the entire mission to be more effective.

Mission commander Col. Chris McKenna echoed that point, saying peacekeepers from other countries rely on the fact that quick medical assistance is available if they run into trouble.

Yet there are concerns within the UN and among some allies that a gap will materialize when the Canadians cease operations at the end of July as their Romanian replacements may not arrive until October.

The UN has turned to civilian contractors in the past, but peacekeeping officials have been pushing for Ottawa to cover the gap, saying military aircraft are more flexible, cost-efficient and offer better emergency medical help.

Canada extending ... provides both operational and financial benefits to the UN, one UN official told The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities.

Trudeau, whose government has yet to deploy to the UN a promised transport plane to Uganda and a 200-strong rapid reaction force, said Canada and the UN are working to ensure a smooth transition.

We are confident, and we are hearing from the UN that there is no concern about that gap being a problem, the prime minister told reporters during a scrum in front of one of the three Chinook helicopters based in Gao.

We are very much focused on delivering the absolutely best support we can and we are doing that, and were going to be working with our partners to ensure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible.

Asked whether the Liberals were worried that extending the mission into next fall could result in casualties at a time when Canadians are going to the polls, Trudeau said Canada is following the UNs process for making commitments and pledges.

Aside from thanking the troops for their service and sacrifice, Saturdays visit was also an opportunity for Trudeau to see Canadian peacekeepers in action, as the troops conducted a mock aeromedical evacuation.

Navy Lt. Jennifer Loye, a critical-care nurse out of 1 Canadian Field Hospital in Vancouver, said the peacekeepers were excited to showcase what they have been doing for the past several months.

This for me, personally, is the culmination of all the training that Ive done since I joined the military, Loye said in an interview.

I joined to be a nurse. I wanted to do this kind of thing. I wanted to be able to work with people and help people. I trained to be a critical-care nurse and now here I am doing the job that I want to do.

Mali has been struggling to get back on its feet since 2012, when an alliance of nomadic tribesmen and Islamic extremists led a rebellion in the north of the country even as a military coup caused chaos in the capital.

A French military intervention helped restore order to the country, which was previously seen as an example for democracy in Africa, before the first UN troops arrived in 2013 to monitor the peace agreement between north and south.

Yet new problems have emerged as drought, extreme poverty and an influx of jihadists into the centre of the country have exacerbated communal, religious and ethnic divides, resulting in escalating violence that has left thousands dead.

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FREDERICTONThe New Brunswick Human Rights Commission has released new guidelines to help employers meet their legal obligations to accommodate staff struggling with addiction.

The province says the new guidelines on cannabis, alcohol and drug addictions are based on both case law and New Brunswicks Human Rights Act.

It says the guidelines address the use of cannabis inside and outside the workplace, alcohol and drug testing, and differences between unionized and non-unionized workplaces.

Employers are prohibited from discriminating against staff based on mental and physical disabilities under the human rights act, and human rights law recognizes addiction as a disability.

The guidelines clarify that the employee would only be protected under addiction disability if the addiction is beyond their control, unless the employee is incorrectly perceived as having an addiction.

The document, available on the government website, notes that safety-sensitive workplaces  where impairment could pose a safety hazard to someone  have stricter regulations when it comes to these protections.

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Police have laid new charges against a 28-year-old Toronto man for allegedly luring a 17-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her in downtown Toronto, the second time he has been charged with a sex offence in less than two months.

The investigation is ongoing and officers with Toronto polices Sex Crimes Unit are concerned there may be other victims, police said in a Saturday news release.

According to the release, the man met a 17-year-old girl online and asked her for nude photos. He then met her downtown and took her back to his apartment in the Front St. W. and York St. area, where he sexually assaulted her, police said. According to the release, he then gave her a birth control pill to take.

Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said she could not say when the incident happened because of the cases sensitive nature.

Shu (Andrew) Yi, of Toronto, was arrested on Dec. 18 and charged with two counts of sexual assault and luring a child under 18.

He was previously arrested on Oct. 31 and charged in a similar case involving a 14-year-old girl.

Police allege he lured a 14-year-old girl through social media and took her to a nearby hotel in the Front St. W. and York St. area. According to police, he then sexually assaulted her and offered her a birth control pill.

Yi is facing charges of sexual interference, sexual assault and luring a child under 16 in this case.

Yi was released on bail after his Oct. 31 arrest, Douglas-Cook said. He is now in police custody following Tuesdays arrest.

Police said Yi is known online by the usernames addme4andrew and andrewITO.

Police are asking anyone who may have been contacted or has any information to call investigators.

Yi is set to appear in court on Jan. 4, 2019.
As a trapeze performer, Carolyn Pioro made flying and flipping through the air look easy. Movement, she once said, was her life.

That changed forever in September 2005. Pioro was training for a performance with a Toronto-based circus when a mid-air flip went terribly wrong. She fell 40 feet, landed badly in the safety net and severed her spinal cord. In a painful flash of blue, she thought her life was over.

Its hard to imagine what life as a quadriplegic is like, or the strength and courage needed to get through the day. A milestone for Pioro occurred seven years ago, when she moved to her own apartment downtown with her cat and the help of daily attendants. Another happened this year, when she enrolled in the contemporary journalism program at Centennial College and planned to shoot a photo essay of students at local schools for acrobats.

It will be interesting to see if I emotionally fall apart during the shoot or whether I can see it all through the lens of a working journalist, Pioro said in an interview.

So she looked for a camera she could operate using the only mobility she still has  from the shoulders up.

I did an exhaustive search, looking for adaptive equipment that was already out there. And there was nothing, Pioro said. Now, had I wanted a rifle mounted to my chair that I could use, that would have been easy. There were multiple companies that would have kitted me up.

Her professor, photographer Tyler Anderson, mentioned the problem to Star photographer Steve Russell, who in turn mentioned it to the Stars visuals editor  and technological handyman  Taras Slawnych. Two months later, Slawnych presented Pioro with a sleek contraption he made in his basement.

Its a black rectangular box that mounts to Pioros wheelchair and holds a camera that swivels and shoots to her voice commands. A microphone clipped to her sweater and attached to the device allows her to turn the camera on and off, move it from side to side, up and down  and shoot.

When the first picture snapped, Pioros mouth and eyes were wide with excitement.

Its pretty cool, and useful and awesome, Pioro said after the test in the Stars library Friday, when Slawnych presented her with his device.

Trust me, Im more thrilled than anyone else, Slawnych said.

(Russell joked hes just glad Slawnych is using his powers for good, not evil.)

The device weighs less than a pound. Slawnych made the black casing with a 3D printer. Inside that, he placed an Arduino, a tiny processor he connected to a device that identifies voice commands. He hired a freelance computer programmer to help write code for the systems servo. Slawnych also included an adapter to reduce the 24 volts from Pioros wheelchair battery to 12 volts for the device.

Carolyns mom asked me, Why are you doing this? Slawnych recalled. I said, Because I can.

Im quite surprised how much Taras got into such a small item, Pioro said.

Pioro earned a degree in semiotics and environmental studies before her accident. She works as a freelance fact-checker for design magazines and decided the time was right to get further into journalism.

So many people now disregard journalism as one-sided and not true, and journalists have become almost underdogs, she said, noting the fake news post-truth environment. And since I always root for the losing team, I thought it was important to support the profession and get involved more.

And I want to provide the best life I can for my cat, she added, smiling. So more work would be awesome.

Slawnych showed his device to Canon Canada, and says their engineers are interested in tinkering with it so that Pioro can also work the zoom with her voice.

That would be cool, she said.
ROMEArchaeologists have unearthed the petrified remains of a harnessed horse and saddle in the stable of an ancient villa in a Pompeii suburb.

Pompeii archaeological park head Massimo Osanna told Italian news agency ANSA that the villa belonged to a high-ranking military officer, perhaps a general, during ancient Roman times.

Osanna was quoted on Sunday as saying the remains of two or three other horses were also discovered.

The villas terraces had views of the Bay of Naples and Capri island. The area was previously excavated, during the early 1900s, but later re-buried.

The volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed flourishing Pompeii, near present-day Naples, in 79 A.D.

Osanna says suffocating volcanic ash or boiling vapours killed the horses. He hopes the villa eventually will be open for public visits.
PARISFrench authorities handed preliminary terrorism charges Sunday to a fugitive extremist who is suspected of fighting U.S. forces in Iraq and helping to organize the 2015 shooting attack at satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people.

Peter Cherif, who recently was arrested in the former French colony of Djibouti and expelled to France, was immediately arrested and charged upon his arrival Sunday at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the Paris prosecutors office said.

Cherif is accused of criminal association with a terrorist enterprise. Frances defence minister says he played an important role in organizing the Charlie Hebdo attack, though his specific actions were unclear.

He embodies a generation of French Muslim youths who travelled to war zones from Afghanistan and Iraq to Yemen and Syria. Cherif travelled to Iraq in the early 2000s and was arrested in Fallujah in 2004 and held for 19 months by U.S. troops. Cherif, also known as Abu Hamza, later travelled to Yemen, where he was believed to have joined Al Qaedas fighters there.

Until last weeks arrest in Djibouti, Cherif had been on the run from French authorities since 2011, when he disappeared just before a Paris court sentenced him to five years in prison on terrorism charges for fighting as an insurgent in Iraq.

He was a close friend of brothers Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi, who killed 11 people at Charlie Hebdos offices and a police man nearby in Paris in January 2015. In the following days, their associate, Amedy Coulibaly, killed a policewoman outside Paris and four people during a hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket. The three attackers were killed in shootouts with police.

Fourteen people charged with providing assistance to the brothers or Coulibaly are scheduled to go on trial over the killings. Cherif is not among them.

Read more:

Charlie Hebdo attack suspect arrested

Suspect questioned in probe over 2015 Paris attacks on Charlie Hebdo, kosher supermarket

Charlie Hebdo shooting: Remembering the victims

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BEIRUTTurkey is massing troops near a town in northern Syria held by a U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led force, a war monitor and Turkish media said Sunday.

The buildup comes even though Turkey said it would delay a promised offensive in eastern Syria in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. troops earlier this week.

The Trump decision surprised his allies and own experts, sparking the resignation of two of his top aides.

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he deeply regrets Trumps decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and warned it could have dangerous consequences.

Macron showered praise on U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit in the wake of Trumps unexpected move. An ally should be reliable, co-ordinate with other allies. Mattis understood this, Macron said during a trip to Chad.

Macron said that the troop withdrawal endangers Kurdish fighters, who were instrumental in the U. S-led coalitions fight Islamic State militants.

Read more:

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We should not forget ... what we owe to those who died on the ground fighting terrorism, he said, referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is fighting against the terrorism that fomented attacks against Paris and elsewhere ... I call on everyone not to forget what they have done.

Macron did not say what Frances military will do next in Syria. Kurdish officials met with a French presidential adviser Friday, and one asked France to play a larger role in Syria following the American withdrawal.

Turkey however welcomed the Trumps decision. Ankara views the Kurdish militia at the heart of SDF as an extension of the insurgency within its borders. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to dislodge the Kurdish fighters from along its border with Syria.

The U.S. had partnered with the Syrian Kurdish militia to drive out IS group since 2014. But the partnership had soured relations between Ankara and Washington.

Allaying some of Turkeys fears was a deal reached in June according to which U.S. and Turkish troops would patrol the area around the Syrian town of Manbij. But Ankara says the U.S. and the Kurdish militia didnt live up to their end of the deal and that it would start an offensive in eastern Syria to drive out the militia. Turkey already has troops in northwestern Syria and has backed Syrian fighters there to clear towns and villages of IS militants and Kurdish fighters.

Erdogan said he would delay the eastern Syria offensive and would work on plans to clear out IS from the region.

On Sunday, the Turkish IHA news agency reported that a convoy of Turkish troops  a commando unit  had been sent into Syria overnight.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the reinforcements were sent to the front line with Manbij, where U.S. troops have been based. The Observatory said 50 vehicles crossed into Syria  carrying troops and equipment.

The spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council, Sharfan Darwish, said Turkish reinforcements have arrived in the area. We are taking necessary measures to defend ourselves if we are attacked, he said without elaborating.

On Sunday, U.S. troops based around Manbij patrolled the town and surrounding area and were photographed speaking with the residents.

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighting group said the continued Turkish and allied forces buildup is to prevent Syrian government troops from taking advantage of the tension in the area to seize territory.

Youssef Hammoud, spokesman for the Syrian opposition fighters, accused the Kurdish militia of reaching out to the Syrian government to replace U.S. troops if they withdraw.

Darwish dismissed the claims as untrue, calling them old accusations from the rival Syrian groups.

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Last week, a federal court in Texas put Obamacare on life support by declaring the entire 2010 law unconstitutional. President Trump hailed this as a great decision for Americans. He did not specify if that includes the laws 20 million beneficiaries, who may soon have to bid for care on the open market.

It is easy to explain this as another case of American exceptionalism, in which the mania for individualism overruns common sense and decency. Too easy, in fact. For we Americans have a long history of using government  and our constitutions  to take care of each other.

At the time of the Revolution, a constitution simply referred to the laws and institutions that made up, or constituted, a given community. Although the framers gave the word a more literal meaning with the federal Constitution of 1787, the broader definition remained as the various states made and revised their own constitutions. So Americans drew from a wide range of documents and ideas while making policy about taxes, education and public health.

On this last point, they agreed: the health and welfare of the people was a fundamental goal of government. All the state constitutions use some variation of that phrase, while the courts preferred the Latin form, salus populi.

An old tradition in Western political thought, salus populi took on new life in the early United States. To ward off contagious diseases and unhealthy nuisances, local and municipal governments imposed all kinds of quarantine laws and micro-level regulations. Decade after decade, state and county courts upheld these laws: the general welfare, they said, overruled private interests.

The federal government did not object. After all, the federal Constitution also promises to promote the general Welfare, and while no one agreed what that was, everyone assumed that the government had some responsibility for great issues of health and safety.

In 1813, for example, Congress authorized a National Vaccine Institute to combat smallpox, the great terror of the age. President James Madison matter-of-factly signed the bill, and the institutes lead physician proudly declared that here in the United States, every citizen should have the right secured to him of a free access to care.

Where did these traditions go?

In part, the answer is that powerful interests in the United States have always been wary of social policy of any kind. They want the government to defend against foreign threats and protect private property, nothing else.

In the early 1800s, these were southern slave owners, who cited states rights to keep power close to home. They didnt mind salus populi in their own states, but balked at any expansion of federal power. (Such men killed the National Vaccine Institute in 1822.) During the so-called Gilded Age around 1900, the main enemies of social policy were industrialists and other businessmen, for whom health and safety regulations got in the way of their bottom lines.

But Canada and other Western democracies also have long histories of small-government conservatism. Why were they able to draw older traditions of public health into new systems of universal care, while the United States did not? How could health care now seem unconstitutional in America and unquestionable everywhere else?

Simply put, conservatism took a radical turn in my home country about 50 years ago, precisely when Canada and other Western countries were making universal care part of their settled laws and charters  that is, their constitutions. And, in the United States, this extreme ideology can use a single, tidy document  the Constitution  to overrule everything else.

According to todays Originalists, the only basis for law in the United States is the exact, literal words of the federal Constitution as signed by 39 men 231 years ago. Since that document does not explicitly authorize a system of universal health care, Americans cant have it.

The ruling last week may well go to the Supreme Court, which now leans strongly to the right. Its easy to predict the outcome there. What is less clear is how the growing majority of Americans who support universal care will respond, and whether they will once more bow to an aging text from another age.
When Nell Toussaint came to Canada as a 30-year-old woman from Grenada in 1999, she did not know that a decade later she would end up in the emergency room of a Toronto hospital. She did not know she would be denied an ultrasound for a blood clot in her leg that would eventually turn life-threatening. And she did not know that one day, being denied care by this countrys health-care system would impair her mobility, vision and ability to speak, and lead to the United Nations condemning Canada for discriminating against her based on her immigration status.

This month, on International Migrants Day, more than 1,500 members of the health community and more than 80 organizations came together to express outrage over the continued denial of health care to people like Toussaint. We join the signatories in calling for all people in Canada to be able to access health care as a human right, regardless of immigration status.

For almost two decades, Toussaint lived in Canada with precarious immigration status, working minimum-wage temporary jobs and contributing to Canadas tax and social-security systems, while attempting to apply for permanent residency.

On multiple occasions where she required emergency health care, Toussaint was forced to pay out-of-pocket, though she was barely making ends meet. She became unable to work due to her increasingly poor health, which required even more extensive medical treatment; she was unable to afford these services at the exact time she most needed them.

Toussaint turned to Canadas Interim Federal Health Program for coverage, but was denied repeatedly, even after challenging the decision at the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

Toussaint was finally granted permanent residency and thus access to provincial insurance in 2013, but due to the egregious denial of care she faced and the health consequences she has endured as a result, five years later, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) condemned Canada for violating her rights to life and freedom from discrimination.

In addition to requiring that Toussaint be compensated for the harm she has suffered, the UNHRC has called on Canada to overhaul its legislation on access to health care for those with precarious immigration status and is expecting to hear back from our government within 180 days of its July 24, 2018, decision.

In Canada, many believe we have a universal health-care system and consider it a point of national pride. In reality, an estimated half million adults and children in Ontario alone do not have access to health coverage in any given year.

These individuals are largely denied coverage directly because of their immigration status, including newly arrived immigrants undergoing a three-month waiting period, temporary foreign workers who find themselves between contracts, or even returning Canadian citizens, among others.

By only affording secure access to health care to those they grant permanent status, Canada is making a clear declaration on who they believe deserves the opportunity to attain health; effectively, they have rejected the universality of this human right.

The time for Canada to act on this UN decision is now. In the less than two weeks leading up to International Migrants Day, thousands of members of the health community nationwide have mobilized to call for action from the federal government. We are fighting to be able to serve the health-care needs of this neglected group in the face of the inhumanity perpetuated by Canada for decades.

This month, Canada signed the UN Global Compact for Migration, committing to uphold the universal human rights of migrants. This includes a pledge to provide safe access to basic services and to incorporate the health needs of migrants in national and local health- care policies and plans, such as by ... facilitating affordable and non-discriminatory access. Here is our opportunity to live up to our commitment.

In the words of Nell Toussaint herself, describing the human right to health care: We need this for our country, for it to succeed. Every man, woman and child must have this. Their futures depend on it. No matter what others think, everyone has the right. We are all human beings.
OTTAWAThe federal government reported more than 200 significant privacy breaches affecting the personal information of thousands of Canadians and Canadian businesses, a number that Ottawas privacy watchdog suggests is the tip of the iceberg.

The Star obtained documents under access to information law detailing every privacy breach reported by federal departments and agencies in 2017. Over 600 pages, government employees describe breaches ranging from misplaced student loan documents to outing confidential RCMP drug informants.

But privacy commissioner Daniel Therriens office suggested the official numbers likely mask the scope of privacy violations at federal departments and agencies.

Given the sheer volume of personal data that is collected and used by government institutions, we believe many material breaches likely go unreported, if not undetected, wrote spokesperson Tobi Cohen in a statement to the Star.

In 2014 Treasury Board, the department that handles most internal government rules and regulations, required all federal departments and agencies to report any material privacy breaches to the privacy commissioner.

But what amounts to a material breach is somewhat open to interpretation. According to Treasury Board rules, a breach is material if it involved sensitive personal information and could reasonably be expected to cause serious injury or harm to the individual or involves a large number of people.

In 2017, only 27 federal departments and agencies reported a material breach to Therriens office. Most of the violations, some 113, were reported by Employment and Social Development Canada. But many of ESDCs breaches were relatively minor, and most involved single student loan applications.

There were, however, more serious incidents:

Public Prosecution Service of Canada (seven breaches): On Jan. 9, 2017, a lawyer with the service provided defence counsel in a drug case with disclosure for the trial. About 30 Information to Obtain warrants were included on a CD, related to search warrants granted to police in Atlantic Canada.

The defence lawyer gave a copy of the documents to his client. The problem was that, while the prosecution service vetted the documents, it failed to properly censor information about four confidential police informants  meaning the person up on drug charges could see information about four people, including two names, who talked to police about the case.

The police alerted two of the informants whose names had been revealed, but felt the other two were unlikely to be fingered by the information in the documents.

Canada Border Services Agency (one breach): In April 2017, Calgary police sent a copy of a Wanted Bulletin to CBSA employees at the airport and in the intelligence division. That bulletin was forwarded to the CBSAs main Calgary email list.

According to the documents, a CBSA employee snapped a cellphone picture of the bulletin and forwarded it to a third party. That person then forwarded the picture to the Calgary police and the person who was wanted by police, who expressed concerns about the content.

RCMP (11 breaches): In May 2017, the name of an RCMP employee accused of harassment was mistakenly sent to an email list of 73 co-workers. It took the employees manager a full day to ask to recall the email, and an undisclosed number of recipients had already opened it.

The RCMP asked the recipients to delete the email from their inboxes.

Royal Canadian Mint (one breach): As a sales rep was preparing to leave the Mint, they forwarded information about 705 Mint customers  including 14 customers credit card information  to their personal email account.

This information was used by the individual post-Mint employment to contact Mint customers  to solicit their business in his new professional capacity, the documents read.

After an investigation, the Mint sent a cease-and-desist letter to the former employee, who agreed to delete all the information purloined from the Mints databases.

Canada Revenue Agency (24 breaches): Between 2005 and March 2017, employees at one of CRAs Ontario offices had been uploading social insurance numbers and business numbers to the Electronic Land Registration Database  apparently without knowing that media, lawyers, and financial institutions regularly use the database.

A total of 2,921 individuals and businesses were affected by the breach.

Of all the departments reporting privacy breaches, CRA has likely received the most attention. The 2017 documents show that the agency is still grappling with the problem of employees improperly looking up the tax information of friends, family, colleagues and others.

The largest breach reported by the agency in 2017 appears to be a single employee looking up the tax information of 5,935 Canadians.

A spokesperson for the agency said CRA has cracked down on employees improperly accessing taxpayer information since 2013, including limiting tax workers access to just the files they require to do their work. In 2017, the agency brought in a fraud management program that allows the agency to proactively monitor and detect unauthorized access.

When misconduct has been established, the employee is disciplined in keeping with the seriousness of the misconduct and the circumstances of the case, wrote CRA spokesperson Dany Morin.

Still, Therriens office notes that cracking down on unauthorized access at CRA has been a priority for almost five years.

The fact that unauthorized/inappropriate access by employees is still happening at all, despite the measures CRA has taken, remains an ongoing concern, wrote spokesperson Cohen.

Cohen said the privacy watchdogs office is still pushing the government to require all privacy breaches to be reported by law, rather than simply Treasury Board rules.

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VANCOUVERBritish Columbians rejected proportional representation in Thursdays referendum not because they love the current voting system, according to pollsters and analysts.

They rejected it mostly because of deepening urban-rural divisions and campaign tactics that saw B.C. Liberals rally their own base  knocking the party $200,000 into the red  while splintering their opponents.

The schism within the B.C. NDP and even Green Partys own supporters on the question of electoral reform was only worsened by successful No side efforts to convince rural and Interior regions as well as minority urbanites.

According to exit polling of 646 voters by the Angus Reid Institute, past Liberal voters tended to vote in lockstep with the party in the referendum, the institutes executive director Shachi Kurl said in a phone interview. And B.C. Liberals dominated the rural and Interior regions in last years provincial elections, making rural concerns their most-frequent campaign talking points then.

Read more:

No wins resounding 61 per cent of the vote in proportional representation referendum

What we know and dont know about B.C.s proportional representation referendum

Explainer: Experts abroad weigh B.C. voting systems in referendum

But, she said, among past NDP voters  and even some Greens, whose three-seat party made a quickly held referendum a vital plank of their agreement to support the minority NDP government  the referendum results were split between Yes and No. Nearly one-third of past NDP voters and one-quarter of Greens chose first past the post. (The Dec. 7-10 online poll had a 3.8 per cent margin of error, 19 times out of 20.)

In contrast, 84 per cent of B.C. Liberal voters chose first past the post. If so, one winner may have emerged most clearly from the campaign: opposition leader Andrew Wilkinson, a relatively low-profile figure since he replaced ex-Premier Christy Clark after her resignation last summer.

In an email to party donors, BC Liberal executive director Emile Scheffel thanked an extraordinary, energized team of BC Liberal MLAs and volunteers, who delivered countless referendum information cards, placed thousands of calls and shared the facts effectively in their networks across the province.

The ground troops in this campaign wore BC Liberal colours, Scheffel wrote in the fundraising message.   This referendum campaign has cost our party around $200,000 beyond our 2018 operating budget.

When we are united, motivated and strong under Andrew Wilkinsons leadership, we can overcome the steepest odds and come out victorious.

Additional evidence the partys efforts influenced the results could also include the roughly 40 per cent of ballots, nearly 600,000 of them, Elections BC deemed invalid answers for the referendums second question ranking preferred proportional systems. It was the BC Liberals who had advised their base to boycott question two and simply vote one and done.

Theres a simple explanation for the right-leaning BC Liberals enthusiasm, and spending, fighting for the status quo, according to University of B.C. political scientist Richard Johnston, the Canada Research Chair in Public Opinion, Elections and Representation. It also explains the left-leaning NDP and centre-left Greens push for reform.

He compared election results from hundreds of elections in countries with proportional and first-past-the-post voting. The data suggest right-leaning parties are significantly favoured under first past the post; whereas under more proportional representation, the outcomes tend to be more balanced between parties on the right and left, the latter performing slightly better.

Under proportional representation, nobody gets unconditional control of the government, he told StarMetro in a phone interview. Its a generalization from many decades of election outcomes from competing electoral systems, but parties of the left are more likely to succeed in proportional representation  that doesnt mean they control the government 100 per cent but they are more likely to be part of a governing coalition.

Whereas under first past the post, they tend to be one-party governments, and those tend to be more from the right. (B.C.)s three main parties understood pretty clearly what the probable stakes are.

The mail-in referendum was the provinces third failed attempt at electoral reform. Slightly more than four in 10 registered voters took part in a mail-in vote dogged by fears about low turnout and rhetoric warning of political extremism as well as confusion about the two-question, ranked-choice ballot.

Nearly 1.5 million British Columbians took part in the referendum, representing 42.6 per cent of registered voters.

The referendum asked whether B.C. should switch to a proportional representation voting system  used in most wealthy democracies internationally, it aims to match the popular vote to the number of seats won  or keep its current first-past-the-post system used in the U.K.

The B.C. Liberals former campaign director Mike McDonald, who was former premier Christy Clarks chief of staff, quipped that the magnitude of the results, if not their outcome, came as a surprise.

In a blog post on the website of his consulting firm Rosedeer Strategies, he recalled having predicted first past the post would only win narrowly by a few grey whiskers, but that it turned out that it was a full-on Santas beard of whiskers.

McDonald surmised that first past the posts supporters on the No side won because they got started early with focused, effective messaging, brought in voices in multicultural communities to ensure a broad appeal, and prioritized persuading likely voters of their cause.

On the other side, McDonald argue the Yes side lost because it appeared to focus a lot of effort on getting non-voters to vote, he wrote. That is harder to do.

The (Yes) campaign was spanked once it left the cosy confines of Victoria and Vancouver. It did not have a ground game or a regional game  Whats the answer? Show up, listen, engage. Get out of your comfort zone if you want to grow your cause.

That echoes the very criticisms one staunch pro-rep supporter had raised as soon as the writ dropped. B.C. Government and Service Employees Union treasurer Paul Finch lambasted the officially government-recognized Yes proponents for what he called their disappointing but unsurprising defeat.

He alleged instead of reaching out to a vast swathe of dissatisfied British Columbians of all political stripes, regions and backgrounds, the Make Every Vote Count Societys Vote PR B.C. campaign instead ran a more partisan campaign focused on trying to identify who their supporters were like a party  using a mix of outreach and demographic data  instead of a more strenuous grassroots get out the vote tactic, he said in a Facebook post, one that didnt assume that identified supporters actually would participate.

The results largely confirm what we suspected and have said all along, Finch wrote. A partisan strategy that did not include rural conservatives was doomed to failure and would fracture along urban/rural as well as partisan lines.

Thats not how the official Yes campaign saw it, whose spokesperson Maria Dobrinskaya expressed her disappointment Thursday.

Were proud of the positive information campaign we ran, she said in a statement. We didnt resort to fear tactics or distortions, as our opponents did.

But for electoral reform advocate Max Cameron, who directs the University of B.C.s Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, the warning signs were there all along.

In StarMetro interviews during the campaign, he had voiced concerns about the lack of a consultative process akin to the previous referendums Citizens Assembly, a deliberative body made up of randomly selected British Columbians.

Many political scientists, myself included, argued strenuously for a meaningful deliberative process to engage the public prior to the (proportional representation) referendum, he wrote on Twitter on Friday. The decision was made  in the Premiers office, I suspect  that there wasnt the time or money. That was a mistake.

Cameron said that, ironically, a vote on whether to fundamentally transform the way we vote for political parties and candidates itself reflected our partisan politics  the very those seeking electoral reform hoped to change, he tweeted shortly after the results emerged.

He lamented the government ignoring his and other political scientists advice to hold some kind of advisory body made up of voters as happened in previous B.C. referendums, a deliberative opinion poll, or the Royal Commission approach that New Zealand took before switching to proportional voting.

We went right into a referendum without a deep and meaningful process of public engagement, Cameron said. The key lesson of the B.C. referendum is that process matters. The main problem with the referendum is that control over the process was never taken out of the hands of politicians.

The B.C. No Proportional Representation Society argued that any of the proportional options on the ballot would be a risky move for the province, potentially giving extreme fringe parties a foothold in the Legislature, as has happened in some countries with such systems like Germany.

But fans of proportional systems argued first past the post can also reward extremists by polarizing society. And they believe the number of seats in a Legislature should reflect the actual number of people who voted for their parties. Under B.C.s current system, because only one MLA is elected per riding who got more votes then their rivals, a party with millions of votes in every region of the province could be completely shut out of the Legislature.

Among those most vocal on the Yes side of the campaign, post-mortems resounded about the defeat in the $14.5-million Elections B.C. initiative.

Stephen Tweedale, who studies political philosophy at Simon Fraser University, captured the sentiment on Friday: Given that proportional representation is probably off the table for a while, the self-described social democrat and NDP member tweeted, what other democratic reforms should we be pursuing in BC?

The government has promised that, regardless of outcome, a legislature committee will look at why Indigenous representation and that of other communities is disproportionately low. Women also remain under-represented.

Voter turnout has been in a steady downward spiral for decades at every level of politics, from federal down to municipal politics and referendums have been no different in B.C. Turnout in B.C. elections fell 11 percentage points from 20 years ago when results were in the low-70-per-cent range.

Although proportional systems have increased voter turnout and minority representation, according to experts, other proposals to address such problems could include better promoting advanced polls, more aggressive non-partisan get-out-the-vote efforts, lowering the voting age, educating teens about civic participation and even compulsory voting.

Cameron agreed that failing to change the way we vote shouldnt stop B.C. from pursuing other efforts to combat plummeting voter turnout or the underrepresentation of Indigenous people, minorities, and women in politics.

There are lots of things we can do to strengthen our democracy beyond electoral reform, he tweeted. A major priority should be improving representation, participation and engaged citizenship.

Correction  December 27, 2018: This article has been edited from an earlier version that misstated the name Mike McDonalds firm as Rosedale Strategies.

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VANCOUVERVocal condemnation from Canadas allies for the detention of a pair of Canadians in China, called a politically-motivated hostage-taking by one law professor, is the best diplomatic tool for censuring Beijing for its extrajudicial manoeuvring, say experts.

Canadians Michael Kovrig, an ex-diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, were arrested in China a little more than a week after Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of star Chinese telecommunications and tech firm Huawei, was taken into Canadian custody. Meng was released on $10 million bail on Dec. 11 to one of her multimillion-dollar homes in Vancouver to await an extradition hearing.

The stakes were raised even further last week as reports emerged that Kovrig had so far been denied access to a lawyer, and was being kept in a constantly lit room and subjected to questioning several times daily.

And while national leaders stopped short of explicitly framing Chinas actions as retaliation for Mengs arrest, a number of official statements from government spokespeople pointed to both developments in their calls for the Canadians release.

The United Kingdom, European Union and United States all spoke to Canadas conduct in past weeks as legitimate, fair and transparent, while expressing deep concerns over what the U.K. suggested was the political motivation behind Chinas actions.

Mengs arrest was undertaken by Canada in observance of a long-standing extradition treaty with the United States  a legal commitment of the kind the U.S. Department of State said Friday must be defended to uphold the rule of law fundamental to all free societies.

Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland thanked allies for speaking out, adding Canada would be working closely with such countries towards the release of Spavor and Kovrig.

But a recent article in the Globe and Mail by Lu Shaye, Ambassador for the Peoples Republic of China in Canada, provides evidence the detentions of Kovrig and Spavor are intended to apply political pressure toward Mengs release from Canadian custody, said Donald Clarke, professor at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Clarke is a specialist in Chinese law.

Lu, by enjoining Canada to consider the double standard of detaining Meng while decrying the arrest of Canadian citizens in China, exposes his own governments explicit and calculated interconnection between all three arrests, said Clarke. And through that lens, he added, Kovrig and Spavors detentions can only be viewed as a kind of hostage-taking.

Clarke reflected on this particular point at length in a recent, biting opinion piece for the Washington Post.

To call this a hostage-taking and not a regular criminal investigation is a serious charge, Clarke wrote in his article. Here it is justified. The critical element of a hostage-taking is that the hostage-taker must tell you that its a hostage-taking and what his demands are, otherwise the whole point of taking hostages is defeated.

The fact Lus response to criticism over Kovrig and Spavors detentions was to raise the issue of Meng is a clear indication Chinas actions are about politics, not rule of law, he said.

An explicit and unified stance on behalf of Canada and its allies against the use of brutish diplomatic tactics represents the only clear path forward in the high-stakes political standoff, he added.

A very clear message has to be sent that this method of applying diplomatic pressure is not what a self-respecting big power in the 21st century does, he said in a phone interview.

This is not the sort of thing that you expect from a country that demands respect as a major world power, and has a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Clarke was quick to point out that he believes states are justified in retaliating if they feel aggrieved.

If China is angry with Canada, then there are many things it can do that are part of the regular repertoire, the weapons of diplomacy, he said.

Economic sanctions, recalling ambassadors or removing students from foreign universities are all strategies that apply diplomatic or economic pressure, and clearly convey censure.

But kidnapping random, innocent citizens of the other country seems to me a whole different kettle of fish, and I dont see how Canada can possibly accept that this is a normal way to do business. Because China is just going to keep doing it.

Speaking on the phone from Ontario, Lynette Ong, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said Canada needs to reflect deeply before pursuing closer economic ties with a country like China, which views rule of law in such a radically different light.

But Ong, who has a joint appointment at the Asian Institute and the Munk School of Global Affairs, said Spavor and Kovrigs fates seem to be fallout from a larger geopolitical escalation which may have very little to do with Canada itself.

Canada  and the lives of Canadians  appear to be little more than pawns in a power struggle between two global heavyweights vying for dominance, she said.

And while Chinas record of detaining Canadian citizens has not thus far managed to deter Canada from working to deepen ties with the country, the latest round of political conflict might have garnered enough public attention to do the trick, she suggested.

I think it would be difficult for the Trudeau administration to foster further trade ties with China, because it would be very challenging to mobilize public support  after this series of arrests, she said.

I think if you were to ask any fair-minded Canadian citizen, they would see China now as this pariah-state that arrests people and uses (them) to bargain against some other incident.

Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, said the current political landscape suggests Canada and its allies should inform their citizens of the risks they may face when in China.

I think governments need to step up their warnings to citizens travelling to China, though in their defence, I cant imagine writing that travel guidance: beware running afoul of the capricious, vindictive power of an authoritarian regime that might hold you responsible for something you had nothing to do with? she said in an email. That (they) might prosecute you even if youve broken no discernible law?

But Richardson said she also worried countries with citizens in detention may have little recourse beyond such travel warnings and voicing strident, official disapproval.

Increasingly  I think (international leaders) have to admit that if their citizens are detained in China, there are more circumstances in which it appears that there is little those governments might be able to do to ensure peoples release, she said.

And thats a pretty frightening reality.

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ALTON  The Hit-N-Run convenience store on State Street in Alton was swarming with police on Saturday afternoon, and it wasnt any ordinary call to duty.

Instead of busting bad guys, Alton officers surprised citizens who happened upon the scene with a complementary gasoline.

I just saw a bunch of cops here and I didnt know what they were doing, said Austin Sanders of Wood River. But then I got free gas. I didnt expect it at all.

The gasoline giveaway was coordinated by Mustache March 4PD, a group that helps support local police departments through fundraising events. Communities are thanked for the support with free gasoline giveaways during the holiday season.

This is so awesome, it is such a great Christmas present, said Julie Mondin, of Alton, as she received her free ten gallons of gasoline.

Lasha Newton, of Alton, said she was shocked by the gesture.

Its a real blessing, she said. It really puts me in a holiday spirit, especially since I dont have a job.

A total of $1,500 worth of fuel was pumped for the gasoline giveaway, half provided by Mustache March 4PD and the other half by the Hit-N-Run store owner. The giveaway lasted for just 65 minutes after word got out. At one point, vehicles were backed up for a block in either direction with drivers hoping to take advantage of the offer. Officers were not only directing traffic at the pumps, but also on surrounding streets.

A friend just left here and told us, said Nannie Vaughn, of Godfrey, as she waited in line. It puts me in the Christmas spirit. Im glad to see the police officers are in the Christmas spirit too.

Donald McCrady, of Alton, also heard about the giveaway and rushed to take advantage of it.

I didnt believe it and had to come here and see it with my own eyes, McCrady said.

A similar giveaway of $1,200 worth of free gasoline took place at the Bethalto Hit-N-Run the previous weekend. Dwight Fowler, who owns both stores, said he joined with Mustache March 4PD last year to start the gasoline giveaways and he never gets tired of providing this pleasant holiday surprise.

It warms my heart to see peoples faces and how happy they are. Its just wonderful, especially at this time of year, Fowler said. They have no clue, even our employees had no clue what was going on beforehand.

People are like what? You want to give me free gas?! Fowler said. Within about ten minutes Facebook has it everywhere and then they just start piling in.

Tina Bennett was a co-organizer of the gas giveaway for Mustache March 4PD.

The officers have a great time doing it. The patrons drive up and see a police officer standing there and their immediate reaction is oh my gosh, what have I done, Bennett said. But it turns out to be a good thing because the police officers are here giving back to the community. Its a positive communication between the people and the police officers.

Co-organizer Steve Schwegel said its a good way to provide positive interaction between citizens and the police.

Those who stop at the pump will understand that the police officers are there to help them and that they are wonderful people that risk their lives all the time, Schwegel said. We also give the departments gift cards so they can engage with the community. The person who gets pulled over, who maybe needs a break that day, instead of getting a ticket they may get a gift card.

Jake Kirby, of Alton, was the first customer to be surprised with free gasoline and he needed a break.

Ive had a little bit of a rough week so this helps, Kirby said. It was a very good surprise. I think its good for the community.

Uber and Lyft driver Alexcias Matos of Alton also appreciated the free fuel.

I was actually on my way to pick someone up, Matos said. It really helps me out.

Alton resident Jeremy Wepler didnt know what was going on when he pulled in on Saturday, but hes glad he came in.

We just came to get a soda, Wepler said. Its a nice surprise. Ive always had a good experience with the Alton Police Department.

Participating officers and Mustache March 4PD members also passed out treats and certificates for free coffee and hot chocolate at Hit-N-Run stores.

Alton Police Chief Jason Jake Simmons also went above and beyond the call of duty, cleaning several windshields. That caused Alton Mayor Brant Walker, who was helping to pump the free gas, to quip that they were cleaning up Alton one windshield at a time.
ALTON  An old bakery and a former law office make events pop in settings that will surely WOW guests.

No two events look the same at either WOW Event Center or WOW On Broadway  the event center, a larger space, is the wedding venue, at 513 E. Third St., and WOW On Broadway, a smaller venue, is perfect for more intimate affairs, such as showers, retirement parties or New Years Eve bashes. WOW On Broadway, at 630 E. Broadway, recently opened and both WOW venues are literally within walking distance of each other, approximately one-quarter of a mile apart, in Alton, Illinois.

Brides, moms, bachelorettes and party throwers bring their Pinterest boards to life against WOWs backdrop of vintage and barn wood touches.

Thats what we say, said Barbie Brynildsen, of Godfrey, Illinois, who, along with her husband, Bryan, owns the WOW event destinations. Both venues can be for your guests, with your vision and ideas.

From cozy family affairs to festive rollicking holiday parties to lavish wedding receptions, any occasion seems to fit with WOWs aesthetic. The event business organically grew out of the Brynildsens upcycled furnishings adventure. The couple opened a home furnishings business more than three years ago, which now is a smaller part of what they do since the newer business took off.

We bought the WOW On Broadway building because we were mainly having weddings and receptions at the main event center building, but we had more and more interest in wanting smaller events, Barbie said. When we have a wedding event, its an all-day affair, and its hard to host two events when theres a wedding. So, we wanted to accommodate those who want to have smaller events, even if we are hosting a wedding and reception the day someone else wants their event.

Some of those occasions have since included an 80th birthday party, a retirement celebration and various showers, both bridal and baby.

Were finding people dont want to have parties in their home due to space, and we do all the clean up afterward, Barbie noted. We are doing more and more smaller events and theres a real need for nicer venues for smaller occasions.

The Brynildsens opened WOWs second space, WOW On Broadway, this past spring in the former home of Talbert and Associates law firm. The couple purchased the historic building from Jeannine Kelly. WOW Event Center also is in a historic building, formerly the home of Nolls Bakery, which became Colonial.

We have the same farmhouse tables, Chiavari chairs (in both venues) and the buildings lend themselves so people dont have to do a lot of decorating, Barbie said. A chalkboard adorns the brick wall at WOW On Broadway, so people can display photos or write special messages. We have lanterns to put on tables.

WOW On Broadway even has a pool table, that if not rented for use, can be converted into an additional usable farmhouse table.

When the Brynildsens purchased the Talbert building last April, Kelly already had the walls torn down to the brick and new hardwood flooring. WOW On Broadway already is booking showers for next fall.

The character of the WOW buildings is evident, each featuring exposed brick walls and other special touches, such as a massive, cherry-color winding wood staircase at On Broadway. Wall-to-wall law books still line floor-to-ceiling, built-in shelves, from the law offices distant past, making a perfect setting for photographs and for guests with finger foods and cocktails.

While WOW Event Center has an inherent old-fashioned industrial feel, with exposed round heating ducts beautifully blended with shabby chic accents added by the Brynildsens, the Talbert building has a Victorian vibe, featuring an arched doorway seamlessly built into an exposed brick wall, which leads to the foyer with the staircase and library.

One of the Brynildsens five sons, Stephen, 30, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a contractor/entrepreneur who does much of the renovation work at the WOW buildings, including extensive reconstruction within the Talbert building. The buildings upgrades are incorporated into its past with newly created rooms, such as an updated kitchen and completely renovated guest bathrooms.

The rest of the Brynildsens sons are Jared Brynildsen, 33, stationed in Hawaii with the U.S. Army, and owner of Altons Germania Brew Haus, also on Broadway, practically across the street from WOW On Broadway; Ben Brynildsen, 24, who manages Germania, his brothers gourmet coffee shop and beer tasting business; Daniel, 31, who is the information technology manager for TD Ameritrade in St. Louis; and, Matthew, 27, of St. Louis, who works for Edward Jones.

Ben actually met and proposed to his fiance, Maggie Day, of OFallon, Missouri, at the furnishings shop before it became exclusively WOW Event Center, where the couple married this year.

WOW Event Centers Nolls Bakery building has capacity for 293 people; On Broadway has capacity for up to 100.

Nolls Bakery occupied the Third Street building, later Colonial, which eventually moved to Landmarks Boulevard where now the Old Bakery Beer Co. is located. Discreetly tucked inside of WOW Event Center is a grooms room and brides parlor.

We have five sons in the family, so its important, to us, to have a grooms room. The groom needs his dedicated space, too, Barbie noted.

Customized furniture pieces, which started the Brynildsens on an entrepreneurial path, are scattered around the venue, giving it an ambiance of home, with farmhouse tables and repurposed decor. Yet, the brides parlor feels quite majestic with ivory-color gilt-like framed mirrors, a crystal chandelier, full-length gold-frame mirror and ornate vanity, for the bride and her party to get ready for the big day.

The grooms room has a rustic feel, featuring modern amenities that grooms and their buddies have thoroughly enjoyed  an XBox and a big screen television screen.

During one reception, groomsmen were in here playing with the XBox, Barbie recalled.

The Brynildsens moved to St. Louis in 1986 when their first son was born. They moved to Alton about 24 years ago and now live in Godfrey. Because of WOWs success, Barbie retired early, this past October, from a full-time job at American Water Co. Bryan is an U.S. Air Force veteran, now working full-time with the family-owned business. Barbie is originally from Peoria, Illinois, and Bryan is from New Jersey.

Shes the brains, Im the brawn, he said.

Happenstance led the couple to embark on renting event space. The Brynildsens held their son Matthews rehearsal dinner at their furniture business nearly three years ago, on Third Street, and everyone loved it, suggesting they allow people to rent space for similar events, Barbie recalled. She and her husband took that to heart.

We feel the reason the Lord gave us five kids, and running all those years with them, was great conditioning for working the many hours that we do now. So, were still very busy, just in a different way, Barbie said.

Those who rent WOW On Broadway can choose their own caterer or bring their own food.

It allows clients to stay in their budgets. Thats a big benefit, Barbie noted.

Both WOW venues provide gold Chiavari chairs and handcrafted farmhouse tables, included in the rental fee.

Most places you have to rent chairs and tables, thats really a helpful savings, Barbie said. You can move the tables and we work with clients to coordinate.

Both venues have spacious outside features that add to usable space.

Visit WOW Furnishings and Event Centers Facebook page or call 618-444-7969 for more information.

Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon.
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.
By Michael Halpern

19 December 2018

(UCS)  CNN had a scoop this past weekend: the U.S. Department of Transportation recently removed several climate change pages from its website. The changes are indicative of a greater trend within the federal government when it comes to climate information: when in doubt, take it out.The DOT is responsible for fuel efficiency standards and infrastructure development, two issues with major climate change components. The pages described greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and detailed the impacts of climate change on road and bridge infrastructure. While much of the information was more than a decade old, it wasnt replaced by anything newer.A DOT spokesperson describes the changes as routine maintenance. Science and good government advocates are concerned about a greater trend of censoring and sidelining climate science and scientists. It turns out that all of us could be right.It can be difficult these days to figure out what is routine and what is more nefarious. Sometimes, professional staff are inappropriately directed by political appointees to remove content. Sometimes they self-censor to protect existing work or avoid hassles down the road. And sometimes they are just doing their jobs and ensuring that outdated content is removed and archived, yet the political context makes it look as if theres something more going on.There are several challenges that this controversy identifies.

Suppressing and attacking climate science

First, as is news to virtually nobody, theres a problem with this administration and climate change science. Several federal agenciesthe EPA, Department of Interior, Department of Energy, the State Department, and USAID, just to name a fewhave done their best to shut down communication of climate science and climate impacts when they should be doing the very opposite. Climate change has been omitted from research plans and report after report after report.Weve witnessed an increase in political control over government scientists and scientific information for two decades, control that has only accelerated under this administration. USGS and scientists now need to ask permission to speak to reporters (in violation of existing policy). At EPA and Interior, a political appointee now holds the veto pen in what was an apolitical grantmaking process. In a survey of government scientists conducted by UCS, hundreds reported being asked to refrain from communicating publicly about climate change.When a National Park superintendent is flown to Washington to be reprimanded for climate change tweets, and climate change content is removed from planning reports across government, its perfectly appropriate for changes to this kind of content to come under additional scrutiny. We wouldnt even be talking about this if all federal agencies actively encouraged scientists to communicate about their work.

Excluding science from policy proposals

Second, a responsible government would incorporate science into the policy it puts forward. Instead, we see DOT officials twisting like Gumby to sidestep and misrepresent science in an attempt to justify rolling back fuel efficiency standards. We see Department of Interior officials attempting to prevent consideration of climate change in developing plans to protect endangered species. We see climate change analysis omitted from plans to roll back the Clean Power Plan.And its easier to escape accountability for decisions that lack a scientific basis when the science isnt made easily available in the first place. [more]
New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) French company EDF has submitted a techno-commercial proposal to the government for the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP), in a significant step towards the progress of the project, sources said.

A techno-commercial offer is an important step in the negotiations process as it helps the two parties determine the cost of the project and tariff of the electricity generated from it.

The offer comes less than a week after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed to expedite work on the project.

"Both countries are working to start the Jaitapur nuclear energy project as soon as possible. We are glad that NPCIL and EDF have made progress based on the Industrial Way Forward Agreement. Today, we have adopted the Status of Progress for Implementation of Industrial Way Forward Agreement," Swaraj announced after holding talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on December 15.

Sources said the proposal has been submitted to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), an atomic power plants operating public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The government will now study the techno-commercial offer, sources added. This includes the cost of the project, loan to be given by France and overall tariff of the electricity.

The Indo-French deal was signed in September 2008. Negotiations first began with French company Areva, but last year, French utility company EDF took over its nuclear reactor business after the former faced financial issues.

There have been several factors that were hindering the power plant, which includes the "reference plant".

Since Areva, and now EDF, was bringing in a new technology, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the country nuclear watchdog, asked for a reference plant.

A reference plant is a functional power reactor and the Areva had then cited a power reactor at Flamanville.

The JNPP, proposed to be the largest nuclear park in the country to be built in coastal Maharashtra, will have six reactors with a capacity of 1650 MW each. PTI PR CK
Ghaziabad, Dec 23 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warned erring sugar mill owners Sunday that they will be jailed if they do not clear dues of the cane growers.

On the 'Kisan Diwas' or National Farmers Day, the chief minister reprimanded the mill owners, saying exploitation of farmers will not be "tolerated at any cost".

He was in Patla village here to unveil the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh on the birth anniversary of the former prime minister.

The chief minister laid the foundation stones for 25 developmental projects worth Rs 325 crore at various places in the district.

The foundation stone of Political Training Institute was also laid down near the Hindan river in Raj Nagar extension area. The institute will be the first-of-its-kind in the country where beahviour related training will be imparted to newly elected public representatives.

The institute, which is expected to be fully constructed in two years, is to be designed in such a way so that around 1,000 elected representatives can get training in a single session. The state government will spend Rs 168 crore on it.

Adityanath warned the "goons" to shun criminal activities otherwise they will be sent to "that place where they ought to be".

He also admonished the bureaucracy not to indulge in corruption otherwise they will be put to task.

In the evening hours, the chief minister attended Maha Kauthig fair in Indirapuram organised by Uttarakhand natives.

He laid the foundation stones for Uttarakhand Bhawan and Purwanchal Bhawan (to be constructed in Noor nagar and Sihani village area, respectively), a 60-bedded hospital in Loni town, and 30 health care centers in the district among others. PTI CORR CK
London, Dec 23 (PTI) Terror group al-Qaeda is on a resurgent mode and may be plotting major terrorist attacks on airports and airliners, Britains security minister warned on Sunday.

The terrorist group behind the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001 poses a growing threat that is keeping ministers awake at night, Ben Wallace told The Sunday Times.

"The aviation threat is real," he warned, adding that British intelligence had revealed that al-Qaeda was developing technology to bring down passenger jets.

"Aviation is still a blue riband event for these terrorists. al-Qaeda are resurgent. They have reorganised. They are pushing more and more plots towards Europe and have become familiar with new methods and still aspire to aviation attacks, he said.

The minister said the government had pumped in 25 million pounds into a joint UK Home Office and Department for Transport research programme on how to protect planes even more from new chemicals, different methods of explosion and insider threats.

He noted that the decline of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group meant al-Qaeda would seek to reassert itself as the worlds leading terror group and an aviation attack could be its calling card.

al-Qaeda sat quietly in the corner and tried to work out what the 21st century looked like, while ISIS became the latest terrorist boy band, but they have not gone away  they have reorganised. Youre seeing al-Qaeda appear in areas we thought were dormant, Wallace told the newspaper.

al-Qaeda and its affiliates are now believed to be active in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and other countries in the Middle East.

The UK minister said improvements in airport security meant terrorists were less likely to smuggle explosives through terminal security systems.

They have explored other ways of getting bombs on planes. Weve talked publicly about an insider threat issue. If you cant get in the front door, youre going to try to get in the back door, he said.

"In 2019 we should be alert to al-Qaeda. They are re-energising some previous links and support and their ambition towards aviation is real, he added.

The minister also confirmed that 13 Islamist terror plots have been thwarted in Britain since March 2017. PTI AK PMS

PMS
N'djamena, Dec 23 (AFP) French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying "an ally must be reliable".

Speaking in the Chad capital N'Djamena, Macron said "I deeply regret the decision" by Trump to pullout US troops.

Trump last week ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria, asserting that the Islamic State group had been defeated, and a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"To be an ally is to fight shoulder to shoulder," Macron said, adding that France was doing just that in Chad in the fight against jihadist groups.

"An ally must be reliable, to coordinate with its other allies," he said.

Macron also paid tribute to Defence Secretary James Mattis, who said he was resigning on Thursday after Trump's Syria announcement.

"I want here to pay tribute to General Mattis... for a year we have seen how he was a reliable partner," Macron said at a news conference with his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby.

Mattis, 68, was one of Trump's first cabinet picks and has spent nearly two years at the Pentagon.

In his resignation letter, Mattis spelled out to the world what seemed obvious to many observers: Trump's world view was irreconcilable with his own.

"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' immersion in these issues," Mattis wrote to Trump, who has sought closer ties with Russia and heaped contempt on NATO and other 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."

Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-Islamic State group coalition, also announced he would bring his departure forward from February due to the Syria policy change. (AFP) SCY

SCY
Chandrasekhar Rao to meet Odisha, Bengal CMs

Hyderabad, Dec 23 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister K

Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday left here for Visakhapatnam en route

to Bhubaneswar where he is scheduled to meet his Odisha

counterpart Naveen Patnaik in the evening.

Rao is on a four-day tour to meet various leaders to

garner support for his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress front

ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His party, the TRS, has hired a special aircraft for a

period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

"The Chief Minister along with his family members left

for Vizag. He will visit Sharada Peetham and perform special

prayers at Rajasyamala temple there. He will be leaving for

Bhubaneswar this evening," a senior TRS leader said.

At Visakhapatnam, he will seek the blessings of Swami

Swarupanandendra Swamiji, an official release had said

earlier.

Rao, who is also TRS president, will call on Patnaik

this evening and stay for the night at his official residence.

On December 24, the Telangana chief minister will visit Konark

Temple and Jagannath Temple by road, it had said.

From Bhubaneswar, the Telangana CM will proceed to

Kolkata, where he will call on West Bengal Chief Minister

Mamata Banerjee, Monday, the release had said.

After visiting Kalimata Temple in Kolkata, he will

leave for New Delhi in the night. From December 25, for two to

three days, Rao will be in the national capital, the release

had said.

Rao will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister

Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, it had said,

adding he will also meet former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers

Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his Delhi trip, Rao is scheduled to meet

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Union ministers,

with whom he will discuss issues related to the state, the

release had said. PTI GDK

RSY RSY
Ahmedabad, Dec 23 (PTI) BJP candidate Kunvarji Balavliya was leading by more than 10,700 votes over his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, in the Jasdan assembly bypoll in Gujart where counting of votes is underway, officials said.

At the end of the seventh round of counting, Bavaliya had secured 35,192 votes, which was 10,710 more than Nakiya's 24,482, the election commission officials said.

Polling for the Jasdan assembly seat in Rajkot district was held on December 20 and a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent was recorded.

The by-poll has become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and also the assembly, and joined the BJP.

Bavaliya, who quit as an assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

The saffron party fielded him for the by-election from Jasdan, which has a sizeable Koli population.

According to rules, he has to get elected to the assembly within six months of resigning to continue as a minister.

Nakiya is a Rajkot district panchayat member who once worked closely with Bavaliya in the Congress.

While Nakiya is contesting an assembly poll for the first time, Bavaliya had won from the seat, which has 2.32 lakh registered voters, five times in the past as the Congress candidate - in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2017.

Since the formation of Gujarat in 1960, the BJP has won Jasdan only once - in the by-election of 2009 when Bavaliya vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajkot.

Apart from Bavaliya and Nakiya, six other candidates are also in the fray. PTI KA PD RSY TIR

TIR
Raipur, Dec 23 (PTI) In a major breakthrough in unravelling the overground network of naxals in urban areas, the Chhattisgarh Police Sunday arrested a senior technical officer at the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) who they said is working as a Maoist operative and allegedly supplying various materials to ultras.

The operative, identified as N Venkat Rao alias Murty (54), was arrested by a team of local police in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh when he was heading towards Rajandgaon town from Deori in Maharashtra on a motorcycle, a senior officer told PTI.

"Twenty-three detonators, naxal documents, Maoist literature, a laptop, a mobile phone and two chargers were recovered from his possession," said Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) GP Singh.

Murty, a native of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, is working as a senior technical officer at NGRI, Hyderabad, he said.

NGRI works under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

As per preliminary information, Murty had been supplying various materials, including explosives, to senior Maoist cadres, particularly in the bordering areas of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the IG said.

He said a naxal leader who had surrendered a couple of months ago had revealed crucial details about "overground network" of naxals.

"Notably, a senior naxal leader and Division Committee Secretary of Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat division of Maoists Kumarsai alias Pahad Singh, who had surrendered before police in Durg range couple of months ago, had revealed crucial details about overground network of Maoists functioning in urban areas,"the police officer said.

Based on inputs provided by Pahad, separate teams of police were sent to different states to collect information about the urban operatives of Maoists.

Meanwhile, police received a tip-off that a key Maoist operative, who had been actively supplying various materials to Maoists, was about to travel to Rajnandgaon from neighbouring Maharashtra, following which check posts were set up on the route, he said.

During checking on Sunday, Murty was stopped in Baghnadi police station area and arrested after Maoist-related material was found from his possession, Singh added.

"During interrogation, Murty revealed that he was inspired by radical students' union protest in Andhra Pradesh in the 1980s and since then he had been supporting the Maoist ideology," he said.

The operative also revealed that delivery or transportation of explosives to Maoists was being done in different areas in the country based on his directions, the IG said terming the arrest as a big achievement.

Besides, he had been actively propagating Maoist propaganda through various means in the society.

He was traveling to Rajandgaon to meet some senior cadres with an intention to execute a major incident in the district, the IG added. PTI TKP NSK GVS
Kolkata, Dec 23 (PTI) The West Bengal unit of the BJP on Sunday said the party will move the Supreme Court to seek permission for its proposed 'rath yatra' programme in the state.

The saffron party's ambitious roadshow in West Bengal had hit a roadblock again on Friday, with a division bench of the Calcutta High Court quashing a single bench order that had given a go-ahead to the event.

"We have decided to move the Supreme court. We have full faith in the judiciary, and will fight till the end. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government is trying to ensure that our 'rath yatra' programme doesn't take place," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

He said the party will knock the doors of the apex court "very soon" but did not elaborate on as to when.

The TMC government is trying to stop the BJP event on the basis of only assumptions that it might create problems, Ghosh said.

According to BJP sources, the party will for now organise rallies in various parts of the state against the government's decision to disallow the yatra.

After hearing an appeal by the BJP, a single-judge bench of the high court had on Thursday allowed the mega event, to be flagged off by the party's national president Amit Shah under a re-scheduled programme from December 28 to 31.

However, after Friday's order, there is uncertainty once again over the programme that was to cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Hearing a plea by the state government that there are apprehensions of communal unrest due to the roadshow, the division bench of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar had on Friday asked the single judge bench to pass a fresh order. PTI PNT RBT IND

IND
New Delhi, Dec 23 (PT) Youth Congress members Sunday protested outside the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) office at DDU Marg here, demanding that the ruling party apologise over allegedly passing a resolution in the Delhi Assembly for revocation of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

The AAP, however, on Saturday said the resolution did not demand revoking of Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

The protesters, led by Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress president Vikas Chhikara, demanded that the party apologise and withdraw the resolution.

Congress' Delhi unit president Ajay Maken demanded the AAP government to convene a special session of the assembly to recall the resolution.

"The AAP government should immediately call a special session of the Delhi Assembly and remove the name of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi from the record of assembly proceedings," he said.

Maken accused the AAP of being in "hand in glove" with the BJP and said the party should also call the 2002 Gujarat riots "genocide".

The resolution passed in the Delhi Assembly had sought to term the anti-Sikh riots genocide. PTI VIT

GVS
Ayodhya, Dec 23 (PTI) Spiritual leader Morari Bapu has kicked up a row by narrating the Ram Katha to around 200 sex workers from Mumbai here.

Sex workers from Kamathipura, the red light area of Mumbai, were personally invited by Morari Bapu for the religious discourse.

Hindu religious leaders have raised objections over the gathering of sex workers in the "pious town of Ayodhya".

"By inviting sex workers to the pious town of Ayodhya, Morari Bapu is trying to make this town impious. If Morari Bapu wants to reform society he must organise such Ram Kathas in Naxalite and red light areas," said Santosh Dubey, President of Dharam Sena outfit and prime accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case

Another Mahant of Dandiya Temple in Ayodhya, Bharat Vyas, said, "Gathering of sex workers in Lord Rama's city is not a good message. This is the town where devotees come to wash off their sins...what message does Morari Bapu want to give. We holymen of Ayodhya strongly oppose this move

Another local Hindu leader Pravin Sharma, said he has written a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath against Morari Bapu.

Mahant Pawan Das Shastri, an Ayodhya-based preacher of Ram Katha, said the presence of "such women" in the town was not acceptable.

Reacting to the criticism, Morari Bapu said, "Tulsidas has mentioned 'Ganikas' (sex workers) in Ramcharitmanas".

"I will address deprived section as Lord Rama's life was based on acceptance and reforms," he said. PTI CORR DV

DV
Number of reporters killed, detained, and held hostage in 2018. Graphic: Reporters Without Borders

14 December 2018 (RSF)  A total of 80 journalists were killed this year, 348 are currently in prison, and 60 are being held hostage, according to the annual worldwide round-up of deadly violence and abusive treatment of journalists released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which shows an unprecedented level of hostility towards media personnel.

The RSF round-up figures have risen in all categories. Murders, imprisonment, hostage-taking and enforced disappearances have all increased. Journalists have never before been subjected to as much violence and abusive treatment as in 2018.

This year has been marked by the number of journalists in all categories* who were killed in connection with their work, a figure which increased by eight percent to 80, and by the 15 percent rise in the number of professional journalists killed, from 55 in 2017 to 63 this year. This number had been declining over the previous three years.

The widely reported murders of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the young Slovak data journalist Jan Kuciak highlighted the lengths to which press freedoms enemies are prepared to go. More than half of the journalists killed in 2018 were deliberately targeted.

Violence against journalists has reached unprecedented levels this year, and the situation is now critical, RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said. The hatred of journalists that is voiced, and sometimes very openly proclaimed, by unscrupulous politicians, religious leaders, and businessmen has tragic consequences on the ground, and has been reflected in this disturbing increase in violations against journalists.

Amplified by social networks, which bear heavy responsibility in this regard, these expressions of hatred legitimize violence, thereby undermining journalism, and democracy itself, a bit more every day.

With the release of its latest World Press Freedom Index in April 2018, RSF had already expressed alarm over an increased level of hostility towards the media encouraged by politicians, as well as efforts by authoritarian regimes to export their alternative vision of journalism.

More journalists detained or held hostage

Afghanistan was the worlds deadliest country for journalists in 2018, with 15 killed. It was followed by Syria, with 11 killed, and Mexico, the deadliest country outside a conflict zone, with nine journalists murdered in 2018. The fatal shooting of five employees of the Capital Gazette newspaper in June brought the United States into the ranks of the deadliest countries.The number of journalists detained worldwide at the end of the year  348  is up from 326 at this time last year. As in 2017, more than half of the worlds imprisoned journalists are being held in just five countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. China remains the worlds biggest jailer of journalists with 60 currently held, of whom three quarters are non-professional journalists.

The number of journalists currently held hostage  60  is 11 percent higher than this time last year, when it was 54. All but one are being held in three Middle Eastern countries: Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. They include six foreign journalists. Despite the Islamic States defeat in Iraq and retreat in Syria, little information has emerged about the fate of these hostages, except for Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda, who was freed after three years of captivity in Syria. A Ukrainian journalist is still being held in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic by the authorities who accuse him of spying. RSF also registered three new cases of journalists disappearing in 2018, two in Latin America and one in Russia.

Compiled by RSF every year since 1995, the annual round-up of abusive treatment and deadly violence against journalists is based on precise data. We gather detailed information that allows us to confirm with certainty or a great deal of confidence that the death, detention, abduction or disappearance of each journalist listed was a direct result of their journalistic work.



RSFs 2018 round-up of deadly attacks and abuses against journalists  figures up in all categories
17 shacks gutted in city slum, no casualty

Kolkata, Dec 23 (PTI) A fire gutted 17 shacks in

Duttabad slum in the north-eastern parts of the city on

Sunday.

Fire brigade sources said four fire tenders

extinguished the flames in over an hour, at around 2:20 pm,

and there was no report of any casualty.

The fire in Duttabad, located next to Salt Lake

satellite township and off E M Bypass, was suspected to have

been caused by an LPG cylinder leak.

The exact reason could be known after forensic test of

burnt objects, the sources said.

The fire did not cause disruption to vehicular

movement on a Sunday with police cordoning off the stretch.

PTI SUS

NN NN
Mumbai, Dec 23 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has overturned a 1997 trial court order acquitting a 41-year-old man in a rape case of a minor girl in 1996.

A division bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and V K Jadhav Saturday convicted Macchindra Sonawane (who was 19 years old at the time of the incident) and sentenced him to seven years in jail for raping the 11-year-old girl.

The bench, in its judgment, said the trial court had erred and acted in a "casual or cavalier" manner, in determining the victim's age as that of being a major.

The prosecution case is that on December 1, 1996, Sonwane allegedly raped the victim who had gone to his shop to buy medicines.

A sessions court in Nashik had in July 1997 acquitted Sonwane after determining the victim's age as 16 and not 11.

The court had taken into consideration the victim's X-ray ossification test that estimated her age as 14.

The trial court applied the plus two minus two margin of error and determined that victim was 16, which was the age of consent at that time.

The trial court had also disbelieved the victim's statement that she had resisted the rape after observing that there were no injuries on her body to show resistance.

Thereafter, the Maharashtra government approached the HC in appeal against the acquittal and said the trial court had erred in determining the victim's age and claimed that she had not even hit puberty at the time of the crime.

The HC, in its judgment, noted that the trial court had mechanically determined the age of the victim.

The bench also took note of the victim's statement to the police and her deposition before the trial court in which she had categorically denied having consented to the act.

"Lack of any resistance or absence of injury on the body of the victim are of no consequence vis a vis the issue of consent," the High Court said.

The bench, while convicting Sonwane, directed him to pay a fine of Rs one lakh as compensation to the victim.

It asked the Nashik District Legal Services Authority to locate the victim and get an application from her for consideration of payment of compensation under the government's scheme of financial assistance for women victims/ survivors for sexual assault and other crimes.

"We hope and trust that such application will be dealt with necessary sympathy that the case deserves," the HC said.

The bench refused to show leniency for the accused and said, "Even though the incident took place in 1996, we remain with fervent hope and confidence that protecting the confidence of the common man in the institution entrusted with the administration of justice is reaffirmed." PTI SP RSY RCJ
Amaravati (AP), Dec 23 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Sunday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "hollow" man who has "done nothing" for the country.

He also accused the Modi government of "denying" special category status to Andhra Pradesh, despite promising it in Parliament.

Naidu said Modi did nothing even for his home state Gujarat as its chief minister for 12 years, but made everyone believe he did "great things".

"We all believed this. The whole country believed this but were left cheated", the chief minister said in a continued diatribe against Modi.

He also released a 'white paper' on "implementation" of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the "connected assurances", here, targeting primarily the PM.

"A leader makes all the difference. We believed what all Narendra Modi said. What is Narendra Modi today... hollow," Naidu remarked.

The prime minister had been campaigning that there was no great leader than him, he alleged, adding "but he is no good".

Naidu also alleged that Modi was seeking to blackmail everyone using "muscle power" and spending "tonnes and tonnes of money" to win elections.

"Since you have money, you are spending tonnes and tonnes to buy votes. Why are you not abolishing Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes? You are ruining the country and you are responsible for that. Many are forced to do wrong things because of your acts," the Telugu Desam Party chief said.

If the currency notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 denominations were not available, people would vote only for those who do good, he said.

"Even if one indulges in corruption, there will be no scope for hoarding (of illicit money)", Naidu said.

He also ridiculed the Central government for "teaching grammar" to the Supreme Court, in the context of its recent ruling on Rafale deal.

"There are grammar mistakes in the sealed cover (presented by the Centre in the Rafale case) to the Supreme Court. What do you call them? They are teaching grammar to the SC... What is the different between a sealed cover and an actual cover? What credibility they have?" he questioned.

He also said the prime minister did not have the right to talk about anything in the country.

Referring to Gujarat, Naidu said Telangana had a better per capita income than Gujarat.

"What justice did Modi do to Gujarat, being its CM for 12 years? Telangana is ahead of Gujarat in terms of per capita income. Soon, AP too would overtake it", he claimed.

It was only out of fear that AP would overtake Gujarat in all respects that the Modi government was denying special category status to the state, though promised in Parliament, Naidu alleged, adding that the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act too were not being implemented.

The 32-page white paper listed the "injustices" done to AP post-bifurcation (in June 2014) and accused the Centre of making no efforts to sort out the differences between AP and Telangana. PTI DBV NSK RHL
Jammu, Dec 23 (PTI) The police arrested an ex-army man on Sunday with 9 kg of high quality charas from Nagrota area here along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said.

Mohammad Ayoub Malik, who hails from south Kashmir's Anantnag district, was signalled to stop his car at a check point but he tried to speed away, officials said.

After a brief chase, the police arrested Malik and recovered charas worth lakhs of rupees in the international market, they added.

Malik was trying to smuggle the consignment outside the state, officials said.

A case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered and further investigation has been taken up to nab others involved in the illicit trade, officials said.

In another case, the police recovered 110 kg of poppy straws from a Punjab-bound truck during checking at Jakhani along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district on Sunday.

The driver of the vehicle Veer Singh of Amritsar (Punjab) was arrested and a case under NDPS was registered, they said.

With this consignment, the police have seized 852 kg poppy straw in the district this month, officials said. PTI TAS MAZ IND

IND
Amritsar, Dec 23 (PTI) The Shriomani Akali Dal (Taksali), led by MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, announced on Sunday expansion of the newly floated party's organisational set up.

Party chief Brahmpura, who is the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib constituency, said Rattan Singh Ajnala, a former MP from the same seat has been nominated as senior vice president of the outfit.

Former Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan will be the Secretary General besides being the chief spokesperson of the party while Ujagar Singh Badali has been nominated as the outfit's vice president, Brahmpura said.

Brahmpura also announced name of two General Secretaries, Manmohan Singh Sathiala and Makhan Singh, from Faridkot .

Brahmpura along with some other SAD leaders had formed the party after their expulsion from the Akali Dal.

SAD had recently expelled senior leaders Brahmpura and Ajnala from the party's primary membership for six years for their alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

Ranjit Singh Brahmpura's son Ravinder Pal Singh Brahmpura and Ajnala's son Amarpal Singh Boni too were ousted for six years from the primary membership of the SAD.

The Khadoor Sahib MP had recently resigned from the post of SAD's senior vice president as well as its core committee membership due to age and health reasons.

Notably, the SAD had also recently expelled Sewa Singh Sekhwan, a former minister, from the primary membership of the party, shortly after he had announced his resignation as senior vice president and core committee member.

Earlier, Sekhwan, Brahmpura and some other Taksali Akalis (old guard) had raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its "panthic agenda". PTI COR SUN CK
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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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.
Old Christmas cards that might be sitting in your attic could be worth a small fortune

Every week Toby Walne gives the low-down on the value of forgotten treasures that may be gathering dust in your attic.

Most Christmas cards should now be on show, but if you have some stored in the attic, they could be worth a small fortune.

Sir Henry Cole, founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in West London, sent the first Christmas cards in 1843. They cost a shilling each but today sell for as much as 8,500.

By the 1860s, printing processes had improved so it was possible to have coloured cards that were not hand painted.

Some had pictures on the front of dead robins  a good luck omen  melting snowmen or dancing frogs. Such unusual yuletide greetings now sell for up to 150.

It was not until the Edwardian era that Santa became popular  a much slimmer version than we know today and often dressed in blue or green.

He was based on a 4th Century Turkish bishop who later became St Nicholas.

Such cards often had windows that were held up to a candle to brighten the image  and sell for 100.

Santa only became fat and jolly with his iconic red and white outfit in the 1930s when Coca-Cola used him to promote fizzy drinks.
Edinburgh-based investment house Baillie Gifford will reduce the fees it takes for running four investment trusts from the start of the year.

It means more of the profits generated by the trusts will be passed on to shareholders.

The move by the employee-owned business continues a trend among stock market listed investment trusts to provide investors with better value for money.

Reduction in fees means that more of the profits from the trusts will be passed to shareholders

This year, data from trade association the Association of Investment Companies indicates that 37 trusts have lowered fees  against 27 in 2017.

The Baillie Gifford trusts with the welcome fee reduction are Edinburgh Worldwide, Pacific Horizon, Japan and Shin Nippon.

The annual fee charged on the first 50million slice of assets managed by each trust will fall from 0.95 per cent to 0.75 per cent.

On assets above 50million, the fee will remain at 0.65 per cent on the next 200million and 0.55 per cent above 250million.

The reduction will save each of the trusts 100,000 per annum, money that will help boost shareholder returns.

Baillie Gifford, which manages just short of 200 billion of assets across a range of funds and trusts, argues that the cuts are part of its commitment to offer value for money to investors.

Its move is also an acknowledgement that many investment managers have reaped rich rewards as fund sizes have got larger but the management charge in percentage terms has stayed rigidly the same.

James Budden, a Baillie Gifford director, says: We are keen to pass on the benefits of increased scale to investment trust shareholders where possible.

Unlike investment funds, investment trusts are overseen by independent boards whose job is to protect the interests of shareholders.

Boards are increasingly putting pressure on investment managers to prove they are offering value for money.

The annual management fee on 1.4billion trust Murray International, run by Aberdeen Standard Investments, is also falling. From the start of the year, the fee falls from 0.575 per cent to 0.5 per cent on the first 1.2billion of assets.

Above this, the new fee will be 0.425 per cent.
Investor, Jonathon Ruffer has handed 4million in dividends to charity

Millionnaire investor Jonathan Ruffer has handed 4million in dividends to charity, new accounts for his firm show.

Fund management group Ruffer Management paid out 11.5million to its investors this year, as revenues soared 9 per cent to more than 200million.

Ruffer, 67, a well-known philanthropist and devout Christian whose net worth is estimated to be more than 400 million, is chairman of the group.

In March, he and his wife Jane handed over a 35 per cent stake in the business to their charity, Lempriere Pringle 2015, which offers grants to various causes.

The Ruffers, therefore, were left with a 1.7million dividend, while their charity was handed more than 4million.

Ruffer's highest paid employee took home more than 12million as the firm reported profits of 119million.
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.

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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.

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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.
It has been two years since cake entrepreneur Alana Spencer won The Apprentice  and she says going on the BBC show was the best decision of her life.

Spencer, 26, received a 250,000 investment from entrepreneur Alan Sugar.

Her cake business, Ridiculously Rich by Alana, now has an annual sales turnover of half a million pounds and she has just bought herself a beautiful five-bedroom house in west Wales.

She made her first 1,000 selling chocolates at Christmas when aged 16. She says she has never struggled to make ends meet despite leaving school at 17.

Her luxury handmade cakes are now sold by 50 'ambassadors' countrywide at local events and festivals.

Her business hasn't been without its hiccups: last year, she had to recall cakes after labelling inaccuracies. Her website, ridiculouslyrichbyalana.co.uk, offers gift subscriptions of regular boxes of cakes delivered direct to your door.

Sweet treat: Apprentice winner Alana Spencer with Lord Alan Sugar, launching a new product

What did you make of this year's winner of the show  26-year-old swimwear designer Sian Gabbidon?

I think she definitely deserved to win. She was focused and level-headed throughout  she didn't shout over people, she was always calm and collected and professional. I think Lord Sugar chose to invest in her as a person as well as in her business.

I met her at the party after the show and I thought she was just lovely. I am sure she will do well. She seems incredibly talented.

What did your parents teach you about money?

To be careful. My mum is an artist and my dad is a business consultant who advises on science investments. But when I was growing up, Dad was doing a PhD while Mum had three jobs in art galleries, so money was tight.

They always made me work for my pocket money and that taught me to save. I'm really frugal and I think that is a result of my upbringing.

What was the first paid work you did?

Making handmade cards and selling them to friends and family for 1 each when I was 15. I probably made about 200 over six months. That was the first entrepreneurial thing I ever did.

Save: Alana said her parents have always taught her to be careful with her money

I learnt a lot and when I was 16, I made the move into making chocolates. I made 1,000 the first Christmas I did that.

Unlike with my cards business, people I didn't even know were placing orders because they had heard my chocolates were delicious. Eventually, when I was 17, I left school to focus on my business.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

No, never. Even when I was setting up my business, I was still living at home and had few expenses.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

Yes. Since The Apprentice, there have been a few speaking gigs where I have been paid a few thousand pounds for half an hour's work. I don't do many of them, but when I do I find the fees really bizarre.

I did not get paid to go on The Apprentice or on the You're Hired/Fired show, but I did get given a budget for things I might need to take in there  like clothes.

What was the best year of your financial life?

Last year. The business has gone from me and my partner baking and selling our products to having 50 ambassadors that sell our cakes at food festivals across the country. These ambassadors buy the cakes from us and then sell them at events. We turned over half a million pounds last year.

What is your biggest money mistake?

Not investing as much as I should have in my business before The Apprentice. I was saving money instead so my bank balance was growing but my business wasn't.

The best money decision you have made?

Going on The Apprentice. It wasn't just my best financial decision, it was the best one I have ever made in my life. It has made a huge difference in every aspect of my life.

Financially, I have been able to take profits from my business and put down a hefty deposit to buy a house.

I also have a different work schedule. Instead of baking and selling at markets, I'm office-based and work in the development kitchen.

Do you save into a pension or invest in the stock market?

I have a work pension as a result of auto-enrolment but nothing more. I do not really understand the stock market and I would rather invest in property.

Do you own any property?

Yes, a beautiful five-bedroom house in west Wales. I bought it earlier this year for just under 500,000.

What little luxury do you treat yourself to?

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. I spend about 40 on it every three months. With make-up I have found that once you get on to the nicer stuff, it's hard to go back.

If you were Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the first thing you would do?

I would increase tax relief for small businesses.

There should be as much support as possible for small businesses  to give them a chance to become big businesses. A small cut in tax can really help a small business grow.

What is your number one financial priority?

To have both financial security and stability.
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.'
A controversial plan for a City skyscraper dubbed the 'Tulip' is under threat after the Tower of London objected to the building, saying it would be 'extremely damaging' to views of the world heritage site.

The 1,000ft high Tulip would be a visitor attraction next to the Gherkin in the City of London's so-called 'Eastern Cluster' of skyscrapers.

But the plans from architects Foster + Partners have outraged the Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that looks after the Tower of London.

An artist's impression of how the proposed 1000ft skyscraper, the 'Tulip', would look in London

Responding to the City of London's planning consultation, the charity said the 'great height, exotic and consciously eye-catching form' of the Tulip would damage views of the Tower.

'The height, proximity and self-consciously dramatic design of the proposed development would diminish the Tower world heritage site, reducing it to the appearance of a toy castle, set down between the ever-growing Eastern Cluster... and Tower Bridge,' the Historic Royal Palaces said.

Historic England, a body that guards listed buildings, said the design would 'reduce the visual dominance' of the London landmark.

Some members of the public have criticised the proposal, saying it is a 'phallic-shaped attraction with little aesthetic merit' and 'tasteless in the extreme'.

One London resident said: 'I strongly object on the grounds of public decency. Whereas past towers have always had a certain phallic quality, this erection crosses a clear societal boundary of unconsensual public exposure.'

A spokesperson for Foster + Partners said: 'We recognise the position of the Historic Royal Palaces as an important stakeholder with whom we engaged with prior to the submission of this planning application.

'We will continue to work to address these comments as part of the planning process.'
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.
Minebea Mitsumi, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of high precision ball bearings and components for IT (Information Technology), telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, and home appliance industries. It operates through the following segments: Machined Components, Electronic Devices and Components, Mitsumi Electric Products, and Others. The Machined Components segment provides mechanical parts such as ball bearings, rod-end bearings, hard disk drive pivot assemblies, and aircraft screws. The Electronic Devices and Components segment offers LED backlights, sensor devices, stepping motors, fan motors, hard disk drive spindle motors, precision motors, and other special devices. The Mitsumi Electric Products segment handles the semiconductor, optical, mechanical, high frequency, and power supply devices. The Others segment deals with the in-house produced machines. The company was founded on July 16, 1951 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Oakland International Airport was visited by an uncommon traveler Thursday morning: a young California sea lion.

Alameda County Sheriff deputies spotted the flippered mammal waddling near Airport Access Road around 2 a.m Thursday. Though the Oakland airport abuts the bay on its western side, the animal had seemingly traveled a fair distance on land.

Using their flashlights and voices  one deputy can be heard calling the sea lion "good boy" in a video of the encounter  the deputies led the wayward animal back to the bay's waters.

It didn't stay there. About four hours later, the sea lion was once again spotted doddering on airport land. Deputies called in backup.

"We were concerned that maybe the sea lion was sick or lost or in need of assistance," said Sergeant Ray Kelly, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.

With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's wildlife team and marine mammal experts, the sea lion was corralled into a kennel and transported to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for evaluation.

Nicknamed Cruizin by Marine Mammal Center staff, the young sea lion is currently resting in the hospital's intensive care and quarantine unit, where all animals spend at least 12 hours upon arrival.

Emily Whitmer, the Marine Mammal Center's Koret Foundation Veterinary Intern, said the sea lion will be evaluated tomorrow, though it appeared "fairly skinny," as though it hasn't been able to sufficiently feed itself in the wild.

"It was probably separated from its mom earlier than it should have been," Whitmer said.

Officials aren't certain how or why the sea lion came to the airport  Kelly joked the animal was hoping to catch a last-minute flight to Hawaii for the holidays  but they agree such a sight is unusual.

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"I've been here 23 years, and I've never seen a sea lion at the airport before," Kelly said.

During their brief encounter with the critter, deputies grew fond of it and could "see its personality," Kelly said. "It's almost like a dog."

Whitmer said Cruizin's story should serve as a reminder to the public to leave marine marine mammals alone, especially with the forthcoming spring pupping season.

The center asks the public to keep ample distance from marine mammals in the wild or otherwise  a good rule of thumb is to stay far enough away from the animal that you must use the zoom function on your phone camera  and to call the center at 415-289-7325 if you encounter an animal that appears to be in distress.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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Albany

Canadians may not have the highest opinion of the U.S. and President Donald Trump, but that chill from the north has not hurt business and tourism ties to New York.

"It was amazing how fast things unfroze" after Canada and the Trump administration announced a new trade agreement in late November, said Garry Douglas, president and CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce.

"The phones starting ringing again. The Canadians are back," said Douglas, whose group represents 3,200 companies in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton and Warren counties, as well as in the Canadian province of Quebec.

That upbeat message was echoed by tourism officials in the North Country and Lake George regions, who report visits by Canadians remained strong this summer, even as Trump and his aides castigated Canadian leader Justin Trudeau during trade talks as "weak," dishonest," and deserving of "a special place in hell."

The Trump administration also slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in June, which still remain in place.

But all that disparaging talk ended after the U.S. and Canada inked a new trade deal to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement, which now goes before the U.S. Congress for its review and potential approval.

New York's shoreline along Lake Champlain, marketed as the Adirondack Coast, is a key tourism destination for Canadians, and visits there remained strong this summer, said Kristi Kennedy, vice president for marketing at the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.

"Numbers were up for Champlain this year. Each month we saw 4 to 11 percent growth," she said. "We got comments (from upset Canadians) on our social media after the election, but they died down quickly and we just replied with 'We understand our strong and important ties to Canada.'"

She said merchants in the region report that Canadian shoppers are still visiting, with numbers up for Black Friday last month. "In all aspects, from visitors to air travel, the Canadian traveler was on the rise in 2018," Kennedy said.

The same goes for the Lake George region, another tourist destination popular with Canadians, said Joanne Conley, director of the Warren County Tourism Department.

"We also saw some negative commenting on social media, but that stopped at the end of the summer," she said. "Our numbers remained steady. In our experience, changes in visitation are tied to the exchange rate more than anything else."

While New York state is not bearing the brunt of Canadian ire, there are many citizens of that country who are not feeling quick to forgive in the wake of what they saw as bullying and insults from the blustering American leader.

In November, an established Canadian public opinion poll found that the view of the U.S. was at its lowest level since the question was first asked in 1982.

The poll by the Toronto-based Environics Institute for Survey Research found that 37 percent of Canadians have a favorable view of the U.S., down 10 percentage points from the year before at the end of Trump's first year.

When President Barack Obama left office, nearly two Canadians in three looked up to the U.S. The previous low had come during the second term of President George W. Bush, when about half of Canadians held an unfavorable view of their southern neighbor.

"This declining view of the U.S.A. (in 2018) is evident across most of the country," according to the poll, "but is most noticeably among older Canadians and those with lower levels of education and income."

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Opinions about Trump were even worse, with nearly 80 percent of Canadians disapproving of him, the poll found.

Closer to home, the Trump administration's trade war, which also placed tariffs on imported Chinese goods, has not yet hampered business at the Port of Albany, said Bill Ring, port manager for the Canadian-based Federal Marine Terminals.

Imported Chinese-made subway cars, bound for the Boston transit system, started arriving in Albany this fall, and should continue through 2021, said Ring, given that purchase contracts were already signed.

More such cars could follow that, if the city of Philadelphia completes an agreement with the Chinese, he said.

At his office in Plattsburgh, Douglas is hopeful that a Canadian alternative energy company will finalize a deal to set up in the former Air Force base there. He is also busy planning business research trips to Quebec this spring, after not doing such visits this year, he said.

"But there is a little bit of a cloud out here," said Douglas. "Congress needs to approve the new trade deal, and we are hearing there may be some opposition on both sides of the border, a debate which creates uncertainty."

In what Douglas sees as a worst-case scenario, should Congress not quickly accept what the Trump administration has created, the President could cancel NAFTA, which would throw economic ties between the two countries into turmoil.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has made it clear what it thinks about continued tariffs on steel and aluminum.

"Canadian exports do not pose a national security threat to our closest ally," according to a Canadian chamber statement on Nov. 30. "The federal government must continue pressing for a full and permanent exemption for Canada from the United States' tariffs. These tariffs harm Canadian competitiveness and only weaken North American supply chains."
Washington

The stranger-than-sitcom American presidency opened 2018 with a big tease about mutual nuclear destruction from two leaders who then found "love" not war. It seems President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un were just playing hard to get.

The presidency ends the year saturated in tumult, with the government in partial shutdown and Trump tweeting a video of himself warbling a parody of the theme song from "Green Acres," a television sitcom from the 1960s, to mark his signing of a farm bill.

Throw in a beer-loving and very angry Supreme Court nominee, an unhappy departing defense secretary, Trump's parallel universe of facts and his zillion tweets, and you can see that the president's world this year was touched by the weird, the traumatic and the fantastical  also known as WTF.

There was no holding back the self-described "very stable genius" with the "very, very large brain."

Some serious and relatively conventional things got done in 2018.

There was a midterm election. Many more Democrats are coming to Congress and not quite all of them plan to run for president. Divided government dawns in January when Democrats take control of the House; Republicans retain their grip on the Senate.

An overhaul of the criminal justice system was accomplished, and in an unusually bipartisan way, though it took a dash of reality TV's Kim Kardashian West to move it along. Gun control actually was tightened a bit, with Trump's unilateral banning of bump stocks.

Trump shocked allies and lost Defense Secretary Jim Mattis over a presidential decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, quickly following up with indications that up to half the troops in Afghanistan might be withdrawn, too.

Self-described "Tariff Man" started one trade war, with China, and headed off a second by tweaking the North American Free Trade Agreement and giving it an unpronounceable acronym, USMCA. He withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, putting action behind his Twitter shout: "WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH."

Trump placed his second justice on the Supreme Court in two years after Brett Kavanaugh, accused of alcohol-fueled sexual assault in his youth, raged against the allegations at a congressional hearing and acknowledged only: "I liked beer, I still like beer," but "I never sexually assaulted anyone."

There were frustrations and fulminations aplenty for the president, particularly about the steaming-ahead Russia-Trump campaign investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller ("special councel" in some Trump tweets).

Nor did he make much progress on his promised border wall ("boarder wall"), which he renamed "artistically designed steel slats" in December in what he regarded as a concession to wall-despising, concrete-cursing Democrats. The concession did not work: large parts of the government closed Saturday over the wall-induced budget impasse.

He took heat for a zero-tolerance policy that forced migrant children from their parents until he backed off, inaccurately blaming Democrats for "Child Seperation."

It was a very good year for jobs. It was a check-your-smartphone-right-now, pass-the-smelling-salts year for the stock market. Trump, who assailed the unemployment rate as a phony measure when he was a candidate, couldn't speak of it enough as Obama-era job growth continued on his watch. He went mum about the market, a prime subject for his boasting before it took a sustained dive.

Trump's approval rating in polls was one of the few constants on this swiftly tilting planet: 42 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval in The Associated Press-NORC's latest and 38 percent-57 percent via Gallup, neither much different than in January.

Through it all, the mainstreaming of the bizarre proceeded apace and North Korea's Kim set that tone right on Jan. 1 with his New Year cheer to Americans across the ocean: "It's not a mere threat but a reality that I have a nuclear button on the desk in my office. All of the mainland United States is within the range of our nuclear strike."

Trump responded the next day with a tweet about size and performance. "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

Once they got that out of their system, things quickly improved, helped along by Kim's letters to Trump, which the U.S. president called "beautiful." There was no more talk about Trump being a "mentally deranged dotard" or Kim being a "maniac," the musty insults of an earlier time. In June, they held history's first meeting between a North Korean leader and a current U.S. president. "We fell in love," Trump later said at a West Virginia rally.

Kim had previously vowed to visit "fire and fury" on the U.S. but the "Fire and Fury" that made Trump livid early this year was the book of the same name, Michael Wolff's insider account of the Trump White House. That was a different sort of missile. The president took particular exception to observations in the book by his former chief strategist, tweeting about "Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!"

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They are said to be on better terms now.

Over the course of the year, Trump spoke at more than 40 campaign rallies, kept up his Twitter barrage (40,000 tweets since 2009 on his @realDonaldTrump account) and answered plenty of questions in infrequent but lengthy news conferences and sit-down interviews.

So what stands out in this blizzardy whiteout of unconventionality?

How about this farewell to his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson? "He was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell." (The president usually reserves "dumb as a rock" for journalists.)

Or his description of Stormy Daniels, paid to stay quiet about their alleged affair, as "horseface?"

Or this description of his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, as "scared stiff and Missing in Action," before Sessions was finally out in November?

Will history long remember that in 2018 the president called Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff "little Adam Schitt" on Twitter and nations in Africa "shithole countries" in a private meeting?

Or that he (correctly) predicted Hurricane Florence would be "tremendously wet" or told the AP: "I have a natural instinct for science?"

In July, Trump appeared to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he stood by Putin's side at a Helsinki summit news conference and gave weight to Putin's denial that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, despite the firm conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that it had. "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia, Trump said.

But while it's been hardly noticed in a capital consumed by the shutdown drama, Mattis, Syria, steel slats and market convulsions, 2018 draws to a close as it started  with warnings of a nuclear Armageddon, this time from Putin.

Putin's prompt was Trump's intention to walk away from one arms control treaty and his reluctance to extend another.

That, said Putin, "could lead to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet."

Maybe he's just playing hard to get.
COLONIE  An Albany County jail inmate found dead Saturday is suspected to have been killed by a lethal form of heroin causing overdoses throughout the south, Sheriff Craig Apple said Sunday.

Apple released a statement Sunday concerning the death of Shane Lemperle, who the sheriff's office said was found unresponsive in his cell at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

An exact cause of death has not been determined. An autopsy will not be done until Monday.

Apple said Lemperle was found with a dark gray powder hidden inside one of the socks he was wearing. A test of the powder revealed it to be a mix of heroin and fentanyl, what investigators suspect is a drug called "Grey Death."

"It's deadly," Sheriff Apple said. "We believed it was smuggled into the jail, probably passed through in a kiss."

The drug has been known to have lead to lethal overdoses in southern states, but had not been seen yet by the Albany County Sheriff's Office or Albany County coroner. The powder will be submitted to the State Police for more testing.

Apple said "Grey Death" is a combination of over-the-counter and prescription drugs with heroin, fentanyl and carfentinal, which is used to tranquilize large animals like elephants.

"It's really nasty," Apple said.

Lemperle's death remains under investigation. He was brought to the jail on Aug. 12 from the Watervliet City Court on a charge of conspiracy and criminal possession of stolen property and was currently being held for a parole violation.

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In 2014, Lemperle was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, in addition to other charges, for allegedly bringing a 3-year-old with him while he burglarized Kneers Automotive in Brunswick. At the time he was released to Rensselaer County Probation pending the outcome of that case.

Lemperle's is the second death at the Albany County Jail since the summer.

In July, 36-year-old Cohoes resident Jessica Falco was found unresponsive in her cell by a correction officer during breakfast, also on a Saturday.

The officer sounded the emergency alarm for assistance and immediately began performing CPR. Medical staff and Colonie EMS responded and efforts to resuscitate Falco were unsuccessful, Apple said at the time.

Falco was incarcerated on March 7 and was serving a one-year sentence for probation violation.
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 carry out President Donald Trump's newly declared policy of withdrawing the 2,000 troops stationed in Syria.

McGurk, a seasoned diplomat 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 to his staff, he decided to move forward his departure to Dec. 31 after Trump did not heed his own commanders and blindsided America's allies in the region by abruptly ordering the troop withdrawal.

His decision follows close on the departure of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, whose own resignation letter has been seen as a rebuke of the president's 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," McGurk said in the email to his colleagues. "It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered."

"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," he said.

With more than a decade of experience in Iraq spanning three administrations, McGurk helped stitch together the 79-nation coalition led by the United States to fight the Islamic State. The coalition oversaw the battle to take back territory from the terrorist group.

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In a shift from the way the insurgency had been fought during the Bush administration, one of the Obama administration's core doctrines was that America's allies in the region needed to take the lead in recapturing territory from the terrorist group, with U.S. forces providing air support and limited logistical assistance.

This meant that the ground war to take back key cities captured by Islamic State, like Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, took years to mount. It came down to McGurk to negotiate alliances and broker military aid to the mosaic of armed groups and governments vying for control of the region.

On Twitter, Trump did not directly address McGurk's resignation but took credit for defeating the Islamic State.
BEDFORD HILLS  Joyce Mitchell is refuting the television portrayal of her in the Showtime series "Escape at Dannemora."

"He doesn't care about the truth," the 54-year-old inmate said about Ben Stiller, the executive producer and director. "All he cares about is making millions off of me."

In two interviews with the New York Post, Mitchell. who is incarcerated at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, denied she had consensual sex with David Sweat and Richard Matt, whom she helped escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in June 2015. The 23-day manhunt that was launched for the escapees resulted in the Sweat being recaptured and Matt being shot to death.

Mitchell was found guilty of promoting prison contraband and was sentenced to seven years in the Westchester prison for her part in the escape that cost taxpayers about $22 million.

Mitchell, known as Tillie, doesn't deny she smuggled in drill bits and hacksaw blades in frozen ground beef for Matt and Sweat. She remains adamant that she didn't have sex with the inmates, only that she provided Sweat with nude photos of herself and was forced to give Matt oral sex.

But in the show, Patricia Arquette who plays Mitchell, is depicted having regular sex with Sweat and Matt in the prison tailor shop, which she managed. Mitchell told the Post that it was "impossible" she was able to have sex in the tailor shop.

However, the state Attorney General details many of the incidents depicted in the Showtime series in a 154-page report.

Released in June 2016, the report, from Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott, was used as the source material for the miniseries. Stiller said prior to the report, he rejected the idea of the seven-part series, because there were not enough information on the escape. His feeling changed after the report was released.

"This is what we've been looking for, which is the actual sort of source material," Stiller told The Watch podcast.

The IG report noted that Mitchell began working at Dannemora in 2008 as an Industrial Training Supervisor. In November 2013, she was assigned to Tailor Shop 1 where she remained until the day of the escape.

On July 12, 2014, the Clinton prison administration received an anonymous, handwritten letter, believed to be from an inmate, containing several allegations of improper conduct in Tailor Shop 1, the report states.

The letter claimed: "It's funny that she (Mitchell) goes to [Tailor Shop 9, the unstaffed

spare parts room], next door with the same guy once or twice a week for 3 to 5 minute[s] and

come out with nothing. I have notice that since I start it working here 4 the past 5 months." [sic]

Although unnamed in the letter, it was clear to staff and inmates in the shop that Sweat

was the referenced "guy." An inmate provided partial corroboration of the allegations, testifying

that Mitchell and Sweat left the shop together 'a few times [for] five to 10 minutes.'"

That led to Sweat being removed from the Taylor Shop.

That is when Mitchell's relationship with Matt began.

The report said: "As one inmate described Matt's influence in the tailor shop, 'If you didn't kiss Matt's a--, then your days were numbered.' In the words of another inmate, after Sweat's removal, the shop became the 'kingdom of Matt.'"

"In Sweat's absence," the report continued. "Matt also began to focus greater personal attention on Mitchell. Mitchell recalled that Matt became 'flirtatious;' he "made me feel special." More significantly, Matt began asking more favors of Mitchell, revealing her willingness to break prison rules for his benefit and laying the foundation for the escape nine months later."

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Mitchell told The Post she hasn't seen the show, said she has heard all about it from the guards at Bedford Hills and her husband, Lyle. She said she cries daily and leads a lonely life in prison, said that she wishes she could take back her actions, the newspaper reported.

She also said she looks forward to spending time with her family when she is released in June 2022. Her husband Lyle Mitchell, she told the Post, doesn't believe she was unfaithful.

The IG report also details claims about a scheme to murder her husband.

"Moreover, despite her claims to the contrary, Mitchell took steps consistent with a plan to

murder Lyle Mitchell. Within days of the escape, Mitchell admitted, she accepted from Matt 'two pills' which she assumed were painkillers prison medical staff had prescribed him for his sciatica. The plan, according to Mitchell, was that on the night of the escape, she would surreptitiously administer the pills to her husband to put him into a sound sleep, pick up Matt and Sweat outside the prison, then return home where Matt would murder Lyle Mitchell."

"Mitchell said she took the pills home the same day Matt gave them to her and kept them in her purse. Incredibly, in her testimony to the Inspector General, Mitchell claimed to have forgotten she had the pills and, only after the escape, flushed them down the toilet. However, Mitchell, in two separate statements to the State Police, claimed she had never received the pills from Matt."

"He comes to visit me every two weeks," Mitchell told the Post about her husband Lyle. "He will be here on Christmas Day."

Lyle Mitchell also built her a gazebo in which she is looking forward to "spending time with my husband and my kids" once released.

She also said she plans on writing a book, contradicting the Showtime series' version of events.

"The truth doesn't sell," she told the Post. "Everyone thinks I'm just a whore who wanted it."
SARATOGA SPRINGS  Mayor Meg Kelly made it clear at her first state of the city address that she was unlike previous city leaders. After her message to the people, she stepped aside to allow each member of the City Council to give their own speech.

The unusual move was hailed by some as an olive branch to her fellow elected officials, who have been locked in a 3-2 divide on City Council for years. Ellen Kiehl, a member of the city's Democratic Committee, said the gesture led to a governing body where "a high degree of comity and civility is on display."

But critics of Kelly saw it as a gesture of abdication, a ceding of authority to the senior council members who spent years repressing Kelly's predecessor Joanne Yepsen.

One former mayor, Ray Watkin, said that it is an example of how she is not acting independently. "The council members are steering her actions, not the people," he said.

Either way, it's been a tough first year for the city's chief executive. A fire caused $10 million worth of damage to City Hall and, in another matter, the public has renewed its call for an investigation into a young man's death in the aftermath of a 2013 city police pursuit that left him gravely injured.

Voters rejected by a 2-1 margin a proposed city charter revision she supported. Just prior to the vote, she leaped into a public battle with her former boss, former Mayor Yepsen, over the issue of the long-disputed city charter. Yepsen disapproved of Kelly's creation of a charter commission made up on only the city's most powerful elected officials and their appointees. That prompted Kelly to say Yepsen's criticism "only reassures me that what I did was right."

Kelly has also tangled with Commissioner of Accounts John Franck over his resolution to freeze salaries at $14,500 for elected officials, complaining her salary was "ridiculous" and too low for "a hard working female mayor."

Those who support Kelly say they are grateful that she quelled years of City Council acrimony, moved forward plans for a long-delayed and controversial City Center parking garage that was stuck in litigation for years and banished from the City Center a controversial gun show and sale.

"Overall, I think she has done a really good job," Franck said. "She especially worked with the various commissioners and keeping the city council meetings in order and stopped some of the infighting. She has brought civility to our meetings."

Most politicians would relish expounding on accomplishments and even casting their defeats as valiant struggles for what is right. Not Kelly. The Democrat prefers to keep the press at bay, sometimes even hanging up on them. She didn't want to comment on banning the gun show at the City Center. She hung up on a Times Union reporter when asked about City Hall renovations saying the question "was inappropriate." She also wouldn't discuss the charter commission she created saying "I'm staying out of it." When she does speak, her comments are clipped and to the point. She declined multiple requests to sit down with the Times Union to discuss her first year in office.

"I am not willing to do this story," Kelly wrote in an email after several attempts to reach her. "I will be giving my State of the City in January. My first year will be covered."

Kelly was a Republican before joining Yepsen's administration in July 2016 as deputy mayor. She gained the city Democratic Committee's close to unanimous backing as nominee for mayor after spending a year as Yepsen's deputy, Chair Courtney DeLeonardis said. During the 2017 campaign for mayor, she told the Times Union that she supported construction of a parking garage for the City Center in an area other than the legally disputed lot near the Mouzon House. She also supported more affordable housing and changing the city's century-old commission form of government.

When she won the city's top job in November 2017, Kelly garnered 54 percent of the 9,102 votes cast, as certified by Saratoga County Board of Elections. She overtook Republican Mark Baker, despite the fact he had more money and more donors, state Board of Elections filings showed.

Once in office, she was applauded by supporters for banning gun shows at the City Center and also creating a gun buy-back program. City Center Executive Director Ryan McMahon described the two, the end of sales and the buyback program, as complementary pieces. In a March 11 letter from the city's Democratic Committee, Chair Courtney DeLeonardis congratulated Kelly and the City Council for their vote to ban the shows with "such quick and whole-hearted action on this long-standing, divisive question."

"This has been a troubling situation for a number of years," DeLeonardis wrote to Kelly. "We know that, in so doing, you will have prompted strenuous backlash from some members of the community. We want to show our strong support for the decision the Council took to end the regular display and sale of weapons at this venue."

But the honeymoon with some supporters had already soured. A week earlier Kelly formed a commission of City Hall insiders to update the current city charter, with proposed changes to be put to city voters as a referendum item in the November elections.

"I believe then and I believe now that we need to make changes to our city to be more responsive and efficient to our residents, businesses and visitors," Kelly said in her March 6 announcement. "This group is the people who work inside of City Hall and know the commission form of government and know where deficiencies are and will look at this thoroughly and update it into the 21st century."

In a November 2017 referendum which was defeated by 10 votes, nearly half the 9,000 city's voters wanted to discard the city's commission form of government. Right after the defeat, charter change advocates, who suggested reforming the city government to be run by a city manager and expanded council, were still involved in court action aimed ultimately at a recount. Other charter change hopefuls were also considering gathering signatures to force another referendum in November 2018. Kelly's move to have her own charter referendum in 2018 thwarted the change advocates' petition effort.

At the time, the chair of the disbanded 2017 charter review commission, Bob Turner, called Kelly's move an effort to block those seeking to change the city's commission form of government. Ann Trainor, who sits on a committee that advises Kelly in policies involving the city's elderly population,said Kelly's move was "sneaky."

"I thought she would carry on what Joanne Yepsen was doing," the longtime Saratogian said. "But not at all. A few weeks after the election, she went to the other side. I think she must have felt bullied by the council."

Former Mayor Watkins, who supported changing the city's commission form of government, said the defeat of Kelly's referendum, to just update the charter rather than discard it for a more modern form of government, was a referendum on her leadership.

"I feel that it was a wrong, undemocratic action. I think she lost support," said Watkins, who led the city from 1974 to 1979. "She started out wanting to do well. Evidently, someone got to her and she got frightened."

It's hard to imagine Kelly frightened. She presides over City Council meetings with a cool control, immediately telling public commenters to sit down if they speak beyond their bell-monitored two minutes. Franck described Kelly as "tough as nails" and "a straight-shooter."

"There is no BS with Meg and I appreciate that," Franck said. "Meg is a strong negotiator, similar to Scott Johnson, strong-willed, but willing to give in on things to negotiate. She's not my way or the highway."

Kelly's fans say she has accomplished much, including the Flat Rock Centre parking garage. That plan was approved, revitalizing an old controversial garage that the City Center wanted, but Kelly, during her campaign, said she didn't support. Now Kelly is credited with uniting the City Council, the City Center and the Mouzon House, which kept the old plan in litigation, behind a reconfiguration of the five-story garage in the same controversial location.

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"The business community loves the fact that she's collaborated with all of the other commissioners," said Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, who is supportive of the garage plan. "She understands the power of the mayor's office is limited and that to get things done you have to work well with the others. More often than not now, our elected leaders are finding ways to collaborate and to partner to get things done."

Perhaps her biggest challenge was last summer's fire in City Hall. An Aug. 17 lightning strike sparked a small blaze on the third floor, the dousing of which led to extensive water damage on all floors. Kelly, with guidance from the city's emergency plan, helped steer the move of the city's operation to the Recreation Center on Vanderbilt Street within a few days time.

"The way she and her fellow council members, indeed the entire City Hall workforce, pitched in to minimize disruption to city functions when they were forced out of their normal workspace by the August fire," Kiehl said, is Kelly's greatest accomplishment so far. "It is easy to imagine a scenario where necessary functions might have been unavailable for weeks or months on end, considering the scope of the disaster. Instead, within just three days or so, all essential services were back and available."

During that time, Kelly locked down communication, forbidding other city officials to answer questions from the media about the fire. In bold letters, a news release from her office informed the media that "the Mayor is the point of information to the public."

Kelly is not answering questions, however, on the controversy swirling around the death of Darryl Mount, a mixed-raced young man who city police said was injured when he fell from a scaffolding after they pursued him into an alley on Aug. 31, 2013. He died nine months later. Mount's mother, Patty Jackson, doesn't believe the police account. She says the extensive injuries to her son's face would not have been caused by a fall. At the time, she and others urged police to conduct an internal investigation. But an August Times Union dive into court records show that such an investigation was never done, despite the fact that police Chief Gregory Veitch told the Saratogian newspaper that it was.

Since the August article, friends, family and community leaders have renewed their demand for answers from City Hall, staging a protest over the summer and a November press conference with activists and religious leaders that was followed by the group speaking at a City Council meeting. Commissioner of Public Safety Peter Martin has formed a citizen's group to discuss police matters, but the group has no investigative powers. Hollyday Hammond, a co-chair of MLK Saratoga, which is one of many community groups involved in refocusing attention on Mount's death said she doesn't see Kelly as initiating anything in the Mount matter.

"I have not approached her directly," Hammond said. "My impression is she is supportive of Peter Martin. We would like to see her take a strong position on this and be more vocal."

One issue Kelly has not been reticent about is the gun debate in the Saratoga Springs City School district. When the school board voted to disarm its grounds monitors, parents with students in the district  which includes the city as well as parts of Wilton, Milton and Greenfield  rose up to oppose the move. In response, the City Council passed a resolution asking the school board to reverse its decision. While she and the council received applause for the unanimous vote, others thought she overstepped her authority.

Barbara Thomas of the League of Women Voters told the mayor and the City Council that "It's not appropriate to try to tell the school board that covers a much wider area than the city of Saratoga Springs what to do."

While all agree that the City Council is now united, Kelly's has yet to inspire unity in a community that is still divided over the city charter. Carl Zeilman, chairman of the Saratoga County Republicans, said that GOP is in a good position to take back the office. At this point, however, it's too early to say who they will put up to challenge Kelly in November 2019.

"We do have people that have reached out who have a strong record of fiscal conservatism," Zeilman said. "At this point, we are just starting a dialogue."

Richard Sellers, an outspoken supporter of the commission form of government, will likely get Kelly's vote. He is pleased with her and called her the city's MVP.

"Mayor Kelly works collegially and cooperatively with the entire City Council, a noticeable improvement generating better results," Sellers said.

But Franck admits Kelly's work has caused some hard feelings and a rift in the city's Democratic committee.

"I can see where people think she has given up a little too much," Franck said. "She bridged the gap that existed on the City Council, working with everyone including (Commissioners) Michele (Madigan) and Skippy (Scirocco), to the dismay of a lot of people. ... I also understand the animosity with the charter people. There is a lot of bad will there. ... But I think she has done a fabulous job."

Note: This story was updated to reflect that Mayor Meg Kelly got "close to" an unanimous backing from the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee.
ALBANY  The search for the killer of a 30-year-old woman who was raped and strangled while jogging in Queens in August 2016 had stalled.

Police had found traces of the killers DNA on the battered body of Karina Vetrano, but it did not match any of the more than 600,000 DNA profiles on file in the states database -- samples taken from evidence collected of unsolved crimes and also people convicted of offenses ranging from misdemeanors to murder.

On Dec. 7, 2016, Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown wrote a letter to the chairman of New Yorks Commission on Forensic Science, imploring the commission to authorize the use of a technique called familial searching, in which the states DNA database would be searched for profiles of potential relatives of the unknown suspect.

The killer remains at large, the public remains in danger, and the suffering of the victims family is amplified by law enforcements inability to yet solve this most awful crime, Brown wrote. I believe the familial searching can be a powerful investigative tool in this case.

The search technique, approved in a dozen states but, at the time of Browns request, not New York, was not used and played no role in the February 2017 arrest of 22-year-old Chanel Lewis of Brooklyn, who was charged with Vetranos murder. His trial ended with a hung jury  despite what prosecutors claimed was irrefutable DNA evidence  and he remains jailed awaiting a retrial. But Browns request set in motion an effort by the state forensic science commission that would lead it to implement a controversial new regulation allowing familial DNA searches.

Steven Sunshine

The Legal Aid Society, which represented Lewis at his first trial, is waging a legal fight to halt the states use of familial searches. The society argues that the commission had no authority to pass the regulation and that such searches will lead to a disproportionate number of minorities being subjected to police encounters, simply because their DNA may be similar to someone in the databanks.

A state Supreme Court justice in New York City heard oral arguments last week in a case filed in February by the Legal Aid Society on behalf of two downstate men who have never been arrested but whose relatives have been convicted of crimes that resulted in their DNA being added to the databank.

The lawsuit asserts that the Legislature has never ceded its control of the DNA databank, which was created by statute in 1994, and has rejected proposed bills to authorize familial DNA searches, a technique that has been legalized in states such as California and Colorado.

People convicted of certain crimes in New York are required to provide a sample of their DNA, which is then added to the states massive databank. When it was first created, the Legislature mandated only that those convicted of murder, assault or sexual offenses were required to provide their DNA. But through the years the Legislature has tweaked the statute and now samples must be provided even by those convicted of misdemeanor offenses.

The familial searches entail comparing the DNA of an unknown suspect  obtained from evidence such as a strand of hair or bodily fluids  to the 681,001 DNA samples currently in the databank. Investigators and law enforcement authorities say the hope is that an unknown suspects DNA may be linked to a relative whose identity is known, providing a lead that might otherwise never surface.

More Information What is a familial DNA search? Familial searching is a special search of a law enforcement DNA database conducted after a routine search has been completed and no profile matches are identified. Unlike a routine database search, which may spontaneously yield partial match profiles, familial searching is a deliberate search of a DNA database conducted for the intended purpose of identifying close biological relatives to the unknown DNA obtained from crime scene evidence, according to the FBI. Familial searching is based on the concept that first-order relatives, such as siblings or parent/child relationships, will have more genetic data in common than unrelated individuals. While familial searching is not performed at the national level, the following states currently perform familial searching at the state level: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, according to the FBI. See More Collapse

The legal challenge questions whether the privacy rights of New Yorkers are being violated, and challenges whether three executive branch agencies  the Division of Criminal Justice Services, the state Commission on Forensic Science and the commissions DNA subcommittee  had the authority to create the regulation allowing familial DNA searches.

The lawsuit notes the familial search criteria set up by the regulation, which went into effect in October 2017, gave DCJS acting Commissioner Michael C. Green the sole authority to approve applications from police agencies to conduct familial DNA searches involving unsolved crimes.

The system fails to ensure the most basic protections against abuse, the lawsuit notes, adding that there is no judicial review of the process, no avenue for someone targeted to object to the DNA search and no notification to the public.

Familial searching invites a broad new class of individuals to experience encounters with police  based solely on their biological relationship to individuals convicted of certain crimes, the lawsuit states. This new class of targets may be stopped and interrogated by police ... (and) subjected to scrutiny by law enforcement for no other reason than the possibility that their genes are similar to those of a data-banked individual.

The legal petition outlines how the state Legislature  which had failed repeatedly to pass legislation that would have granted the executive agencies the authority to authorize familial searches  was debating the very issue last year when DCJS and the forensic science commission took the extraordinary step of authorizing the regulation on their own.

At a forensic science commission meeting last week, state officials reported that Green, a former Monroe County district attorney and chairman of the forensic science commission, has reviewed 23 requests from law enforcement agencies seeking to use the familial DNA searches. Twelve were approved by Green, seven remain in the review stage, and four were rejected.

Details about the specific cases, including which police agencies requested the searches, were not provided to the commission at its public meeting.

Its unfair, unconstitutional and it violates equal protection, said Terri S. Rosenblatt, an attorney in the Legal Aid Societys DNA unit. This is a job for the people who are accountable to the voters, and the people who made these rules are not accountable to the voters.

The 14 members of the Commission on Forensic Science include a judge and two criminal defense attorneys, but it has multiple crime laboratory scientists and law enforcement officials, including Green, State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II, and district attorneys William Fitzpatrick of Onondaga County and Scott McNamara of Oneida County.

Green, who has been DCJS acting commissioner since 2012, declined to be interviewed for this story.

In a court filing in response to the lawsuit, Green said that in 2010 the forensic science commission, DNA subcommittee and DCJS approved a regulation allowing scientists to explore partial matches, which occur inadvertently and indicate that a suspect may be a close blood relative of someone whose DNA is on file in the databank.

John Carl D'Annibale

Since then, he said, there have been 92 instances in which a potential partial match was identified. In one of those cases, Green said, a partial match to a man whose DNA was in the system for a low-level offense led detectives to focus on and eventually arrest his brother, John Bittrolff, 52, who was convicted last year of murdering two women on Long Island in the 1990s.

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Greens court filing failed to disclose that there had been serious internal problems in the handling of that case. A DNA hit coordinator for DCJS had falsified a document certifying the laboratory results associated with the high-profile case, according to the agencys former forensic science director and an inspector generals report obtained by the Times Union. The document was later corrected and, according to law enforcement, disclosed to Bittrolffs attorney, who did not respond to a request for comment.

Both DCJS and the office of Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott, which investigated the allegation, kept the matter quiet and the female employee was suspended and subsequently retired.

Brian J. Gestring, the former forensic science director at DCJS, wrote a letter to the Commission on Forensic Science earlier this year and accused Green of lying to the panel about the agencys work in that case and others during a March meeting.

Gestring, who was fired this year after an allegation that he made inappropriate comments to female colleagues, said Green had wrongly informed the committee that DCJS does not get involved in DNA identifications. In fact, Gestring said, DCJS employees are responsible for making the identifications based on the information provided by crime labs.

PAUL BUCKOWSKI

He said that Green also concealed from the committee that he was aware of three catastrophic DNA hit-notification failures directly attributable to DCJS within the last year. In all three cases, the wrong individuals name was reported on a DNA hit notification.

Green, in a court document in the familial DNA lawsuit, defended the DCJS program and said that familial searching is simply a statistical evaluation of near-matches to identify the potential relatives to the donor of the forensic sample.

Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, also defended the commissions decision to enact the familial DNA-search regulation, saying it would be justified even if only a single rape or homicide is solved. He said the application process that Green oversees is rigorous, and assures that the familial searches would only be used to solve homicides or other violent felony offenses.

Assuming you jump through all the hoops and DCJS approves the request, then (police) have to undergo a several-hour training program, so that you dont have cops banging down the door and grabbing toothbrushes and combs from somebodys house who might be totally innocent, Fitzpatrick said. I feel very comfortable about the efficacy and legality of what we do.

Rosenblatt asked why law enforcement officials, and all other New Yorkers, dont put their DNA in the databank.

We dont because we value our privacy, she said. And particularly as New Yorkers, we have traditionally had a very protective view of our privacy.

Rosenblatt said its troubling that there is no judicial oversight of the searches as there is for search warrants. Also, the regulation allows police agencies to apply for familial searches not only for crimes such as murder and sexual assault but also for any case that concerns a significant public safety threat.

She said that final clause allows Green and other law enforcement officials to subjectively determine what that means: What if someone is sending anonymous complaint letters to the mayor? Is that a public safety threat?

Also, There has to be a showing that reasonable investigative efforts have been made, but thats not defined, Rosenblatt said. They could have said once all law enforcement efforts have been exhausted.
Raasch: The big question in 2019 Missouri politics: What kind of senator will Josh Hawley be? WASHINGTON * Come Jan. 3, when the pomp and ceremony of being sworn into office surrenders to the realities of governing, Missouri's new senator, Josh Hawley, may not grasp just what is hitting him. No one could, given the finger-pointing maelstrom he's walking into, and the unique profile Hawley brings to the fracas.

Here's a slightly more balanced look at the Senator-elect than what our local daily rag is offering. Already the bar is set low for this noob who was only more popular than one of the most despised ladies in statewide politics. This column considers the fate of his career as the voting public doesn't really seem to have much confidence in the lesser of two evils. Checkit:
AGENTatHOME Magazine

A version of this article appears in print in the December 2018 issue of AGENTatHOME Magazine. Subscribe
Dairy farmer turned bush poet reflects on remarkable journey

"IT was my passion and I never wanted to be the age I am now and wonder 'what if?'," says Bob Magor.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 22

In one of the biggest haul, the sleuths of the Excise and Taxation Department seized 515 cartons of country made foreign liquor (CMFL) in two separate cases, which were smuggled from Chandigarh late last night.

It is the second haul this week as earlier, 140 cartons of country made liquor were seized near Zirakpur on Thursday.

Giving more details Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC) Paramjit Singh said on specific information a department team led by Excise and Taxation Officer Vinod Pahuja laid a naka at Zirakpur. He said when they directed an approaching Canter bearing registration No. HR-37C -6837 to stop, its driver fled from the site leaving the vehicle behind.

On checking the Canter, the Excise team found 505 cartons of the CMFL with no holograms on bottles, he added. Prima facie it appeared that liquor had been brought from liquor manufacturing plants in Chandigarh, he said.

A case under the Excise Act was registered and the truck handed over to the Zirakpur police station, he added.

In another case, a Fortuner car driver was arrested for possessing 10 cartons of the CMFL at a naka on the Tonga-Boothgarh road late last night, said the AETC.

The suspect had brought liquor from Chandigarh, he added. The suspect was handed over to the Mulanpur police along with the vehicle.
Salil Desai

Salil Desai

Novelist and Filmmaker

One of India's best actors, Naseeruddin Shah, recently expressed his deep anguish as a Muslim in post-2014 India, when, speaking on the tragic Bulandshahr incident, he remarked, "I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks them whether they are Hindu or Muslim, they will have no answer." More importantly, in the same video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat, a unique communal harmony initiative by former civil servant and noted activist Harsh Mander, Naseeruddin Shah went to the heart of what ails present-day India when he pointed out that "the death of a cow is given more significance than the killing of a police officer."

Within 24 hours, the predictable toxic reactions have come thick and fast. Naseeruddin Shah has been mercilessly trolled on social media, politicians from the BJP and Shiv Sena have accused the actor of being irresponsible and anti-national and of indulging in scaremongering; his event at the Ajmer Literary Festival was cancelled following protests by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP; and the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, one of the many obscure right wing groups, has claimed to have booked an air ticket dated August 14 for the actor to fly to Pakistan.

As if that was not enough, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt waded into the controversy, advising Naseeruddin to refrain from calling himself a patriot after expressing such sentiments, especially because he had supported Yakub Memon's mercy plea earlier.

If anything, the vicious responses prove the very point Naseeruddin Shah made that "the poison has already spread and it is difficult to put this djinn back into the bottle."

Quite simply put, the ruling party and its affiliated right wing organisations have so successfully managed to normalise blatant communalism in our minds, that we now expect minorities, especially Muslims, to quietly accept Hindu dominance and intimidation, without a word of complaint, as if it were a natural fact of life even in a secular republic. In other words, society has started believing that Hindus are first-class citizens and have a right to treat minorities as second-class citizens.

Moreover, such inequality and the abuse, injustice and violence that follows is now considered to be a perfectly reasonable state of affairs, since certain minorities, especially Muslims, need to be kept in their place to maintain the natural order of Hindu hegemony in a predominantly Hindu country.

Thus, any voice of concern is attacked and condemned by right wing organisations with such vehemence that its genuineness starts getting perceived instead as a foul articulation of betrayal and hostility toward the land of Hindus, who can do no wrong.

Why otherwise would Naseeruddin Shah's statement be considered as an affront at all? As a Muslim married to a Hindu, actress Ratna Pathak Shah, why shouldn't he be able to talk about his uneasiness at the polarised atmosphere prevalent in the country and the safety of his children in the context of the growing impunity with which mobs can get away with lynching and murder under the garb of religion?

About two years ago, a similar outrage was generated by majoritarian outfits, led by the BJP, when Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao (another inter-faith couple) talked about not feeling secure sometimes.

The fact is that many ordinary Hindus too disapprove of the strain of aggressive cow politics and belligerent Hindutva promoted by the ruling party and its affiliates, but don't lend their voice of support to minority concerns like the kind expressed by Naseeruddin Shah or Aamir Khan, because they have a deeply ingrained, subliminal prejudice against Muslims in general.

Perhaps, it's high time we asked ourselves: what exactly is behind this bias? Why are we Hindus so insecure despite being an 80 per cent majority in our country? Why do we feel so threatened by Muslims? Why do we see them as an alien community, just to be tolerated? There was a time when we wouldn't admit it, but now many people seem to say it openly, as if there is nothing to be ashamed of hating or treating them unequally?

Some of the many reasons for this dislike, which have been exploited and insidiously propagated by the right wing are:

The alleged oppression of Hindus during the Mughal rule.

Partition of India as some kind of a grand betrayal by Muslims.

The practice of so-called pseudo-secularism and excessive minority appeasement by the Indian National Congress during the many years of its rule.

The unfortunate global image of Islam, since 9/11, as a religion of fanatics.

Kashmiri militancy and Pakistani terrorism.

In addition, there is dissatisfaction stoked against certain Muslim personal privileges in India, like polygamy, triple talaq and beef-eating, as well as a general revulsion about their social backwardness, attire and lack of hygiene. In fact, we simply look down upon Muslims as human beings. And that is exactly where the danger looms because we, as a country, are perilously close to reaching a point where we start believing that our largest minority community does not deserve normal humanitarian consideration.

That is a terribly slippery road to go down for any country. The 20th century is testimony to that. Therefore, it's up to us ordinary citizens to consciously rebuff the demonisation of minorities and their slow relegation to second class status by right wing political parties. If we seek to be a progressive, modern nation, the onus of secularism and equality lies squarely with the Hindus. Minority-bashing only enhances a community's sense of persecution and isolation and nothing good has ever come out of it. If not for any loftier principles, the majority needs to halt communalism for its own sake.
shalender@tribune.com

Amid the sweet whiff of victory in the three Hindi heartland states in the recent elections has come a pungent legal order for the Congress. In an apparent setback to the party, in particular its president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the Delhi High Court has ordered Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of Congress mouthpiece National Herald, to vacate its premises within a fortnight, failing which proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, would be initiated. Coming down hard on AJL, the court dismissed allegations of mala fide against the BJP government as preposterous, proclaiming that Young Indian, in which Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are majority shareholders, had, indeed, hijacked AJL.

In what was a pathetic contention, AJL had claimed that the Centres October 30 eviction order, ending its 56-year-old lease, was an attempt to covertly obliterate and defame Jawaharlal Nehrus legacy. The court, however, declared that it found no reason to believe so. An unlisted company, AJL was conceptualised by Nehru, but was not personal property since it was established with the support of a large number of freedom fighters, who became its shareholders.

It is evidently a case of misuse of property, premises and purpose. It is unacceptable when a property on lease, in violation of its stated objective, is sublet for rental income, to a passport office. No press had been functioning for the past decade and the space was being used for commercial operations. In an impudent takeover  some shareholders claim without their knowledge  almost all of AJLs shares were transferred to the not-for-profit Young Indian. The interest of AJLs property worth over Rs 400 crore ingeniously fell in its kitty. With notable real estate consolidations across India, AJL is a symptom of a rotting edifice; nevertheless a crucial one since it involves a national party. Wanton misuse of office space and premises for commercial operations is everywhere, be it a national media house or a behemoth hospital chain. In this game of Monopoly, the statutory obligations stand opportunely diluted or suitably abandoned.
editorial@tribune.com

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 23

It has been a year and a half since former Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers HN Ananth Kumar announced the setting up of a pharmaceutical park in Karnal, the announcement remains on paper.

Despite several communications with the Prime Ministers Office, Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PMA), it seems to be a distant dream as the land is yet to be finalised by the HSIIDC.

With an aim to make the country self-sufficient in medicine production and reducing its cost, Kumar had announced a pharmaceutical park for Karnal in the presence of the Chief Minister on May 16, 2017, in Murthal. In May this year, the Chief Minister had reiterated the announcement.

The project was to be constructed on 100 acres of land with a cost of Rs 1,600 for generating nearly Rs 3,000 crore investments and providing employment to thousands of people. The land was to be provided by the HSIIDC.

After the announcement, we had approached the Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry, but no avail. Later, we had sent letter to the PMO, which had assured the setting up of the park soon, said RL Sharma, president of the PMA.

Earlier this year, they had met the CM, who assured the construction of the park at the earliest, he said.

After bringing this industry in the tax-free zone by the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, several manufacturers had shifted to these states. With the setting up of this park, they might return to Karnal, said Sharma.

A common facility centre for pharmaceutical manufacturers has been constructed and sites for the project have been earmarked. After finalisation of the land, the construction work would start, said Vineet Bhatia, Additional General Manager of the HSIIDC.
editorial@tribune.com

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, December 23

Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Om Prakash Dhankar today launched a special programme for census of livestock in 2019 to prepare accurate data of cattle heads in Haryana. Earlier, livestock census was conducted in the state in 2012.

He also announced to send cattle-rearers to those nations where milk production is much more than India so that they could learn modern techniques of livestock farming from these countries for raising the production of milk in India.

Under the census programme, breed-wise data of livestock will be collected as it will help the government in taking vital steps and framing policy for breed improvement. A mobile application software has been developed for collecting and transferring the data online, said Dhankar while addressing farmers at the concluding ceremony of 36th Livestock Exhibition here on Sunday.

The minister informed Haryana has 36 lakh cattle of which 21 lakh are buffaloes and 15 lakh are cows having average milk production of 6.8 kg. Special efforts would be made to take this average up to 10 kg per milch animal, focusing upon milch animals with less milk production so as to increase their milk productivity. Work is being done on technology adoption for breed improvement in Haryana, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Krishan Pal Singh Gujjar patted Dhankar on the back for successfully organising the mega exhibition in which a considerable number of farmers across the state participated with their best livestock including bulls, buffaloes, desi cows, horses, camels etc.

12 farmers win tractor

12 farmers of six districts won tractors through lucky draw conducted on the basis of registration slips. The slips were taken out by the chief guests from the box in front of the farmers. Besides them, 13 farmers got motorbikes through lucky draw.

Panipat buffalo gets first prize
editorial@tribune.com

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Pipli (Kurukshetra), December 23

Even as business magnate-cum-politician Venod Sharma organised a political rally at the mandi on Sunday, farmers from various districts gathered near the venue to protest against non-payment by his sugar mill.

Piccadily sugar mill in Karnals Bhadson village is controlled by Sharmas corporate house. The Ganna Sangharsh Samiti, supported by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Haryana), had been holding a dharna in Bhadson against the sugar mill over delay in payment for a year.

The protesting farmers on Sunday carried black flags to protest against Sharma over harassment of sugarcane growers. However, the police did not allow the farmers to reach the rally venue and detained them at the Pipli Sadar police station.

Union president Gurnam Singh Charuni, who was detained by the police, said Sharma controlled a financially sound and diverse business empire, but was not clearing dues of poor farmers.

Sharma has been raising his voice in support of the poor from the political stage, but his own corporate entity is exploiting farmers. The state government has failed to deliver justice to sugarcane growers who supply their produce to the sugar mill in Bhadson, he said.

Rampal Chahal, president of the samiti, said the sugar mill had not cleared dues of more than Rs 11 crore since the last crushing season. He said payment to sugar growers had to be made within 14 days as per government directives, but the mill management had failed to clear dues even after a year.

More than 1,700 sugarcane growers in Kurukshetra, Karnal and Yamunanagar districts have dues pending with the sugar mill. We want the state government to take over the sugar mill and run it as a cooperative sugar mill as a punitive step, he said.

Chander Prakash Kathuria, chairperson of the Haryana State Federation of Co-operative Sugar Mills Limited, confirmed the delay in payment by the Piccadily sugar mill. He said a meeting had been scheduled shortly to sort out the matter at the earliest.

Karnal: The ongoing dharna of the sugarcane farmers entered its third day on Saturday. The agitating farmers assembled outside the office of the Minister of State Karandev Kamboj at the irrigation rest house in Indri. The farmers are on an indefinite dharna over the alleged non-payment by the Piccadilly sugar mill, Bhadson.

The farmers announced not to lift their dharna till the fulfilment of their demands.

Rampal Chehal, president, Ganna Sangharsh Samiti, said despite several protests, they were not given their dues.

He said the payment of Rs 11.63 crore was pending with the mill since May, but they were only given assurances.

We will not lift our dharna till the payment of all the farmers, he added.
editorial@tribune.com

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 23

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on Sunday said the Congress lacked vision, direction and base and its president Rahul Gandhi often fumbled for facts as he had no clarity or vision.

Addressing the second Panna Pramukh Sammelan for the Shimla Lok Sabha segment here, he said the BJP had taken a giant leap by emerging as the number one political organisation in the world having more than 12 crore members.

He said the Congress was a small party which survived on falsehood while the BJP workers should stand tall due to the remarkable achievements of their party.

He said the booth was the genesis of the political system and a party derived its power from this micro-level unit. The ideology of a political party was dependent on the values inculcated in the booth-level workers. He urged panna pramukhs, who had descended from all 17 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Shimla, to own their responsibility and make all out efforts to reach out to the masses.

He said Himachal had taken a lead in launching the concept of Panna Pramukh and its success would be emulated elsewhere. He said the BJP was a cadre-based organisation with a mass following where each worker was not merely a worker, but a motivating leader. Of the 1.63 lakh, the party had reached out to 1.43 panna pramukhs.

He gave tips on how to sway the voters in their favour and said they had to ensure the second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A policy paralysis was plaguing the country during the Congress tenure while under the leadership of Modi, the country was poised to emerge as a global leader.

Lauding the efforts of Modi, he said a plethora of schemes initiated under his leadership, including Aayushman Bharat, Ujjwala Yojna, Swachhta Mission, Saubhagya Yojna, etc, had benefited crores of people.

Earlier, addressing a gathering Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said victory brings responsibility and he had successfully completed one year in office.

He said the sammelan was a new concept aimed at strengthening the party at the grassroots level and urged the functionaries to ensure personal contact with all 30 voters whom they represented.

He recounted the liberal financial support worth Rs 9,000 crore extended to the state by the Modi government and said the Opposition was trying to blow trumpet of non-issues to mislead the masses. He criticised the use of abusive language adopted by the Opposition after their victory in three states and said it was not as much a victory as was being professed.

He said the BJP was not voiceless but its leaders maintained patience and decency. The success of Jan Manch programmes, where 20,000 complaints had been redressed on the spot, had unnerved the Congress and it was indulging in false propaganda to negate its success.

Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said as against 15 to 20 dedicated party functionaries which ensured the partys success earlier, the organisation had thousands of panna pramukhs. Their efforts would give a boost to the partys poll prospects in the Lok sabha polls. State BJP president Satpal Singh Satti and MP, Shimla, Virender Kashyap also spoke.

Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal, MP, Mandi, Ramswaroop Sharma, Chief Whip Narendra Bragta, organisation secretary Pawan Rana, MLAs Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Balbir Verma, Suresh Kashyap and Paramjit Singh Pammi, Chairperson, State Women Commission Dr Daizy Thakur were among those present.

who are panna pramukhs

Panna Pramukhs are the selected workers who work at the grassroot level. They give feedback on peoples perception about the party performance in state and at the Centre.

Naddas tips for workers

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda urged panna pramukhs, who had descended from all 17 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Shimla, to make all out efforts to reach out to the masse .

Of the 1.63 lakh, the party had reached out to 1.43 panna pramukhs.

He gave tips on how to sway the voters in their favour and said they had to ensure the second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The sidelights
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Palampur, December 23

Trilok Kapoor, senior BJP leader and vice-president, All-India Tribal Morcha, today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare Baijnath-Holi-Utrala road as national project and also provide funds for repair.

Kapoor, who called upon Modi in Delhi last night, apprised him that the project to widen the road had been hanging fire for 30 years.

He told the PM that the road would benefit the tribal people of Kangra and Chamba districts who live in snow-bound areas. The distance between Holi and Baijnath would be reduced by 200 km after the completion of the road. The distance between Baijnath and Holi was 314 km and after its completion, the distance would be reduced to 114 km.

He said thes valley was dominated by tribal people who migrate in winters to lower areas for six months. He said the DPR was sent to Centre but no approval was granted. He requested the PM to take interest and approve the project without any delay.

He also sought his help in environment and forest clearance so that the project was not delayed. Kapoor said the Prime Minister had assured him that he would look into the matter .
editorial@tribune.com

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 23

With the state government celebrating its one year in power with a rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on December 27, the Opposition has sharpened its attacks.

The upcoming event has led to a spurt in political activity both in ruling and Opposition. While Opposition leaders are seeing the occasion as an opportunity to attack the state government, many BJP leaders are trying to make their presence felt in view of the coming parliamentary elections.

Senior Congress leader and former minister GS Bali, while talking to The Tribune, said the BJP government should first tell people as to what it was celebrating about in its one year in power.

Bali alleged that the government had failed to launch any scheme that would help generate employment in the state. Most of the schemes started by the previous Congress government had been shelved.

He said the government should tell people about its achievements rather than spending crores on organising a political rally when the state was already reeling under a debt of Rs 50,000 crore.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Mukesh Agnihotri and Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh said the government should issue a white paper on its achievements before wasting public money on a massive rally.

Local Congress leaders said the Prime Minister would not be laying any foundation stone or announcing any project for the state during the rally. On the other hand, the rally is an occasion for some BJP leaders to push for their candidature for the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Trilok Kapoor, national vice-president of the ST Morcha of the BJP, has launched an aggressive campaign to push for his candidature for party ticket from Kangra. Kapoor has raised posters across Kangra district and cards have been sent to the media and other important people justifying why he should be a BJP candidate from Kangra in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Since the rally is being organised in the Dharamsala Assembly constituency, it is an important occasion for local minister Kishan Kapoor. He has been working hard to ensure the presence of the maximum supporters from Dharamsala.

Although sitting BJP MP from Kangra Shanta Kumar has remained non-committal about contesting the next elections, the rally will be an important occasion for him.

BJP insiders feel that Shanta Kumar, who is an octogenarian, may again be the best choice for the party. With the BJP getting a drubbing in the Assembly elections in five states recently, it is expected that the party may relax its criteria of not fielding leaders above the age of 75.

Senior BJP leader and Nurpur MLA Rakesh Pathania, who had assumed the role of defending the CM in the recently concluded winter session of the Assembly and outside, would also try to make his presence felt to endorse his candidature for a ministerial berth, if there was a Cabinet reshuffle.

Ruling leaders eye LS polls
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Farm distress and debt relief have become major socio-political issues in recent times. Over the past decade, we have got used to reading about the spate of farmer suicides across India. Diverse suggestions have been given to address the problem, including loan waiver, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, and adequate and assured income. However, there is a need to think beyond these three aspects. Thousands of crores of rupees are being spent by the government on farmers welfare  insurance, credit, disaster compensation, procurement, MSP, different kinds of subsidies (fertilisers, machines, new technologies). The government is trying to promote Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) as well. Despite all this, there is no optimistic scenario for increased net income of the farmers. People ask for a minimum income security for the farmers to have a dignified life. It could take into consideration food, shelter, clothing, education, health and other factors.

The government has launched several projects to ensure income guarantee to the farmers, but these have been unsuccessful in providing relief. Instead, these have increased dissatisfaction. A chemical-based, machine-intensive, monoculture model of agriculture has been imposed on farmers. Ironically, solutions are sought from this model. This model of modern agriculture has exploited nature as well as people. It is responsible for the indebtedness of farmers to a great extent.

Five major reasons for farm distress:

1. Increased cost of cultivation

2. Environmental unsustainability of

current practices of intensive agriculture

3. Farmers unable to get remunerative prices

4. Increased cost of living and aspirations

5. Governments support system is inaccessible to common farmers; schemes are not deliverable on the farmers doorstep. Farmers have to deal with multiple government departments and tackle corruption as well as nepotism

Due to these reasons, lakhs of farmers have quit or are quitting farming. Those farmers and farm labourers who have shifted to other sectors for jobs are finding it very difficult to adapt. Our economy has not been able to generate new employment opportunities to meet the demands of the growing population. So, farming is a sector that can help a lot of people survive.

Among the suggestions to address farmers distress, the Swaminathan report is considered to be the silver bullet. However, major emphasis is being laid on MSP (minimum support price) in this report. The method of evaluating MSP is not appropriate in the first place and calculation of the real cost of cultivation is done in a biased manner. Also, MSP is not being given on all crops and it is not uniform across the country. Assured procurement of the crops at MSP is very rare. Cost of cultivation estimation should be farmer-friendly. In order to do this, at least the regulations of the Ramesh Chand Committee should be implemented. In place of MSP, assured remunerative price (ARP) should be announced on maximum crops and for all farmers in the country. If prices fall below the ARP, the government should make timely intervention with a proper mechanism. Why should the government listen to the farmers only when they sit on dharna and stage protests? There should be a proper channel and system by which all these farmers issues get addressed.

In every state, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices should be established to work out the actual cost of cultivation and assured income for the farmers. For the past couple of years, there is speculation that a Farmer Income Commission will be set up. Farmers who have been practising ecologically sustainable agriculture should be recognised and given support on priority because they dont seek any subsidy. Instead, they help in slowing down the climate change process. It is the governments duty to support organic farmers. These days, many corporations and MNCs are brought into agriculture while completely ignoring the local context. There is a need to strengthen local farmers institutions, including FPOs.

The FPO-formation process should be simplified for the benefit of common farmers. The government should provide facilities to the farmers on a large scale for organic farming. Government institutions, especially NABARD, that deal with farmers issues should become pro-farmer, open to new ideas and more transparent.

To ensure that institutional systems are responsive and accountable to farmers, the government must put in place a farmer income security system through an Act in accordance with Article 21 (right to life). Farm distress is a national issue; cultivators quitting farming is a national concern; and farmers committing suicide a national shame. A socio-political national consensus should be built on the issues of farmers unrest and their income. Consumers, researchers, academicians and the civil society should support farmers.

The Green Revolution should not become a historical episode that can be forgotten. Lessons should be learnt from it or farmers will remain trapped in the vicious cycle. This model has created problems of dependence on external inputs, poisoning of the food production system and farmer suicides. The flawed model of agriculture has to be challenged and changed.

Seven sources of growth

A quantitative framework for doubling farmers income by 2022-23 over the base year of 2015-16 has identified seven sources of growth:

1 Increase in productivity of crops

2 Increase in production of livestock

3 Improvement in efficiency of input use (cost-saving)

4 Increase in crop intensity

5 Diversification towards high-value crops

6 Improved price realisation for farmers

7 Shift of cultivators to non-farm jobs

According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the number of cultivators declined from 16.61 crore in India during 2004-05 to 14.62 crore during 2011-12. This number needs to fall further to 11.95 crore by 2022, which will involve shifting 2.4 per cent farmers each year to non-farm jobs. Besides allied activities like bee-keeping, forestry on farmland, etc, can also contribute to growth in farm income.

If the number of cultivators keeps declining at the same rate as experienced during 2004-05 to 2011-12, it will reduce their number by 13.4 per cent between 2015-16 and 2022-23. This implies that the available farm income will be distributed among 13.4 per cent less farmers, as per Doubling Farmers Income: Rationale, Strategy, Prospects and Action Plan, a report brought out by Niti Aayog in March 2017.

Even after five decades of the Green Revolution, high-yielding varieties (HYVs) cover only 69 per cent of the total area under cereal crops. In the case of important crops such as rice, HYVs are grown only on 62 per cent of the area in the country, even as some states have 100 per cent coverage. High-yielding varieties cover 90 per cent of the area under wheat at the national level.

The authors are associated with Kheti Virasat Mission, Jaito (Faridkot)

Target for initiatives to double farmer income

Source Base level & year Target 2022-23

Quality seed (million tonnes) 3.03 (2014-15) 7.97

Fertilisers (million tonnes) 25.58 (2014-15) 36.24

Irrigation (million hectares) 92.58 (2012-13) 110.40

Area under more than one crop 40% (2012-13) 53%

Area under fruits, vegetables (million hectares) 16.75 (2013-14) 26.38

Area under high-yielding varieties 69.3% (2014-15) 90%

Source: Niti Aayog report, 2017
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 23

Miffed with the lack of manpower and funds, the newly elected councillors of the municipal bodies have now decided to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the redressal of grievances.

It is amazing and anguishing that the government has not been able to provide funds and other facilities to the municipal committees and councils for the development of wards, particularly for sanitation, construction of drains, hygiene, shifting of garbage from roads and manpower, Hilal Ahmad Shah, chairman, Anantnag Municipal Council, said at a press conference.

On the occasion, several Valley-based committees formed a resolution where they decided to take up the matter with Modi and Rahul in New Delhi.

Shah said they had participated in the urban local bodies elections despite the volatile situation in the Valley, while urging the government to reorganise the functioning of the municipal committees and councils.

Giving details of the problems faced, he said: Garbage needs to be removed on a daily basis from main roads, but the vehicles provided to various committees are lying defunct or have been shifted to others places. As a result, the garbage remains on roads for weeks together, thereby causing huge inconvenience to the locals. The government must ensure all facilities for the overall cleanliness in wards.

Shah said of the revenue collected from the shopkeepers, the committees were hardly able to pay salary to its employees. He also asked the government to accord sanction to additional projects under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 23

Days after National Conference president Farooq Abdullah promised regional autonomy for all regions of the state if it comes to power after the Assembly elections, the Panun Kashmir has demanded the division of Kashmir and carving out a Union Territory for the displaced Hindus of the Valley.

The Panun Kashmir (PK), a representative organisation of 3.50 lakh Pandits, on Sunday said a Centrally administered territory for minorities be established which it said was the only solution to safeguarding the rights of those who were forced to leave their homeland after the eruption of militancy in 1989-90.

The demand was first raised in the Margdarshan resolution passed by the PK in 1990 in Jammu to safeguard the political and cultural rights of the minorities in the Valley.

Addressing a press conference here, PK chairman Ajay Chrangoo said: We demand the division of the Kashmir province to create a Centrally administered Union Territory, north and east of the Jhelum, for the rehabilitation of internally displaced Hindus. We also support making Ladakh a Union Territory and Jammu a separate state.

The PK said a separate homeland was imperative to defeat symbolic commitment to secularism, equality of opportunity and development followed by Valley-centric mainstream political parties.

The opposition of the mainstream leadership of Kashmir to giving the Ladakh province a divisional status and building of a university in Leh has once again demonstrated that Kashmir polity is against minorities, alleged Agnishekhar, convener of the Panun Kashmir, during the press conference.

The Pandit organisation has said there is a need to contest the regressive politics dominating all shades of political spectrum.

Linkages of militant operating in Kashmir with separatist sympathisers in Punjab should serve an eye-opener to the Centre. Separatist are spreading tentacles across India and to believe that trouble in Kashmir is an isolated and localised phenomenon will prove fatal for the nation, the PK leadership said.
shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com

Jammu, December 23

Panun Kashmir, an organisation advocating the cause of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Sunday reiterated its demand to carve out a separate homeland for the community in the valley with union territory status.

The organisation's chairman Ajay Chrungoo told reporters here that restructuring of Jammu and Kashmir was an "imperative necessity" to defeat Pakistan which was waging a "religious, fascist war" in the state.

"We are completing 30 years of displacement in January next year and demand division of Kashmir province to create a centrally administered union territory, north and east of the river Jhelum for the rehabilitation of internally displaced Hindus of Kashmir," Chrungoo said.

"Time has come for division of the valley along with restructuring of the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir. We support the demand for union territory status for Ladakh and separate statehood for Jammu," he added.

Stressing that the security situation in the valley was getting worse, Chrungoo said the participation of thousands of people in the funerals of terrorists indicated that the situation in Kashmir had not changed much since 1990 when the pandits were driven out.

"From a Muslim majority state, Jammu and Kashmir is fast becoming an Islamic state. We want the government to open its eyes to the stark reality and pay heed to our voice which is the voice of secularism, democracy and in real sense pro-India," he said.

Chrungoo said the opposition to giving Ladakh province a divisional status and building of a university in Leh proved that the polity in Kashmir had shunned even symbolic commitment to secularism, equality of opportunity and development.

"Any effort to correct the present situation of Jammu and Kashmir, behaving as a Muslim state on the territory of India, is being opposed tooth and nail by the Muslim leadership of Kashmir which is acting as a Muslim monolith," he said.

"Jammu and Kashmir has to cease to be a Muslim state if India has to survive as a secular nation," he added.

The 'Jihadi mindset' has penetrated deep into the folk psyche and has polluted the minds of even women and children, Chrungoo said, adding that the recent events showing links between Kashmiri terrorists and separatists sympathizers in Punjab should serve as an eye opener for the Centre.

"The mass mobilization in Kashmir to disrupt actions of security forces against terrorists is actually mass fidayeen (suicide) murder campaigns. Kashmir is in the grip of life hating forces who are promoting a totalitarian way of life," he claimed.

"Separatist establishment is spreading its subversive tentacles across India and to believe that trouble in Kashmir is an isolated and localised phenomenon will prove to be fatal for the nation," he added.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Its Christmas Eve tonight and before we get into festivities, our TV actors share their wishes that they want Santa to fulfil. Read on:

Mohit Malhotra

My Christmas wish is to have Santa bless every home and somehow make people respect and love each other. Also, I wish to receive a lot of love and wonderful wishes for my new show Daayan.

Arjun Bijlani

My son Ayaan is growing fast and he misses me a lot as I am always busy with my shoots, though I take time out in between for him. This Christmas I will ask Santa Claus to grant me a week-long holiday when I can spend quality time with my son.

Shashank Vyas

This Christmas, I wish Santa to take me on a trip to Switzerland on his sleigh. I also want him to bring snowfall there, so that I can enjoy it. The reason behind it is that Mumbai hardly has any winters. I would also ask Santa to fulfil the wishes of my fans.

Vahbiz Dorabjee

This Christmas, I wish Santa to gift me a limitless shopping voucher, so I could just shop endlessly.

Munisha Khatwani

I would like Santa to make me a messenger to spread joy and happiness in peoples life.

Kishori Shahane Vij

I love doing charity, so I would ask Santa for loads of money so that I can buy gifts for lots of underprivileged people and bring happiness to them.

Shivin Narang

This Christmas, I want Santa to be a cupid in my life and bring the snowfall of love in my life. I dont want to be single anymore.
shalender@tribune.com

Pamba, December 23

With just four days left for the culmination of the first phase of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage, a group of 11 women of menstruating age today made an unsuccessful bid to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine as they were forced to return by protesting devotees.

Accompanied by police personnel, the members of Chennai-based women empowerment outfit Manithi could barely move 100 metres through the traditional forest path towards the temple when hundreds of devotees rushed down to the valley to chase them away. The women and the police had to virtually run from the scene to the safety of a nearby guardroom, abandoning the trekking plan.

Defying prohibitory orders, hundreds of devotees thronged the forest path here blocking the way of the women, who reached in the early hours from Chennai.

The police tried to remove the protesters by force as they were not ready to budge despite their repeated announcements to disperse, leading to the arrest of some of the protesting devotees.

Before returning, Selvi, the co-coordinator of the outfit, said the police had forced them to abandon their plan to visit the hill shrine and return.

However, rejecting the charge, the police said the activists had come back on their own due to security issues, adding that two cases were registered against the protesters based on the complaint lodged by Manithi members. Earlier, braving several protests on their way, the 11-member team, all belonging to the traditionally barred age group, reached here by 3.30 am through the Idukki-Kambamedu route on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Of the 11, six carried the traditional irumudikettu which is mandatory to climb the pathinettam padi (holy steps leading to sanctum sanctorum). But, the women could not move forward and had to wait at the entry of the forest path for over six hours following namajapa (chanting sacred hymns) protests staged by hundreds of devotees, including children.

The BJP and other right-wing activists too staged namajapa protests across the state, including before the Cliff House, the official residence of CM Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala-based Dalit activist, Ammini, who announced to trek to Sabarimala today, also returned after reaching Erumely, over 50 km away from here. The polices attempt to take Manithi members to the shrine also triggered a political row with the Congress and the BJP lashing out at the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front.

BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai said the Left government was trying to turn the hill top shrine into a war zone and alleged that there were no devotees among the Manithi members who attempted to trek to the shrine. Seeking a probe by the NIA, he announced to observe a daylong protest in the state on Monday.

Meanwhile, heavy rush of devotees continued to pour in at the Sabarimala temple with the auspicious Mandalapuja being just four days away.  PTI
shalender@tribune.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 23

My name is Khan. And I am not a terrorist, says Shah Rukh Khan, playing protagonist Rizvan Khan, who is autistic, in the hit film. Little did Abdullah Shah, an autistic boy from Mingora in Swat, know that his love for SRK would lead him to prison in India.

After a year and seven months in jail, 21-year-old Abdullah will be repatriated on December 26.

Abdullah was at the Attari-Wagah border with friends on May 25, 2017, to witness the Retreat. According to his family, he jumped over and crossed the Zero Line after the ceremony, telling the Border Security Force personnel he wanted to meet SRK.

Pakistan Rangers told the BSF the boy was mentally unsound and should be allowed to return. But the boy was sent to Amritsar jail, said an official.

Sentenced to six months in jail under the Foreigners Act, Abdullah completed his term last December. Pakistan diplomats, allowed consular access in August last year, confirmed on December 15, 2017, that he was son of Zarawar Khan in Swat.

A year went by with Pakistan officials through note verbales, including one last week, seeking his release. That Abdullah is autistic with a mental age far lower than his actual age makes it much more heart-wrenching. He has been punished for his innocent desire to meet SRK, said an official.

Now, days after the return of Mumbai techie Hamid Ansari, who paid a heavy price for love and was jailed for six years in Peshawar, Abdullah will return to his country, along with compatriot Mohd Imran Warsi.

The story of 40-year-old Warsi has some similarity with that of Ansari. He will be repatriated after 10 years in a Bhopal jail. Warsi, who travelled to Kolkata on a 45-day visa in 2004 to meet relatives, fell in love and married an Indian. The couple has two children. His troubles began in 2008 when he visited Bhopal for a passport. He was arrested and charged with conspiracy and forgery.

Warsi was to be deported in March on completion of sentence. Now, he hopes he can find a way to ensure for his family a passage to Pakistan.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 23

NDAs Bihar design for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is now officially in place. BJP chief Amit Shah today walked that extra mile to accommodate Bihar allies  JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party supremo Ram Vilas Paswan  announcing that his party and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each and the LJP remaining six of the 40 constituencies in the key state.

The BJP, which won 22 Bihar seats in 2014, will have to sacrifice at least five sitting MPs, while Paswan will be sent to the Rajya Sabha at the earliest opportunity.

Shah asserted that the NDA will win more than 31 seats it had in 2014 and a decision on which party will contest where will be taken soon.

Nitish Kumar said keeping in mind the stature and seniority of Paswan, he would be nominated to the Rajya Sabha at the first available vacancy, which virtually means the 72-year-old LJP leader will not contest any more popular elections.

The deal is seen as a victory of sorts for the LJP, which had adopted an aggressive stance seeking a better bargain after the exit of RLSPs Upendra Kushwaha, who today made light of BJPs current situation and predicament after the loss in recent Assembly elections.

Sources said Paswans son Chirag, at the forefront of seat-sharing negotiations, is also pressing for a Lok Sabha seat either in Jharkhand or Uttar Pradesh for the LJP.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the RLSP, which is now part of the RJD-led mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar, contested and won three seats, the LJP seven of which it won six and the BJP 30 of which it bagged 22.

Therefore, the biggest beneficiary is Nitish Kumar, who despite winning only two seats in 2014  a loss of 18 from 2009 when it fought with the NDA  managed to not only underline his importance in the alliance, but also an equal status as the BJP. He said the NDA won 32 of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2009 even though countrywide results had gone against it and it would do much better in 2019.

The JD(U) had parted ways with the NDA in 2013 and returned to the fold in 2017.
shalender@tribune.com

Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, December 23

The ruling BJP touched 100 mark in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly by snatching away Jasdan seat in the Saurashtra region from the Congress in a byelection, the result of which was announced here today.

For the victorious BJP nominee Kunverji Babaliya, a minister in the Vijay Rupani Cabinet, it was mere retaining his seat as he had won it as the Congress nominee in the 2017 elections and in addition also stretched the victory margin from over 9,000 votes last time to about 20,000 this time.

Peeved by the Congress denial to give him the coveted post of the Leader of the Opposition, Babaliya had quit the Congress and resigned from the Assembly on July 2. He was inducted as a minister in the Rupani Cabinet the same day.

In the wake of the BJPs ouster from three states in the Hindi belt, the Jasdan bypoll had assumed significance and a prestige fight for the BJP and Babaliya, whose future career largely depended on its outcome.

Five-time winner

Not only last time, Kunverji Babaliya had won the Jasdan seat five times, always as Congress nominee, and had also won the neighbouring Rajkot Lok Sabha seat once in 2009. Despite changing sides, his retaining the Jasdan seat only demonstrated his personal hold over his home voters, auguring well for the BJP in the coming elections.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Indore (MP), December 23

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday demanded an apology from BJP leaders for dragging Lord Hanuman into the politics of caste and creed.

Singh also said Hindu bodies like the VHP and Akhada Parishad should condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders over the Hindu deity who is worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

(Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi) Adityanath ji said Lord Hanuman was Dalit. BJP MLC Nawab Bukkal dubbed the deity a Muslim on the ground that his name rhymed with Islamic names like Rahman, Farhan, Ramzan etc. Another BJP minister said Hanuman was a Jat, he told reporters here.

Singh said Hindus considered Lord Hanuman as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

You are dragging Hanuman ji into politics of caste and creed, which religion you are following? I have a strong objection to this. Who are you to talk like this, you (BJP leaders) should apologise, he said.

The Congress veteran demanded that organisations like Akhada Parishad, an apex body of 13 major akhadas or ascetic denominations, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) condemn the statements made by the BJP leaders and snap ties with them.

Addressing a public meeting during the campaigning for recent-held assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said Lord Hanuman, one of the central figures in epic Ramayana, was a Dalit.

Last week, Bukkal Nawab, a BJP MLC from Uttar Pradesh, claimed that the monkey god was a Muslim while UPs Religious Affairs Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary stated that the Hindu deity belonged to the Jat community.

Singh also took a jibe at former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhans Tiger abhi zinda hai remark, which he made against the backdrop of the BJPs loss in recent assembly polls in the state.

The tiger is now devoid of nails and teeth. The responsibility of protection of the endangered tiger lies with us (newly formed Congress government), he said.

Responding to a query on suicide allegedly committed by a 45-year-old tribal farmer in Khandwa district, apparently after he failed to avail recently-announced crop loan waiver due to cut-off date criterion, Singh said the Congress, when it was in opposition, had announced in June this year that loan of farmers would be waived if the party got elected.

I do not have details of this (the suicide). We had announced to waive loans of farmers in June 2018. Loans of farmers who had loan outstanding during this period (till June 2018), will be waived, he said.

Singh also alleged that the CBI is suppressing the Vyapam scama multi-crore recruitment and admission racket which came to light in 2013 when the BJP was in power.

We are studying about the steps to be taken in this regard, he said. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Ahmedabad, December 23

The ruling BJP comfortably won the bypoll from the Jasdan Assembly seat in Gujarat on Sunday, taking its tally in the House to 100.

BJP candidate Kunvarji Bavaliya defeated his nearest rival, Congress nominee Avsar Nakiya, by a margin of 19,979 votes, officials said.

Bavaliya retained the Assembly seat in Rajkot which he had won as Congress candidate in 2017.

With this, the BJP now has 100 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly, while the Congress tally has come down to 76. The saffron outfit had won 99 seats in the 2017 assembly polls and the Congress 77.

At the end of the counting of votes, Bavaliya secured a total 90,262 votes as against Nakiyas 70,283, the officials said.

A total 2,146 votes were cast as NOTA, they said.

Polling for the Jasdan Assembly seat was held on December 20 and a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent was recorded.

The by-poll became a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in the wake of the latter winning the just held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2017, resigned from the party and also the assembly, and joined the BJP.

Bavaliya, who quit as an Assembly member on July 2, was made a Cabinet minister in the BJP government the same day.

As the Congress candidate in 2017, Bavaliya had won over BJPs Bharat Boghara by a margin of 9,277 votes. PTI
shalender@tribune.com

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, December 23

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) today started his four-state tour to garner support for his proposed Federal Front that will take the shape of a national political party with the consortium of regional outfits.

KCR arrived in Andhra Pradesh this morning as part of this tour, indicating that he was giving a befitting reply to N Chandrababu Naidu for coming to Telangana to contest the Assembly elections. He will be calling on CMs Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to discuss his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress national party.

Known for his strong faith in astrology and auspicious timing, KCR along with his family members left Hyderabad in a special aircraft for Visakhapatnam Airport.

Later, he reached Bhubaneswar to meet the Odisha Chief Minister. After a visit to Konark and Jagannadha temples, he is scheduled to will leave for Kolkata tomorrow where he will call on Banerjee. After paying obeisance at the Kalimata Temple there, he will leave for New Delhi where separate meetings will be held with former Uttar Pradesh CMs Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav. Sources in the government said during his three-day stay in the national capital, the TRS chief will call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers to discuss issues related to Telangana, including promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

KCR would be visiting 19 states over the next one month in a specially hired plane to elicit support for his proposed front, targeting youth and farmer bodies along with regional parties.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today released a white paper highlighting the unfulfilled promises made to his state in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Naveen Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, December 23

In an interesting political development, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is visiting Andhra Pradesh as a befitting reply to N Chandrababu Naidu for coming to Telangana to contest elections.

KCR is in Vishakhapatban where he got a warm reception with slogans of KCR zindabad - a new twist in politics of the South, especially since Naidu is forming a front with the Congress and KCR has announced a new party to be floated soon sans the Congress and the BJP.

KCR, along with his family members, left Hyderabad in a special aircraft. After landing at Visakhapatnam Airport, they drove to Sharada Peetham.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and his family members performed special prayers at Rajasyamala Temple. They later took the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra.

KCR will leave for Bhubaneswar in the evening and call on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After a night halt in the Odisha capital, KCR will visit the Konark Temple and Jagannadha Temple on Monday and later leave for Kolkata, where he will call on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

After a meeting with Banerjee, the Telangana Chief Minister will visit Kalimata Temple. Subsequently, he will leave for New Delhi, where he will have separate meetings with former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his two-three day stay in the national capital, the TRS chief will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will have meetings with some central ministers and discuss state related issues.

KCR, who led TRS to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in December, has announced that he will focus on national politics to work for cobbling up an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

The TRS chief, who plans to visit various states, has hired the special aircraft for one month.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Balasore (Odisha), December 23

India on Sunday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

The strategic surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island, at about 8.35 am, defence sources said.

Describing the trial as a complete success, they said all mission objectives were met during the test-fire. All radars, tracking systems and range stations tracked and monitored the flight performance of the missile, which was launched with support of a mobile launcher.

Radars and electro-optical systems had been positioned along the coast of Odisha for tracking and monitoring all parameters of the missile, the sources said, adding two naval ships were anchored near the target area to witness the final event.

This was the 7th trial of Agni-IV missile. The last trial conducted by the strategic force command (SFC) of the Indian Army from the same base on January 2, 2018 was successful.

The indigenously developed sophisticated Agni-IV having 4,000 km strike range is a two-stage missile. It is 20 meter long with a weight of 17 tonnes, they said.

The state-of-the-art missile is equipped with modern and compact avionics to provide high level of reliability and precision, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said.

The Agni-IV missile is equipped with advanced avionics, 5th generation on board computer and distributed architecture.

It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances, they said.

The accurate Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation System (RINS), supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensures the vehicle reaches the target with accuracy.

The re-entry heat shield can withstand temperatures in the range of 4000 degrees centigrade and makes sure avionics function normally with inside temperature remaining less than 50 degrees centigrade.

Ballistic missiles like Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi have been included in the arsenal of the armed forces, giving India an effective deterrence capability. PTI
shalender@tribune.com

Chennai, December 23

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called the proposed mega party coalition (mahagathbandhan) an unholy alliance of various parties for personal survival.

People will see through the incoherent alliance of rich dynasties, Modi said during his interaction with booth workers from Chennai central, Chennai north, Madurai, Tiruchirappally and Tiruvallur constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

The PM said the key constituent of the mega alliance  Telugu Desam Party  was formed against the very high-handedness of the Congress by the veteran late CM NT Ramarao, but the party was now keen to join hands with the Congress.

Further, some parties in the mahagathbandhan claimed to be inspired by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, but the veteran himself opposed Congress and its ideologies, Modi said.

This alliance is for personal survival, not ideology-based support. Its for power and personal ambitions, not for the people or their aspirations, he said. He recalled Lohia as saying that Congress is a compromise party which has made compromises on many ideological and national interest issues.

Further, many leaders in the coalition were arrested and tortured during the Emergency, the PM said without referring to anyone.

DMK president MK Stalin, who had recently proposed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as Oppositions PM candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, was one of the leaders incarcerated during the Emergency.

Corrupt and criminal elements are supreme when these parties govern. It is common knowledge how the Congress harassed Mulayamji with cases. Have these parties done justice to the ideals of Dr Lohia? he said, adding the answer was a resounding no.

Recalling the past rivalry between Congress and its southern ally DMK, Modi said none had forgotten where the two parties stood on the Jain Commission.

At that time Congress said either it is DMK or it is us. But today they are together. If not opportunism, what explains their alliance? he asked.

Taking on BJPs former ally Telugu Desam Party, helmed by Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, he said it was floated by veteran NT Rama Rao who faced the anger and high-handedness of the Congress. He formed a party for the pride and respect of the Telugus at a time when the Congress humiliated a CM of Andhra Pradesh. Yet today the party of NTR wants to ally with the Congress. How can people of Andhra accept this? he said.

In a dig at Sharad Pawars NCP, Modi said another party based in Maharashtra was formed in severe opposition to the Congress leadership. The truth is that this so-called grand alliance is a club of rich dynasties. They are only to promise family rule. People can see through their opportunism and will never accept such an incoherent coalition. India wants democracy, the alliance wants dynasty. India wants growth for all, the alliance wants growth only for their families, he said.  PTI
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pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Mumbai, December 23

Union Minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said some Opposition parties and a section of the media have twisted his statements, an assertion that comes in the backdrop of his leadership should own up defeat remark.

The BJP stalwart on Saturday had said nobody is willing to own up to failure unlike success and maintained leadership should have the vrutti (tendency) to own up defeat and failures.

The minister, who was speaking at an event in Pune, did not elaborate, but his comments assumed significance in wake of the BJPs defeat in just-held Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

However, Gadkari, known for speaking his mind, said on Sunday his statements have been twisted.

In the last few days, I have noticed a sinister campaign by some opposition parties and a section of the media to twist my statements and use them out of context and draw politically motivated inferences to malign my party and me, he wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Gadkari claimed there was a conspiracy to create a wedge between him and the BJP leadership.

I have time and again strongly refuted such insinuations and once again condemn all these malafide and mischievous out of context reports attributed to me.

Let me make it clear once and for all that conspiracies to create a wedge between the BJP leadership and me will never succeed, he tweeted.

I have been clarifying my position at various forums and shall continue to do so and expose these nefarious designs of our detractors, he said. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Thoothukudi, December 23

Twelve of the 13 protesters killed when police opened fire on a demonstration against Vedanta's copper smelter in May were hit by bullets in the head or chest, and half of those were shot from behind, autopsy reports show.

Two others died after bullets pierced the sides of their heads, according to the reports produced by forensic medicine experts from several government hospitals and reviewed by Reuters. They have not been previously published.

In the case of the youngest to be killed, a bullet entered the back of 17-year-old J. Snowlin's head and exited through her mouth, the autopsy found.

The deceased would appear to have died of cardio-pulmonary arrest due to firearm bullet injury to the back of the neck, forensic medicine experts who examined Snowlin's body wrote.

When Reuters visited her family, they said they had not collected the teenager's autopsy report.

"We are continuing to exist, that's it," said her mother.

Police rules allow the use of live ammunition to quell civil unrest, but stipulate the response should be proportionate and officers should not shoot to kill. Police Standing Orders for Tamil Nadu, the state where the shootings took place, 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 United Nations' human rights experts in May condemned the "apparent excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force by police".

Police are investigating the shootings, which took place as protesters were marching to the local government headquarters in the port city of Thoothukudi, demanding that a copper smelter controlled by London-headquartered Vedanta Resources be shut for allegedly polluting the environment.

No police officers have been arrested or charged in connection with the killings. In a statement following the incident the Tamil Nadu state government, which is responsible for the police, said: "Due to unavoidable circumstances, we had to take action to bring the situation under control."

The Thoothukudi district administration and state police officials did not respond to emails seeking comments on the autopsy reports. Police investigating the deaths did not respond to requests for comment on the autopsy findings.

Vedanta did not respond to a request for comment. The company, which had no involvement in the shootings, has previously expressed regret over the deaths at the protest, which it call "absolutely unfortunate".

Four senior police and two government officials who were present on the day told Reuters in June they were forced to fire live ammunition as the crowd turned violent and threatened a neighbouring Vedanta employees' apartment building.

Detail of deaths

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 Thoothukudi's 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," Mani's autopsy report said.

The dead also included a man in his 50s, six men in their 40s, and three men in their early 20s.

The head of the forensic science department at the Thoothukudi Medical College, where the autopsies were conducted, declined to comment, as did two of the principal examiners.

Reuters contacted 11 of the 13 families or friends of those killed, 10 of whom said they were not pursuing any legal action.

One of the 11 said he was in touch with a lawyer and wanted justice, but did not elaborate further. Two of the families could not be reached for comment.

Authorities in Tamil Nadu ordered the permanent closure of the Vedanta smelter on environmental grounds immediately after the shootings at the May 22 protest. That order was overturned by a ruling from India's green court on Dec. 15. Vedanta, controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal, has always denied damaging the environment.

On Friday, the state high court asked the firm not to reopen the plant for another month, until it had heard an appeal from activists challenging the green court decision. Reuters
editorial@tribune.com

Barnala, December 22

The police on Friday confiscated 1,200 boxes containing 14,400 bottles of smuggled liquor from near Sehna town of the district and arrested a truck driver, who was taking the consignment. The liquor was allegedly meant to be used to lure voters in the panchayat elections.

CIA incharge Baljit Singh said they had received a tip-off that some liquor smugglers were trying to deliver a big consignment in Sehna, Bhadaur and some parts of Moga. A CIA team intercepted a truck near Sehna town.

During the search of truck, we confiscated 1,200 boxes of smuggled liquor and arrested the driver, Gurmukh Singh. His accomplices Gurtej Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Atma Singh, who were in an Innova, escaped. The liquor was being smuggled for the panchayat elections, he said.

During preliminary investigations, it has come to light that smugglers had purchased the liquor from Haryana at the rate of Rs 500 per box which was supposed to be sold at the rate of Rs 1,000-1,200 per box.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

As many as 1,863 sarpanches have been declared elected unanimously after the completion of the process of withdrawal of nominations, a spokesperson for the State Election Commission (SEC) said here today.

As many as 28,375 candidates will try their luck for the posts of sarpanch in the remaining 11,413 panchayats, out of the total 13,276. As many as 22,203 panches have also been declared elected unopposed. Nearly 1,04,027 candidates are still in the fray.

Replying to the allegation by Opposition parties regarding a huge number of rejection of papers, the spokesperson said: Only the returning officer is competent to reject/accept nomination papers of candidates. No other authority, including the commission, has such power.

The official said: Late submission of reports from ROs, through the DCs concerned, led to the delay in compilation of reports at the commissions end. No report is generated on its own by the SEC.

He also said that the State Election Commission was an independent constitutional body not reporting to the Election Commission of India.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 23

A BJP event in the city today was marked by an altercation between workers of the party and that of the Congress. The warring groups attacked each other outside the event venue.

The incident took place during a conference of state BJP president Shawait Malik at a local hotel. Congress workers, led by youth leader Jagdeep Singh Sandher, assembled outside the venue and raised black flags. They were protesting against senior BJP leaders tweets against Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

When some BJP workers tried to prevent them from coming near the venue, a verbal tiff ensued between them. The warring parties then came to blows. The police deputed outside the hotel chipped in and managed to avoid a major clash.

The altercation between the workers took place about an hour after Malik's address to the media. He was presiding over a meeting with the party workers at the hotel. During the brawl, Malik was still at the venue. However, things came back to normal after the police intervened.

Mailk had come to the city to announce Prime Minister Narendra Modis Gurdaspur rally on January 3. He was accompanied by senior party leaders Manoranjan Kalia, KD Bhandari, Rakesh Rathour and Sunil Jyoti.

He said after the rally, the PM would visit Lovely Professional University campus for the 106th Indian Science Congress on its opening day.

Meanwhile, addressing the media, Malik hailed the Prime Minister as a champion of farmer's rights and appreciated his efforts for opening the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan.

He also gave credit for Sajjan Kumar's conviction to Modi, saying it was during his tenure that the victims of the 1984 riots had finally received justice 34 years after the genocide.

Tweets trigger trouble
editorial@tribune.com

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

The Forest Department has asked the state engineering authorities to get clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the Shahpur Kandi dam project in Pathankot.

This includes nod for compensatory plantation on nearly 600 acres in lieu of felling in forestland through which water will flow to the dam reservoir. The department has also been asked to submit the site plan to the NGT for felling of trees on land acquired for the project.

The dam, coming up on the Ravi, is being constructed on a canal from Shahpur Kandi barrage to Madhopur headworks. It will generate electricity of up to 206 MW and provide irrigation facilities to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Jitender Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said: Our team in Pathankot is pursuing the case of compensatory plantation with the Engineering Department. We are waiting for the details.

Sanjeev Tewari, Divisional Forest Officer, said: Our estimate shows that approximately 4,000 trees will be affected in the forest area from where water will come to the dam. We have suggested that the forest area in Kathlaur, near Narot Jaimal Singh, for compensatory plantation.

GS Nagi, Chief Engineer, said: We are working out the details of plantation at different sites available to compensate the forest cover loss in the project. A senior officer associated with the project, said: Punjab currently has a little over 6.8 per cent of its total area under tree cover. Ensuring alternative plantation is an area of serious concern because the limited forest area is already densely planted.
shalender@tribune.com

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 23

A newborn, flushed down the toilet of a train at Amritsar station, was found alive by sweepers on Saturday. The baby boy is being treated at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here. Sources said he was not yet out of danger.

A six-member team, including four doctors, is monitoring his condition. One of the members, Associate Professor Dr Narinder Singh, said: Hypothermia is now under control. But the infant continues to be in shock. Also, he is bleeding from the lungs owing to blood vessel rupture. He is still not out of danger.

The infant was found in the lavatory of Howrah Express after safai karamchari Vishal noticed that the toilet pipe was choked. On a closer look, I found a baby stuck inside. He and colleague Akashdeep rushed to inform their seniors, who alerted the Government Railway Police (GRP).

The child was taken to the Railway Hospital where doctors referred him to the Civil Hospital. Senior Medical Officer Dr Charanjit Singh said the baby was kept at the neo-natal care unit for three hours and then shifted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

CCTV footage at all railway stations is being examined to ascertain who is behind the crime, a GRP spokesperson said, adding that a case under Section 317 of the IPC had been registered against unidentified persons.
editorial@tribune.com

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, December 23

Drug smuggler Harbhajan Singh alias Rana of Nihala Khilcha village in the district, who had escaped from custody after his accomplices opened fire at police personnel injuring one of them on August 19, was killed here.

Pritam Singh, SSP, Ferozepur, said Rana had been booked in several cases under the NDPS Act and was a key conduit of Pakistan-based drug operatives. Most of his family members were involved in drug smuggling, he claimed.

The SSP said since they were in pursuit of Rana, he became suspicious that one Bagga Singh of his village was giving inputs about his movement to the police.

On Friday night, Rana turned up at Baggas house and shot him dead. However, Bagga, in his self-defence, threw a brick at Rana which hit him on the head. Later, when the police reached the spot, Rana too was found dead.

Sources said that it was uncertain if Rana was killed after being hit by a brick. The SSP said the smuggler was accompanied by an unidentified person, who fled the spot after the incident. We are examining the matter from all angles, he said, adding that they had seized a 9 mm pistol used by Rana to kill Bagga.

A case under Sections 302, 100, 450 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against Rana following the complaint lodged by Baggas son Jarnail Singh.

Pritam Singh claimed Rana had close links with Pakistan-based smugglers, including one Haji. In December 2015, the Ferozepur police had arrested Rana following an intelligence input and had recovered 22.5 kg of heroin worth Rs110 crore from his possession. His two accomplices Rishi alias Babbar of Zirakpur and Saurabh of Phillaur, who had come to receive the consignment, were also arrested.

Had links with Pak smugglers
shalender@tribune.com

Kuldip Bhatia

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 23

Punjab legislators from various parties may differ on a variety of issues, but seem to be on the same page when it comes to enjoying the perks of office, even when they are no longer in office.

As per information provided by the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat under the Right to Information Act, 282 former members of the Legislative Assembly are currently drawing monthly pension.

Interestingly, their monthly pension multiplies with each term (of five years or even less) served by them, in contrast to government employees who get a fixed pension even if they have put in 25-35 years of service.

The information, vide a letter dated December 20, to Rohit Sabharwal, president, Council of RTI Activists, says the pension of MLAs is granted in accordance with Section 3(1) of the Punjab Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Act, 1977, and Punjab Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Rules, 1984.

The amount of basic monthly pension as per the notification issued on October 26, 2016, is Rs 15,000 for the first term and Rs 10,000 for each subsequent term. The beneficiary retired MLAs also get 50 per cent merged dearness allowance (DA) and 234 per cent presently applicable DA over and above the monthly pension, says the information.

While the total amount disbursed as monthly pension to former lawmakers has not been mentioned, saying the funds are released by the government, it adds that at present 129 former MLAs are getting monthly pension for more than one term.

What they get

Rs 15,000 (first term) +

Rs 10,000 (each subsequent term) +

50% merged DA +

234% applicable DA over and above pension
editorial@tribune.com

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 23

Dissident SAD leaders, who floated a parallel party Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) with Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura as president on December 16, today announced their team of office-bearers.

Former MP Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala has been nominated as senior vice-president, former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan as secretary general and spokesperson of the party. Others include Ujagar Singh Badali (vice-president), Mohinder Singh Hussainpur (junior vice-president) Charan Singh (secretary), Manmohan Singh Sathiala and Makhan Singh Nangal, both general secretaries.

However, no known face either of dissident Akalis or other splinter group leaders have yet openly shown solidarity with the cause of SAD (Taksali) despite the fact that AAP rebel Sukhpal Singh Khaira and the Lok Insaaf Party have welcomed the move of Taksali leaders to float a parallel outfit.

Brahmpura and Sekhwan claimed that talks were on with former minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Khaira and Bains brothers, but no response was received from their side.

We have no issue in approaching anyone who defies Badals and intends to get the state and the SGPC free from their clutches. The anti-Badal leaders are still in touch with us, but officially they didnt extend hand for any alliance as of now, he said.

Sekhwan categorically insisted on initiating talks with AAP dissident leader HS Phoolka. We will certainly contact persons like Phoolka, who quit all positions for the sake of getting justice for the 84 anti-Sikh riot victims, he said.

Nonetheless, the process is on to get the new outfit registered with the Election Commission of India. There were bleak chances of contesting the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, but Brahmpura said the first poll they contest would be of the SGPC. They also passed a resolution in todays meeting urging the Union Home Ministry to appoint Chief Commissioner for gurdwara elections for the early elections of the SGPC

The tenure of the existing body of the SGPC has already lapsed. After the Lok Sabha elections, we will impress upon conducting the elections of the apex body. Definitely we will contest it, he said.

Badal responsible for SADs decline

Rebel Akali veterans held former CM Parkash Singh Badal responsible for the falling graph of the SAD. Brahmpura said, Earlier, we thought Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia were responsible for the downfall of the party, but Parkash Singh Badals active support of the duo shows that his consent was there, be it exoneration of the Dera Sacha Sauda head, laxity in tackling series of sacrilege incidents, firing by the police at Behbal Kalan and hobnobbing with dera premis to garner votes, he said. Sekhwan said the former CM should have surrendered the Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum title, bestowed upon him by Akal Takht, before submitting prayers for atonement recently.
editorial@tribune.com

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Mansa, December 24

Replicated in three other Congress-ruled states recently, the much-hyped farm debt waiver scheme of the Punjab government hasnt helped much in bringing the farmers out of the vicious debt cycle. They continue to avail loans from banks as well as arhtiyas to meet their requirements, which, at times, are not necessarily related to agriculture.

The Tribune team visited Mansa, one of the worst- affected districts in terms of farm suicides, and found that the situation is virtually back to square one for the farmers who had got benefit under the scheme. Incidentally, it was in Mansa where Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had rolled out the scheme amid fanfare on January 7 this year.

The farmers from Burj Rathi, Ubha, Burj Hari, Bhaini Bagha, Khokhar Khurd, Sadda Singh Wala, Bhai Desa, Moosa and other villagers said loans taken only from cooperative societies had been waived and most of them still owed a huge amount to arhtiyas and banks. They claimed that one-time waiver was of no use as they would have to take credit in future as well.

Mithu Singh of Burj Rathi village said he along with his brother Balbir Singh got waiver under the scheme. He claimed that they had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh five years ago for the marriage of their sister, which they could not repay. Subsequently, they had to take another loan of Rs 3-4 lakh for agricultural purpose from arhtiyas.

Another farmer, Buta Singh of Ubha village, said: I had a debt of Rs 5 lakh, which included Rs 1 lakh from society and Rs 4 lakh from banks, but only Rs 1 lakh has been waived. He said he would have to avail loan again as he owned only 3 acres of land and input costs were rising with each passing day. He said he came under debt in 2016, when his entire cotton crop got damaged due to spurious pesticides.

Gursewak Singh of Burj Rathi said: I got a waiver of Rs 1.60 lakh. We had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh from arhtiyas for agricultural purposes. We repaid Rs 1.4 lakh from crop payment and the remaining Rs 1.6 lakh by taking loan from society as its rate of interest was low. Now, our debt is clear, but thats not the end of it. We will have to take loan for our agricultural and other needs.

Mohinder Singh, a farmer leader from Mansa, said: Many farmers who are reeling under debt have failed to get any benefit of this scheme because their land is in the name of their forefathers in the revenue records even as it has got divided among the brothers.

In one such case, the record was showing 10 acres in the name of a farmer in revenue records, but in reality the land had been divided among his five sons, who now owned only 2 acres each, he added.

Incidentally, many farmers had not received debt waiver amount so far. They said the officials had told them that money would be transferred to their account in a weeks time.
shalender@tribune.com

THERE is a brief reference in Lala Hansrajs address at the Educational Conference to the important question of a school final examination. His objection to the original proposal is exactly the same as that urged by ourselves and others, namely, that it would practically eliminate the control of the University in the matter of the highest school examination which is also the test for admission to Colleges. As Lala Hansraj pointed out, the present proposal is different, because theoretically it leaves the control largely in the hands of the University. What we have to see, however, is that this theoretical control does not mean a practical negation to control.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Dehradun, December 23

Kedarnath, one of the char dhams that draws lakhs of devotees to Uttarakhand every year, is in the news 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 3 lakh to just 40,000 in 2014. This year, it is a record 7 lakh.

But around the year-end, it was Kedarnath, the movie, which made news.

The authorities in seven of the states 13 districts banned the screening of the Hindu-Muslim love story set against the backdrop of the Kedarnath tragedy, after some Hindu 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.

The Rural Development and Migration Commission was set up in 2018 to address the 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 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 had brought in more investment 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 states 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 Indias first spiritual economic zone (SEZ).

The BJP government continued to pursue an alleged Rs 300-crore scam over the 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 BJP had promised this before it came to power nearly two years back.

The state became the first 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 the Ganga continues to suffer, even if it is less polluted in the state than downstream.

IIT professor-turned-Ganga activist GD Agarwal died 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 the Rispana and Kosi rivers by carrying out a big tree-plantation drive in their catchment areas.

The 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 ban 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.  PTI

Record 7 lakh visited dham
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Jakarta, December 23

The volcano that apparently triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia emerged from the sea around the legendary Krakatoa 90 years ago and has been on a high-level eruption watchlist for the past decade.

Anak Krakatoa (the Child of Krakatoa) has been particularly active since June, occasionally sending massive plumes of ash high into the sky and in October a tour boat was nearly hit by lava bombs from the erupting volcano.

Experts say Anak Krakatoa emerged around 1928 in the caldera of Krakatoa, a volcanic island that violently erupted in 1883. With subsequent lava flows it grew from a submarine setting to become a small volcanic island, with the cone now standing at an altitude of around 300 metres above sea level.

Since its birth, Anak Krakatoa has been in a state of semi-continuous eruptive activity, growing bigger as it experiences eruptions every two to three years, volcanology professor Ray Cas from Monash University in Australia said.

Most of the eruptions are relatively small on the scale of explosive eruptions ... and theres also eruptions that produce lava flows, he added.

Cas said the latest event appeared to be a relatively small explosive eruption but could then have triggered or coincided with a submarine event like a landslide or earthquake, causing the deadly tsunami.

No one lives on the island, but the peak is popular with tourists and is a major study area for volcanologists.

When Krakatoa erupted on August 27, 1883, it shot a column of ash more than 20 km into the air in a series of powerful explosions that were heard in Australia and up to 4,500 km away near Mauritius.

The massive cloud of ash plunged the area into darkness for two days. The dust gave rise to spectacular sunsets and sunrises around the world the following year and disrupted weather patterns for years. The tsunami triggered by the eruption killed more than 36,000 people in one of the worlds worst natural disasters. Indonesias proximity to the junction of three continental plates, which jostle under immense pressure, makes it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and eruptions.

The archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes, forming part of the Pacific Ring of Fire  an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from quake-prone Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.  AFP

Such disasters very common in Indonesia

It has been a torrid year for the vast archipelago that sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people on Sulawesi island in September.

2004: A massive 9.1 magnitude quake on the western coast of Indonesias Aceh province in northern Sumatra on December 26 triggered a tsunami that struck 14 countries, killing 2,26,000 people along the Indian Ocean coastline, more than half of them in Aceh.

2005: A series of strong quakes hit the western coast of Sumatra in late March and early April. Hundreds died in Nias Island, off the coast of Sumatra.

2006: A 6.8 magnitude quake hit south of Java, Indonesias most populated island, triggering a tsunami that smashed into the southern coast, killing nearly 700 people.

2009: A 7.6 magnitude quake struck near the city of Padang, capital of West Sumatra province. More than 1,100 people were killed.

2010: A 7.5 magnitude quake hit one of the Mentawai islands, off Sumatra, triggering a tsunami of up to 10 metres that destroyed dozens of villages and killed around 300 people.

2016: A shallow quake hit the Pidie Jaya regency in Aceh, causing destruction and panic as people were reminded by the devastation of the deadly 2004 quake and tsunami.

2018: Major quakes hit Indonesias tourist island of Lombok, killing more than 500 people, mostly on the northern side of the island.

2018: More than 2,000 people were killed by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu, on the west coast of Sulawesi island.

Deadliest volcanic eruption happened in 1883: On August of 26th 1883 the tiny volcanic island of Krakatoa erupted creating one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history. It destroyed hundreds of towns and villages and left more than 36,000 people dead. Those who survive the eruption left tells the horrific stories.
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Montreal, December 23

Canadas 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 Chinas 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 weve 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 Chinas national security.

Though no link has officially been made, the arrests seem to be in retaliation of Canadas December 10 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

Ottawa has repeatedly said Mengs 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 Mengs 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.

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.  AFP
shalender@tribune.com

Kabul, December 23

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appointed hardline opponents of neighbouring Pakistan to two top security posts on Sunday, potentially complicating US efforts to revive peace talks with the Taliban ahead of next summers withdrawal of 7,000 American troops.

Ghani announced that Amrullah Saleh will be the next interior minister and Asadullah Khaleed the defence minister. Both are former intelligence chiefs who have blamed Pakistan for the Talibans resurgence in recent years and have even called for it to be declared a state sponsor of terror.

Parliament will have to approve the appointments.

Pakistan, which has influence over the Taliban, is taking part in the latest US effort to revive the peace process. It was Pakistan that helped orchestrate last weeks talks in the United Arab Emirates. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan and the US attended the talks.  AP
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Denver, December 23

The government may be partially shut down, but that wont stop hundreds of volunteers dressed in Christmas hats and military uniforms Monday from taking calls from children around the world who want to know when Santa will be coming.

The military says the NORAD Tracks Santa wont be affected by the government shutdown because it is run by volunteers Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and is funded by the Department of Defences budget that was approved earlier this year.

Now in its 63rd year, the Santa tracker became a Christmas Eve tradition after a mistaken phone call to the Continental Air Defence Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1955. CONAD, as it was known, had the serious job of monitoring a far-flung radar network for any sign of a nuclear attack on the United States.

When Col Harry Shoup picked up the phone that day, he found himself talking not to a military general, but to a child who wanted to speak to Santa Claus. A Colorado Springs newspaper had run an ad inviting kids to call Santa but mistakenly listed the hotline number.

Shoup figured out what had happened and played along. The tradition has since mushroomed into an elaborate operation that attracts tens of thousands of calls every year. For the 1,500 civilian and military volunteers who will answer the phones for kids calling 1-877-HI-NORAD, it infuses the holiday with childlike wonder.

The military command centre embraced and expanded the Santa-tracking mission and has been rewarded with a bounty of goodwill and good publicity.

Last year, NORAD Tracks Santa drew 126,000 phone calls, 18 million website hits, 1.8 million followers on Facebook and 179,000 more on Twitter. It takes 160 phones to handle the calls that pour in. New volunteers get a playbook that briefs them on the questions kids might ask.  PTI

No deal in sight
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Washington: Scientists have developed a self-powered bandage that generates an electric field over an injury, dramatically reducing the healing time for skin wounds. Researchers wanted to develop a flexible, self-powered bandage that could convert skin movements into a therapeutic electric field. They tested the bandage on rats. To power their e-bandage, the team made a wearable nanogenerator by overlapping sheets of polytetrafluoroethylene, copper foil and polyethylene terephthalate. Wounds covered by e-bandages closed within three days, compared with 12 days for a control bandage with no electric field. PTI

Egypts new mega-museum set to open in 2020

Cairo: On the Giza Plateau outside Cairo, thousands of Egyptians are labouring in the shadow of the pyramids to erect a monument worthy of the pharaohs. The Grand Egyptian Museum has been under construction for well over a decade and is intended to showcase Egypts ancient treasures while drawing tourists to help fund its future development. But the project has been subject to repeated delays, with a soft opening planned for next year scrapped in favour of a more triumphant inauguration in 2020. Costs have, meanwhile, soared from an initial $650 million to well over $1 billion, with most of the financing coming from Japan. AP

Last Warsaw Ghetto uprising fighter dies in Israel

Jerusalem: The last surviving fighter from the doomed 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Jewish partisans against the Nazis died on Saturday in Israel aged 94. Simcha Rotem, who went by the nom-de-guerre Kazik, served in the Jewish Fighting Organisation that staged the uprising as the Nazis conducted mass deportations of residents to the death camps. Hundreds of Jewish fighters began their fight on April 19, 1943, after the Nazis began deporting the surviving residents of the Jewish ghetto they had set up after invading Poland. The insurgents preferred to die fighting instead of in a gas chamber at the Treblinka death camp. AFP

Japan emperor draws huge bday crowd before abdication

Tokyo: More than 82,000 well-wishers paid their respects to Emperor Akihito who turned 85 on Sunday, his last birthday celebration at Tokyos Imperial Palace before stepping down next year. The birthday of the emperor, whose position is ceremonial with no political power, is traditionally marked by an address at the palace. The crowd of 82,850 was the largest birthday attendance during Akihitos three-decade reign, known as the Heisei era, which means achieving peace in Japanese. Akihito is scheduled to step down on April 30, passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to 58-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito. Reuters
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Washington, December 23

Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, a US official said, joining Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

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.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk 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. He 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.

Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that I do not know the envoy and its a nothing event. He noted McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: Grandstander? Shortly after news of McGurks resignation broke, Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 US 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. Were 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 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 Mattis resignation, according to the official.

Trump 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 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 Defence whose views are better aligned with yours. The withdrawal decision will fulfil Trumps 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 Syrias long-running civil war.

US policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated.

Among officials key concerns is that a US pullout will leave US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces vulnerable to attacks by Turkey, the Syrian government and remaining IS fighters. The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, is Americas only military partner in Syria.

A second official said McGurk on Friday was pushing for the US to allow the SDF to reach out to troops allied with Syrian President Bashar Assads government for protection. McGurk argued that America had a moral obligation to help prevent the allied fighters from being slaughtered by Turkey, which considers the SDF an enemy.

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 whos 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 US 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 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 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.  AP
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.
- Maraga was discharged on Saturday evening but his wife, Nyaboke, spent the night at the facility

- She suffered shock and a neck injury but will be discharged once doctors finish observing her

- Maraga sustained a head injury while his driver and aide escaped the morning incident unhurt

Chief Justice David Maraga has been discharged from Nairobi Hospital where he was admitted after he was involved in a road accident on Saturday, December 22.

As earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, Maraga and his wife Yucabeth Nyaboke where en route to a church function in Nakuru when a Mercedes Benz car they were aboard was hit by another vehicle.

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READ ALSO: Chief Justice David Maraga involved in road accident on way to church

Maraga and his wife Yucabeth Nyaboke where en route to a church function in Nakuru when a Mercedes Benz car they were aboard was hit by another vehicle.Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Uhuru orders KDF to airlift CJ David Maraga and wife to Nairobi after road accident

Through a statement sent on Sunday, December 23, The Judiciary said Maraga was cleared to leave the health facility on the evening of Saturday, December 22.

His wife Nyaboke is, however, set to be discharged soon since medics were still observing her by the time the CJ was cleared to leave.

READ ALSO: Chief Justice David Maraga thanks God for surviving road accident in Nakuru

"CJ Maraga was last evening discharged from Nairobi Hospital where he had been under observation following a road accident in Nakuru yesterday. His wife Yucabeth, who was with him at the time of the accident, spent the night at the hospital but is expected to be discharged soon," the statement said.

During the accident, Maraga sustained a head injury while her wife suffered a neck injury and shock.

The couple was quickly rescued and rushed to Nakuru's War Memorial Hospital where they were attended to.

Shortly after, President Uhuru Kenyatta, directed the Kenya Defence Forces to airlift the duo to Nairobi for specialised treatment.

They were flanked by a driver and an aide who escaped the accident unhurt.

"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," Maraga tweeted on Saturday, December 22.

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.

Girls perform better than boys in 2018 KCSE results | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko
- The Atheists in Kenya Society offered top KCSE student Juliet Irene Otieno KSh 100,000

- The group, however, said the reward would be on condition she ditches her faith for atheism

- The society recently announced it was seeking for volunteers, especially women to oversee its activities

- The group recently went public declaring it was bankrupt

Atheists in Kenya Society has stunned many Kenyans by demanding to meet the country's top student in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education to reward her for exemplary performance.

The society stated it wanted to reward Juliet Irene Otieno, an alumni of Pangani Girls' High School, with KSh 100,000 for attaining A plain in all the seven graded subjects.

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READ ALSO: FORD Kenya officials plan to oust deputy party leader Boni Khalwale for supporting Ruto

Atheists in Kenya Society President Harrison Mumia has been vocal in advocating for recognition of their association. Photo:UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Safaricom, KCB CEO's among six appointed to Kenya Vision 2030 Board

In a tweet by the atheists seen by TUKO.co.ke, the offer seemed enticing until they stated the prize would be given to Otieno on condition she forfeits her faith and joins their association.

"We are looking for top 2018 student Juliet Otieno. Someone please get us her contacts. Atheists offer top KCSE candidate KSh 100,000 on condition she becomes their member," read the tweet.

Kenyans who had warmed up to the idea were, however, offended by the condition placed for Otieno to claim the prize.

Atheists in Kenya Society promised to gift top 2018 KCSE student Juliet Irene Otieno KSh 100,000 on condition she becomes one of them. Photo: The Standard.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Atheist society of Kenya boss exposed for eating, impregnating and dumping ladies

They termed the move as ill intended to sway the brilliant student's mind just a few months after the society's president Harrison Mumia appealed for donations from Kenyans to run the association's activities because it was broke.

The announcement by the society came a few days after it announced it needed volunteers, especially women, to take up leadership roles in the association.

Kenyans with contrary views about the atheists' offer blankly bashed and mocked them for taking advantage of the young girl's success yet they were as broke as a church mouse.

"Just the other day you were crowd sourcing sijui for what, now you are buying mebers?" tweeted Fred Ndaga

Khaemba Wandambusi wondered where the society had sourced funds to give such an offer after announcing they were broke.'

"You're the greatest jokers, si ni nyinyi mmekuwa mnaomba mchangiwe doo, si mtumie hizo zenye mnagawa (aren't you the ones that have been borrowing for funds recently?) You should have used the money you are dishing out," Wandambusi posted.

Innocent challenged the society to start their school a breed brilliant performers like Otieno.

"You guys can help without conditions," said Beryl Sylvia

"It has come to bribing people to join you? Why don't you just market your unbelief and win people? " posed Machiliot.

It's Davy said the society did wrong by trying to lure anyone to go their way.

"Moreover, shes still a kid. Youre so wicked, its never about money, let everyone follow their faith," Davy added.

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.

Girls perform better than boys in 2018 KCSE results | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko
Dear @IlhanMN,



I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by.
Russia, Belarus, China, India, Serbia, Syria, South Africa, Nicaragua, and Venezuela voted against the resolution.

The UN General Assembly December 22 supported a resolution condemning human rights violations in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Some 65 states voted for the resolution, 27 voted against, and 70 abstained, the TSN news service reported.

Among those who supported the resolution are the United States, the European Union countries, Turkey, and Japan.

The following countries voted against the document: Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, the Comoros, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Read alsoUNGA's 3rd Committee endorses updated draft resolution on human rights in occupied Crimea

"The General Assembly calls on all international organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations to use the phrase 'The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation' when it comes to Crimea in their official documents, communications and publications, including statistics of the Russian Federation," the resolution said.

The document also mentioned Ukrainian political prisoners Oleh Sentsov and Volodymyr Balukh, who were illegally detained in Crimea and convicted by the Russian Federation.

The UN General Assembly says it is disturbed by the fact since 2014, the Russian authorities have used torture to obtain fake evidence in politically motivated prosecutions, including with the case of Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov. It also expresses deep concern about the subsequent detentions and arrests of Ukrainian citizens by Russia, including Volodymyr Balukh and Emir-Huseyn Kuku, according to the resolution.
By introducing limited sanctions, Western countries invite the Kremlin to dialogue.

Former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, General of the Army of Ukraine Mykola Malomuzh says that the role of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia is exaggerated.

"The conclusions regarding the negative consequences of the sanctions imposed on Russia are exaggerated. [Statements about] Russia's vulnerability are also exaggerated," he said during an online Q&A session with the Ukrainian news outlet Glavred's readers.

"Russia's natural potential and financial reserves are big. It also has the resources that are currently in demand on global markets (oil, gas, energy, electricity, nuclear fuel, titanium, minerals). If Russia does not cooperate with Europe much, it cooperates with China, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Africa, etc. Therefore, Russia can survive, and the role of the sanctions is exaggerated," he said.

Read alsoPutin tightening grip on Ukraine - Klimkin

In his view, the sanctions against Moscow are not critical because they are of limited character.

"Russia will continue staying afloat. It will channel its main resources into security and defense, first of all, into new types of weapons of the fifth and sixth generations, this is what it has been doing ... We must realistically evaluate our adversary," Malomuzh said.

The Ukrainian army general is convinced that the sanctions against Russia today are ineffective. "But other sanctions that are strategic conditions for the existence of Russia can be effective. So far, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been given a window of opportunity to go for deals and start playing by civilized rules," Malomuzh concluded.

On December 21, the economic sanctions of the European Union related to the banking, financial and energy sectors of Russia were extended until July 31, 2019.
The FBI seized the painting.

U.S. authorities have moved to claim a 107-year-old painting of Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible that was stolen from an Ukrainian art museum during World War II and discovered in a home in the U.S. state of Connecticut.

Prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C., said that until 1941 the painting by Mikhail Panin, called 'Secret Departure Of Ivan The Terrible Before The Oprichnina,' was part of the permanent collection of an art museum in the Ukrainian city now known as Dnipro, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty said.

In a December 21 statement, authorities said the painting, along with 63 other exhibits, disappeared from the museum when it was occupied by Nazi forces during World War II.

Read alsoWorld's top trending Ukrainian song Plakala by KAZKA: Scientists make unexpected revelation

The painting was inherited by an American couple in 1962 when they bought a home in Ridgefield, Connecticut, from a man, officials said, who had emigrated to the United States from Switzerland in 1946. The couple discovered documentation that identified the man as having served in the Swiss Army during the war.

Neither the couple nor the man were identified in the forfeiture complaint filed in D.C. federal court.

U.S. prosecutors said that in 1986 the man from Switzerland died and the Connecticut home was sold the following year. The new buyer of the home, also unidentified, then put the Panin painting up for auction in 2017.

But when the painting was advertised in an auction house catalog, the Ukrainian art museum  now known as the Dnipropetrovsk State Art Museum  noticed, and demanded its return. The auction house was also not unidentified.

"Attention! Painting 'Ivan the Terrible' was in the collection of the [Dnipropetrovsk] Art Museum until 1941 and was stolen during the Second World War. The museum documentation confirms this fact. Please stop selling this painting at auction!!! According the international rules of restitution of stolen works of art, the picture should return to Ukraine," a museum employee wrote to the auction house in a November 17, 2017, e-mail cited by prosecutors.

The FBI then seized the painting.

The people who sought to sell the painting at auction have given up rights to it, and U.S. authorities said they will return it to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington if no other claims are filed.

'Secret Departure Of Ivan The Terrible Before The Oprichnina' depicts a 16th-century scene showing the Russian tsar commonly known as Ivan the Terrible and his loyal adherents leaving the Kremlin gates.
Russian border guards did not let 350 Ukrainian citizens enter Russia without explaining reasons.

Over 1,500 Russian citizens have been refused entry to Ukraine after the introduction of martial law in the country on November 26.

"We have been taking such [security] measures until martial law is in effect, but if needed we will of course continue enhanced security regime," Oleh Slobodyan, an aide to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service's chief, told Channel 112 Ukraine.

Foreign citizens who fail to confirm the purpose of their trip or have exceeded their period of stay in Ukraine during the previous visits are refused entry to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian border guards did not let 350 Ukrainian citizens enter Russia during this period without explaining reasons.

Read alsoCitizens of 52 countries to be able to apply for Ukraine's e-visa from January 1

As UNIAN reported earlier, after Russian forces attacked three Ukrainian navy boats near the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea on November 25, Ukraine introduced martial law in 10 regions from November 26 to December 26. These are the regions that are located along the Russian border and the Transnistrian section of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, as well as along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

On November 30, Chairman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Petro Tsyhykal announced that Russian male citizens aged 16 to 60 years would have limited access to Ukrainian territory in connection with the introduction of martial law.
The situation in the Joint Forces Operation zone remains under control.

Ukraine has reported a full ceasefire its eastern region, Donbas, from 00:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time on Sunday, December 23.

"As of 18:00 today, the Russian occupation forces did not violate the ceasefire regime. There were no attacks on positions of the Ukrainian military," the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) press service said in an evening update on Sunday, December 23.

"There are no Joint Forces casualties today," it said.

Read alsoUkraine comes up with idea of UN-OSCE peacekeeping mission in Donbas

According to the press service, the situation in the JFO zone remains under control.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian-led forces mounted five attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas on Saturday, December 22. There were no Ukrainian army casualties. However, two enemy troops were killed and one was wounded, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports.

On December 22, the enemy used proscribed weapons once  a 120mm mortar was fired at the village of Vodiane in the Mariupol sector, Donetsk region. The enemy also used grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns and small arms on that day.

Seven enemy attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas were recorded on Friday, December 21.

Participants in a recent round of the Minsk peace talks on Donbas discussed a ceasefire for the Christmas and New Year period.
(@FahadShabbir)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Dec, 2018 ) :The Christmas preparations are in full swing here with stalls carrying Christmas props besides setting Christmas trees at various markets in the city.

The Christian community is visiting city markets for shopping for their major festival whereas Police have finalized foolproof security plan under which 4000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure safety of citizens.

To celebrate the festival with religious fervour, Christian community is preparing has organized special programmes in different areas including congregation of Christian community, Christmas cake cutting ceremony, erection of Christmas tree, distribution of sweets among children by Santa Claus and Christmas Choral Competition among Church choirs in which a large number of people would participate.

While preparing for Christmas, the Christians living in the town renew their spirit of celebrating Christmas which continues throughout the month.

The traditions related to Christmas include decoration of Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, carols and Christmas gifts.

From official gatherings to cake cutting ceremonies in small communities, the joyous occasion fills the atmosphere with colours, symbols and traditions of Christmas.

The members of Christian community are preparing for this festivity to signify the birth of Jesus Christ through lighting up the Christmas tree with a cheerful mood.

The members of Christian community had started decorating the Christmas trees with evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial using different ornaments including baubles, small bells painted gold or silver, stars of different shapes and sizes, pine cones, apples, candies, tinsel and balloons made from glass, metal, wood and ceramic with the start of December.

The Churches are also being decorated with fairy lights, colourful bulbs and the traditional Christmas tree.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi district police have finalized a comprehensive plan to ensure security on Christmas.

According to a police spokesman, all the security arrangements have been finalized for peaceful observance of Christmas on December 25.

4000 security personnel including female police, special branch and elite force would be deployed in the district to ensure tight security arrangements at Churches and other public places.

The police personnel under the supervision of three Superintendents of Police, 11 Deputy Superintendents of Police and 21 SHOs would ensure the security on Christmas, he said adding, no one would be allowed to park their vehicles near churches, while walk-through gates would be installed at the entrance of the Churches.

Proper checking of the visitors would be conducted using metal detectors, he added.

Apart from Churches, police personnel would be deployed at public places including parks,he said and informed that the security had also been tightened at the entry and exit pointsof the city with special checking ordered for the special occasion.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Dec, 2018 ) :Consul General of Thailand in Karachi Thatre Chauvauaata has offered Pakistani publishers to make a comprehensive plan for the translation of prominent books of Thai literature and other books into urdu.

He said the government will provide all kind of assistance to the publishers in this regard. He said this initiative will help to end academic bearers between Thailand and Pakistan, said a press release issued here on Saturday.

He also assured full representation of Thailand in upcoming Karachi International Book Fair 2019 to be held in Karachi.

Thatre Chauvauaata expressed these views during his visit of 14th Karachi International Book Fair at Expo Centre Karachi on Saturday.

He also held a meeting with representatives of local publishers and booksellers.

Chairman Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association Aziz Khalid, Convener Karachi International Book Fair 2018 Owais Mirza Jameel, Deputy Convener Waqar Mateen Khan and others were present on the occasion.

Thatre Chauvauaata visited different book stalls and took keen interest in national and international books. He expressed his pleasure that international literature and other famous books are available under one roof at the Expo Centre.
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The European Commission is urging Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine to immediately take measures to stop the irregular migration to the European Union and very high number of unfounded applications for asylum, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) The European Commission is urging Georgia Moldova , and Ukraine to immediately take measures to stop the irregular migration to the European Union and very high number of unfounded applications for asylum, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said Wednesday.

"Two thousand eighteen saw increasing number of unfounded asylum applications from Moldovan and Georgian citizens. Irregular migration from Ukraine also remains high. All three countries should take immediate action to address the irregular migration challenges in an effective and swift manner," the commissioner said at a press conference.

Avramopoulos called on Moldova to step up efforts on fighting corruption as well, while Ukraine was urged to "take immediate action to ensure that the measures introduced with previous reforms in this area continue delivering results."

The visa-free travel between Ukraine and the European Union was introduced in June last year, while Moldovan citizens became exempt from visa requirement in 2014.
CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2018) Kuwait's embassy in Khartoum has called on its citizens to leave Sudan, which is currently engulfed in mass protests, for their own safety, local media reported.

Kuwait's diplomatic mission has also urged the country's nationals to avoid traveling to Sudan and called on those who are already in the country to stay away from rallies and follow the instructions issued by Sudanese officials, the KUNA news agency said on Saturday.

The protests erupted in the eastern Sudanese cities of Qadarif and Atbara on Wednesday over the government's decision to increase bread prices. People took to the streets in other cities across the country as well to protest rising prices and to express discontent with poor economic situation in the country in general.

At least 10 people have reportedly been killed in clashes with security forces, with Qadarif authorities introducing a state of emergency in the city on Thursday.
A car is seen among ruins after a tsunami hit Carita beach in Pandeglang, Banten province

Pope Francis has issued an appeal to the international community to support the victims of a devastating tsunami in Indonesia.

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis has issued an appeal to the international community to support the victims of a devastating tsunami in Indonesia.

The tsunami which struck during the night is believed to have been triggered by a volcanic eruption and the death toll is climbing by the hour with hundreds of people injured and scores missing. It is feared the numbers of victims will continue to rise as not all affected areas have been reached.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square for the Sunday Angelus, the Pope said his thoughts are with the people of Indonesia who have been struck by a series of violent natural disasters, which have caused many deaths, many missing people, much displacement and considerable material damage.



He invited everyone to join in praying for the victims and for their loved ones and expressed his spiritual closeness to those who are affected by the tragedy saying that he implores Gods consolation in their suffering.





My appeal is that these brothers and sisters may not lack our solidarity and the support of the International Community he said.



According to Indonesia's disaster management agency the death toll is currently at 222 people dead with 843 injured and 28 missing.

The volcano that erupted Saturday night lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and Java Sea. It erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami which could reportedly have been caused by undersea landslides or those occurring above sea level on the volcano's steep outside slope following the eruption.








Boyd Gaming awarded more than $40,000 to nearly three dozen local nonprofit organizations that participated in the companys fourth annual Trees of Hope tree-decorating competition at a celebratory check presentation ceremony held at The Orleans Showroom. Charities that decorated trees at Aliante, Cannery, The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, Sams Town and Main Street Station received prizes based on more than 160,000 customers votes cast from Nov. 27 through Dec. 16 (Pictured: The Orleans Winners  Photo credit: Enrique Malfavon).

Boyd Gaming awarded a first-place prize of $2,000 at every property, second-place prize of $1,500, third-place prize of $1,000 and honorary mentioned charities received $500 based on customer votes. Hundreds of additional votes were cast in a separate social media contest online. The social media contest awarded a prize pool to the top three performing charities valley-wide with a $2,500 first-place prize, $1,500 second-place prize and $1,000 third-place prize.

The all-new Trees of Hope specialty cocktail program awarded an additional $1,055 to Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club, chosen at random to win the prize pool during the check presentation ceremony. The prize pool was raised by customers ages 21 or older purchasing holiday-inspired cocktails at multiple Boyd Gaming restaurants.

Below are the results for this years competition:

Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa

Cure 4 The Kids Foundation Wagging Tails Rescue Keep Memory Alive

Honorary Mentions: Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada and Leaders in Training

Cannery Casino & Hotel

Disabled American Veterans SafeNest Animal Help Alliance

Honorary Mentions: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada and Hero School Initiatives

The Orleans Hotel and Casino

The Animal Foundation Three Square Food Bank Alzheimers Association

Honorary Mentions: Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada and University of Hawaii Alumni Association & Friends

Gold Coast Hotel and Casino

Horses 4 Heroes The Shade Tree Epilepsy Foundation of Nevada

Honorary Mentions: Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Southern Nevada and Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada

Suncoast Hotel and Casino

Opportunity Village Desert Diva Dogs Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada

Honorary Mentions: Chefs for Kids and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada

Sams Town Hotel and Gambling Hall

A Path 4 Paws Dog Rescue HELP of Southern Nevada Helping Hands of Vegas Valley

Honorary Mentions: Blue Star Mothers of Henderson & Boulder City and Nevada PEP

Main Street Station Casino Brewery and Hotel

Providing Animals With Support (P.A.W.S.) Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation American Red Cross

Honorary Mentions: Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club and DISCOVERY Childrens Museum

Social Media Contest

Animal Help Alliance A Path 4 Paws Dog Rescue Nevada PEP

Trees of Hope Specialty Cocktail Program

Awarded to Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club
A shot of the New York headquarter of Goldman Sachs, whose new CEO defended the company over the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia AFP/SPENCER PLATT

"I cannot stress enough how integrity is a cornerstone of our culture," newly-installed Chief Executive David Solomon said in a year-end message to employees.

He stressed that the bank was working with authorities to bring to justice the culprits behind a scandal that has roiled Malaysia.

Goldman helped 1MDB to issue US$6.5 billion of bonds but Kuala Lumpur accuses the bank and its former employees of misappropriating US$2.7 billion during the process.

Malaysia on Monday filed criminal charges against Goldman Sachs and two of its former employees over the alleged theft of funds used to buy everything from yachts to artwork.

The fraud that involved former Malaysian leader Najib Razak, contributed to the last government's shock defeat at May elections.

Former Goldman banker Ng Chong Hwa was formerly charged in the case on Wednesday. Malaysia has also taken steps extradite Ng to the United States to face US criminal charges.

Solomon said he was limited on how much to share on the ongoing probe, but defended the bank's role in the scandal, which he said had "outraged" him.

"While we understand the anger and skepticism, we do not believe that the criticism directed at us accurately reflects who we were then or who we are now," Solomon said, according to the transcript of the video message obtained by AFP and confirmed by a Goldman spokesman.

"We believe our culture and our processes around our due diligence and compliance was strong at the time, and is even stronger today."

Solomon, who took over the top spot at Goldman in October, said the bank conducted due diligence of the bond offerings.

"What we did not anticipate was that a group of individuals and foreign officials would orchestrate such a brazen scheme," he said.
-- AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2018 -- Members of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescue a woman in the Mediterranean open sea about 85 miles off the Libyan coast on July 17, 2018. AFP/PAU BARRENA

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".

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.

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.

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.
The Vietnamese market in particular, the size of the sector is about US$2.8 billion, with annual growth of 87 per cent.- Photo vov.vn

A report from Google and Temasek showed the proportion of e-commerce sector in the internet economy was up to 32 per cent in the region this year.

The Vietnamese market in particular, the size of the sector is about US$2.8 billion, with annual growth of 87 per cent.

According to Google and Temasek, Vietnamese e-commerce growth rate ranked second in Southeast Asia, just behind Indonesia.

The e-commerce playground in Vietnam for many years has consistently been a competition among Lazada, Shopee, Tiki, Adayroi and Sendo along with mega funding rounds and promotion programmes to attract consumers.

The e-commerce market was growing rapidly thanks to the highest proportion in the region of smartphone users and the number of online sellers was also high, said Pearl Nguyen, head of Vietnam Channel Sales at Google.

According to statistics from Google, it is estimated 3.2 million Vietnamese users annually shop online.

Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)s E-Commerce and Information Technology Agency showed 70 per cent of purchases via social media were made on Facebook this year, up slightly from last year.

Facebook was more regularly visited by shoppers, with 77 per cent of online shoppers using it for purchases, compared to 5 per cent on Zalo.

Vietnams e-commerce market is predicted to boom in the near future, given that 53 per cent of the population uses the internet and nearly 54 million people use smartphones.

According to experts, trade volume via e-commerce reached $4.07 billion in 2015, hit $5.1 billion in 2016 and $6.2 billion last year.

The figure is forecast to surge to $10 billion by 2020, giving Vietnam a great chance to develop the digital economy.

A recent study by the Institute for Global Leadership under the USs Tufts University showed Vietnam ranks 48th out of 60 countries globally in terms of rapidly switching to digital economy, and 22nd in terms of digitalisation.

The United Nations E-Government Survey 2018 also pointed out that since 2014, Vietnam has jumped 11 places to the 88th out of 193 countries and territories in the e-government development index. It also ranks sixth in ASEAN, behind Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Brunei.

ang Hoang Hai, head of the MoITs Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy, admitted that infrastructure for the digital economy, including electronic payment, distribution, human resources, information technology and security and safety remained limited.

"Most Vietnamese firms, including e-commerce ones, dont pay attention to the rapid changes of modern technology," he said.

Experts have called for more investment in technology and human resources amid the fourth industrial revolution. Apart from virtual technology, artificial technology and blockchain are breakthrough technology trends which are applicable in many fields.

Analysts have forecast around 30 per cent of Vietnams population will shop online by 2020, spending an average $350 per person each year.

In particular, social e-commerce is set to thrive next year, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said apart from refining the national e-commerce payment system, it was necessary to issue favourable mechanisms and optimise business models to effectively use smart supply chain as well as manage intellectual property.
A yellow vest protestor with a Christmas hat walks in the Montmartre area in Paris, one of several demonstrations across France, albeit numbers were down on previous rallies AFP/Sameer Al-Doumy

In Paris, the scene of violent clashes in previous demonstrations, traffic was normal in the morning and most shops, except for some luxury boutiques, were open for business in the busy weekend before Christmas.

David Delbruyere was one of about 20 protesters near the Arc de Triomphe, the fifth time he has come to the French capital to join a demonstration. And he wasn't discouraged by the small turnout so far.

"I think it's going to happen," the 48-year-old said.

Some 200 people gathered for a demonstration in Paris' tourist area of Monmartre and the Sacre Coeur basilica.

In all, around 800 "yellow vests" showed up for small demonstrations around the French capital, police said at mid-day.

Authorities were also stationed at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris which has been closed to visitors over fears of unrest.

A Facebook event organised by "yellow vest" leader Eric Drouet listed 1,400 people as planned "participants" in the Versailles demonstration with a further 8,000 people saying they were "interested".

Overnight in Perpignan in southern France a driver was killed when his car collided with a truck stopped at a roadblock set up by "yellow vest" protesters at the entrance to an autoroute, prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni told AFP.

There have now been 10 deaths related to the protests since they began on November 17.

Around 50 "yellow vests" briefly blocked trucks near the border between France and Spain before gendarmes stepped in.

Blockades were also reported in northern France near the border with Belgium.

Further demonstrations were planned for Saturday in Lyon, Toulouse, Orleans and Brittany.

The number of protesters has however fallen significantly since last week, when President Emmanuel Macron, a pro-business centrist, gave in to some of their demands.

Since the peak on November 17 with 282,000 demonstrators, the turnout has fallen to around 166,000 on November 24, 136,000 on the first and eighth of December and 66,000 on December 15.

The interior ministry estimated the numbers taking part in various protests on Thursday at under 4,000, the lowest since demonstrations began.

The movement characterised by the high-visibility yellow vests worn by the protesters originally started as a protest about planned fuel tax hikes, but has morphed into a mass demonstration against Macron's policies and top-down style of governing.

On Friday evening, the French Senate approved Macron's raft of measures to help the working poor and pensioners - just hours after they had been adopted by the lower house of parliament - which aim to quell "yellow vest" anger and should come into force early in 2019.

In the southwestern city of Toulouse on Thursday, some 30 protesters held a rally lampooning Macron on his 41st birthday.

"We haven't brought him any presents because he hasn't given us any," said one protester.
Paddy Ashdown, who died Saturday at age 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 implementer of tough measures to help the country recover from its 1992-95 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 postwar entities  the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Defense, tax reforms

They notably included defense 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 U.N. 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 to the 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 3 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 toward Europe and favored a common European foreign and defense 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.
Authorities in Somalia say the death toll from Saturday's double explosions near the presidential palace in Mogadishu has climbed to 30.

Mukhtar Dhaga-cadde, the director of public relations of the Benadir regional administration, said another 54 people were wounded.

Saturday's first explosion targeted a security check point near the national theater, the rear entrance of the presidential palace. The second blast occurred nearby. Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for both attacks.

A prominent Somali journalist was among those killed in the first explosion. Awil Dahir Salad, who was working for London-based Universal TV was the anchor of a popular show Dood Wadaag

Among those killed in the second explosion was a young man, Feisal Salad Samow, who survived the first bombing, but only to die in the second blast.

Five minutes before the second blast, Samow posted his status on Facebook saying  Thank God, I passed through the site of the first explosion five minutes ago, and I Pray for the victims but Samow was confirmed to have died in the second explosion.

His Facebook message went viral throughout social media sites, where thousands of Somalis around the world have shown sympathy and sent their condolences.

His close friend, Mahad Ahmed Hassan told VOA that Samow had already lost two of his family members to terrorist attacks in the past two years.

His young brother was killed in a similar terrorist attack on Nasa Hablod hotel in October 2017 and his father was killed in 2016 by unknown gunmen in Beledweyn town in central Somalia. Hassan said.

Samow, a graduate from local university was reported to have secured a job at a local company and was planning his wedding.

Feisal got engaged last Friday to his longtime sweetheart and he was expecting to marry her this coming Friday, but that is not happening now. This is a tragic day for Samows family. Hassan said.

Sahra Abdi and Abdulkadir Abdulle contributed this story from Washington and Mogadishu
Following weeks of talks between President Donald Trump and congressional leaders, parts of the U.S. government shut down on Saturday after negotiators reached an impasse over a deal to keep the government fully funded.

The majority of agencies and departments, including the Department of Defense and the Postal Service, already have secured funding and will continue operations. Still, 800,000 employees from the Homeland Security, Transportation and other departmets are affected. According to the American Federation of Government Employees, 420,000 people who have been deemed "essential" must work without pay, while 380,000 others will not be able to report for work at all.

Trump administration officials say anyone working without pay will receive back pay once a deal is reached. Below is what will happen at some of the agencies and departments affected by the shutdown.



Homeland Security



The department that oversees Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service is affected by the shutdown.



But most of those agencies' employees are considered essential, so they will need to work without pay until a government funding bill is passed.



Of the 245,000 people who work under the department's umbrella, nearly 213,000 have been deemed essential, according to the department's contingency plan.



Housing and Urban Development



Of the department's 7,500 employees, only 343 are expected to work. Nearly 1,000 other people may be called in to work on specific tasks, for which they will not be paid until a funding bill is passed.

Though public housing authorities and tribally designated housing entities are not part of the federal government and are not required to shut down, some of their funding is provided by the federal government, so they may need to reduce or change normal operating hours.



The department, which is also responsible for some housing loans and low-income housing payments, said in its contingency plan a shutdown would likely not significantly affect the housing market.



But, it added, "a protracted shutdown could see a decline in home sales, reversing the trend toward a strengthening market that we've been experiencing."



Interior



The National Park Service, under the umbrella of the Interior Department, will have a skeleton staff. Under its contingency plan, no national parks will be open and no visitor services  including restrooms, facility maintenance and trash collection  will be provided.



But some governors have pledged to step in, including in Arizona, the site of the Grand Canyon, and New York, where the state has provided funding for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to stay open.



Transportation



Of the department's 55,000 employees, 20,400 will be put on leave. Those employees do not include most of the Federal Aviation Administration, where 24,200 will be working, or the Federal Highway Administration, where all 2,700 employees are funded through other sources.



Air traffic control, hazardous material safety inspections and accident investigations will continue, but some rulemaking, inspections and audits will be paused.



Executive Office of the President



An estimated 1,100 of the office's 1,800 employees would be placed on leave. This will include most of the Office of Management and Budget, which helps the president implement his budget and policy goals.
Fewer yellow vest protesters turned out across France on Saturday, yet tensions between demonstrators and police boiled over in Paris later in the evening on the well-known Champs-Elysees thoroughfare.

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons against demonstrators. A video showed a group of protesters surrounding and attacking several police officers who were on motorcycles. One officer appeared to point his gun at the protesters, but Paris police told the Associated Press he did not fire his weapon.

Nationwide protests, which began Nov. 17 against a planned fuel tax increase, have continued into a sixth week. They have morphed into protests largely against President Emmanuel Macrons liberal economic reform policies.

Reacting to the movement, on Dec. 10 Macron made tax and salary concessions. He has largely kept out of the public eye since then.

Smaller crowds

French officials estimated about 38,000 people had taken part in protests around the country Saturday, with Paris police estimating about 2,000 in the capital. By comparison, more than 280,000 people took part in nationwide protests Nov. 17. As many as 4,000 protesters were in Paris on Dec. 15.

On Saturday, police arrested 81 people nationwide, compared with several hundred arrests during nationwide protests two weeks ago, officials said.

Police were also called to protesters setting up roadblocks near Frances borders with Spain, Belgium, Italy and Germany.

Death toll rises to 10

Media reports said the death toll from the protests rose to 10 on Saturday, after a driver was killed overnight in southern France after driving into a truck that had been stopped by a roadblock.

The yellow vest movement was named after the safety vests French motorists are required to keep in their vehicles, which the protesters wear at demonstrations.
London's Gatwick Airport operated without problems Sunday, but the fugitive drone operators who brought incoming and outgoing flights to a standstill over multiple days remained at large  and a potential threat  after police cleared two local residents who were arrested as suspects.

Sussex Police were hopeful they had halted the disruptive and costly drone incursions during one of the heaviest travel periods of the year with Friday's arrests of a couple who live near the airport. But they were released Sunday, and police said they were no longer suspects.

Tens of thousands of passengers suffered through long flight delays or were stranded by cancellations after two drones were reported seen above the airfield at Gatwick on Wednesday night, prompting an immediate suspension of all air traffic.

Sussex Chief Detective Jason Tingley said Sunday he could not rule out new drone activity at Gatwick or other U.K. airports. He also said it was possible that witnesses who reported sightings after the first ones aroused alarm were mistaken.

Of course, that's a possibility. We are working with human beings saying they have seen something, Tingley told the BBC.

At the same, he said police were making progress in a three-pronged investigation: tracking persons of interest, investigating 67 reported drone sightings, and examining a damaged drone found near Gatwick.

The drone in police hands may provide useful forensic clues, such as the DNA of people who handled it, Tingley said. But the rain the London area got on Friday and Saturday might have washed away some evidence, he said.

Airport authorities consider drones a menace because they could damage a plane in flight or be sucked into a plane's engine, causing a deadly crash

After the shutdown extended into Thursday, increased military protection was brought in Thursday night to watch for more drones while planes resumed taking off and landing at Britain's second-busiest airport.

The government has kept the details of the security operation secret, but the military equipment is thought to offer better tracking capabilities and give authorities early warning if drones approach Gatwick, located 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of London.

At the airport on Sunday, flight arrival and departure boards showed fewer delays than on Saturday. Additional tracking gear at the periphery of the runway and an increased police presence were the only clear signs of the headaches experienced there in the past four days. But officials have stepped up surveillance of the surrounding airspace behind-the-scenes.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said the unspecified military measures have bolstered confidence that the airport will be able to remain open without further interruptions. But anti-drone technology is a relatively new, imperfect field, Grayling said.

It is not clear how officials will respond if another drone gets too close. The best guide may be what happened on Friday night, when the airport was shut down for 70 minutes after a drone was spotted. The military deployment allowed the airport to reopen relatively quickly, authorities have said.

No confirmed drone incursions have taken place since then  a factor that led many to assume police had found the responsible operators when they arrested the two suspects Friday night.

That hope ended Sunday when the couple  a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman  was allowed to return to their home in Crawley, a 5-minute drive from Gatwick.

Detective Tingley said he is satisfied the two were not involved. He is hoping a tip will provide a crucial lead.

Tingley said police did not identify the suspects but The Mail on Sunday tabloid named them and published a large front-page photo of them with the headline, Are These the Morons Who Ruined Christmas?

The crisis at Gatwick marked the first time drones caused sustained disruption at a major airport. There is not much data on the dangers drones pose to airplanes because they are a relatively new phenomenon.

Police say the motive for the drone incursion is not yet known but they do not believe it is terror-related.

Gatwick Airport, which handles roughly 43 million passengers per year, has offered a 50,000 pound ($63,000) reward through Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the drone operators.


As Ukraine enters its fifth winter of conflict, the United Nations says civilians continue to be victimized by widespread human rights violations and abuse perpetrated by both the government and Russian-backed rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. The report issued by the U.N. Human Rights Office covers the three-month period between mid-August and mid-November.

Ukraine's civil conflict, which began April 2014 appears to be at a stalemate. However, this has not stopped the warring parties from subjecting the civilian population to gross violations of human rights on both sides of the contact line. This refers to the 500-kilometer line of separation between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels.

The U.N. has documented hundreds of abuses of the right to life, deprivation of liberty, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, and unlawful or arbitrary detention.

The report describes the hardships endured by the population due to Ukraine's worsening economic situation. U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, said large segments of the population suffer from the socio-economic barriers created by the armed conflict. She said the elderly, children, disabled people and those displaced by the conflict are particularly vulnerable.

"Disproportionate restrictions on the freedom of movement along and across the contact line continue to disrupt people's access to social entitlements, such as pensions and social benefits. This in turn unduly impedes their access to basic services, those that are essential for daily dignity, including, for example water, sanitation, heating and health care," she said.

The U.N. report harshly criticizes Russia for continuously violating its international obligations as the occupying power in Crimea.

It documents dozens of human rights violations including stifling dissent, instilling fear and denying individuals their freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. It notes Crimean Tatars are disproportionately affected by these measures.
In barely a weeks time, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has cemented the authoritarian reputation of his government by shuttering the offices some of the few remaining resonant voices of dissent and expelling the international monitors documenting his governments alleged crimes.

The heavy-handed raids on the countrys most prominent nongovernmental organizations and the seizure of the offices of the independent news outlets Confidencial and 100% Noticias left a clear message that no one, especially former Sandinista comrades, was safe from a crackdown on dissent following a wave of protests that increasingly aimed at pushing the 73-year-old president from power.

At least 325 people have been killed since protests erupted in mid-April and were violently suppressed. Some 565 people have been jailed, according to the Nicaraguan Human Rights Center, which itself was raided. Many of those held face terrorism charges that carry decades-long sentences. Thousands have fled the country in self-imposed exile.

All Nicaraguans are vulnerable to the possibility that they fabricate charges from the laws they (the government) invented, the founder of Confidencial, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, said in front of Managuas courthouse. No one is safe here. The law protects no one because in Nicaragua there is not rule of law.

Chamorro ran the Sandinistas newspaper La Barricada for years and his mother, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, was initially part of the Sandinista ruling junta when it gained power. But she later split and eventually ran for president, defeating Ortega in 1990.

Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is Ortegas wife and who also controls the governments communications, did not grant a request for an interview with herself or Ortega. But at an event with police last week, she made a thinly veiled reference to Chamorro and other traitors.

A week of cracking down

The new wave of crackdowns began a little over a week ago when Ortega loyalists in congress stripped nine organizations of their legal status, alleging they supported what the government has called a coup attempt, a reference to the protests.

Police raided the groups offices the night of Dec. 13, hauling off computers and reams of documents. They returned the following night to occupy their buildings.

Police toting rifles could be seen watching television inside the offices of Confidencial while its staff kept its website updated from hotel rooms, their homes and eventually a secret location where they re-established their newsroom.

The issue is that the institutions that hes going after are symbolic of the strength of civil society, said Manuel Orozco, a senior associate at The Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. Ortega thought he could maintain control through the political parties, but this opposition movement has come from civil society.

When Chamorro went to police headquarters Dec. 15 to ask to see what order had allowed the seizure of his offices, he and his staff were pushed away by riot police who punched and kicked at least one of his reporters.

Riot police were present again two days later when Chamorro and his wife walked hand-in-hand to the gates of the courthouse to seek judicial relief.

As human beings, obviously were afraid of being smashed by the regime, which up to now has prevailed through force and terror, Chamorro said. Invoking his father, a journalist and national hero killed in 1978 by the Somoza dictatorship that was later overthrown by the Sandinistas, Chamorro said that each person is the master of his own fear.

All citizens have to learn to manage fear and overcome it and show that you cant kill ideas and ideas cant be killed by killing journalists, he said.

Former Sandinistas

Chamorro isnt alone as a former Sandinista now squarely in Ortegas sights. Many of the intellectuals and key figures who participated in early Sandinista governments have split away over the years, accusing Ortega of taking a more authoritarian path.

Vilma Nunez, the president of the Nicaraguan Human Rights Center, was a supreme court vice president under Ortegas first Sandinista government in 1979 and dedicated much of her early career to defending Sandinistas persecuted by the Somoza regime.

Last week police forced their way into her offices and now the center, known by its Spanish initials of Cenidh, is reorganizing at a clandestine location. Cenidh has been documenting abuses by police and paramilitaries since violence began in April.

They believe that by finishing off belligerent organizations that wont be silent about human rights they are going to silence the voices of protest that persist, Nunez said.

Appearance of normality

In the streets of Managua, outward appearances suggest some degree of normality. Christmas decorations are spread about the city, more restaurants and bars are staying open after dark and the citys Eastern Market has been humming with shoppers.

But vendors say business has been running 25 to 30 percent below what it was last year, even in the run-up to Christmas.

Nicaraguas private business umbrella organization COSEP issued a report this month saying that instead of the forecast 5 percentage-point growth in Nicaraguas economy this year, it will finish with a 4-point contraction.

Not so visible are people living in fear.

A woman who for months has been helping to hide dozens of university students who had occupied campuses in anti-government protests continues to ferry donated food and clothing to them. But she said theres never enough food, and some subsist on rice and ketchup.

But their emotional health is the greater concern, she said: These were students on career tracks who suddenly found themselves unable to return to the university or even walk down the street. After police and paramilitaries retook the university campuses last summer, hundreds of students have either fled the country or remain in hiding.

They have imprisoned their future, said the woman, who requested anonymity to protect the students in her care.

Tight security

To get to the Managua home of Carlos Tunnermann, a former university rector, the Sandinistas first education minister and later Ortegas ambassador to the United States, you have to get through two police checkpoints.

Tunnermann, a member of the Civic Alliance formed to negotiate with the government last spring, lives near Ortegas home and falls within his expanded security perimeter. The first checkpoint is easy enough, the second, however, is more challenging. After a half hour of questions, the gate finally swung aside.

Tunnermann said that the recent aggression toward the NGOs and Chamorros media outfit could have been a reply to the U.S. governments economic sanctions last month against Murillo and Nestor Moncada, Ortegas national security adviser.

Tunnermann said Ortega seemed to not grasp yet that each time he ratchets up the crackdown, the international community will increase the pressure on him.

In Tunnermanns mind, dialogue and eventually a concession by Ortega to move up presidential elections scheduled for 2021 were the countrys best chance for peace.

But there was a major obstacle, he said: Ortega and Murillo have invented a reality that is not the true reality. Its a reality that is only in their minds.
A group of 11 women tried to worship at a Hindu temple in southern India Sunday morning but were barred by protesters.

They were stopped by hundreds of devotees, including other women, who object to the group entering the place of worship in Kerala state, even though the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that women of childbearing age can enter the shrine.

Women have been traditionally banned from entering Sabarimala, one of the Hindu religion's holiest temples.

In September, however, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, overturned the longstanding ban on women aged 10 to 50 from entering the temple.

The police are trying to negotiate a solution in their talks with the women and the devotees who oppose the women entering the shrine.

Selvi, who uses only one name and is a leader of the women's group, said "The women are adamant they won't withdraw until they have seen the deity at the Sabarimala temple."

Some Hindu adherents argue that the court ruling ignores their belief that the deity Ayyappa was reputed to have been celibate.

"If these women were actual devotees, they would not have been so blatant in their utter disregard for the age-old traditions and customs of Sabarimala," Sasikumar Varma, from the region's Pandalam Royal Family, told the French news agency (AFP).

"They just want to create trouble for genuine devotees," Varma said.

The Supreme Court is scheduled in January to hear challenges to its ruling.
The U.S. government is partially closed until at least Thursday, and possibly for days or even weeks beyond, as President Donald Trump holds firm in demanding funds for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and Democrats remain resolutely opposed.

On Monday, Trump claimed that "virtually every Democrat" strongly supported a "Border Wall or Fence" but turned against the idea after he made it an important part of his campaign for president.

Later he said he was "all alone" at the White House waiting for the "Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security."

Trump is expected to discuss border security issues with Homeland Security Security Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday.

The top Congressional Democratic leaders blamed Trump for the government shutdown, saying he his recent decisions are "plunging the country in chaos."

"Instead of bringing certainty into people's lives, he's continuing the Trump Shutdown just to please right-wing radio and TV hosts," said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House speaker designate Nancy Pelosi in a statement.

This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Congress and the White House have been unable to agree on how much money the federal government should spend and for which objectives, failing to meet a funding deadline that causes non-essential services and operations to be halted.

Last Wednesday, a shutdown seemed unlikely as the Republican-led Senate unanimously passed a temporary funding bill. The White House originally signaled support for the bill, which boosted overall border security funding but did not set aside funds for a wall. But Trump ultimately rejected it, demanding $5.7 billion for wall construction.

"Our great country must have border security  with a wall or a slat-fence or whatever you want to call it," the president said in a video message Friday.

The Republican-led House of Representatives has approved a spending bill with wall funding, but the measure does not have enough votes to pass the Senate, where Democrats have lined up in fierce opposition.

'Abandon the wall'



"It will never pass the Senate. Not today, not next week, not next year," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said. "So Mr. President, President Trump: If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall. Plain and simple."

Most Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have rallied around Trump's demand.

"One would think that securing our homeland, controlling our borders and protecting the American people, would be bipartisan priorities  a core duty of any nation's government," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said.

McConnell adjourned the chamber on Saturday, with no votes expected until Thursday, December 27 at the earliest.

In the past, Democrats have been flexible on additional border security funding, including for a wall, as part of a larger deal on thorny immigration issues.

Earlier this year, Democrats were willing to support wall funding in return for protections for undocumented immigrants brought to America as children a deal Trump initially hailed but later abandoned.

In 2013, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to dramatically boost border security funding as part of a comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration laws. But that bill died when the Republican-led House refused to consider it.

Now Trump is demanding wall funding while so far offering nothing Democrats want in return. On Sunday, White House officials hinted that could change.

"The president has made it very clear, however, that he is willing to discuss a larger immigration solution," incoming acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on ABC's This Week program.

Mulvaney also suggested in a separate interview on Fox News Sunday that the Trump administration had stepped back from it's demand for $5.7 billion in wall funding, saying it offered a compromise somewhere between that figure and $1.3 billion in border security funding offered by Democrats.

Campaign promise

Throughout the 2016 campaign, then-candidate Trump repeatedly pledged that Mexico would pay for a border wall. Now, the White House says Mexico is contributing, indirectly, as a result of economic benefits to America stemming from a renegotiated free trade accord between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Democrats have repeatedly reminded Trump of his promise.

"We arrived at this moment because President Trump has been on a destructive two-week temper tantrum demanding the American taxpayer pony up for an expensive and ineffective border wall that the president promised Mexico would pay for," Schumer said.
The Malian prime minister on Sunday announced a boost to anti-jihadist operations alongside a program to disarm and reintegrate militias in the centre of the troubled country.

Without specifying the amount of investment, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said defense and security forces in the region would be "strengthened," including the development of river patrols.

Malian forces, with the aid of France, fought off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the north in 2012 but large areas remain out of the government's control.

The "Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process" will be launched in the central Mopti region on Monday, Maiga wrote on Twitter.

He insisted his government "does not fight against any community but fights against insecurity."

Earlier this month, the prime minister said hundreds of police officers and soldiers would be sent to reinforce the northern city of Timbuktu amid growing concerns about security in the region.

Mali remains prone to violence despite a 2015 peace accord designed to isolate radical Islamists and the continued presence of French and UN forces in the region.

Since then, attacks have extended to central and southern regions of Mali and over the border into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
A Venetian cloth dyers son, Tintoretto spent his entire career in Venice, becoming widely considered the last great painter of the Renaissance.

The lagoon citys churches and palazzi essentially serve as a permanent retrospective of this native sons formidable talents in using dramatic color, bold brushstrokes and daringly innovative perspective on often-enormous canvasses.

Still, curators here have encountered challenges when mounting tributes this year to mark the 500th anniversary of his birth.

Some of Tintorettos paintings couldnt be included in the main exhibition, hosted at the landmark Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace), because they couldnt fit through its 16th-century stone doorways.

And several Venetian churches, where the painter did much of his best work, balked at loaning their masterpieces. Not surprisingly, they are eager for visitors making the Tintoretto pilgrimage to visit their venues and not just the stellar show, which, since opening in September, has drawn more than 100,000 visitors.

On to Washington

After it closes here Jan. 6, the exhibition travels to the National Gallery of Art in Washington for a four-month run starting March 10. That will be the first Tintoretto retrospective outside of Europe.

When Venice last hosted a Tintoretto retrospective, in 1937, church paintings were cut out of their frames, rolled up and carted off to the exhibition. That method would be met with horror by todays art world, especially since nearly a score of Tintoretto paintings were recently restored, thanks to the Save Venice organization.

The churches generally felt, and we understood, it didnt make sense to move his masterpieces across the city, said Robert Echols, a Boston-based art historian who is one of the curators. Some of those church works will go to the U.S. exhibition, however.

Weeding out impostors

Some of Tintorettos greatest works can never travel, of course, and are being celebrated here.

In the Chapter House in the Scuola di San Rocco, admirers can lie on their backs to see Tintorettos work, which has been likened to the monumental achievement of Michelangelo in the Vaticans Sistine Chapel. Thanks to new lighting and strategically placed mirrors, the Chapter House last month had its own renaissance of sorts. Now visitors can see details in what before had seemed like a gloomy, cavernous room.

Echols and co-curator Frederick Ilchman, chair of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, devoted much of their art historian careers to weeding out paintings that had been dubiously attributed to Tintoretto, whittling down what had been a list of 468 works to just more than 300 paintings of his authorship.

Tintoretto, to some extent, is a painter who was a victim of his own success, Echols said.

Tintoretto, a pseudonym of Jacopo Rubusti, obtained so many commissions, particularly in his later years, that he farmed out some work, notably to his son, Domenico. While his genius was acknowledged in his own day, some works done by imitators or his workshop had been incorrectly attributed to Tintoretto in successive centuries.

Tintoretto cleverly maneuvered to snag commissions from nobles and churches during the heady years of the sea-going Most Serene Republic of Venice.

The Shakespeare play is not the Merchant of Florence, its the Merchant of Venice, Ilchman noted, recounting how Tintoretto sometimes offered discounts to ensure commissions didnt go to his rivals, which included Tiepolo, Titian and Veronese.

Scandalous at times

Tintorettos imaginative use of perspective and his dynamic, inventive interpretations of mythological and religious themes are on convincing display, including one that sparked scandal in his day. In "St. Louis, St. George and The Princess, a dragons head emerges from between the legs of a woman and from under her billowing, burnt-orange gown.

In the "The Abduction of Helen," the kidnapped woman, with a nipple poking out above her blouse, seems to be tumbling out of the frame toward the viewer.

Tintoretto had an impressive production of portraits. The exhibition displays many of his finest in a long, narrow hall, as if in a noble familys own palazzo.

Riveting self-portraits  one of Tintoretto in his 20s on loan by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and another of Tintoretto as an old man sent by the Louvre  open and close the retrospective.

The Venice show to honor Tintorettos birth anniversary began in 2018. The companion Washington show starts in 2019. The different years are fitting, for, while the year of his death, 1594, is undisputed, and his grave prominent in a Venice church decorated with some of his masterpieces, historians arent sure just when he was born. The artists birth year is often written as 1518/1519.
U.S. national parks will be left with just a skeleton staff during the federal government shutdown, and several states are using their own funds to make sure public restrooms get cleaned and visitor centers stay open.



The shutdown of all but essential federal services because of a Capitol Hill fight over U.S. President Donald Trump's funding demands for a Mexico border wall comes at the height of the Christmas travel season.



The National Park Service said this week that parks will remain "as accessible as possible." During a three-day government shutdown in January, the gates to about two-thirds of national parks and monuments remained open.



"Services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds and full-service restrooms will not be operating," Jeremy Barnum, the National Park Service chief spokesman, said in a statement.



The Republican governors of Utah and Arizona have promised to step in, in part to help protect local businesses in and around some of the country's most spectacular natural landscapes that depend on tourist spending.

Not 'on our watch'



"Regardless of what happens in Washington, the Grand Canyon will not close on our watch," Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement on Friday. The Arizona Office of Tourism will help ensure restrooms are cleaned, trash is collected and shuttle buses operate, Ducey said.



All five of Utah's national parks will remain open, and the three most popular will have maintenance costs underwritten by the state during the shutdown, according to Vicki Varela, the Utah Office of Tourism's managing director.



Zion National Park drew 107,000 visitors between Dec. 22 and Dec. 27 a year ago, Varela said.



"This time of year is the most remarkable time of year to experience it because the snow against that red rock is just breathtaking," she said.



Utah Gov. Gary Herbert authorized the temporary funding for custodial and visitor center services, which will cost an estimated $18,000 to $19,000 for Zion.



"It's really modest on the part of the state to protect the quality of the experience for visitors," Varela said.



New York state has provided funding to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open during the shutdown, according to the park's website. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, slammed Trump over the federal shutdown on Twitter on Saturday.



Officials from the Great Smoky Mountains Association said the nonprofit group would provide funding to maintain visitor center staffing, restroom cleaning and trash hauling at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.



The National Park Service said it would not be updating its social media accounts during the shutdown, and that while some park areas remain accessible, access could change without notice.



Better to stay closed?

Some conservationists said it would be better to close parks entirely, as happened under President Barack Obama's administration during a 2013 shutdown, rather than keep them open with skeleton staff.



During the January shutdown, a pregnant elk was killed in Zion and tourists in Yellowstone National Park drove snowmobiles dangerously close to the Old Faithful geyser, said Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association.



"It's unrealistic and dangerous to think that parks can remain open with only a skeleton crew and continue with business as usual," Pierno said in a statement.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will become the acting Pentagon chief on January 1, replacing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who announced his resignation last week.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump tweeted, moving to push current Defense Secretary Mattis out of his post two months early.

Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, was named Deputy Secretary of Defense in 2017.

Mattis' resignation letter, submitted to Trump in person on Friday, had said he would leave the post on February 28.

The defense secretarys 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."

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.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Turkey will eliminate the rest of the Islamic State militants in Syria after the U.S. military withdraws its forces.

In a tweet late Sunday, Trump said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "has strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria...and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right 'next door.'"

"Our troops are coming home!" Trump added.

Earlier Sunday, Trump said the two leaders discussed his withdrawal plan during a "long and productive call."

Trump gave few details about his conversation. But he tweeted he and Erdogan discussed Islamic State, trade, and what he called "the slow and highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area."

Erdogan's office said in a statement he and Trump agreed to "ensure coordination between their countries' military, diplomatic, and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria."

Erdogan said late last week that Turkey is postponing an operation against Kurdish forces in Syria in the wake of Trump's decision.

Trump has declared Islamic State defeated and says it is time for other members of the anti-Islamic State coalition to step in and clean up the last remaining pockets.

But his decision to leave Syria is unpopular among many in Washington, including within his own administration.

Trump's Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and special envoy to the global coalition fighting Islamic State Brett McGurk have both resigned, at least in part, because of Syria.

But acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on ABC's This Week broadcast Trump will not change his mind

"I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever...you're seeing the end result now of two years of work."

Mulvaney was asked about the Mattis and McGurk resignations and said it is "not unusual" for Cabinet members to resign "over these types of disagreements."

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday he is "devastated" by the decision and calls the United States "unreliable."

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he "deeply regrets" Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria.

Meanwhile, witnesses say Turkish forces have started massing on the border of the northern Syrian town of Manbij controlled by U.S. forces and their Kurdish allies.

Turkish military officials have not given an exact reason why their troops have headed to Manbij.

But Turkey has angrily accused the United States and the Kurds of failing to carry out their deal to pull out of Manbij.

Turkey accuses the U.S.-backed YPG Kurdish militia, of being a terrorist group and tied to the Kurdistan Workers Party -- which has been fighting a long insurgency for more Kurdish autonomy in Turkey.
British and French officials are scrambling to determine how they can maintain military pressure on the Islamic State terror group once the United States has pulled out its ground forces from northeast Syria.

Both countries have said they plan to continue airstrikes and ground operations in Syria, but the timing and scope of the U.S. withdrawal, say officials still reeling from President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. forces, remains unclear and is complicating war-planning in London and Paris.

The British and French governments are trying also to gain a clearer understanding, say officials, of Turkish military intentions in northeast Syria, and when or if the Turks, as they have threatened, launch an offensive east of the Euphrates River to attack the Western-allied Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG.

The YPG is the main formation in the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, the Wests only ground partner in the fight against IS. Turkey has been restrained from moving into Syrias Kurdish-controlled northeast in the past by the presence of U.S. troops. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would delay an offensive possibly for several months, although the Kurds say his concession shouldnt be taken at face value.

President Erdogan has threatened to smash the Western-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria, arguing they are indistinguishable from militant Kurdish separatists in Turkey, who have waged a three-decade-long insurgency. Kurdish leaders hope Washington will continue to press the Turks to hold off. Its their duty to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats, says Aldar Khalil, a senior Kurdish official.

In the meantime, they are renewing talks with Damascus, using the northeastern oil fields, which they control, as leverage to strike a semi-autonomy deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A critical question for London and Paris, say defense officials in both capitals, is whether the YPG will be able to keep control of the 800 IS prisoners it holds, many from European countries.

Kurdish officials warned Friday French President Emmanuel Macron's representative to Syria, Francois Senemand, that if Turkey does attack, it would create a chaotic situation in which they might not be able to spare the guards to make sure IS detainees are secure  let alone continue with an offensive against remaining IS formations along the border with Iraq.

The IS prisoners include two Britons accused of being members of the so-called "Beatles" murder cell, responsible for the torture and beheading of Western journalists and aid workers, including American reporters James Foley and Steve Sotloff.

The Kurds have long pleaded with European governments to repatriate foreign fighters to be prosecuted in their home countries, but to no avail, despite the Kurdish pleas being echoed by Washington and the families of journalists and aid workers murdered by IS.

Now theres rising alarm in Western capitals that the U.S. withdrawal may trigger a chain of events that will lead to IS prisoners either escaping or being released by the Kurds, with the risk they could find their way back to the West, posing a major security headache for European governments. The Kurds say the only way to ensure their detention is for France and Britain to play a bigger military role in northern Syria. Some observers view the Kurds warning about IS detainees as an ultimatum.

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, Ilham Ahmed, a Kurdish official told reporters Friday in Paris.

France has 200 special forces soldiers operating in Syria's Kurdish northeast as well as artillery units, part of an anti-IS international coalition trying to root out remaining pockets of militant fighters.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly told a French radio station she disagrees with President Trumps assessment that IS has all but been annihilated.

It's an extremely grave decision and we think, the job must be finished, she said speaking three days after Trump tweeted his order for U.S. ground troops to depart Syria, declaring IS defeated. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned in protest midweek after he and other U.S. military and national security staff failed to persuade the U.S. leader to reverse his decision.

On Saturday, it emerged Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter IS, has also resigned in protest.

When Trump made his pull-out decision, McGurk was in Iraq briefing coalition partners about how the U.S. remained committed to keeping troops in Syria, both to finish off IS and counter Iran. His departure has added to fears that without the U.S. playing a leading role the 77-nation anti-IS coalition will fall apart.

Britains defense minister has also pledged to maintain British airstrikes on IS targets in Syria, saying that although the anti-IS coalition has rolled up the militant territorial caliphate, IS as an ideology and as an organization has become more dispersed. He warns of a possible IS resurgence. We recognize weve got to continue to keep a foot on the throat of Daesh, said Gavin Williamson, using an Arab acronym for IS.

As well as mounting airstrikes, British commandos have been deployed in northern Syria. They are currently engaged with American special forces alongside the SDF in the mid-Euphrates valley, where an offensive has been underway since early September against 2,000 to 8,000 IS fighters, most of whom fled from Raqqa and Mosul when those cities fell.

Despite progress, including capturing the town of Hajin, the offensive there have been episodic reversals with IS mounting mobile counter-attacks under the cover of winter sandstorms and fog, say British and American officials. U.S. airstrikes have been crucial in the battle.

In October, the Kurds halted the offensive after Turkey bombarded Kurdish positions near Kobani, a town on the Turkish-Syrian border, where some of the Kurds IS prisoners are being detained.

Asked if British forces could continue to operate without considerable American military support, Williamson responded: Were going to continue to look at all our options. Officials acknowledge Anglo-French options would be much reduced, if theyre unable to call on U.S. air support, something that the Pentagon has so far not clarified.

Some independent analysts have warned also that declaring victory over IS is premature. In a report issued last month by the International Center for Counter-Terrorism, a think tank based in The Hague, three analysts, Liesbeth van der Heide, Charlie Winter and Shiraz Maher, warned the militant group has the capacity to regroup.

Its shift towards clandestine tactics has left it a more slippery foe, they argued. The organization has now changed trajectory, its overt insurgency devolving back into covert asymmetric warfare. Now, its focus is on hit-and-run operations geared towards undermining stability and discrediting the state. These are being deployed through a careful strategy of destabilization: IS sleeper cell networks are systematically working to subvert security in liberated territories, they added in their report entitled, The Cost of Crying Victory.

Since Trumps decision, other analysts have echoed their warning. A U.S. pullout in Syria is a win for ISIS, Iran, Russia, & Assad, tweeted Mike Pregent, an analyst at the Hudson Institute, a U.S.-based think tank, and former U.S. army intelligence officer. Pregent, whos been highly critical of both Mattis and McGurk, arguing they have overseen a flawed strategy in Iraq and Syria, added: Well see an ISIS resurgence & a further entrenched & aggressive Iran in Syria  all before Nov 2020.

But President Trump, who has long favored a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East, has received praise from some quarters. Staying in Syria offers grave risk for the United States with no justifying security payoff, says Kurt Couchman of Defense Priorities, a libertarian-leaning think tank. Now that the Islamic State is reduced to remnants, and local forces are committed to containing them, it is in Americas interest to bring our troops home for the holidays.
The U.S. federal government entered the second day of its partial shutdown Sunday and it won't be unitl after Christmas holiday that Congress and President Donald Trump can try to agree to a resolution to their funding impasse.

The sticking point is money for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. The president wants Congress to allocate $5.7 billion towards a southern border wall. Trump promised during his successful presidential campaign in 2016 that Mexico would pay for the wall, something Mexico has repeatedly rejected.

Congress had refused the president's request for a down payment on the $20 billion wall the U.S. leader says will thwart illegal immigration.

On Twitter Sunday, Trump continued to push for a wall.

The partial government shutdown move affects a quarter of the government, encompassing more than 800,000 federal employees, more than half of whom will continue to work without pay.

The U.S. Senate is not scheduled to meet again until Thursday to take up the matter.

Trump, meanwhile, is hunkering down in the White House during the impasse and tweeted Saturday, "I am in the White House, working hard." He canceled his Florida holiday vacation. First lady Melania Trump had already traveled to Mar-a-Lago with their son Baron for the holiday, but the two plan to return to the White House to spend Christmas.

Shortly before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the Senate would adjourn until Thursday, reporters said Vice President Mike Pence had arrived at the Capitol to speak with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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 to discuss a spending bill that would include money for his proposed wall.

During a conference call Saturday with reporters, a senior administration official was asked why Democrats were not present at the White House meeting when Trump has repeatedly said they are responsible for the shutdown.

Its important that Senate Democrats come to the table and begin to negotiate with us. 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, the official said.

McConnell said any agreement would first need to be approved by the president and congressional leaders before it would come to a vote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House 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.

VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
The U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan said Sunday he has not received orders for a troop withdrawal from the country.

General Scott Millers remarks came just days after reports quoted officials in Washington as saying President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw roughly half of the more than 14,000 American troops stationed in Afghanistan, beginning next month.

You have seen the same rumors I have in the newspapers. But all I would assure you is first of all I have no orders, so nothing changed. We are same today as we were yesterday and we will be the same tomorrow, Miller noted during a visit to the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.

The largest Afghan television station, TOLO News, broadcast the footage of Millers meeting with the provincial governor where the general was apparently responding to queries from his hosts on the reported U.S. troop withdrawal plans.

But if I do get orders I think it is important for you to know that we are still with the [Afghan] security forces. Even if I have to get a little bit smaller [in troop size] we will be okay. We have thought about this before and we will be able to do the things that you require in terms of support, Miller said.

President Ashraf Ghazi's unity government in Kabul officially has played down the significance of Trumps reported order of the troop drawdown, saying Afghan forces are capable of defending the country.

But privately, Afghan officials and generals are worried their beleaguered forces will find it extremely difficult to sustain battlefield pressure from the Taliban without American troops and air support.

Almost 30,000 Afghan forces have been killed since 2015.

General Miller, who commands U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolution Support mission, reiterated the need for finding a political settlement to end the deadly Afghan conflict.

My personnel preference is that we stop the violence because the people who are paying the price are the Afghan people, in some cases its civilians. But regardless if its the Taliban or security forces, the people who are paying the price are the Afghan people. Miller noted.

The reports of a possible U.S. drawdown have emerged at a time when the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, last week held another round of talks with the Taliban in the United Arab Emirates to push for a peace deal to end the war.

Both sides have described the latest meeting as productive and anticipated progress in the upcoming meetings expected to take place at the same venue in coming weeks.

The U.S. launched its military campaign 17 years ago with the help of its allies to topple the Taliban government following September 2001 strikes on American cities.

The longest American war effort has since killed nearly 150,000 people, including security forces, insurgents and civilians, and it has cost Washington close to a trillion dollar in military expenses.

The Taliban has expanded its influence and currently controls or hotly contests more than half of Afghanistan.
An advance U.N. truce monitoring team is on the ground in the Yemeni port of Hodeida to keep watch on the cease-fire and deal for both sides to withdraw from the city.

A U.N. spokesman said Sunday retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, who is leading the advance team, is "encouraged by the great enthusiasm of both sides to get to work immediately."

The general is also chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, which includes representatives of both the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Both sides agreed on a cease-fire and pull-out from Hodeida at talks in Sweden earlier this month. The pact took effect last week, but minor fighting on the outskirts has been reported.

Hodeida has been in rebel hands. Nearly all food and humanitarian aid for Yemen are delivered through the port and any disruption in deliveries only means more suffering for civilians.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemeni forces has accused the rebels of getting Iranian-made weapons and rockets through the port - a charge Iran denies.

The rebels have fired rockets into Saudi territory.

Another round of Yemeni peace talks is set for next month and is providing some hope to the suffering civilian population.

Four years of war have compounded the misery in one of the world's poorest nations.

The U.N. says about 16 million people lack food, fresh water, and medicine. It says the country is on the edge of famine.

Saudi-led airstrikes against the Houthis have destroyed entire civilian neighborhoods and hospitals, leaving about 10,000 people dead.
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa did not speak with the media after his closed-door meeting with aggrieved teachers to try to avert a full-fledged nationwide strike by government workers.

But Takafira Zhou, president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, told reporters that his team did not mince words.

"We have told him that if teachers would not report to work [in January], it's not that they do not want to work. It is because they are incapacitated," Zhou said. "The challenge is now with him to bring a reprieve that can allow teachers to continue to go to work.

"Do you think that's going to happen before schools open? That can be successfully be answered by him. But we have told him the situation."

The teachers want to be paid in U.S. dollars, not Zimbabwe bond notes.

Zimbabwean doctors, who entered Day 21 of their strike on Friday, also want their salaries paid in U.S. dollars. But Prince Paul Butau of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association said salary was not the only issue doctors wanted addressed.

"We won't be doing any good to the patients if there are no medications to use at the hospital," he said. "Doctors want all our grievances to be addressed by the employer so that we go back to work. We are not only taking about money  we are also fighting for our patients. It does not make sense whereby you admit a patient for a procedure or [treatment] and you do nothing. The patient spends a lot of time in the wards thinking that he is being helped, whilst accumulating hospital bills for staying for nothing."

The doctors said the Mnangagwa government was failing to provide protective clothing for doctors, exposing them to transmittable ailments from patients.

Once the envy of most developing countries, Zimbabwe's health and education sectors have deteriorated over the years, largely dependent on the assistance of international organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the European Union.

But those aid organizations do not pay doctor salaries. That is the responsibility of Zimbabwe's government, and the salary issue has resulted in low morale among workers in several industrial settings.

When doctors began their strike, Health Minister Obediah Moyo said the Zimbabwean government was too broke to meet their demands, including payments in U.S. dollars.

Butau said Friday that the situation was "very dire" in Zimbabwe's hospitals as casualty workers  those that attend to emergency cases  had "scaled down" their work.
A VOA original series about how faith is practiced in America. We visit Sharon Dicken, a devout Christian who took a leap of faith to start her own hair salon. She talks to us about giving back to her community, and how her faith and the collective energy of prayer help her through the bad times.
A tsunami that struck late Saturday has killed over two hundred people along Indonesia's Sunda Straits.

"Two hundred twenty two people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Indonesia's national disaster agency spokesman.



Casualties are expected to rise.

The Indonesian Red Cross said, in a statement, that casualties "are expected to rise as assessments come in."

Nugroho agreed, saying "not all victims have been successfully evacuated, not all health centers have reported victims and not all locations have got complete data."

The casualties occurred in three regions  South Lampung in Sumatra and the Serang and Pandeglang regions of Java, west of the capital Jakarta  along the Sunda Strait, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), said in a statement.

Hundreds of homes, nine hotels and 10 boats were damaged, BNBP said Sunday.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported an eruption of Krakatoa, a local volcano, about 9 p.m. Saturday local time, and the tsunami struck a short time later, about 9:30 p.m.



The cause of the tsunami was due to a combination of undersea landslides after the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa and the tidal wave caused by the full moon," according to BMKG. However, the Indonesian Geological Agency said that they can't confirm if the tsunami was triggered by the eruption of Krakatoa, since that mountain has been erupting since last June  with even greater strength  and never caused a tsunami.

The waves reached as high as 30 to 90 centimeters, according to the Red Cross.

Disaster agency head Endan Permana told local media that many people were missing in tourist locale of Tanjung Lesung, Banten province, near Jakarta.

The Red Cross said Banten is one of the "worst affected areas." The aid organization, however, said it was able to dispatch "relief goods" from its Banten warehouse, including water, tarpaulins, cleaning equipment, plus family and hygiene kits.

On Sept. 28, a quake and tsunami that hit near the city of Palu, on the island of Sulawesi, killed more than 2,500 and displaced about 70,000.

On Dec. 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

VOA's Indonesian Service contributed to this report.
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.
Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, a U.S. official said, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures.

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.

Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk 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. He 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.

In a tweet shortly after news of McGurks 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. Were 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 Trumps decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis resignation, according to the official.

Trump 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 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.

Trump defended his decision Saturday to order the troop withdrawal, tweeting, "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!"

The withdrawal decision will fulfill Trumps 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 Syrias 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 Americas only military partner in Syria

A second official said McGurk on Friday was pushing for the U.S. to allow the SDF to reach out to troops allied with Syrian President Bashar Assads government for protection. McGurk argued that America had a moral obligation to help prevent the allied fighters from being slaughtered by Turkey, which considers the SDF an enemy.

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 whos 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. 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 U.S.-led invasion and joined Bushs 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. Military officials have also made it clear that IS fighters fleeing Euphrates River region have found refuge in other areas of the country, fueling concerns that they could regroup and rise again.

The SDF said Thursday: The war against Islamic State has not ended and the group has not been defeated.

VOA contributed to this report.
The Labor Court has ordered striking Zimbabwean doctors to return to court within the next few hours, saying the 23-day industrial action is illegal.

Judge Betty Chidziva, who made the ruling Saturday night in Harare in favor of the Health Service Board (HSB) which hires doctors, noted that doctors fell under essential services in the country and therefore they were not in a position to engage in such job action.

The doctors attorney, Munyaradzi Gwisai, argued that the matter should be taken to the Constitutional Court but Chidziva dismissed the plea saying this is a matter of national interest which needed to be dealt with urgently.

Some of the doctors, who attended the court session, said they will defy the court ruling.

In a message sent to his colleagues, Mthabisi Bhebhe, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, said the court also ruled that the HSB was not obliged to pay doctors who have been on strike, the HSB can issue any disciplinary proceedings against ZHDA members and ZHDA should cover legal costs (of the court case) at ordinary scale.

Ladies and gentlemen weve reached the defining moment of our struggle, this is definitely not the end. From a legal perspective, if we do not go back to work the employer can summarily dismiss us of which they have always had this power according to the Health Services Act without going to the Labour Court and all  The events of the day have clearly showed the pressure that the employer is under pressure  We stay true to our demands. They should be addressed for us to go back to work.

Tichadzokera kubasa kana paita USA (We will go back to work when there are USA dollars  Let us know our worth. So many years of hard work to be treated as slaves  Lets show them we are not slaves and that we are united. Shall we return to work empty handed, to be exploited? Shall we be used and done this way? Shall we work in hospitals without protection?

Doctors are demanding payment of their salaries in United States dollars, revival of state-initiated vehicle loan scheme, provision of necessary equipment in hospitals and other issues.

The government has already indicated that it wont pay the doctors in dollars due to serious foreign currency shortages.
Striking Zimbabwean doctors, who were ordered by the Labor Court on Saturday to end a 23-day strike, are vowing to continue with the industrial action, saying their demands have not been met by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government.

Their demands include salary payments in United States dollars instead of the local bond notes or Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), improved working conditions, revival of a multi-million dollar state-sanctioned vehicle loan scheme and several other issues.

The doctors representative, Dr. Mthabisi Bhebhe, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, says they will defy Judge Betty Chidzivas ruling, noting that the judge also gave the governments employment agency, the Health Service Board (HSB), permission to dismiss striking doctors and to stop paying them with immediate effect.

Following the ruling by the Labor Court we have obviously consulted our members regarding the ruling. Obviously we are doctors and we are law abiding citizens and our position right now, most of our grievances that were presented to our ministry have not been adequately addressed and that alone has made some of our members and the majority, infact, to decide not to return to work because there is nothing at work that can be used to help patients in delivering quality healthcare services.

 Most of our members have shown their intention not to return to work until such a time that they receive satisfactory solutions in regard to their grievances that they raised three weeks ago.

Dr. Bhebhe says the doctors, numbering over 400, are not worried about the next action to be taken by the Health Service Board. He says all negotiations with government officials, including Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, have been unsuccessful.

Our position has always been clear that going to work or not going to work as long as our grievances are not addressed our situation and stance remains the same. We are waiting for solutions, we are waiting for those in authority to intervene, to provide the necessary equipment and medicines to assist patients in institutions and for your information most of our doctors, members have not received their December salaries ... And the grievances that we sent to the Honorable vice president Chiwenga have not been addressed.

The government announced last week that Chiwenga was expected to handle the doctors strike, a few months after he dismissed more than 1,500 striking nurses that were demanding a hike in salaries and night allowances and improved working conditions.

VOA Studio 7 was unable to get a comment from senior government representatives about the Labor Court ruling and doctors strike. However, Dr. Xolani Ndlovu, acting Clinical Director of Mpilo Hospital in the countrys second largest city, Bulawayo, says striking doctors have not yet returned to work, resulting in the dumping of most critical services at the state hospital.

The situation is still the same as at Friday with the doctors not returning to work and at the moment we are facing challenges because of the festive season with increased travelling of people where we normally get an increase in the number of emergencies that present at the hospital. So, the doctors that are here are finding it difficult to cope with the increased workload.

Unless the strike ends soon, I foresee a problem going forward. The biggest challenge is that we are turning back patients that are not emergencies and that have not been referred otherwise as of the emergencies were are able to manage although with difficulty because of a lower number of personnel on the ground.
Zimbabwean police have arrested a man who was found in possession of a human head in his care in Harare on Saturday.

Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest but could not release any further information about the incident.

Yes, its true that we made such an arrest, said Charamba without elaborating.

Indications are that the man was arrested shortly after a road traffic accident in the citys Belvedere suburb.

Police made the grisly discovery after they searched the car in which he was travelling in that is believed to be a stolen vehicle.

The unidentified mans head was wrapped in a plastic paper while his body was pulled from a toilet in the Workington Industrial area, according to sources.

The arrested man has not been identified.

Zimbabweans associate human body parts with witchcraft.
Photo: Araya Diaz/Getty Images

NBC has announced the cancellation of two of its shows: Marlon and Midnight Texas. Both shows ran for two seasons. If anyones looking for another True Blood, Universal Television is shopping around Midnight, Texas (based on the book series by Charlaine Harris) to other networks.

The producers of Z Nation announced on Twitter that the shows fifth season on Syfy would be its last. We wanted to tell you face to face  that we were not renewed for Season 6, Latt said. This is not the end of anything. This is just the beginning of a lot of things. This is not your normal brave false optimism in the face of cancellation, a Z Nation prequel series has actually been ordered by Netflix. According to Deadline, Black Summer will be about a mother looking for her daughter in the zombie apocalypse. The show has an eight episode order.
72-year-old Sam Street was charged with murdering a man from his hometown, Valley Head in DeKalb County. Authorities state that on Saturday December 15th, 32-year-old Justin Alfrey who is also from Valley Head was found shot to death in his vehicle at 106 Highway 11 in Rising Fawn, Ga.

Witnesses said they saw a white Chevrolet truck leaving the area near where Alfrey was found. On Friday, December 21st The Georgia Bureau of Investigations arrested Street at his home in Valley Head. He was also charged with aggravated assault and possession of firearm during commission of a felony.

Street was transported to the DeKalb County Jail. WAAY 31 is still waiting to hear back from officials on if Street will be extradited to Georgia since that's where the murder happened.
A few examples: the Knight Foundation  which Friedlich calls Americas most generous news foundation  and the Lenfest Institute are putting $20 million toward shoring up local news. ProPublica, the highly respected investigative-news site, is branching out to offer its expertise and funding to support meaningful local investigations. John Thornton, who founded the Texas Tribune, is the force behind the American Journalism Project, which is raising millions to support nonprofit community news organizations. (The idea, in a nutshell, is to clone the Texas Tribunes success in many communities.)
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*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Despite the Fact that EU's Flags were exceptionaly Lowered to Half-staff in Brussels, and 28 Heads of State/Government started working by observing a Minute of Silence, as a sign of mourning for the Civilian Victims cowardly targetted by Islamist Terror earlier this week in Strasbourg, where EU Parliament concludes Today its December 2018 Plenary Session, (See : ..., etc),

and nonobstant a considerable disruption, from the beginning up to the end, by a Bumpy BREXIT zigzag, added, almost at the Same Time, also to a quite "Foggy" situation on Future EU - UK Relations, (Comp : ..., etc),



nevertheless, this most Important EU Summit before the forthcoming, crucial European Elections of May 2109, succeeded to Mark a decisive Progress on certain Landmark Issues, including, particularly, EU Security and Defence, as well as uroArea :



------------------------------------------------



- On the 1st point, EU Commission's President, Experienced former Long-Time Prime Minister of Luxembourg and uroGroup's Chairman, Jean-Claude Juncker, speaking to Journalists, including "Eurofora", at EU Summit's opening day's Press Conference, appeared, exceptionaly, "very Glad", for the fact that EU Leaders Timely Adopted a Key EU Commission's proposal on Civic aspects of EU's Security/Defence policy :



- This New EU Agreement creates "a Civil Protection Mechanism in Europe", for Both "Prevention and Reparation" of serious Incidents' consequences, as, f.ex., Big Fires or EarthQuakes, etc., which were particularly Highlighted f.ex. "by Greece and Italy" respectively, etc., as Juncker observed in this regard.



Experienced Former EU Commissioner, MEP and Minister, currently EU's Negotiator on BREXIT, Michel Barnier from France, had notoriously worked, in the Past, (including as pioneer Rapporteur), in order to Prepare such a Key EU Tool.



Now, EU Summit's Official Conclusions clearly Announce, under the Heading of "Security and Defence", that EU's Heads of State/Government have just "Endorsed" what is named as the "Civilian Compact" of EU's Common Security and Defence Policy ("CSDP").



- That "Civilian Compact" is Part of a Series of Recent EU "Initiatives" on CSDP, which "contribute to enhancing the EU's Strategic Autonomy", as well as "its Capacity to Act as a Security Provider", while also respecting the "Principle" of "Decicion-Making Autonomy of the EU", (despite the fact that it's, at the same time, "Complementing and ReinForcing" NATO's Activities, "strengthening EU-NATO Cooperation"), as also the Implementation of "PESCO" Projects, (See: ..., etc), and EU's Defence Industrial development programme", better Military "Mobility", "negotiations on the proposed European Defence Fund", etc., EU Summit's Conclusions add.



Indeed, EU Parliament has just Debated and Voted for the Creation of such a "European Defence Fund", during its Plenary session in Strasbourg,

... starting, by a Timely Coincidence, precisely when an Islamist Terrorist Attack cowardly Targetted and Killed 5 Civilian Victims, Wounding another 7 there, on Tuesday evening, 11 December 2018, during which MEPs (Staff and Journalsts, including "Eurofora") had been massively Locked in the main Buildings, as a matter of Precaution, overnight, while the French Police was still Searching to find the Armed Killer or Killers, Downtown, (See : ..., etc).



EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani, (an Experienced former EU Commissioner, Top MEP, Foreign Minister from Italy, christian-democrat/EPP), gave a Decisive Impulsion by Deciding for MEP's Work to Continue as Scheduled, without any Modification, despite those Deadly Terrorist Attacks, (while also Holding, afterwards, an UnPrecedented Plenary Meeting with MEPs on the Evacuation of the Parliament's Buildings, between 3 and 4 a.m. in the Morning, Comp., f.ex., also : ..., etc).



But it was Polish Conservative MEP, Professor Zdzislaw Krasnodebski, vice-President of EU Parliament, and Rapporteur for that European Defence Fund, (as well as GrandSon of a Famous Military Aiplane Pilot of the 2nd World War), who, while Chairing that Plenary Session, already during the Previous Reports tabled for that Tragic Evening, slamed some Other MEPs' attempts to Stop EU Parliament's Work, by Opposing mainly the Argument that the Creation of new EU Tools such as a Defence Fund would, precisely, Strengthen Europe also into Fighting against similar Deadly Islamist Terrorists !



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+ In Addition, during the 2nd Day of this December 2018 EU Summit, Focused on uro-Area developments, (but including also several Other EU Member Countries), it was Decided, "for the 1st Time", to create an "uroZone's Budget", in the foreseable Future, as French President Emmanuel Macron, (notoriously a Fervent Supporter of such an Idea), stressed from the Outset, at his Concluding Press Conference Today (14/12/2018).



- EU Leaders decided to Fix the concrete "Features" of such a "Budgetary Instrument" on "June 2019", and this Fact proves that such Ideas were "Not Impossible", (Contrary to what some Others had Claimed in the Past), observed the French President.



- According to the "Compromise" endorsed Today by an inclusive uro-Summit, that New Tool will mainly Aim to Strengthen "Convergence" and "Innovation", even if France's position would also like to Add "Stabilisation" : A point on which Negotiations are Still on-going, Macron said.

--------------------





+ Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angie Merkel, in her parallel Press Conference, also Today, added that the "uroZone's Budget" (as she named it), was decided "on the Basis of a Franco-German proposal, and a proposal by EU Commission", after "a Long and very Controversial Debate" among Ministers of Finance.



- Its main "Purpose" is "to promote Competitiveness and Convergence between uro-Area's Member Countries", but it will be "Part of EU's Budget", and evolve in "Parallel" with (on-going) "Negotiations on the Medium-Term Financial Perspectives", she noted.



=> This Agreement includes "Essential Parts of what (French President) Emmanuel Macro had (initialy) proposed", Merkel Replied to a relevant Press Question, but also "in a Version in which All uroArea's Member States can Join", while, in Addition, "we have also Opened this uroZone Budget for Countries .. which are very Close to Joining the uro, (i.e., already in the ERM II Mechanism), and can Participate in the Process, on a Voluntary basis". "It was always foreseeable that some very Different Ideas existed. So, it's not a question of just making a proposal, but that, at the end of the day, Something is Actually being Created, that today 27 Member States have been able to support".



- So, it's mainly "through a Franco-German Cooperation", that "we have made a good contribution" for uroArea's further development, and "the French President was fully Satisfied that this has now been Achieved. And me, too. ...That was very Good", Chancellor Merkel stressed.



---------------------------------------



++ According to the Official EU Summit's Conclusions, published Today, European Leaders "Mandate the uroGroup to Work on the Design, the Modalities of Implementation, and Timing of a Budgetary Instrument, for Convergence and Competitiveness of the uro-Area".



- It can also include "ERM II Member States (Comp. Supra), on a Voluntary Basis".



- Even if "it will be Part of EU Budget", and "Coherent withy Other EU Policies", nevertheless, it will also be "subject to Criteria and strategic Guidance from the uro-Area Member States".



- This is done "in the Context of the (EU's) Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF)" for 2021-2027, according to which, EU Leaders "will Determine its (uroArea Budget's) Size".



- While the more concrete "Features of the (uroArea's) Budgetary Instrument will be Agreed on June 2019", nevertheless, "the Instrument" itself, "will be Adopted in accordance with the Legislative Procedure, as foreseen by the (EU's) Treaties, on the Basis of the relevant EU Commission's proposal, to be Amended, if necessary", (i.e. according to the Usual Process, for the rest).

(../..)



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***





(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora"'s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be Published asap).
The state claims that the family members directed the company to hire hundreds more sales representatives to visit physicians thousands more times, to get more of them to prescribe its painkiller. The Sacklers also directed representatives to encourage physicians to prescribe more of the opioids at the highest doses, the complaint stated.
Yet, in the same way that the birth process went from a doctor-run event to a movement in which women took charge of their own pregnancies and deliveries, there is growing interest in thinking about the dying process. In part, thats because the large population bulge of boomers is reaching a point where the end seems not that far away. But also, many people have had the experience of sitting at the bedside of a dying person without the slightest clue what to do.
President Trump has not forgotten the defense of our nation nor the wonderful men and women who serve. He has not forgotten his duty to them, working to ensure that the defense budget was increased, not cut. He has not forgotten to provide our troops with the best equipment, the best training and fair compensation. When committed to action, he provides commanders wide latitude and full support. He has not forgotten to hold the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable for taking care of our troops after they have served. He will never forget the quiet dignity of that sobering moment when he received a fallen service member at Dover Air Force Base. And he will never forget to honor our great young men and women in uniform.
I discovered that for myself in recent days as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my own email filled up with variations of a meme accusing me of rank hypocrisy. I first became aware of this on Friday when a Twitter user named Chris Manning (@Manning4USCong) tweeted at me: Which one is it? Trump should never have committed troops to Syria or Trump is wrong by withdrawing troops from Syria? So you were wrong in your initial rejection of the deployment of troops to Syria? And now your position is we need to stay in Syria? I was puzzled. When had I rejected the deployment of troops to Syria?
I think he knows hes made a mistake. I do, Corker said on CNNs State of the Union. He added, I think this next three months could well determine whether he decides to run again or not. I think its going to be very important for our country that the United States Senate really dig in and make sure we dont make other colossal mistakes as it relates to foreign policy.
No one is calling this the Schumer shutdown, said one Democratic aide, who pointed out that Fox News, at that moment, was playing video of the Dec. 11 meeting. Republicans have struggled to explain why Democrats, and not the president, are to blame. In a Saturday appearance on Fox News, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) suggested that Trump would be at fault only if he vetoed clean [continuing resolutions] out of both Houses, which are exactly what Democrats say they can pass in January.
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 American people would not want generals to be making policy decisions and wouldnt want generals to determine when we should use force, Dunford said at a Washington Post event this month. I think it would be problematic were generals to start to make decisions based on one political party or another being in office and say, No, I dont really like that, so Im not going to do that. 
It has been a shocking year of family violence. Once Christmas was over, a few days or a week later, they may start to make their move away, she said. "We need to be more vigilant and responsive because we know that women are possibly staying for the sake of children on Christmas Day and it may well be a time that something happens," she said. "We can't relax and think that everything is going to be ok over Christmas. "We generally have at least three deaths between Christmas and New Year."

Everybody needs to step up She said while celebrating, families and friends need to be vigilant. Be alert to warning signs, such as someone humiliating their partner. If you got the feeling something may be wrong, ask the woman if she is ok. Would she like to talk? "Everybody needs to step up," Ms Hartwig said. "We often rely on government and non government agencies to be solving this issue, but I do think it's about a broader shift around shifting beliefs and attitudes. Where there is disrespect it can lead to other forms of violence occurring, whether it's humiliation socially in a setting, particularly around Christmas time. " Choose an appropriate time to ask an open question, such as: 'Im wondering if everything is OK at home?' 1800RESPECT general manager Nicole McMahon 1800RESPECT general manager Nicole McMahon said the service had seen a big surge in people seeking support in December, and especially on the days following significant holidays.

Last year calls in December increased by 22 per cent. "During the holidays there is a lot of pressure to have fun, spend time with family and friends and share good times which may delay people from reaching out," she said. Ms McMahon said many people were glad to have the chance to talk about what they were going through. "You might talk to them about the things youve noticed that have given you cause for concern," she said. "Give them the opportunity to open up at their own pace. Avoid pressuring them to reveal anything they are not ready to do, and be wary that adding your opinion can come off as being judgemental. If they are not ready to elaborate, you may just want to reinforce that you are there if they need you.

Department of Communities assistant director general Jackie Tang said callers to the WA mens domestic violence helpline often made contact soon after a violent family incident has taken place. But others would ring up days or weeks after something had happened. "Many call about their own situation but some callers make contact out of concern for a friend or relative," she said. Loading "The most important thing to do is get anyone in danger, out of danger, quickly, and ascertain the callers most immediate needs."

The men's domestic violence helpline - run by the Department of Communities - received 1086 calls in 2017/18 from perpetrators and male victims of family and domestic violence in WA. Its hardly surprising over 1000 people reached out to the helpline, considering 2018 has been a shocking year for family and domestic homicides. Ms Tang said the range of situations callers to the helpline are in "varies enormously." "Some are very reluctant to give many details about their situation, or understate the severity of their situation. Callers may be in a state of panic or severe anxiety," she said. "The full extent of their situation may not become apparent in one initial call.

"The skill in talking with men who call the helpline is in patiently drawing this kind of information out of them. "The person who takes a call coming in to the mens domestic violence helpline will in the first instance be a trained social worker." The families authorities knew nothing about Ms Hartwig said it was concerning that in a number of the cases where somebody was killed this year the victims had not made any contact with the police previously. Neither had their friends or family. "Police had no history recorded or any contact from that family," she said.

"So there is a lot of unreported domestic violence going on where it can end up in a death unfortunately." Victims may not reach out for help for reasons including fear, negative stigma, and not wanting to lose their children. "Until we as a community can say 'all victims will get a helpful and positive response' then those victims will not come forward," she said. "That's part of the negative social responses and perhaps why victims don't report. They may be faced by the victim blaming response or disclose to family members or friends because that's the type of thing they might hear. 'Did you do something to provoke him'? Loading

"Because nine times out of 10 they're actually, in the public persona, quite charming and well respected. Not acting out violently. Perpetrators do know where, when and who to be violent towards, generally it's their partners or children." 'I don't want to lose hope' Despite the terrible year WA has experienced with respect to family and domestic violence, the chief executive of a newly established family violence group remains hopeful that attitudes and services are changing for the better. "The numbers and the scale of what we've seen this year in particular has just been frightening," Stopping Family Violence chief executive Damian Green said. "As bad a year as its been, I think we are at the very beginning of some meaningful changes to our service system that have the potential to make a really significant difference.

"Its so easy when we've had years like we've had this year to lose hope. "I don't want to lose hope, I think there is a lot of good work happening out there and we just have to continue to build it and invest in it." Mr Green said a key part of what his organisation was setting out to achieve was intervening in men well before their violent behaviour escalated. "Part of our job as an intervention (service) is to raise their awareness that what they are doing is not OK and to give them options to behave differently." Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Simone McGurk said this week she wanted West Australians to look out for their loved ones this festive season.
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.
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.
by Noah





Ever leave a carved Halloween pumpkin out on the front steps to long? They have a funny way of deteriorating. As they rot, dents form as the bacteria and maggots chew away from the inside. They destroy the support fibers of the outer skin and it sags inward. Same thing happens to any vegetable or fruit. Eventually, it passes from being something for a squirrel or rat to randomly nibble on to a nice place for flies to lay their eggs. As I watch the deterioration of Rudy Giuliani, it seems that every day, he is, both mentally and physically undergoing a very similar process. What will soon come creeping out of those darkened dead eyes?





Rudy Giuliani is the poster boy for "Shoulda quit while he was ahead" and I don't mean just recently. He could have quietly left the scene years ago and people would have a very different image of him than they do now. Right up through the day before 9/11, he was detested by a large majority of New Yorkers who had finally caught on to his bullshit. Then came the horror of 9/11. Helped along by the corporate media, Rudy played the role of "calming presence" and his reputation and poll ratings grew like an unchecked virus. He had once again revved up his PR savvy, the same savvy that had earlier gained him a bloated reputation as a crime busting prosecutor when it was others who had done the real work. He slickly eased into a new and bigger business of being Rudy Giuliani for fun and profit. He did it to a degree even more grandiose than it had been once before. He did it to an extent that was astoundingly beyond pathological. He formed nebulous self-named companies such as Giuliani-Security & Safety having virtually no expertise in the field. It's worth noting that, to this day, no one outside of Rudy's circle seems to know what the company actually does for the money it takes in from the private sector or organizations such as the 2016 Olympic Organizing Committee, or know at least what modicum of "expertise" Rudy brings to the table. The company's website is amateurish and laugh-inducing at best. Middle School kids could do better and do. Rudy also "co-wrote" a book ironically titled "Leadership." He went the route of giving superficial lectures for corporate morons and political groups at $200,000 a pop, and generally set about being as big of a celebrity as possible. He did it all on the backs of the dead of 9/11. There was even a Rudy Giuliani movie starring a miscast James Woods. John Belushi would have done a lot more with the role, alive or dead. Rudy did everything but create a line of Rudy Giuliani 9/11 pasta sauces. In the end, Rudy made himself into nothing but "a noun, a verb and 9/11" as Joe Biden so aptly pointed out.

It all worked well for him for way too long. Several years went by and he was still well thought of by the fools and media sycophants like Wolf Blitzer despite his past horrendous public treatment of his wife, a treatment so bad that his own children stopped even speaking to him. Giuliani thought he was teflon. He thought he was bulletproof. He had his ludicrous unearned and undeserved reputation as "America's Mayor" and a reputation among those who don't know better as great prosecutor. It was all PR hype, of course. So what if he had moved the porno theaters out of Times Square. They were doomed to close with the arrival of the Internet anyway. All he did was move them to Queens and replace them with an equal blight of super-sized fast food joints and tacky, tourist-trap corporate storefronts. It might as well be an over-crowded, filthy version of Orlando now. He exchanged one Mob for another, and you know damn well the original Mob was involved in the construction of every aspect of the new Times Square.





The mention of Orlando should remind us all that Rudy is also the "genius" who has a megalomaniacal affliction so bad that he thought he could be president. Genius business man that he is, he raised $50,000,000 from his corporate sucker friends for his 2008 presidential campaign and got a whole ONE delegate for the money. That delegate was in Flor-i-duh, of course, and that delegate quickly evaporated into thin air.





Think about this: Rudy Giuliani spent $50,000,000 for the nomination and got nowhere. Then, a few years later, along came his even more fraudulent pal Donald Trump and he glued himself to Donnie's campaign in hopes of being Trump's AG. He'd already sung the praises of Vladimir Putin on GOP-TV so he was a natural fit. His ego is so far gone that it doesn't even seem to bother him that a freak like Donnie could pull off what he could not. Don't worry, Rudy, you are not alone on that list.

Rudy just couldn't resist the opportunity to sit in front of the cameras on FOX "News" even more, nearly every night in fact. As his law enforcement contemporaries have always said, Rudy Giuliani has never seen a camera or microphone that he didn't run to. Former FBI Director James Comey references this in his book when, back in earlier days, a supervisor warned him that "the most dangerous place in New York is between Rudy and a microphone ." As his insanity grows more and more uncontrollable, he will soon be crashing stages at karaoke bars and wedding receptions, cruising for votes for dogcatcher.





His dementia in full flower now, Rudy Giuliani just has to make himself a center of attraction. He sees himself as a sort of "Trump New York" now. Anything, even that, for the spotlight. He is closer to Trump than ever before. It's like they are Siamese twins in insanity. I'll leave it to the doctors and the scientists to determine which twin gave it to the other. If you told Giuliani he had to strip naked for the camera on Hannity, he would tear off his clothes at blinding super speed. He is anything Trump wants him to be now. He channels the crazy like no other, not even Sarah or Kellyanne. The money is good but the spotlight is even better. He needs it. He craves it. No opioid addiction was ever worse. There he is on FOX "News" every night, feverishly spraying Sean with the froth of his frenzied saliva, showing America and the world what doctors and nurses see in psychiatric institutions every damn day. After Trump is gone, Giuliani will either beg for a chance to run again or have sex with dogs on a carny row in the Flor-i-duh panhandle, just as long as there's a camera and a mic.





The wonderful Jon Oliver had more to say about Rudy earlier this year, shortly after Rudy became Trump's lawyer and ventriloquist dummy. This clip is 15 minutes long and worth every minute. It's a kind of Rudy's Greatest Hits, so far. If you think Rudy's persona has gotten as bad as it can possibly be, just wait. Sooner or later, he will implode and become the whimpering fool h's always been inside. He'll do it on national TV, of course.
STAMFORD  Once among the most desired volunteer spots in the city, it appears a seat on the Zoning Board isnt so coveted after all.

More than 90 days after the sudden death of longtime board Chairman Thomas Mills, the Republican seat is still unfilled as proposals roll in that could reshape the city. No mayoral nomination for the position has appeared before the Board of Representatives Appointment Committee, and the local Republican party and Mayor David Martins office say filling the spot is a work in progress.

Michael Pollard, the mayors chief of staff, said the delay is two-pronged. One, the mayor has to work with the Republican Town Committee on a nominee: Therein lies the timeline, he said. Two, its not a huge population of people that have the capacity and the time, he said.

Meetings can drag until near midnight and can be held several times a month depending on the number of proposals. Then there is the 356-page zoning regulations, and the massive city-wide maps.

But the unspoken issue is likely controversy, something the board has been mired in since a drawn-out spat over whether a developer can raze and replace a South End boatyard with something other than boats.

Since the boatyard debacle and the mayor declining to re-appoint the GOPs Barry Michelson, an opponent of changing city regulations to permit redevelopment of the yard, the board has often been embroiled in the type of controversial issues that turn neighbors against each other.

Since not getting reappointed to the board, Michelson ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Martin with land-use as his key issue.

But the vote, and Michelsons poor showing on election night, didnt put the controversy surrounding the boards power and decisions to bed.

Instead, it has arguably ramped things up. This year, the boards decision to allow gyms in office parks  hashed out in a half-dozen lengthy meetings  was unanimously overturned by the 40-member Board of Representatives.

The developer seeking the office-park edit has since filed a lawsuit against the Board of Representatives. The case was transferred in October to state Superior Court in Hartford.

Michelson, who has a planning background and still routinely attends meetings, said the idea of returning to the board has crossed my mind.

Id be open to it, he said.

But getting a Martin nomination is likely a long shot.

Pollard declined to comment whether the mayor would consider it, opting instead to say, we often like to get new views, new ideas.

Michelson said the GOP will soon hold a candidates committee meeting to find people for several positions, but couldnt provide a timeline. An earlier meeting on the issue was derailed by the November snowstorm that paralyzed the city, he said.

I certainly would have an interest in returning, he said. What can I say, I feel very passionate about this city.

barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton
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LONDON - The U.S. dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the company's biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.

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This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 file photo, an information board for employees' shuttle bus is on display near the Huawei office building at its research and development centre in Dongguan in south China's Guangdong province. The U.S. dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the companyAos biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns. Some European governments and telecom companies are following the U.S.Aos lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, file)

LONDON - The U.S. dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the company's biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.

Some European governments and telecom companies are following the U.S.'s lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government.

Bans in Europe could significantly increase the financial pressures on Huawei. They would also cost Europe tens of billions of dollars as the region looks to build up "5G" networks, which are meant to support a vast expansion in internet-connected things, from self-driving cars to factory robots and remote surgery.

"Europe is still divided over Huawei, but the trendline is moving in a fairly clear direction" as the U.S. exerts pressure on allies to block it, said Thorsten Benner, director of the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute think-tank .

Geopolitical tensions over Huawei intensified after its chief financial officer, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested Dec. 1 in Canada in connection with U.S. accusations that the company violated restrictions on sales of American technology to Iran.

Huawei has been blocked in the U.S. since 2012, when a House Intelligence Committee report found it was a security risk and recommended that the government and private companies stop buying its network equipment.

Germany's Deutsche Telekom said last week it "takes the global discussion about the security of network elements from Chinese manufacturers very seriously." The company said it uses multiple companies to build its network, including Ericsson, Nokia and Cisco.

"Nevertheless, we are currently reevaluating our procurement strategy," the company said.

The statement is significant because until recently it had been one of Huawei's "biggest cheerleaders" based on its cheap and reliable equipment, said Benner.

It came shortly after Alex Younger, the director of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, said in a speech that Britain needs "to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies," according to local media reports.

At about the same time, mobile provider British Telecom said it was removing Huawei equipment from key parts of its current 3G and 4G networks as part of an internal policy not to use it for core infrastructure, which will also apply to 5G networks.

The British government-run centre that tests the company's equipment and software this summer identified "shortcomings in Huawei's engineering processes that have exposed new risks" in U.K. networks. Huawei said it's working on fixing those issues.

Norway's telecom ministry said it was considering clarifying requirements from network operators, without being more specific.

Belgium's cybersecurity agency is reportedly considering a ban on Huawei. And the Czech Republic's prime minister ordered his government office on Tuesday to stop using Huawei mobile phones, after the national cybersecurity agency warned that products by Huawei and another Chinese telecom company, ZTE, pose "a security threat."

The European Union's head of technology policies, Andrus Ansip, said "we have to be worried" about possible security risks from Huawei when asked about the company's role in European 5G and driverless car projects.

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, denies accusations it's controlled by China's ruling Communist Party or designs equipment to facilitate eavesdropping. It said it recognizes and shares security concerns around the rollout of new 5G networks and is happy to take part in Deutsche Telekom's review.

The company noted German officials have said publicly there's no reason to exclude Huawei and it has never been involved in any confirmed cybersecurity breaches.

"Cybersecurity is incredibly important to Huawei. It is central to every decision and product we make," said Vincent Pang, the company's president for Western Europe. "We think the answer lies in global co-operation and collaboration to ensure that networks are as secure as possible."

The Europe, Middle East and Africa market is Huawei's second biggest after China, accounting for 27 per cent of its nearly $90 billion revenue last year. Executives said the company has now signed contracts with 25 telecom carriers for commercial or test use of 5G and shipped more than 10,000 5G base stations.

The rollout of 5G networks is expected to take a decade. As technologies advance, the amount of data flowing between machines is set to surge, prompting governments to increasingly view telecom networks as strategic national assets.

Not everyone is endorsing quick action to ban Huawei.

The CEO of the French telecom company Orange, Stephane Richard, said last week his company wouldn't use Huawei gear for sensitive parts of its network because of "messages of prudence" from French authorities. But he said that was not for any technical reason, and that the debate on Huawei had become politicized.

"We're in the realm of fantasy: 'They're Chinese. They have links to the Chinese army, thus there are spies, thus we can't let them touch our telecom equipment'," he said.

Excluding Huawei won't be easy, analysts said.

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"It's not like there's some cheaper alternative," said Paul Triolo, head of geotechnology practice at the Eurasia Group. "Ericsson and Nokia don't produce the whole spectrum" of equipment, referring to the Scandinavian companies that are the only non-Chinese competitors.

Huawei has thrived in major European markets like Germany and Britain because their telecom industries wanted to ensure there were multiple equipment suppliers to avoid relying on one.

"So if you're asking them to remove a major vendor from their markets, it's going to be difficult," Triolo said.

German companies won't be happy if they can't use Huawei because their costs will go up and it will delay rolling out 5G networks, which will initially rely on existing 4G infrastructure for which Huawei is already a major supplier, said Benner.

But German decisions are also likely to influence those by smaller countries that are part of the German industrial manufacturing supply chain, such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

"They'll all wake up if Germany takes a decision and worries about the security of its infrastructure," said Benner.
Toronto marketing specialist Elaina Falcone laughs as she thinks back to about a year ago when executives at her company started walking around the office having phone conversations on headsets, resembling drive-thru employees.

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This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kevin Sharpen, I.T. Manager at Application Development, speaks on his headset in the boardroom in Toronto, on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. Sharpen's company has fully transitioned away from traditional phones to a cost saving digital version. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Toronto marketing specialist Elaina Falcone laughs as she thinks back to about a year ago when executives at her company started walking around the office having phone conversations on headsets, resembling drive-thru employees.

"I would be like, 'Can I take your order?' while walking by them," recalls Falcone, who works at Accessible Media Inc., a not-for-profit media company aimed at Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.

"Literally imagine a McDonald's worker with a little mouthpiece in the front."

Such headsets are now omnipresent at the company and many others in Canada as more organizations get rid of their cumbersome, analogue desktop phones in favour of cloud-based and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-powered service on wireless devices.

The days of cranking one's neck to the side to hold a receiver in place, and using up precious desk space with a bulky phone and spiral cord, are quickly fading as businesses switch over to VoIP and cloud-based providers like RingCentral and Microsoft's Skype for Business.

Desk phones are also going the way of the dodo as more employees work from home or remotely, and companies replace assigned work stations with shared offices known as agile workspaces, where anyone can sit anywhere.

Many employees use laptops and smartphones and want that mobility and flexibility, says Falcone, noting it felt redundant having a personal cellphone, a work one and a desk phone.

According to an online survey of 400 small, medium and large companies released in July by IDC Canada, close to 90 per cent of Canadian firms have wireless phones and 49 per cent of their employees have substituted their landline phones entirely with wireless devices.

"It's almost like the last resort is a paperweight, tethered desk phone," says Lawrence Surtees, vice-president of communications research at IDC Canada, which does market research on information and communications technology.

"The non-smartphone is a dying thing."

Surtees say smaller businesses in Canada went wireless earlier than larger ones, which are now making the switchover due to cost, convenience, increasing trust in cloud computing, and an overall rise in cord-cutting in daily life.

Saving money is another key reason companies say they're making the switch.

That's what happened when AMI added Skype for Business to its Microsoft Office 365 subscription, says Kevin Sharpen, who oversaw the project as manager of application development.

"We probably saved over 60 per cent of our phone costs," says Sharpen, adding employees were able to keep the same work number.

"A lot of that is in long-distance costs, because on a regular phone system you're paying long-distance. But when you're talking on VoIP or a hybrid of that, those costs are significantly decreased."

It's also more financially feasible for organizations to run all of their communications through one interface that makes data more accessible and faster, says Rebeka Inoue, partner alliance manager AVI-SPL, a global workplace technology services provider.

"With the advent of the cloud, organizations were able to reduce a lot of overhead and expenses by moving everything into the cloud and having people like Microsoft manage that cloud and make sure it's more secure than what most companies had on presence," says Inoue, whose company transitioned to Skype for Business two years ago.

"We're already paying for (Microsoft) licences, so it's very inexpensive to just add on the Skype for Business licence."

Sharpen says those with accessibility needs often prefer a system like Skype as it's easier for them to use and they can incorporate it with special devices, like custom-made headsets.

With Skype for Business, employees can integrate all of their Office products, record a call, notify others of their location and calendars, and collaborate through methods including video chat, instant messages and screen-sharing.

"It's made the conversations or the meetings maybe a little bit more dynamic, because we have the option to share," says Falcone.

For those who still prefer desk phones, some companies that have switched to VoIP systems still have a few of them kicking around, usually web-powered ones like those from Cisco.

Surtees says the wireless trend can only go so far, noting it would be hard for certain institutions such as those related to health care and government to go wireless.

"I could see hypothetically wireless substitution in business getting up around 75 per cent or so, maybe a little touch more," says Surtees. "But I think it would hit a ceiling."

Falcone says she loves the portability she now has and rarely gets work-related voicemails anymore, because she's usually reachable on her cellphone.

But being so accessible can also feel like you're taking your work home with you, she adds.

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"Sometimes it will be 10 o'clock (p.m.) and I'll see the little red '1' on my work email or my Skype and I'm like, 'Ugh,'" Falcone says. "It makes it hard not to check."

Phone connections can also be weaker on a VoIP-powered service versus a landline.

And some employees are slower to adopt the wireless system.

"People freaked out," Falcone admits of the switchover. "They were used to the security of their desk phone. A lot of our older staff I think took it harder than others.

"The thing I still struggle with is like, 'Where's my headset to answer this phone?' Just dumb stuff like that.

"But I have to say after a couple of months everyone adapted and there's literally no difference now. The first couple of weeks we definitely had laughs of VPs having headsets on their heads and then that was it."
SYDNEY, N.S. - His message to laid off Cape Breton call centre workers is straightforward.

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This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SYDNEY, N.S. - His message to laid off Cape Breton call centre workers is straightforward.

But the Iowa-based businessman's words resonate like gospel in this hardscrabble region plunged into economic uncertainty earlier this month.

Anthony Marlowe, CEO of MCI Canada, is shown in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-MCI Canada MANDATORY CREDIT

"Things are going to stay the same or get better," says Anthony Marlowe, a self-made telecommunications mogul who himself started as a telemarketer at 18 and quickly rose through the ranks before breaking out on his own.

"We've committed to hiring every employee back plus some," he says, adding he'll honour pre-bankruptcy wages and offer retention sign-on bonuses for returning workers.

They're big promises that have earned the entrepreneur near messianic status on the Nova Scotia island.

ServiCom Canada abruptly closed its Sydney call centre on Dec. 6, laying off hundreds of workers weeks before Christmas.

"It was an emotional moment," says Marlowe, who was in the process of buying the call centre. "Although those weren't our people yet, they were potentially soon to be."

With more than two decades in the call centre industry, it wasn't the first round of layoffs to touch Marlowe personally.

"I have some extra sympathy for the workers," he says, describing the "travesty and devastation" of seeing workers lose their livelihoods after bankruptcy proceedings closed call centres in the U.S. in the early 2000s.

Marlowe grew up in La Grange, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, and moved to Iowa for university in his late teens.

"My brother was there, I was living with him and my mom said, 'Get a job,'" he says.

"I took a job as a telemarketer for a telecommunications company and the next thing I knew I was a skyrocketing up the company and then I wanted to start my own contact centre telemarketing operation."

The 39-year-old says the Cape Breton call centre will be his ninth operation when it reopens, likely by the first week of January, as the Sydney Call Centre Inc.

"There were a lot of tears, hugs and Christmas spirit," Marlowe says of a meeting he held at a Sydney legion last week updating workers on plans to reopen the call centre.

"It's obviously a humbling thing to have someone say, 'You're our Christmas miracle,'" he says.

"We never really wanted it to be about the company or me performing any miracles. Those workers performed at such a high level with such competency, tenure and aptitude that they deserved a miracle regardless of what holiday it was near."

Marlowe Companies Inc. (MCI) had expressed interest in the Sydney call centre several weeks before it closed, and was in the process of negotiating a deal.

The closure forced MCI's leadership to work feverishly behind the scenes to acquire the call centre.

"It was like a melting ice cube at that point," says Marlowe, chief executive officer of MCI.

The concern was that ServiCom's clients  such as OnStar Corp., a subsidiary of General Motors, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, AT&T Inc. and Allstate Insurance company  would start to look for new suppliers to provide customer support if the call centre did not reopen quickly.

But he says while it appears ServiCom's value was in its contracts with big name clients, Marlowe says "those contracts have no value if there are no employees to perform them."

"Time was absolutely of the essence," Marlowe says, regarding his desire to retain as many of the 515 or so workers on the payroll when the Sydney call centre closed.

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In the end, MCI outbid two other buyers for the assets of ServiCom for $1.5-million during an auction at bankruptcy court in New Haven, Conn., last week.

He says the competing bids "drove up our initial offer by a factor of four."

"They were successful at attracting other bidders, which wasn't a surprise to us because when you myopically looked at just the contracts and just the Canadian operation, all of a sudden that became a more appealing value proposition," Marlowe says.

The Sydney facility is expected to reopen by Jan. 7, although it could open as early as Jan. 2, he says. The company has asked workers to complete paperwork this Friday and Saturday.

"We're working very hard through the holidays to turn the lights back on."

 By Brett Bundale in Halifax
TORONTO - For the past 25 years, Edward Sonshine has been known as Canada's shopping mall king.

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This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Frontier building in the Gloucester neighbourhood of Ottawa is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - RioCan

TORONTO - For the past 25 years, Edward Sonshine has been known as Canada's shopping mall king.

Now, the chief executive of one of the country's largest real estate investment trusts wants to be known for something else too: housing.

"It's not me that changes," Sonshine said in an interview at RioCan REIT's head office in Toronto.

"Change in our strategy has always been a reaction to the world changing, business changing, the economy changing."

Since it was founded in 1993, RioCan has built a portfolio of about 250 properties of retail, warehouse and office properties.

For the past year, the company has been eyeing how it could better use the prime locations of its retail and plaza malls, many of which sit on existing or soon-to-be built transit lines.

Sonshine said it was a no-brainer for RioCan to turn these retail outlets into mixed-use properties by adding rental units and office space to meet a growing demand for housing, especially in the country's biggest cities.

Last month, Canada Mortgage Housing Corp. reported that demand for rental housing continues to outpace supply due to growth in immigration, the senior population and millennials.

"When you make it harder for people to buy, they are going to rent. They have to live somewhere," said Sonshine. "The population of big cities continues to grow. We look at it as, the rental market has nowhere to go but be good."

Sonshine says the shift is serendipitous because the company is already looking to reduce its exposure to retail, as consumer habits continue to move towards online shopping instead of shopping at a big-box mall.

"There is no question in my mind that the demand for retail space over the next five to 10 years will not grow," he said.

Sonshine said this first crystallized for him in 2015 when the company's major tenant, U.S. retailer Target, announced it was shutting down its Canadian locations.

Since then, RioCan has been pulling out of cities like London, Ont., and Grande Prairie, Alta., and reinvesting in the country's six major urban markets, where it projects the biggest growth. By 2020, RioCan wants more than 90 per cent of its rental income to be generated by properties located in these big cities, up from the current 75 per cent now.

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There are currently eight purpose-built rental projects, or 2,300 units, under construction in Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary. The first two developments will launch in the first quarter and the summer of 2019.

Within five years, Sonshine sees RioCan's portfolio being made up of 10 per cent residential properties, five per cent office properties with the vast remainder still coming from the retail market.

Although the company's purpose-built rental properties will still be a minority stake in the company's portfolio, Sonshine still sees it as a big departure for the company.

"The truth is we're really changing the mix," he said.

"It's a five to 10 year process to really get things going. Sometimes I feel like a juggler. I'm trying to turn this big ship and move forward in the reinvention of things. It's a big juggle."

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GAO, Mali - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the work of hundreds of peacekeepers during a surprise visit here on Saturday even as he defended his government's refusal to extend their mission several months to help the United Nations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way from a Chinook helicopter to watch a medical evacuation demonstration on the UN base in Gao, Mali, Saturday, December 22, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

GAO, Mali - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the work of hundreds of peacekeepers during a surprise visit here on Saturday even as he defended his government's refusal to extend their mission several months to help the United Nations.

The visit to this hot, dusty camp in northern Mali was Trudeau's first since 250 Canadian troops and eight helicopters arrived this summer to begin providing lifesaving medical evacuations for wounded UN peacekeepers and workers.

It will also likely be the prime minister's only visit, as operations are currently scheduled to wind down at the end of July  even though the UN and some allies would like Canada to stay until Romanian replacements arrive in the fall.

Trudeau flew into Gao aboard a military transport plane  and under a veil of secrecy due to security concerns  with a delegation that included Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.

The bright sun and hot desert air belied the fact that the prime minister's visit to this part of Africa was timed to coincide with a pre-Christmas celebration for the troops.

"We think often  and we hear this from Canadians  that Canada has a great history of peacekeeping," Trudeau told the assembled troops after helping serve turkey dinners to them.

"But it wasn't just because we were nice and polite. It was always because we had consistently demonstrated the capacity to step up and punch well above our weight class  to make a significant and positive impact wherever needed around the world."

The Mali mission is the culmination of years of political promises and military planning that started three years ago when Trudeau promised during the last federal election to renew Canada's involvement in UN peacekeeping.

While Mali was always seen as a likely destination for Canadian troops, the Liberals took years to commit  because of the mission's danger, and because Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election diverted the government's attention.

More than 175 peacekeepers have been killed in Mali since the UN arrived in 2013, including 22 this year, as drought, extreme poverty and an influx of Islamic militants from surrounding countries have led to escalating violence and insecurity.

Yet the Canadians have evacuated only six UN peacekeepers and civilian workers since August. Two civilians were seriously injured by an improvised-explosive device, but military officials say the other cases were non-critical.

One senior military official said the extreme violence that has gripped Mali for the past several years has shifted southward, away from Gao and toward the largely peaceful capital of Bamako, which the source acknowledged was a concern.

Trudeau nonetheless emphasized the importance of the Canadian mission, which also involves moving equipment and troops around Mali's sprawling, desolate landscape, saying it helps the entire UN peacekeeping effort in the country.

"They are able to do more because  this extraordinarily professional group of Canadians are here to give them the support should an incident happen," the prime minister told reporters.

"That level of assurance allows for the entire mission to be more effective."

Mission commander Col. Chris McKenna echoed that point, saying peacekeepers from other countries rely on the fact that quick medical assistance is available if they run into trouble.

"The confidence to drive on the roads here is guaranteed by the fact that someone is coming to get them," McKenna said, referencing the fact that many of the injuries sustained by peacekeepers comes from IEDs and ambushes on convoys.

"So the way I characterize it to my soldiers every day is that we are the cavalry: If something bad happens, we are coming to get you."

Yet there are concerns within the UN and among some allies that a gap will materialize when the Canadians cease operations at the end of July as their Romanian replacements may not arrive until October.

The UN has turned to civilian contractors in the past, but peacekeeping officials have been pushing for Ottawa to cover the gap, saying military aircraft are more flexible, cost-efficient and offer better emergency medical help.

"Canada extending ... provides both operational and financial benefits to the UN," one UN official told The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities.

Trudeau, whose government has yet to deploy to the UN a promised transport plane to Uganda and a 200-strong rapid reaction force, said Canada and the UN are working to ensure a smooth transition.

"We are confident, and we are hearing from the UN that there is no concern about that gap being a problem," the prime minister told reporters during a scrum in front of one of the three Chinook helicopters based in Gao.

"We are very much focused on delivering the absolutely best support we can and we are doing that, and we're going to be working with our partners to ensure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible."

Asked whether the Liberals were worried that extending the mission into next fall could result in casualties at a time when Canadians are going to the polls, Trudeau said Canada is following the UN's process for making commitments and pledges.

Aside from thanking the troops for their service and sacrifice, Saturday's visit was also an opportunity for Trudeau to see Canadian peacekeepers in action, as the troops conducted a mock aeromedical evacuation.

Navy Lt. Jennifer Loye, a critical-care nurse out of 1 Canadian Field Hospital in Vancouver, said the peacekeepers were excited to showcase what they have been doing for the past several months.

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"This for me, personally, is the culmination of all the training that I've done since I joined the military," Loye said in an interview.

"I joined to be a nurse. I wanted to do this kind of thing. I wanted to be able to work with people and help people. I trained to be a critical-care nurse and now here I am doing the job that I want to do."

Mali has been struggling to get back on its feet since 2012, when an alliance of nomadic tribesmen and Islamic extremists led a rebellion in the north of the country even as a military coup caused chaos in the capital.

A French military intervention helped restore order to the country, which was previously seen as an example for democracy in Africa, before the first UN troops arrived in 2013 to monitor the peace agreement between north and south.

Yet new problems have emerged as drought, extreme poverty and an influx of jihadists into the centre of the country have exacerbated communal, religious and ethnic divides, resulting in escalating violence that has left thousands dead.

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WASHINGTON - A top White House official signalled Sunday that President Donald Trump is willing to accept less money than he's been demanding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, but a senior congressional Democrat said that, while their own offer could be sweetened, they still will not agree to a wall.

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This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Motorists glide through the unattended toll booths at Rocky Mountain National Park Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Estes Park, Colo. A partial federal shutdown has been put in motion because of gridlock in Congress over funding for President Donald Trump's Mexican border wall. 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. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

WASHINGTON - A top White House official signalled Sunday that President Donald Trump is willing to accept less money than he's been demanding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, but a senior congressional Democrat said that, while their own offer could be sweetened, they still will not agree to a wall.

The back and forth across the television airwaves did little to inspire hope that a Christmas season closure of some federal government operations would end later this week, when the House and Senate are scheduled to meet again.

In fact, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney warned that the shutdown could stretch into January, when a new Congress is seated.

Mulvaney, who also runs the White House budget office, said he's awaiting a response from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York after the administration on Saturday presented Schumer with a counteroffer in the long-running dispute over funding the wall.

Mulvaney withheld specifics but placed the offer at between Trump's $5.7 billion request and $1.3 billion Democrats are offering.

"We moved off of the five and we hope they move up from their 1.3," Mulvaney said.

The director's comment about the president's softening stance came less than 24 hours after a senior administration official insisted to reporters on Saturday that Congress give into Trump's demands, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Trump's negotiating style.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., argued instead for increasing the use of technology along the border instead of building "some medieval wall."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is met by reporters as he arrives at the Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown, as Democratic lawmakers, and some Republicans, are at odds with President Donald Trump on spending for his border wall, in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Asked whether he's willing to increase the price tag as long as the money is not spent on a wall, Durbin responded: "Absolutely."

A stalemate over the wall led parts of the government to shut down Saturday after funding for numerous departments and agencies expired. The closure, affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the country, was expected to last at least through late this week after the House and Senate, which each met in a rare weekend session, adjourned until Thursday.

Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas, respectively, are federal holidays, meaning the federal government would already be closed. Wednesday is the first day the public could begin to feel the effects of a shutdown, Mulvaney said.

He predicted it could extend into January, when Democrats will assume control of the House based on their midterm election gains.

"It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mulvaney said.

Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer, countered: "If Director Mulvaney says the Trump Shutdown will last into the New Year, believe him, because it's their shutdown."

Democrats held firm Sunday in opposition to a wall, which Trump promised his political base would build. Mulvaney said that "the president's not going to not accept money for a border wall."

Trump faced resistance from some Republicans. Retiring Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has criticized Trump on other issues, called the battle for border wall funding a "made-up fight so the president can look like he's fighting."

"This is something that is unnecessary. It's a spectacle. And, candidly, it's juvenile. The whole thing is juvenile," Corker said in arguing for real measures that he maintains will secure the border better than a wall.

A lane is blocked to an unattended toll booth at Rocky Mountain National Park Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Estes Park, Colo. A partial federal shutdown has been put in motion because of gridlock in Congress over funding for President Donald Trump's Mexican border wall. 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. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Trump tweeted Sunday, the shutdown's second day, that what's needed is "a good old fashioned WALL that works," not aerial drones or other measures that "are wonderful and lots of fun" but not the answer to address drugs, gangs, human trafficking and other criminal elements entering the country.

Across the country, the shutdown played out in uneven ways. The Statue of Liberty remained open for tours, thanks to New York state, and the U.S. Postal Service, an independent agency, was still delivering mail.

But the routines of 800,000 federal employees were about to be disrupted. More than half are deemed essential and are expected to work without pay, through retroactive pay is expected. Another 380,000 were to be furloughed, meaning they will not report to work but would be paid later. Legislation ensuring that workers receive back pay was expected to clear Congress.

Trump was staying in Washington for Christmas because of the shutdown, the White House said.

With Democrats set to take control of the House on Jan. 3, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., retiring from Congress, the shutdown provided a last gasp for the conservative majority before the new Congress.

Trump had savored the prospect of a shutdown over the wall. He recently said he'd be "proud" to close down the government and has gone back on his pledge to not blame Democrats for the closure.

He had campaigned on the promise of building the wall and forcing Mexico to pay for it. Mexico has refused.

Schumer and Vice-President Mike Pence met Saturday at the request of the White House, according to Schumer's office. But the senator's spokesman said they remained "very far apart" on a spending agreement.

Schumer said the "Trump shutdown" could end immediately if the president abandons the wall.

Democrats said they were open to proposals that didn't include the wall, which Schumer said was too costly and ineffective. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security.

Senators 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 as Trump faced criticism from conservatives for "caving" on a campaign promise, he pushed the House to approve a package temporarily financing the government but also setting aside $5.7 billion for the border wall.

The impasse blocked money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice.

Those being furloughed included nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. Many national parks were expected to close.

The Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services are among those that Congress has fully funded and will operate as usual. Also still functioning were the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard.

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Transportation Security Administration officers continue to staff airport checkpoints and air traffic controllers were on the job.

Mulvaney appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week." Durbin spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press" and Corker was interviewed on "State of the Union" on CNN.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick, Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2018 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed a number of people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 65 feet (20 meters) inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

CARITA BEACH, Indonesia - The deadly tsunami struck in the dark, without warning.

At least 222 people were killed as waves smashed into houses, hotels and other beachside buildings Saturday night along Indonesia's Sunda Strait, in a disaster that followed an eruption and possible landslide on Anak Krakatau, one of the world's most infamous volcanic islands.

More than 800 others were injured and dozens were reported missing after the tsunami hit coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands at 9:27 p.m. Saturday amid a Christmas holiday weekend, the Disaster Management Agency said. The death toll could increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas.

It was the second deadly tsunami to hit Indonesia this year, but the one that killed more than 2,500 people on the island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28 was accompanied by a powerful earthquake that gave residents a brief warning before the waves struck.

A man inspects his house which was damaged by a tsunami, in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed a number of people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 65 feet (20 meters) inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Dian Triyuli Handoko)

On Saturday night, the ground did not shake beforehand to alert people to the oncoming wave that ripped buildings from their foundations in seconds and swept terrified concertgoers on a popular resort beach into the sea.

Azki Kurniawan, 16, said his first warning about the tsunami was when people burst into the lobby of the Patra Comfort Hotel shouting, "Sea water rising!"

Kurniawan, who was undergoing vocational training with a group of 30 other students, said he was confused because he had not felt a big earthquake. He said he ran to the parking lot to try to reach his motorbike but discovered it was already flooded.

"Suddenly, a 1-meter (3.3-foot) wave hit me," he said, his eyes red and swollen from crying. "I was thrown into the fence of a building about 30 metres (100 feet) from the beach and held onto the fence as strong as I could, trying to resist the water, which felt like it would drag me back into the sea. I cried in fear ... 'This is a tsunami?' I was afraid I would die."

Dramatic video posted on social media showed the Indonesian pop band Seventeen performing under a tent on popular Tanjung Lesung beach at a concert for employees of a state-owned electricity company. Dozens of people sat at tables while others swayed to the music near the stage as strobe lights flashed and theatrical smoke was released. A child could also be seen wandering through the crowd.

People inspect the damage at a tsunami-ravaged neighborhood in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (AP Photo)

Seconds later, with the drummer pounding just as the next song was about to begin, the stage suddenly heaved forward and buckled under the force of the water, tossing the band and its equipment into the audience.

The group released a statement saying their bass player, guitarist and road manager were killed, while two other band members and the wife of one of the performers were missing.

"The tide rose to the surface and dragged all the people on site," the statement said. "Unfortunately, when the current receded, our members were unable to save themselves while some did not find a place to hold on."

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 222 deaths had been confirmed and at least 843 people were injured.

The worst-affected area was the Pandeglang region of Java's Banten province, which encompasses Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the agency said.

Debris littered a property badly damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo expressed his sympathy and ordered government agencies to respond quickly to the disaster.

"My deep condolences to the victims in Banten and Lumpung provinces," he said. "Hopefully, those who are left have patience."

At the Vatican, Pope Francis prayed for the dead, the missing and the homeless in Indonesia, telling tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that his thoughts were with victims "struck by violent natural calamities."

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted support for Indonesia: "We are praying for recovery and healing. America is with you!"

The U.S. State Department also expressed its support: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in Indonesia affected by the natural disaster. We are currently not aware of any U.S. citizens directly affected, but stand ready to assist as needed."

Villagers stand near a car damaged by a tsunami in Carita, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. The tsunami occurred after the eruption of a volcano around Indonesia's Sunda Strait during a busy holiday weekend, sending water crashing ashore and sweeping away hotels, hundreds of houses and people attending a beach concert. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

In the city of Bandar Lampung on Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor's office, while at the popular resort area of Anyer beach on Java, some survivors wandered in the debris.

Tourists who were enjoying the long holiday weekend ahead of Christmas were also affected.

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m (meters, or 50-65 feet) inland," said Norwegian Oystein Lund Andersen, in a Facebook post. The self-described photographer and volcano enthusiast said he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw the water racing toward him. He and his family fled safely to higher ground.

The damage became apparent after daybreak Sunday. Nine hotels and hundreds of homes were heavily damaged by the waves. Broken chunks of concrete and splintered sticks of wood littered hard-hit coastal areas, turning beach getaways popular with Jakarta residents into near ghost towns. Vehicles were tossed into the rubble or were buried under collapsed roofs. Debris from thatch-bamboo shacks was strewn along beaches.

Yellow, orange and black body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead.

Scientists, including those from Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency, said the tsunami could have been caused by landslides  either above ground or under water  on the steep slope of the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano. The scientists also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.

The 305-meter (1,000-foot) -high Anak Krakatau, whose name means "Child of Krakatoa," lies on an island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea. It has been erupting since June and did so again about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.

The volcanic island formed over years after the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, one of the largest, most devastating in recorded history. That disaster killed more than 30,000 people, launched far-reaching tsunamis and created so much ash that day was turned to night in the area and a global temperature drop was recorded.

Most of the island sank into a volcanic crater under the sea, and the area remained calm until the 1920s, when Anak Krakatau began to rise from the site. It continues to grow each year and erupts periodically although it is much smaller than Krakatoa.

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Gegar Prasetya, co-founder of the Tsunami Research Center Indonesia, said Saturday's tsunami was likely caused by a flank collapse  when a big section of a volcano's slope gives way. It's possible for an eruption to trigger a landslide above ground or beneath the ocean, both capable of producing waves, he said.

"Actually, the tsunami was not really big, only 1 metre (3.3 feet)," said Prasetya, who has studied Krakatoa. "The problem is people always tend to build everything close to the shoreline."

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and home to 260 million people, lies along the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Roads and infrastructure are poor in many areas of the disaster-prone country, making access difficult in the best of conditions.

Saturday's tsunami also rekindled memories of the massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake that hit Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004. It spawned a giant tsunami off Sumatra island, killing more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries  the majority in Indonesia.

___

Associated Press writers Margie Mason and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed.
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TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Numis Securities Ltd. The fund is managed by TwentyFour Asset Management LLP. It invests in fixed income markets of the United Kingdom. The fund primarily invests in Aless liquidA instruments across the debt spectrum, including asset backed securities, bank capital, corporate loans, high yield bonds, and leveraged loans issued by a wide variety of issuers. It employs fundamental analysis with both top-down and bottom-up security selection approaches, focusing on such factors as economic fundamentals, market technicals, sentiment, valuations, and risk/stress analysis to create its portfolio. TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited was formed on March 13, 2014 and is domiciled in Guernsey.

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Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.49%. Merck & Co., Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 11 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 91.87%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, Merck & Co., Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 38.29% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend history.
6 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Aphria in the last twelve months. There are currently 5 hold ratings and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" Aphria stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in APHA, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

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AU Optronics Corp. researches, develops, produces, and sells thin film transistor liquid crystal displays and other flat panel displays. The company operates through two segments, Display and Solar. The Display segment designs, develops, manufactures, assembles, and markets flat panel displays for use in televisions (TVs), TV sets, and other related products; desktop monitors; mobile PCs, such as notebooks and tablets; mobile phones; and commercial and other applications, including displays for automobiles, industrial PCs, automated teller machines, point of sale terminals, pachinko machines, medical equipment, and others. This segment serves original equipment manufacturing service providers; and brand companies. The Solar segment manufactures and sells solar materials, including ingots, solar wafers, and solar modules, as well as provides technical engineering and maintenance services for solar system projects. This segment sells its ingot and solar wafer products primarily to solar cell manufacturers; and solar modules to installers, solar system integrators, property developers, and other value-added resellers. The company also engages in the renewable energy power generation; repairing and sale support of TFT-LCD modules, as well as sale support of solar-related products; injecting and stamping parts; manufacture and sale of molds, light guide plates, liquid crystal products, backlight modules, and related parts, as well as precision plastic and metal parts; IP related business; design, development and sales of software and hardware for health care industry; manufacture, assembly, and sale of automotive parts; manufacture and sale of motorized treadmills; and planning, design, and development of construction for environmental protection and related project management. It operates in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and internationally. AU Optronics Corp. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Sonoco Products: AMGH, APEI UK Limited, APEI Unlimited IOM, Associated Packaging Technologies Inc., Beteiligungen Sonoco Deutschland Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbh, CP Acquisition LLC, Can Packaging, Can Packaging SAS, Cap Liners Limited, Capseals Limited, Capseals Liners Limited, Cascades Sonoco Inc. (fka Cascades Conversion Inc), Clear Lam Flexible Films (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Clear Lam Packaging Inc., Clear Pack Co., Clear Pack Company, Colombiana P.M. LLC, Conitex Sonoco (BVI) Ltd., Conitex Sonoco (Mexico) S. de R.L. de C.V., Conitex Sonoco Hellas S.A., Conitex Sonoco Holding B.V., Conitex Sonoco Inc., Conitex Sonoco India Pvt. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco N.V., Conitex Sonoco Shanghai Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Suzhou Co. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Taiwan Ltd., Conitex Sonoco USA Inc., Convex Mold Inc., Corenso Holdings America Inc., Corenso North America, Corenso Richmond LLC, Corepak Limited, CorrFlex Graphics LLC, Demolli Industria Cartaria S.p.A., Engraph Inc., Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., Fair Lawn Packaging Services LLC, Friarsgate Studio Limited, Graffo Paranaense De Embalagens S.A., Graffo Paranaense de Embalagens S/A, Grove Mill Paper Company Limited, Gunther of America Inc., Hartsville Corrugating LLC, Hayes Manufacturing Group, Heathfield Reels Limited, Highland Packaging Solutions, Highland Packaging Solutions LLC, Industrial Machine Co. Inc., Inversiones Sonoco Limitada, Italtubetti SpA, Laminar Medica, Laminar Medica (CE) s.r.o., Laminar Medica Limited, Manufacturas Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Matrix Packaging Inc., Nathaniel Lloyd & Company Limited, OOO Sonoco Alcore (fka ZAO Sonoco Alcore), Ontario Inc., PT Conitex Sonoco, PT Papcor Asia Pacific, PT Papertech Indonesia, PT Sonoco Indonesia, Packaging Holdings Inc., Papcor (Dezhou) Packaging Material Co. Ltd., Papertech Dezhou Co. Ltd., Papertech SL, PenPack LLC, Peninsula Packaging Company, Peninsula Packaging LLC, Penpack S. de R.L. de C.V., Phoenix Packaging Corp., Plastique Holdings LTD, SAS Du Lagon, SCI Lagon Quest, SMB GmbH, SPC Capital Management Inc., SPC Liquidation LLC, SPC Management LLC, SPC Resources Inc., SR Holdings of the Carolinas LLC, Sebro Plastics Inc., Sonoco (Shanghai) Co., Sonoco (Taicang) Packaging Co., Sonoco (Weifang) Packaging Company Ltd., Sonoco Absorbent Technologies LLC, Sonoco Absorbent Technologies Limited, Sonoco Alcore - Demolli S.r.l., Sonoco Alcore AB, Sonoco Alcore GmbH, Sonoco Alcore N.V., Sonoco Alcore Nederland B.V., Sonoco Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sonoco Asia Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Asia L.L.C., Sonoco Asia Management Company L.L.C., Sonoco Australia Pty Ltd, Sonoco Board Mills Limited, Sonoco Bonmati S.A.U., Sonoco Canada Corporation, Sonoco Capseals Liners Limited, Sonoco Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Consumer Products Dordrecht B.V. (fka Dorpak B.V.), Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH (fka Weidenhammer Packaging Group GmbH), Sonoco Consumer Products Hellas S.A. (fka Weidenhammer Hellas S.A.), Sonoco Consumer Products Limited, Sonoco Consumer Products Mechelen BVBA (fka Weidenhammer Belgium BVBA), Sonoco Consumer Products Montanay SAS (fka Neuvibox SAS), Sonoco Consumer Products Poland Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco Consumer Products SAS, Sonoco Consumer Products South Africa (PTY) Ltd., Sonoco Consumer Products Zwenkau GmbH (fka fka Weidenhammer Plastice Packaging GmbH), Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited, Sonoco D & P LLC, Sonoco D and P York LLC, Sonoco Deutschland GmbH, Sonoco Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Development Inc., Sonoco Display and Packaging LLC, Sonoco Elk Grove Inc., Sonoco Embalagens Ltda. (fka Sonoco Embalagens S.A.), Sonoco Europe Limited, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Canada Corporation, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Co. Inc., Sonoco Graphics India Private Limited, Sonoco Hickory Inc., Sonoco Holdings Inc., Sonoco Holdings UK Limited, Sonoco Hutchinson LLC, Sonoco IPD France SAS, Sonoco Iberia S.L.U., Sonoco International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco JV GmbH & Co. KG, Sonoco Kaiping Packaging Co. Ltd., Sonoco Limited, Sonoco Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sonoco Milnrow, Sonoco Netherlands Holding II BV, Sonoco Netherlands Holding III BV, Sonoco New Zealand Limited, Sonoco Operadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Packaging Limited, Sonoco Packaging Tapes Limited, Sonoco Paper Mill & IPD Hellas SA, Sonoco Paperboard Group LLC, Sonoco Partitions Inc., Sonoco Phoenix LLC, Sonoco Pina S.A.U., Sonoco Plastics B.V., Sonoco Plastics Canada ULC, Sonoco Plastics Germany GmbH, Sonoco Plastics Inc., Sonoco Poland Holdings B.V., Sonoco Polysack A/S Inc., Sonoco Polysack Limited, Sonoco Products Company UK, Sonoco Products Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sonoco Protective Solutions Inc., Sonoco Recycling - International Trade Group LLC (fka Reparco USA Inc.), Sonoco Recycling LLC, Sonoco Reels Limited, Sonoco Retail Packaging S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Sonoco SAS, Sonoco Saudi Limited Company, Sonoco Services LLC, Sonoco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Sonoco TEQ Holdings Ltd, Sonoco TEQ LLC, Sonoco TEQ Ltd, Sonoco TEQ Sp. Z.o.o, Sonoco Taiwan Ltd, Sonoco Thailand Ltd, Sonoco UK Leasing Limited, Sonoco Venezolana C.A., Sonoco Venture International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Ventures UK Limited, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Core Plant LLC, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Inc., Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill LLC, Sonoco Yatai Pinghu Packaging Co Ltd, Sonoco de Colombia Ltda, Sonoco do Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Sonoco do Brazil Ltda, Sonoco of Puerto Rico Inc., Sonoco-Alcore AS, Sonoco-Alcore Ou, Sonoco-Alcore Oy, Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l., Sonoco-Alcore Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco-Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., TPT Board Mills Limited, TPT Limited, Tegrant Alloyd Brands Inc., Tegrant Corporation, Tegrant International Inc., Tegrant Property Holdings LLC, Tegrant de Mexico S.A. de C.V., ThermoSafe Brands Asia PTE LTD., ThermoSafe Brands Europe Ltd., Thermoform Engineered Quality LLC, Trident Graphics Canada Corporation, Trident Graphics NA LLC, U.S. Paper Mills Corp., Unit Reels & Drums Limited, Weidenhammer Chile Ltda., Weidenhammer Packaging Group, Weidenhammer UK Ltd., and Wisenberg U.S. Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of EnerSys: ABSL Power Solutions Inc., ABSL Power Solutions Ltd., Acumuladores Industriales EnerSys SA, Alpha Alternative Energy Inc., Alpha Broadband Services Inc., Alpha Innovations Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletronicos Ltda., Alpha Innovations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alpha Mexico Network Power S.A. de C.V., Alpha Tech Energy Solutions India Private Limited, Alpha Technical Services Ltd., Alpha Technologies Ltd., Alpha Technologies Pty. Ltd., Alpha Technologies Services Inc., Alphatec Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Argus Research Ltd., Batterias Hawker de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Battery Power International Pte Ltd., Coppervale Enterprises Inc., DCPM Engineering Sdn Bhd, EH Batterien AG, EH Europe GmbH, EH Global Holdings GmbH, EH Swiss Holdings GmbH, ENAS Industrial Batteries Morocco Sarl, EnerSys (Chaozhou) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (China) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Chongqing) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Jiangsu) Huada Batteries Company Limited (94.7%) *, EnerSys (Luxembourg) Finance Sarl, EnerSys (Yangzhou) Huada Batteries Co. Ltd., EnerSys A/S, EnerSys AB, EnerSys AD, EnerSys AE, EnerSys AS, EnerSys Advanced Systems Inc., EnerSys Argentina S.A., EnerSys Asia Limited, EnerSys Australia Pty Ltd., EnerSys BV, EnerSys BVBA, EnerSys Battery Private Limited, EnerSys Brasil Ltda., EnerSys Bulgaria EOOD, EnerSys Canada Inc., EnerSys Capital Inc., EnerSys Cayman Euro L.P., EnerSys Cayman Holdings L.P., EnerSys Cayman Inc., EnerSys Delaware Inc., EnerSys Delaware LLC I, EnerSys Delaware LLC II, EnerSys Delaware LLC III, EnerSys Delaware LLC IV, EnerSys Delaware LLC V, EnerSys Energy Products Inc., EnerSys Europe Oy, EnerSys European Holding Co., EnerSys GmbH, EnerSys Holdings (Luxembourg) Sarl, EnerSys Holdings UK Ltd., EnerSys Hungaria Kft., EnerSys India Batteries Private Ltd., EnerSys JSC, EnerSys LLC, EnerSys Ltd., EnerSys Malaysia Sdn Bhd, EnerSys Mexico Holdings LLC, EnerSys Mexico Management LLC, EnerSys Participacoes Ltda., EnerSys Reserve Power Pte. Ltd., EnerSys S.r.l., EnerSys SARL, EnerSys SNC, EnerSys South East Asia Pte. Ltd., EnerSys de Mexico II S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys de Mexico S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys s.r.o., EnerSys sp. z o.o., EnerSystem Chile Ltda., Enersys Aku Sanaya Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Esfinco LLC, Hawker GmbH, Hawker Power Systems Inc., Hawker Powersource Inc., Hawker Systems GmbH & Co. KG., ICS Industries Pty Ltd, ICS Industries Pty Ltd., ICS Sheet Metal Pty Ltd., Industrial Battery Holding Ltda., International Communication Shelters Australasia Pty Ltd., Lancord Pty Ltd., Lenmic Pty Ltd., MIB Energy Sdn Bhd, N Holding AB, National Infrastructure Pty Ltd., National Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd., NaviSemi Energy Pte Ltd., NaviSemi Inc., New Pacifico Realty Inc., NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery DMCC, Outback Power Technologies Inc., Powercom (NSW) Pty Ltd., Powersonic S de R.L. de CV, Purcell Systems, Purcell Systems Inc., Purcell Systems International AB, Quallion LLC, Riverfront Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Shenzhen Huada Power Supply Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd. , SiteTel Shanghai Co Ltd., SiteTel Sweden AB, Telecomponents & Supply (Hong Kong) Ltd., The Enser Corporation, UTS Holdings Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (JB) Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (PG) Sdn Bhd, YCI Inc., and Yecoltd S. de R.L. de CV.
European Metals Holdings Limited engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties. The company explores for lithium and tin deposits. It holds a 100% interest in the Cinovec lithium/tin project covering an area of 1.27 sq km in the Czech Republic. The company was formerly known as Equamineral Holdings Limited and changed its name to European Metals Holdings Limited in February 2014. European Metals Holdings Limited was incorporated in 2012 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

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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...
HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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There is not enough analysis data for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III.

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Community Sentiment John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III has received 82.16% outperform votes from our community.

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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.
Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by Franklin Resources, Inc. The fund is managed by Templeton Asset Management Ltd. It invests in the public equity markets of China. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in value stocks of companies. The fund employs fundamental analysis focusing on factors like growth prospects, competitive positions in export markets, technologies, research and development, productivity, labor costs, raw material costs and sources, profit margins, returns on investment, capital resources, government regulation, and management to create its portfolio. It is actively managed. Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. was formed on September 20, 1994 and is domiciled in the United States.

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Maxar Technologies Inc. provides earth intelligence and space infrastructure solutions in the United States, Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure segments. The Earth Intelligence segment offers earth imagery products, including orthorectified imagery, imagery basemap, 3D and elevation, and information products; and SecureWatch, a subscription offering that provides online access to imagery and geospatial intelligence platform. This segment also offers geospatial information, application, and analytic services. It serves U.S. and other international government agencies, such as defense and intelligence agencies, as well as commercial customers in various markets. The Space Infrastructure segment provides space based infrastructure, robotics, sub-systems, and information solutions, including communication and imaging satellites and payloads; platforms for space exploration and hosting instruments for earth science; space subsystems for power, propulsion, and communication; satellite ground systems and support services; space-based remote sensory solutions; space robotics; and defense systems. This segment serves government agencies and satellite operators. Maxar Technologies Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado.

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Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

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CNA Financial Corp. operates as an insurance holding company. Its products primarily include commercial property and casualty coverages, including surety. The company's services include risk management, information services and warranty and claims administration. The firm operates through Property & Casualty Operations and Outside Property & Casualty Operations. The Property & Casualty Operations comprises of three segments: Specialty, commercial and international. The Specialty segment provides professional, financial and specialty property and casualty products and services. The Commercial segment includes property and casualty coverages sold to small businesses and middle market entities and organizations primarily through an independent agency distribution system. The International segment underwrites property and casualty coverages. The Outside Property & Casualty Operations consists of two segments: Life & Group and Corporate & Other. The Life & Group segment includes the results of the individual and group long term care businesses that are in run-off. The Corporate & Other segment involves in the corporate expenses, including interest on corporate debt, and the results of

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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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The following companies are subsidiares of Zimmer Biomet: Abbott Spine, Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., BioMet, Biomet 3i Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet 3i Belgium N.V., Biomet 3i Benelux Holdings N.V., Biomet 3i Dental Iberica SL, Biomet 3i LLC, Biomet 3i Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet 3i Netherlands B.V., Biomet 3i Nordic AB, Biomet 3i Portugal Lda, Biomet 3i Switzerland GmbH, Biomet 3i Turkey, Biomet 3i UK Ltd., Biomet 3i do Brasil Comercio de Aparelhos Medicos Ltda., Biomet Acquisitions (Unlimited), Biomet Argentina SA, Biomet Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet Biologics LLC, Biomet Brazil Medical Device Ltda., Biomet C.V., Biomet CV Holdings LLC, Biomet Cementing Technologies AB, Biomet Chile SA, Biomet China Co. Ltd., Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Biomet Deutschland Holding GmbH, Biomet Fair Lawn LLC, Biomet Finance US LLC, Biomet France Sarl, Biomet Global Supply Chain Center B.V., Biomet Healthcare Management GmbH, Biomet Holdings B.V., Biomet Hong Kong CBT Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong Holding Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong No. 1 Ltd., Biomet Inc., Biomet Insurance Ltd., Biomet International Inc., Biomet International Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Leasing Inc., Biomet Manufacturing LLC, Biomet Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet Microfixation B.V., Biomet Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Orthopedics Puerto Rico Inc., Biomet Spain Orthopaedics S.L., Biomet Sports Medicine LLC, Biomet Trauma LLC, Biomet U.S. Reconstruction LLC, Biomet UK Healthcare Ltd., Biomet UK Ltd., CD Diagnostics, CD Diagnostics Inc., CD Laboratories Inc., Cayenne Medical, Cayenne Medical Inc., CelgenTek Innovations Corporation, Centerpulse Ltd, Changzhou Biomet Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Citra Labs LLC, Clinical Graphics, Compression Therapy Concepts Inc., Compression Therapy Products, D.S. Comp Ltd., Dornoch Medical Systems, Dornoch Medical Systems Inc., EBI Holdings LLC, EBI LLC, EBI Medical Systems LLC, EBI Patient Care Inc., ETEX Corporation, ETEX Holdings Inc., Electro-Biology LLC, Endius, Espanormed S.L., Etex, ExtraOrtho, Hakuho Company Ltd., IC Guided Surgery SRL, Implant Concierge LLC, Implant Innovations Holdings LLC, Implex, InnoVision Inc., Interpore Cross International LLC, JERDS Luxembourg Holding Sarl, Kirschner Medical Corporation, Knee Creations, LDR Brasil Comercio Importacao e Exportacao Ltda., LDR Holding, LDR Medical Hong Kong (branch), LDR Medical S.A.S., LVB Acquisition Inc., Lanx Puerto Rico LLC , Lanx Srl, Medical Compression Systems Inc., Medtech SA, Medtech SAS, Medtech Surgical GmbH, Medtech Surgical Inc., NORMED Medizin-Technik GmbH, ORTHOsoft ULC, Ortho Transmission, Orthopaedic Advantage LLC, Ospol Participacoes Ltda., Representaciones Zimmer Inc. S. de R.L. de C.V., Respondwell, SM Re Ltd., Scandimed Holding AB, Shanghai Biomet Business Consulting Co. Ltd., Synvasive Technology, Synvasive Technology Inc., ZB COOP C.V., ZB COOP LLC, ZB Cayman (Asia) Holding Ltd., ZB Cayman Island CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Dental India Private Limited, ZB EMEA 1 LP, ZB EMEA Finance UK 1 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 2 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 3 Ltd., ZB EMEA US UK LLC, ZB Hong Kong CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Holding Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Ltd., ZB Manufacturing LLC, ZB UK Group Holdings Limited, ZH2LX Barbados Branch (branch), Zfx, Zfx GmbH, Zfx Innovation GmbH, Zhejiang Biomet Medical Products Co. Ltd., Zimmer (Shanghai) Medical International Trading Co. Ltd., Zimmer Asia (HK) Ltd., Zimmer Australia Holding Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Asel Alarabiya Limited Company, Zimmer Biomet Asia Holding B.V., Zimmer Biomet Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Austria GmbH, Zimmer Biomet BVBA, Zimmer Biomet CBT, Zimmer Biomet CBT 2, Zimmer Biomet CMF and Thoracic LLC, Zimmer Biomet Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Centroamerica SA, Zimmer Biomet Comp Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Denmark ApS, Zimmer Biomet Dental Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Dental K.K., Zimmer Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Distribution LLC, Zimmer Biomet Finance Srl, Zimmer Biomet Finance US Holding Inc., Zimmer Biomet Finland Oy, Zimmer Biomet France Holdings SAS, Zimmer Biomet France SAS, Zimmer Biomet GK, Zimmer Biomet Global Holdings Switzerland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Hellas SA, Zimmer Biomet Ireland Limited, Zimmer Biomet Italia Srl, Zimmer Biomet Korea Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Nederland B.V., Zimmer Biomet New Zealand Company, Zimmer Biomet Norway AS, Zimmer Biomet OUS Holdings AG, Zimmer Biomet Polska Sp. z.o.o, Zimmer Biomet Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Zimmer Biomet Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Romania S.R.L., Zimmer Biomet South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Spain S.L., Zimmer Biomet Spine Inc., Zimmer Biomet Sweden AB, Zimmer Biomet Taiwan Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet UK Ltd., Zimmer Biomet US 2 Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT I Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT II Holding Inc., Zimmer CEP USA Holding Co., Zimmer CEP USA Inc., Zimmer CIS Ltd., Zimmer CV Inc., Zimmer Caribe LLC, Zimmer Cayman Islands Holding Co. Ltd., Zimmer Co-op Holdings LLC, Zimmer Colombia SAS, Zimmer Czech sro, Zimmer Dental (Shanghai) Medical Device Co. Ltd., Zimmer Dental Chile Spa, Zimmer Dental GmbH, Zimmer Dental Inc., Zimmer Dental Italy Srl, Zimmer Dental Ltd., Zimmer Dental SAS, Zimmer Finance Ireland, Zimmer France Manufacturing Sarl, Zimmer Germany Holdings GmbH, Zimmer GmbH, Zimmer GmbH Euro IP Branch (branch), Zimmer GmbH Winterthur Branch (branch), Zimmer Gulf FZ LLC, Zimmer Inc., Zimmer India Private Ltd., Zimmer International Logistics GmbH, Zimmer Investments LLC, Zimmer Knee Creations Inc., Zimmer Luxembourg II Sarl, Zimmer Luxembourg Sarl, Zimmer Manufacturing B.V., Zimmer Manufacturing B.V. (branch), Zimmer Medical Malaysia SDN BHD, Zimmer Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., Zimmer Orthobiologics Inc., Zimmer Orthopedics Manufacturing Limited, Zimmer Production Inc., Zimmer Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Slovakia sro, Zimmer Southeast Florida LLC, Zimmer Spine Next Inc., Zimmer Spine SAS, Zimmer Surgical, Zimmer Surgical Inc., Zimmer Surgical SA, Zimmer Switzerland Holdings LLC, Zimmer Switzerland Manufacturing GmbH, Zimmer Tibbi Cihazlar Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, Zimmer Trabecular Metal Technology Inc., Zimmer Trustee Ltd., Zimmer UK Limited, Zimmer US Inc., and Zimmer do Brasil Comercio Ltda..
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - In New York state government news, top lawmakers from both parties are pushing back on Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo over plans to limit legislative moonlighting.

A state commission recently approved new restrictions on how much money lawmakers can make from side jobs outside the legislature.

Cuomo supports the idea. It's intended to address longtime worries that jobs outside the legislature can be a conduit for legal bribes from businesses and organizations that deal with the state.

But top lawmakers from both parties say those limits were never part of a deal they negotiated with Cuomo.

They say the pay commission exceeded its power. Cuomo insists the lawmakers are wrong.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Utica, N.Y. - The Utica fire department unveiled some brand new equipment this week, and it's designed to save lives, their own lives.

During Thursday's active shooter drill at Utica City Hall, we got our first glimpse of the newest life saving devices used by the fire department's EMT's and paramedics. They were wearing bright red vests and black helmets, both are bulletproof.

Captain Philip Taurisano, the department's EMT Coordinator, says the new devices came in about a month ago but members had to go through training on the them before they could be put in operation, "We had to get the guys trained in how to put them on, take them off, how to treat them, how to clean them, that kind of stuff. So with every new piece of equipment, there's a little bit of training that goes on."

Taurisano says he had seen some departments across the country that have gone to these devices already, "We kind of thought about it for a while, but Las Vegas, a little over year ago, is really kind of what was the tipping point." Taurisano is referring to the mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017 where 59 people died and more than 400 others wounded when a lone gunman opened fire from a hotel window.

Taurisano says the bulletproof vests and helmets will now be worn by EMT's and paramedics in the department when they go on certain calls, "If you go to a shooting or stabbing, you are required to wear it. If you go to something where the information is like a violent assault, it's encouraged, and then any other time you feel necessary, like occasionally we'll go to a standby with UPD where they have a hostage negotiation, we don't know what's going on, so we would encourage them to wear them. And one thing that has been made abundantly clear is if is determined that someone says I want to wear it and my boss said no we don't need them, nobody's going to tell you to take it off."

Taurisano says the cost for the 40 vests and 40 helmets, was about $43,000, or about $1,100 per set, "The process in the city, some people say, as slow as it is, to get something, a brand new piece of equipment in a year, like that, was really good. And like I said we couldn't have done it without the mayor's support, he was on board with that 100%."

Finally Taurisano says there was a reason why the department chose red for the color of the vests "Theres issues with role confusion. So if we went into a scene and we had the same black tactical looking vest that the police department wears, theres issues with the role confusion. People might think we're cops, other cops might think we're cops, so by us going in with a red vest with a big patch on it that says 'fire', its pretty straightforward who we are."
NET IMMIGRATION would sustain population growth until 2035. However, after the year 2035, the population would go into a steep decline and by the 2050s, Finlands population would already be below the current number. This declining trend in population growth means big challenges for Finnish society and its future.

Statistics Finland published a new population projection for Finland last November. According to the projection, Finlands birth rate is continuing to fall and has reached its lowest level in 148 years. If the birth rate remains at the current level, there would be only 760,000 inhabitants aged under 15 in Finland by 2030.

Declining population growth and ageing of the population are primarily a challenge for the Finnish economy. Ageing of the population will increase demand for public services at a regional and municipal level. This creates huge pressure for public services, which are primarily funded by a decreasing number of taxpayers.

The number of those who are of working age has already fallen during the last eight years. Companies will face big challenges when searching for members of the workforce to fill open jobs and assignments. A shortage of jobs will eventually turn into a shortage in the workforce, if the decline in the Finnish population will continue further during next decades.

What should we do in Finland to turn this decline and how can we cope with the challenges of a shrinking population? First, it is important to focus on the low number of births in Finnish families. Society has to do more to make starting a family easier and safer for young adults all across the country.

Uncertainties in the labour market, a general feeling of uncertainty and the cost of living, just to mention a few, are real factors behind the declining birth rate. Facing these factors is also the clearest starting point when beginning to analyse how to turn this trend around in the future through public policy and decision-making.

When it comes to Finlands workforce, it gets even more necessary to attract workers from abroad. Especially trained specialists and high-skilled workers are needed to strengthen our domestic labour markets. The current level of work-based immigration is not enough to fulfill the need of employees in Finnish companies.

The next government, which starts its work after the general elections in April, has to build a strategy for strengthening employment-based immigration from abroad. This strategy should include all the necessary tools needed to attract and retain highly talented people. All the players from company labour unions must come together to write a strategy for strengthening employment-based immigration.

In the future, it is also important that all immigration to Finland take place under widely agreed rules. Society must have the power to control and coordinate employment-based immigration to the sectors that are most in need of highly skilled workforce. Current legislation offers a good basis for this control and its fine-tuning.

Joona Rasanen

Member of Finnish Parliament, Social Democratic Party
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Sunday called the Israeli premier "a cold-blooded killer of modern times" following his tweet on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On his official Twitter account Cavusoglu wrote: "The occupier which kicks people lying on the ground is easily offended: @netanyahu is a cold-blooded killer of modern times, responsible for massacres of thousands of innocent Palestinians, bombing children on beaches."

"Turkey will never stop exposing the truth," he added.

On Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu in a tweet attacked the Turkish president over Ankara's counter-terror operation and Cyprus issues.

"Accused of fraud in investigations carried out in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to manipulate the international community," Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Omer Celik also said in a tweet.

Celik said that Netanyahu is "disturbed" by Erdogan's remarks in favor of humanity and oppressed people.

The spokesman emphasized that Turkey will continue to speak up against Israels unjust actions against the oppressed Palestinians and its practices that violate international law.

"It means that Netanyahu is disturbed by the operations carried out by the Turkish army and security forces against PKK targets, which carry out terrorist acts against our civilians and the oppressed Syrian, regardless of women and children," Celik said.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.

Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin also responded to the Israeli premier's accusations.

"Instead of begging President Erdogan not to speak out the truth, @netanyahu should end the lawless occupation of Palestinian lands and the brutal oppression of Palestinian people.

"Bashing Erdogan or using Kurds as a political chip will not save him from his domestic troubles," Kalin wrote in a tweet.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Two deer that were a part of a Mississippi State University and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks study are dead and poaching is suspected to be the cause.

Steve Demarais of the MSU Deer Lab said one of the animals was found shot about a month ago and a second bucks carcass was found recently, The Clarion Ledger reported.

One was found by a sheriffs deputy shortly after it was shot, Demarais said. He still had the collar on him. They shot him with a small caliber rifle.

Demarais said hes unsure of why the suspected poacher or poachers did not take the buck.

Maybe they got nervous when they saw the collar or saw a car and did not collect it, he said.

The deer are part of a study that tracks and records the movement of mature bucks in parts of Madison and Yazoo counties along the Big Black River. It also records the bucks movements as they relate to hunting pressure.

The study began in 2016 when 55 mature bucks were captured and fitted with tracking collars utilizing GPS technology and ear tags. The collars send out both a GPS and VHF signal for tracking and locating the collars. Ten of them have gone silent.

Demarais said the second buck was considered to be a mobile buck because he had two home ranges.

Another carcass was found badly decomposed, Demarais said. Apparently someone caught him near Virlilia Road as he was crossing his two home ranges. I think Virlilia Road is a hot spot for poachers.

In this case, the collar was missing and has not transmitted in several weeks.

The collar had to have been destroyed about the time the deer was poached because it never transmitted from the carcass location, Demarais said.

We cant pick them up by flying over the area. We dont know if those collars just stopped working, both the VHF signal and GPS, or if they were poached and the collars destroyed.

The loss of the collars is also costly. Demarais said they cost about $3,000 and another $3,000 to $4,000 is spent collaring the deer.

Demarais said two other deaths of bucks in the study are suspected to be the work of poachers and at least two have been killed by hunters. While shooting the tagged and collared bucks is legal, hunters have been encouraged to not shoot them as the data they provide is more important than antlers hanging on a wall.

One hunter said he did not see the bright orange collar or ear tags on the buck he shot. Another apparently couldnt resist temptation.

It was a really nice 8-point with a kicker or two, Demarais said. It was a 160 class. It was a buck a hunter couldnt resist.

The study ends in March when the release mechanisms are set to go off, then two years of movement data will be sorted through. Although the purpose of the study is to see how mature bucks react to hunting pressure, it is expected to reveal much more.

Well be milking this data for years, Demarais has said.
Senators adjourn without deal to end government shutdown; impasse expected to extend into next week originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Senators at the Capitol adjourned for the holidays Saturday afternoon without finding a way to negotiate an end to the government shutdown over President Trumps demand for billions of dollars for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, announced on the floor that the Senate will meet again on Thursday at 4 p.m.

He left open the possibility, however, that senators would return if a deal is struck between Republicans, Democrats and Trump.

"If an agreement is reached, we'll come back and pass it," McConnell, who is headed back to Kentucky, said. "Listen, anything can happen. We're pulling for an agreement. If it gets 60 votes in the Senate, and the majority in the House."

The abrupt ending capped a day of lawmakers negotiating and hoping to put an end to the government shutdown, which officially went into effect at midnight. The impasse between Democrats and the president has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers -- 420,000 working without pay, and another 380,000 furloughed -- out of work days before the holidays.

With Christmas Eve and Christmas early this week, the shutdown is expected to last until at least the middle of next week.

Right before the senators adjourned for the day, Trump tweeted that the "illegal activity at our Southern Border real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall."

The crisis of illegal activity at our Southern Border is real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall. Let work begin!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

"Let work begin!" he wrote.

He later tweeted that he won the 2016 election "based on getting out of endless & costly foreign wars & also based on Strong Borders which will keep our Country safe."

Story continues

"We fight for the borders of other countries, but we won't fight for the borders of our own!" he wrote.

Trump's conservative allies on Capitol Hill told ABC News exclusively they believe the president is committed to keeping the government partially shut down until his demands are met.

"I can tell you after lunch with the president, I believe the president has the staying power to sustain a long government shutdown if necessary," said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida.

The chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-North Carolina, who encouraged Trump to shut the government down over his demand for $5 billion for the wall, accused Democrats of not budging on their refusal to fund the wall because of their "hatred for the president."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said he believed Trump would accept a figure lower than $5 billion as long as Congress limited the restrictions placed on the money that would prevent the construction of new border wall.

He added Trump would also not accept less than $1.6 billion, the figure in the initial bipartisan Senate funding bill.

"This president will not accept a deal for $1.6 billion that restricts wall funding," he said. "It's gotta be more than $1.6 billion dollars.

"The need is there," he continued. "We need more money, less restrictions for the wall," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call that the president continued to push for $5 billion as his goal, although that may be the president's opening bid rather than a non-negotiable.

"We have continued to put forth what we think is an important expectation for these negotiations, which is $5 billion in border security," the senior administration official said.

(MORE: Partial government shutdown officially begins as clock hits midnight on Capitol Hill without deal)

McConnell said he hit the "pause button" until the president and Democrats could reach a deal.

PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol is pictured on the first morning of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., Dec. 22, 2018. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA via Shutterstock)

Roughly 25 percent of the federal government - and agencies including the State Department, IRS, Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security -- shut down at midnight after Trump said he wouldnt sign a funding bill that didnt include $5 billion in funds for the construction of a wall.

(MORE: Trump revives label of 'Democrat Shutdown' after pledging, 'I'm not going to blame you for it')

Trumps position seemed to harden after conservative allies on Capitol Hill and right-wing media began criticizing him this week. The president then prompted the House to add billions to a bipartisan Senate bill on Thursday and send the measure back to the Senate, where it lacked the support needed to clear the 60-vote threshold.

Democrats reiterated Saturday that they wouldnt accept funding for the border wall, suggesting little progress had been made in preliminary discussions between congressional leadership and White House officials.

PHOTO: President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 2018. (Shawn Thew/EPA via Shutterstock)

President Trump, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Trump had lunch with Vice President Mike Pence and a group of conservative House and Senate Republicans supportive of his border wall fight.

Afterward, Pence made his way back to the Capitol for a meeting with Schumer, whose aide told ABC News he expects to get a readout of what was discussed at lunch.

The meeting between the two comes at the White Houses request, according to the aide in Schumers office.

Schumer intended to remind the vice president that any proposal with funding for the wall cannot pass the Senate, the aide said.

Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, told ABC News that Trump "refuses to compromise.

When you dont have the votes," he added, "you need to compromise.

Should Trump and congressional leaders fail to reach an agreement, Hoyer said Democrats were ready to pass a funding bill through the House when they take control of the chamber in January.

(MORE: Shutdown stare down: What a partial government shutdown during the holidays could look like)

Much of the Capitol was stuck between that transition Saturday because of the shutdown. Boxes and Christmas decorations were stacked outside of offices that were scheduled to be swapped between Republican and Democratic House leaders before the shutdown.

House Speaker Paul Ryan was seen entering his leadership office Saturday morning with an overnight bag. The retiring speaker, who spends his nights in Washington in his office, had been evicted from his congressional office in the Longworth House Office Building.
Firefighters work 16 hours to put out fires in Tesla Model S originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A Tesla Model S ignited three times in one day, a northern California car owner and firefighters told ABC News.

While driving on a highway on Dec. 18, the driver got a tire pressure warning indicating a flat tire, and had the car towed to the nearby Los Gatos Tire and Auto Repair, Santa Clara County Fire Captain Bill Murphy told ABC News.

"I go in there, doing the paperwork and I start hearing a funny hissing sound," the Tesla owner told ABC San Francisco's station KGO-TV. "I thought, oh, it must be something going on in the shop next door."

The owner turned around to see the car on fire, and firefighters were called to the scene.

Los Gatos Tire and Auto Repair did not immediately respond to ABC News' for a request for comment.

We extinguished the initial fire very quickly, Murphy said. Shortly afterwards, the firefighters saw gas and steam coming off the car- which began venting gas, which Murphy said they believed was a sign of batteries burning. He said his crew again doused the car with water before flames could erupt and contacted Tesla, which recommended propping up the car to access its underbody where the battery is located, Murphy said. They continued to monitor the car for about 6 hours to ensure there was no lingering heat, Murphy added. His crew doused it with an estimated 2,000 gallons of water.

At 10 p.m., the car was moved to nearby tow yard, where it then reignited, Murphy said. The third fire was contained to the car, and did not spread. Firefighters spent nearly ten hours at the scene to ensure the battery would not ignite again.

The Tesla owner told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV that he purchased the car about three months ago, and had driven it about 1,200 miles. He added that it would be the last Tesla his family owned.

"If this car had been in the house, and we had been on vacation, when this thing caught fire, the whole house could go under," he said.

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Some automobile experts say that the public is still learning that electric cars can catch fire, just like traditional cars.

PHOTO: A Tesla owner in Northern California says his Model S caught fire twice on the same day. ( KGO)

(MORE: How Does The Tesla Model S Ace Safety Tests, But Catch on Fire?)

People tend to look at electric vehicles and assume they wont catch fire because they dont have a traditional combustion engine," Alistair Weaver, editor-in-chief of Edmunds, an automobile research company, told ABC News. "The reality is that they still can still catch on fire.

"Certainly if I was a Tesla driver I dont think this is a source of panic," Weaver added, who himself drives a BMW electric car. In fact, electric cars are less likely to ignite than gas-powered vehicles, he said, but when they do they can require more time and more water to put out.

In a statement to ABC News, Tesla said We currently investigating the matter and are in touch with local first responders. We are glad to hear that everyone is safe.

Santa Clara Fire Department Captain Murphy said that firefighters are adjusting to responding to fire incidents that are different than what they have been accustomed to.

The presence of large lithium ion batteries in vehicles is something we are encountering more often, Murphy said. Its still categorized as vehicle fire. We just have a different fuel now. There is some additional complexity to the fuel thats burning.

Editors note: This article has been updated with a new headline to better reflect the story.
Earlier this year, a lava bomb crashed through the roof of a sightseeing boat in Hawaii, injuring 23 people. Last year, an 11-year-old boy died in Italy when he fell through a volcanic crater. His parents died trying to save him.

People are going to extreme lengths to get up close with an active volcano, resulting in extreme consequences for some.

"Volcanoes are one of the forces of nature that truly are beyond human power to control, Amy Donovan, a geographer at the University of Cambridge and author of a paper about volcano tourism, told CNN. We can't do anything about eruptions, other than get out of the way."

Donovans new report, published this week by the Royal Geographical Society, warns about the dangers of volcano tourism. Hordes of volcanophiles are racing around the world to get as close to the powerful eruptions as possible. Tourists who dont understand the volatile nature of eruptions also put emergency services at risk if they need to be rescued. Donovan specifically pointed to the rise of tourists to Iceland in accordance with active volcano eruptions.

The problem has become so bad that local authorities in Iceland are debating whether or not to announce eruptions as active volcanoes draw reckless tourists who want to hover over bubbling lava.

It is worth noting that there are safe ways to visit volcanoes. It goes without saying that hiring local pilots to take you secretly over restricted areas after dark  as some visitors to Iceland did in 2010  is not a good idea. Pay attention to announcements from local geologists and safety boards. A registered (and responsible) tour operator will never take you to an area that the government has closed to visitors.

The notion of hovering over a pit of molten lava and sulfurous gas may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime experience  and it may turn into just that. Conditions can drastically change, possibly for the worst, in a millisecond.
Jakarta (AFP) - The volcano that triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia late Saturday emerged from the sea around the legendary Krakatoa 90 years ago and has been on a high-level eruption watchlist for the past decade.

Anak Krakatoa (the "Child of Krakatoa") has been particularly active since June, occasionally sending massive plumes of ash high into the sky and in October a tour boat was nearly hit by lava bombs from the erupting volcano.

Experts say Anak Krakatoa emerged around 1928 in the caldera of Krakatoa, a volcanic island that violently erupted in 1883.

With subsequent lava flows it grew from a submarine setting to become a small volcanic island, with the cone now standing at an altitude of around 300 metres (1,000 feet) above sea level.

Since its birth, Anak Krakatoa has been in a "state of semi-continuous eruptive activity", growing bigger as it experiences eruptions every two to three years, volcanology professor Ray Cas from Monash University in Australia told AFP.

"Most of the eruptions are relatively small on the scale of explosive eruptions ... and there's also eruptions that produce lava flows," he added.

Cas said the latest event appeared to be "a relatively small explosive eruption" but could then have triggered or coincided with a submarine event like a landslide or earthquake, causing the deadly tsunami.

No one lives on the island, but the peak is popular with tourists and is a major study area for volcanologists.

The island is part of the Ujung Kulon National Park, "demonstrating on-going evolution of geological processes", since the Krakatoa eruption, UNESCO says on its World Heritage site listing for the area.

When Krakatoa erupted on August 27, 1883 it shot a column of ash more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) into the air in a series of powerful explosions that were heard in Australia and up to 4,500 kilometres away near Mauritius.

The massive cloud of ash plunged the area into darkness for two days. The dust gave rise to spectacular sunsets and sunrises around the world the following year and disrupted weather patterns for years.

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The tsunami triggered by the eruption killed more than 36,000 people in one of the world's worst natural disasters.

Indonesia's proximity to the junction of three continental plates, which jostle under immense pressure, makes it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and eruptions.

The archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes, forming part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from quake-prone Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Paris (AFP) - Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts have warned, after a powerful wave caused by a volcanic eruption killed hundreds when it swallowed coastal settlements, taking earthquake-focused disaster monitors by surprise.

- What caused the tsunami? -

While tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, in this case experts believe the deadly waves were generated by an eruption of the Anak (or "child of") Krakatoa volcano, which could have caused a large undersea landslide or flow of molten rock into the water.

The tsunami "appears to have been caused by an underwater collapse" of part of the volcano, said David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at Britain's Open University.

Anak Krakatoa is an island that emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people.

The tsunami that struck on Saturday was the third natural disaster to hit Indonesia in six months.

The country has 127 active volcanoes and lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.

- Why was it so deadly? -

Anak Krakatoa, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, is close to densely populated areas.

The volcano has been particularly active since June, noted Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff at the University of Paris-South.

"We were helpless given how sudden" the event took place, Bardintzeff said. "The time between cause and effect was a few dozen minutes, which was too short to warn the population."

The killer wave struck at night, sweeping across tourist beaches and low-lying settlements on both sides of the Sunda Strait and catching both residents and disaster monitors totally unawares.

"Signs that a tsunami was coming weren't detected and so people did not have time to evacuate," said Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who blamed vandalism, technical problems and limited budgets for the lack of warning buoys.

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But the Open University's Rothry said such buoys, normally positioned to monitor earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries, would still have had limited efficacy.

"Even if there had been such a buoy right next to Anak Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that warning time would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel."

Simon Boxall of Southampton University said the region was in spring tide, "and it would appear that the wave hit some of the coastal areas at the highest point of this high tide, exacerbating the damage done".

While the tsunami was relatively small, Richard Teeuw, a disaster risk reduction expert at the University of Portsmouth in England said: "Such waves -- laden with debris -- can be deadly for coastal communities, especially if there is no warning."

- Could more tsunamis be coming? -

"Devastating tsunami caused by volcanic eruptions are rare; one of the most famous (and deadly) was caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883," Teeuw said.

"The likelihood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its current active phase because that might trigger further submarine landslides," he said.

Sonar surveys would now be needed to map the seafloor around the volcano, but "unfortunately submarine surveys typically take many months to organise and carry out," he added.

Bardintzeff warned "we must be wary now that the volcano has been destabilised".
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday called for immediate U.S. Senate hearings on President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all American troops from Syria, which prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters he wanted to hear directly from Mattis at any hearing. Mattis announced plans on Thursday to depart in a candid resignation letter to Trump that laid bare the growing divide between them.

A Senate hearing could also cover Trump administration officials saying on Thursday that there were plans to drawdown about 5,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Graham, who over the past year or so has been a staunch supporter of Trump, has broken with him on the Syria decision.

Heading to a meeting of Republican senators, Graham said, "In lunch I'm going to ask for hearings like right now about Syria." Trump said Islamic State had been defeated there so it was time to withdraw U.S. forces.

Graham made clear that he also was worried about a possible U.S. troop reduction in Afghanistan, where 14,000 troops are deployed in what is America's longest war at 17 years.

"I dare anybody to say that ISIS-K is defeated in Afghanistan," Graham said, referring to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Khorasan Province, a branch of Islamic State, active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The group "is a bigger threat this year than they were last year. It is clear to me that ISIS-K is plotting to hit America," Graham said.

Graham said cutting U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan would leave "too few to accomplish the mission of holding Afghanistan together and protecting America from another attack and it's too many to be hostages and sitting ducks" there.

The United States went to war in Afghanistan in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, seeking to oust the Taliban militants harboring Saudi-raised militant Osama bin Laden, who led plans to carry out the attacks.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by James Dalgleish and Grant McCool)
Bissau (AFP) - Guinea-Bissau will hold legislative elections in March -- four months after a vote was originally scheduled -- in an attempt to defuse a long-running crisis, the presidency said Thursday.

The former Portuguese colony, one of the world's poorest countries, has been locked in a political standoff since President Jose Mario Vaz sacked his premier in 2015.

A presidential decree said Thursday the election will be held on March 10, 2019, after it was delayed from November 18.

Under a deal brokered by Western African regional bloc ECOWAS in April, a consensus prime minister Aristide Gomes was named with the task of steering the country to a vote.

But the ballot was delayed by difficulties in drawing up an electoral list.

The UN and African neighbours have been urging Guinea-Bissau to hold the vote. The UN special representative for West Africa last month pressed the government to finally set an election date.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Hamas on Sunday denounced Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's plan to dissolve the largely defunct Palestinian parliament that it controls, calling it a move to "serve his partisan interests".

Abbas said Saturday he intended to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council after a court decision that ordered the move and elections to be held within six months.

The ruling was made by the Palestinian Constitutional Court in Ramallah, and Hamas said in a statement it rejected the decision by a court created by Abbas "to legitimise his arbitrary decisions".

"Abbas should have extended his hands to (Hamas leader Ismail) Haniya's invitation to hold a joint meeting, thereby ending the Palestinian division," the statement said.

"Rather, Abbas opted to ruin the Palestinian political system, maintain his unilateralism, and dissolve the legal institutions of the Palestinian people. All of this is just to serve his partisan interests."

It called on Egypt, which has been seeking to reconcile Hamas and Abbas's Fatah, to block the measure.

Dissolving the parliament would allow Abbas to further pressure Hamas.

Though the parliament has not met since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian law allows for its speaker to act as interim president should 83-year-old Abbas die in office.

Hamas won the last parliamentary elections in 2006 in a landslide, resulting in an electoral dispute with Fatah.

The split between them persists and has defied several reconciliation attempts. A range of issues have kept the two sides apart, including Hamas's refusal to disarm its military wing.

Abbas, whose Fatah is based in the occupied West Bank, has sought to pressure Hamas in recent months by reducing salaries in the Gaza Strip, which is under an Israeli blockade, among other moves.

Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deepening a dispute with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him an "anti-Semitic dictator."

Netanyahu on Sunday said the Turkish leader is "obsessed with Israel" and his military "slaughters women and children in Kurdish villages." He spoke at a meeting with Christian soldiers.

Speaking in Istanbul Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Netanyahu an oppressor who commits "state terror." It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the latest spat between the leaders.

Israel and Turkey were once close allies. But relations have steadily cooled since Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey's Islamist movement, became prime minister in 2003.

The exchange came just days after the U.S. announced its withdrawal from Syria, where both Israel and Turkey are involved in the seven-year civil war.
Rome (AFP) - A civilian ship with 33 migrants aboard rescued off the Libyan coast appealed Sunday for a European port to take them to before the weather turns at Christmas.

German NGO ship Sea Watch 3 rescued the migrants, including four women and six children, when they were in difficulty attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on Saturday.

"We have requested a port of safety to disembark those people," Sea Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer told AFP. "There is no country willing so far to offer the people safe port."

Requests to receive the Dutch-flagged vessel have been made to several countries, he said, and Italy and Malta have refused.

Their governments say that they have to bear an unfair burden of migrants arriving from Africa.

"We will try everything to get a port of safety before Christmas, because on the 25th the weather is worsening, so we urge European states to find a solution within the next 24 hours," Neugebauer said.

The rescued migrants include people from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast.

A Spanish civilian rescue ship with over 300 migrants also rescued off Libya was on Saturday authorised to sail to Spain after Malta and Italy declined to let it come to port.

A newborn baby and his mother were helicoptered from the ship operated by Proactiva Open Arms to safety in Malta.

Sea Watch said that they had attempted to contact the Libyan search and rescue coordination centre but with no response.

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 some leaders including Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo 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.

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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.

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.
N'Djamena (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying "an ally must be reliable".

In a sign of the growing diplomatic rift between the two leaders, Macron said "I deeply regret the decision" by Trump to pullout US troops.

Trump last week ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria, asserting that the Islamic State group had been defeated, as well as a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Analysts said the momentous reversal of years of US foreign policy will leave the war-torn regions at risk of continued and potentially heightened bloodshed.

France has said it will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS in Syria.

"To be an ally is to fight shoulder to shoulder," Macron said in Chad's capital N'Djamena with his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby, adding that France was doing just that in the fight against jihadist groups in Chad.

The US troop pullout in Syria will leave thousands of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria -- which the Pentagon spent years training and arming against IS -- vulnerable to Turkish attack.

Turkey, which fears the separatist ambitions of Kurds in its own country, has threatened to launch another offensive against Kurdish groups in Syria that Ankara accuse of being "terrorists".

On Saturday, a senior Kurdish official called on the US to prevent a potential Turkish offensive, calling it America's "duty to prevent any attack and to put an end to Turkish threats".

- Once a 'special relationship' -

In his remarks Macron also paid tribute to Defense Secretary James Mattis, who announced he was resigning on Thursday after Trump told the world about his Syria U-turn.

"I want here to pay tribute to General Mattis... for a year we have seen how he was a reliable partner," Macron said.

Mattis, 68, was one of Trump's first cabinet picks and has spent nearly two years at the Pentagon.

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In his resignation letter Mattis made clear that Trump's world view was irreconcilable with his own.

"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' immersion in these issues," Mattis wrote to Trump, who has sought closer ties with Russia and heaped contempt on NATO and other 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."

Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-IS coalition, also announced he would bring his departure forward from February due to the Syria policy change.

Since Trump became president, Macron has attempted to develop a "special relationship" with the billionaire tycoon despite widely differing political beliefs and styles.

The pair had seemed to share a special camaraderie in the early days of their respective presidencies, a "bromance" of sorts that included patting and playful banter.

But differences over policy -- in particular the Paris climate accords which Trump opposed -- have become increasingly hard to paper over and tensions in their relationship have become more apparent.

- Allies must be 'reliable' -

Even early on, when Macron and Trump shared a handshake at their first meeting at a NATO gathering in Brussels in May 2017, photographers focused on the white-knuckle grip of the presidents' handshake as the two tried to out-muscle each other.

After Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accords, Macron played on the words of Trump's electoral slogan "Make America Great Again", instead saying "Make Our Planet Great Again".

In July 2017, when Trump flew into Paris for Bastille Day, France's national holiday, Trump praised his host, saying: "France is America's first and oldest ally."

But Trump raised eyebrows when attempting to compliment Macron's wife Brigitte by telling her she was "in good shape".

In April, Macron visited Washington and the powerplay between the two was again evident to see, with Trump appearing to flick a piece of dandruff off Macron's jacket on national television, saying "we have to make him perfect. He is perfect."

Later, despite Macron repeatedly appealing to Trump to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, Trump exited the multiparty agreement negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama and reimposed punishing sanctions on the Iranians.

Then in November, Trump publicly lambasted Macron and mocked the French president's approval rating over remarks about Europe taking greater responsiblity for its own defence.

On Sunday Macron indicated his own disappointment at the frayed relations with the US.

"An ally must be reliable, to coordinate with its other allies," Macron said.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought on Sunday to calm domestic concerns over US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria, saying his country will still act against Iran there.

Netanyahu will also reportedly meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he travels to Brazil for the January 1 inauguration of new president Jair Bolsonaro.

The prime minister's office has not confirmed the meeting reported by Israeli media.

Trump last week said the Islamic State group had been defeated and he was withdrawing the United States' 2,000 troops from Syria.

Israel has seen the US presence in neighbouring Syria as a bulwark against its main enemy Iran and a counterweight to Russia.

Both Russia and Iran support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the country's civil war.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US soldiers from Syria won't change our consistent policy," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

"We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish a military presence in Syria, and if the need arises, we will even expand our activities there."

He added that he wanted to "calm those concerned".

"Our cooperation with the United States continues full-force, and takes place in many fields -- the operational field, the intelligence field, and many other security fields."

Separately, Israel's military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot told a conference on Sunday that the US decision was "a significant event but it should not be overstated".

"For decades weve been handling this front alone," Eisenkot said.

Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria -- as well as reduce forces in Afghanistan -- led US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to quit in disagreement.

The US special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, has also resigned.

The withdrawal abruptly ends American influence in the war-ravaged country and gives Turkey an opening to attack US-backed Kurds in Syria.

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But Israel is particularly concerned about the presence of Iran there as well as Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group backed by Tehran.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced weapons deliveries to Hezbollah.

A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike has however complicated Israeli operations there.

Russia subsequently upgraded Syrian air defences with the delivery of the advanced S-300 system, which Damascus had said would make Israel "think carefully" before carrying out further air raids.
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)
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Sunday offered a message of support after a volcano-triggered tsunami left 222 people dead and hundreds more injured in Indonesia's Sunda Strait.

"Unthinkable devastation from the tsunami disaster in Indonesia," the Republican leader tweeted. "More than two hundred dead and nearly a thousand injured or unaccounted for. We are praying for recovery and healing. America is with you!"

Related Video: At Least 222 Dead, 800 Missing After Tsunami

He joined the chorus of world leaders voicing condolences after the destructive wave struck the area with little warning, destroying hundreds of buildings and uprooting trees.

"I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the Indonesian people who have been hit so hard once again by natural disaster," Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said on Twitter.

The UN and European Union both pledged to mobilize humanitarian support if requested by Jakarta.

"The United Nations stands ready to support the ongoing government-led rescue and relief efforts," a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.
By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) - British police on Sunday released without charge two people arrested in an inquiry into the illegal use of drones at London's Gatwick Airport that crippled operations for three days last week. Sussex Police arrested a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from the local area late on Friday after drones were flown onto the airfield between Wednesday and Friday, forcing about 1,000 flights to be diverted or canceled and affecting 140,000 passengers. "Both people have fully co-operated with our inquiries, and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said on Sunday. The two were held after information was passed to the police by a member of the public, Tingley told Sky News. He said he was confident the arrests were justified. He said authorities were continuing to actively follow lines of investigation to catch those responsible for the most disruptive incursions from unmanned aerial vehicles seen at any major airport. A damaged drone had been recovered a close to the perimeter of the airport, he said, and it was being forensically examined, for example for clues about whether it was controlled remotely from afar or by somebody in the vicinity. No group has claimed responsibility for the disruption. "We have kept an open mind throughout and that is still the case with regards to the motivation behind these incidents," he said. The drones were spotted at Britain's second-largest airport on Wednesday evening, forcing it to close its runway in the run up to Christmas. Every time the airport sought to reopen the runway on Thursday, the drones returned. Authorities finally regained control over the airfield after the army deployed unidentified military technology to guard the area, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly. The drones caused misery for travelers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings. Airlines operating at Gatwick, which is located south of London, include easyJet , British Airways and Norwegian . The airport said on Sunday it was offering a reward of 50,000 pounds ($63,275) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. It said it was expecting to operate a full schedule of 785 flights on Sunday, although a small number of delays and cancellations could occur as the airport fully recovered. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams)
For many months, Israeli farmers living on the border of the Gaza Strip were forced to stand by and watch as their fields went up in flames caused by incendiary balloons and kites sent by Palestinians. Now, together with Alexander Brewery, they are using the wheat that survived their singed harvests into liquid gold

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"Every farmer looks forward to harvest season. Once a year, we get to see the product of our Sisyphean work. There is no greater letdown than seeing your work erased in an instant," said Reuven Nir, the field crops manager for Mefalsim and Kfar Aza, kibbutzim in southern Israel, close to the border with Gaza.

Alexander Brewery's selection of beers

"Only farmers will understand what it means to have your fields burn down. It's a tremendous loss. I just stood here on the verge of tears," said Danny Rahamim, the field crops manager of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. "Everyone is walking around grieving over the loss of their crops."

Nearly all of Israel's wheat production, estimated at about 175,000 tons per season, comes from the communities surrounding Gaza.

Most of the communities make their living from agriculture, growing wheat and various other products. About 45,000 dunam (some 11,000 acres) of wheat fields are grown in these communities every year. This year, 7,000 dunam of wheat fields were burned down due to the arson devices sent over from Gaza.

A man playing with his dogs near the border with Gaza, November 2018 (Photo: Reuters)

The wheat that survived the flames was harvested, transferred to the brewery, and the result is a brand new beer. Helped by the field owners, the Alexander Brewery used the region's wheat to produce a special edition of beer, with all profits going to local farmers.

"I cannot be indifferent to the heart-wrenching scenes of burning fields. My heart goes out to the farmers... the Gaza Border Beer is an excellent Israeli beer that showcases the quality wheat grown by our dear friends," said Ori Sagi, founder of Alexander Brewery.
Israel knows very well how to defend itself from its enemies, but cannot identify severe dangers if they come without guns blazing. We put these these dangers from our minds, since fighting against them involves no blood, fire or columns of smoke.

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The battle in question is the one over population growth, and it will be a mighty challenge to persuade family-oriented Israelis of the necessity of winning this battle. Will any politician dare to say in public that having so many children is anything over than a pure joy?

The Tel Aviv skyline (Photo: Shutterstock)

Such a brave politician would be attacked with well-known slogans: The Jewish people need to compensate for the loss of six million souls in the Holocaust, to multiply and gain strength like the Hebrews in Egypt, to counter the fertility of Arab women, and to produce soldiers for the fight against the hundreds of millions who come upon us to destroy us.

In October, the Israel Forum for Population, Environment and Society (known in Hebrew as "Tsafuf" or crowded) held a convention headed by Prof. Alon Tal, whose recent book warned of demographic dangers. Prof. Rachelle Alterman, an urban planner, gave a lecture describing Israels scenery in 15 years time. According to her, nearly all of us will be living in towers but conducting our public lives underground.

Our country will be a large carpet of cementfrom Ashkelon to Nahariyaspreading north and south. If well want to relax under a tree well need to book two years in advance.

Alterman was joined by other researchers who compared us to Singapore, a city-state that manages to fit a similar size population on an island smaller than Israel.

But these crowded countries and city-statesSingapore, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Belgiumthey all have a way out via neighboring countries. We dont.

The Shoresh Institution, headed by economist Prof. Dan Ben-David, published a report similar to Altermans, but through the perspective of the economy. Soon, the report says, Israel will be the worlds most crowded nation. More crowded than Bangladesh, the current holder of the top spot.

One of the more well-known indications of over-crowding is Israel's raging traffic, almost three times as bad as in Europe. Poor public transport services leads people to huddle around big cities for work purposes, a trend that endangers population distribution.

Since the demographic growth is uneven between sectors, and since income is dependant on education, and our education system is failingthere is a growing number of citizen who are becoming a burden on the rest of us. Our workforce productivity is behind in comparison to the developed world, and if this process continues it will surely bring about economic crisis.

If we want to find a way out of this looming disaster, says Ben-David, theres no other way but to restrain population growth. Families with a large number of children should not be encouraged with generous allowances, housing benefits or subsidized fertility treatments. Education has to improve, and core subjects most of allthe kind that let one find a profitable trade. The best teachers should be chosen, and the entire education system has to be better managed.

If our national agenda is to be drawn from Education Minister Naftali Bennetts desire to be appointed minister of war, and abandon the Education ministrywe dont stand much chance.
An 80-year-old woman was killed in a fire that erupted in her apartment in East Jerusalem.

MDA paramedics pronounced her death after arriving at the scene.

The police launched an investigation into the matter.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, calling him an "anti-Semitic dictator" as a war of words between Ankara and Jerusalem gathered steam.

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"I was just exposed to the daily trolling of the anti-Semitic dictator Erdogan," Netanyahu said at a holiday event for Christian soldiers of the IDF.

"He is obsessed with Israel. He knows what a moral army is and he knows what a genuine democracy is, as opposed to an army that massacres women and children in Kurdish villages and a state which, to my regret, is becoming more dictatorial day by day," Netanyahu said. "He is obsessed with Israel. But there has been an improvement. Erdogan used to attack me every two hours and now it is every six hours."

The row began when Erdogan claimed Saturday that "Jews in Israel" beat defenseless Palestinian people, including women and children, and threatened to "teach them a lesson."

The Jews in Israel kick people when they're lying on the ground. In fact, Jews kick not only men, but women and children as wellas Muslims, we will confront these people if they have courage to deal with us. Well teach them a lesson Erdogan told Turkish youth at a meeting of Turkey Youth Foundation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo: AP)

As local elections in Turkey are set to take place in about three months, the Israeli assessment is that Erdogan, who has long been a harsh critic of the Jewish state, was speaking out of political considerations.

Netanyahu also responded to Erdogan's initial comments, saying that, "Erdoganthe occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey shouldn't preach to Israel."

The comments by the prime minister led to an angry retort by the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, who called Netanyahu a cold-blooded killer of modern times, responsible for massacres of thousands of innocent Palestinians, bombing children on beaches."

He added: "Turkey will never stop exposing the truth.

At a Foreign Ministry conference in early December, Netanyahu made a similar joke to the one he made Sunday about Israeli-Turkish ties: "There is an 'improvement' in our relations with TurkeyInstead of every two days, Erdogan now calls me Hitler only every six days, despite the fact that Turkey has received several warnings from Israeli intelligence that prevented major terror attacks on Turkish soil. Israel has prevented dozens of catastrophic terrorist attacks and aircraft's downings. No country in the world has our intelligence."







In the past few days, Erdogan has been boosted by Washington's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria. According to officials in Washington and Ankara, US President Donald Trump made the decision rashly and on his own, following a phone conversation with the Turkish president.

"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!" the American president said on Twitter on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: MCT)

In addition, officials said that Trump made the decision without consulting with security officials or any of his allies, and in spite of fierce opposition of those involved in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Reports also stated that Erdogan claimed ISIS has been beaten, and wondered why US forces are still deployed in Syria.

Trump then asked US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who had listened in on his phone call with Erdogan, whether this was trueto which Bolton answered that it was, but added that US troops must remain in Syria.

As a result, Trump told his Turkish counterpart that he would withdraw all American forces from Syria. The Associated Press reported that Trump's decision shocked both Erdogan and Bolton.
The last surviving fighter from the doomed 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Jewish partisans against the Nazis died Saturday in Israel aged 94, President Reuven Rivlin said.

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Simcha Rotem, who went by the nom-de-guerre Kazik, served in the Jewish Fighting Organization that staged the uprising as the Nazis conducted mass deportations of residents to the death camps.

Simcha Rotem

This evening, we part from Kozik, the young man who became Simcha Rotem, the last of the Warsaw Ghetto fighters. Kozik went back to the ghetto in 1942, at the age of 18, three months after his parents sent him to Radom so he could escape the fate of most Polish Jews. He heard what was happening in the ghetto and had to be there," Rivlin said in a statement.

"When he got there, he found himself wandering amongst the ruins, searching in vain for voices and faces. He only found death and destruction. I sat in those ruins,' he said in his testimony, not knowing exactly where I was, but I knew I was in the ghetto. .I imagined that I was the last Jew in the ghetto, or in all of Warsaw.

"Kozik was not the last Jew in the Warsaw Ghetto. He joined the uprising and helped save dozens of fighters, including two of its leaders, Antek Zukerman and Zvia Lubetkin," Rivlin said.

Simcha Rotem (L) in Warsaw, 1943 (Photo: Ghetto Fighters' House Museum)

"When he immigrated to Israel after the war, Kozik established a home and a family and served the country in a range of positions that he could only have dreamed of when he sat, head in his hands, desperate and terrified in the ruins of the ghetto. The man who thought he was the last Jew in the ghetto and in all of Warsaw, became the last living fighter of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

"When asked about the message he would want to pass on to Israeli youth, he answered: 'To be a human being. We are animals on two legs. No more than that  thats what I think, thats what I feel. But amongst us animals, the two-legged ones, there are some who are also human beings, and who deserve the name.'

"Thank you for everything, Kozik. We promise to try, every day, to be worth of the name human being, the president said.

The Jewish World Congress also issued a statement on Rotem's death, calling an inspiration for future generations.

"The greatest act of armed Jewish resistance during the Holocaust occurred in the Warsaw ghetto. Simcha Rotem, the last surviving fighter of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, has passed away at the age of 94. This is his lesson for the next generations. May his memory be a blessing," the statement read.

Simcha Rotem, 2nd left, with former minister Sofa Landver, left, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former education minister Shai Piron, in 2013.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his deep sorrow at Rotem's death, on behalf of the entire State of Israel.

"Kazik fought the Nazis, saved Jews, immigrated to Israel after the Holocaust, sharing his story with thousands of Israelis," the premier said. "His story and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising will remain in our hearts forever. May his memory be a blessing."

Hundreds of Jewish fighters began their fight on April 19, 1943, after the Nazis began deporting the surviving residents of the Jewish ghetto they had set up after invading Poland.

The insurgents preferred to die fighting instead of in a gas chamber at the Treblinka death camp where the Nazis had already sent more than 300,000 Warsaw Jews.

Simcha Rotem

Speaking at a 2013 ceremony in Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising, Rotem recalled that by April 1943 most of the ghetto's Jews had died and the 50,000 who remained expected the same fate.

Rotem said he and his comrades launched the uprising to "choose the kind of death" they wanted.

"But to this very day I keep thinking whether we had the right to make the decision to start the uprising and by the same token to shorten the lives of many people by a week, a day or two," Rotem said.

Thousands of Jews died in Europe's first urban anti-Nazi revolt, most of them burned alive, and nearly all the rest were then sent to Treblinka.

Rotem survived by masterminding an escape through the drain system with dozens of comrades. Polish sewer workers guided them to the surface.

He went on to participate in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising led by Polish resistance fighters against the Nazis.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Sunday that US President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw US troops from Syria shouldn't be exaggerated as it has little bearing on Israel's activity in the region since the Israeli military has been operating independently in the war-torn country for years.

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On Wednesday, President Trump announced the withdrawal of all US troops from Syria, which has been sharply criticized by many, especially by America's Kurdish allies, who may well face a Turkish assault once US troops leave, and had been staunchly opposed by the Pentagon.

The IDF has operated independently in this region for decades  the arrival of the Russians at the end of 2015 created a new challenge, and made it necessary for us to establish a mechanism to prevent friction, the chief of staff said.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Yariv Katz)

Eisenkot explained that over the past four years, the Israeli armys activity in Syria focused mainly on preventing the Iranians from establishing a strategic military presence across the country.

Weve poured enormous resources into it, all the while the average Israeli citizen wasnt even aware of it. Unfortunately, the public was exposed to the situation after the Russian plane was shot down during an Israeli attack, he added, referring to the incident last September, when a Russian military plane was downed by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles as they sought to attack Israel Air Force jets during an airstrike in September.

"The Iranians had a vision where they had 100,000 fighters in Syria, Eisenkot continued, including ground troops, navy and intelligence unit, as well as a number of outposts along the Golan Heights  Over the past two years weve been able to thwart these plans, entirely on our own."

However, added Eisenkot,  We still havent been able to destroy the Iranian capabilities to establish regional hegemony in Syria.

The chief of staff also said the efforts of Iranian proxy Hezbollah to acquire advanced weapons systems and build infrastructure for the conversion of inaccurate projectiles into precision-guided missiles was detected by Israel several years ago.

US troops in Syria (Photo: AP)

Weve conducted many strikes in order to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons to Lebanon, the chief of staff said.

Eisenkot also said that Operation Northern Shield, launched by the IDF in order to destroy the terror tunnels constructed by the terror groups along the Israel-Lebanon border, has been in the planning stages for the past four years.

"Hezbollah planned to launch an attack that included the occupation of the Israeli border towns  It is not hard to imagine what would have happened had there been a deterioration in the security situation in the future and hundreds of Hezbollah fighters would have infiltrate Israel through the tunnels," concluded Eisenkot.
Simcha "Kazik" Rotem, the last survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising who passed away on Saturday aged 94, lambasted the Polish preisdent earlier this year for remarks at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the rebellion against the Nazis, held in Poland in April 2018.

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Simcha Rotem (Photo:AFP)

Rotem, who went by the nom-de-guerre Kazik, took issue with what he said was Duda's unwillingness to acknowledge the role some Poles had in the extermination of Europe's Jews by the Nazis and their accomplices. The letter read:

"To the Honorable Andrzej Duda, President of Poland,

My name is Simcha (Kazik) Rotem, a proud Jew and one of the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, who survived the inferno and immigrated to the State of Israel that is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

I've read the speech you delivered last week at the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

I became very frustrated, disappointed and even amazed by your systematic disregard of the fundamental difference between the suffering of the Polish nation after Poland was seized by Nazi Germany, which I do not disparage, and the methodical genocide of my brothers and sisters, Poland's Jewish citizens, by the Nazi-German extermination machine, ignoring the fact this extermination machine had many Polish accomplices.

I don't blame the Polish nation as a collective, and I'm well aware of the thousands of Poland's Righteous Among the Nations in addition to the many other Poles whose actions to save Jews during the war have not been revealed.

I salute all this noble Poles and have enormous appreciation for them. However, Mr. President, the historical truth is that even those brave Poles, who jeopardized their lives and often their families to save Jews, had to hide from their Polish neighbors.

I, Simcha (Kazik) Rotem, who fought shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters against the damned German Nazis on the streets and in the sewage systems of the Warsaw Ghetto, is telling you, Mr. President, that many of your people took a very active part in the murder of Jews in the Holocaust, expelling Jews from their homes in Poland while cruelly abusing them. They evem murdered Jewish Poles who managed to escape the Nazi extermination machine and sought to regain their homes and property when the war ended.

Polish President Andrzej Duda at the ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 2018. (Photo: Reuters)

Only once the Polish society truly faces the bitter historical truth, revealing its scope and severity, will there be a chance that those horrors will not be repeated. Therefore, I vehemently oppose the distorted law recently passed in Poland, meant to eradicate from historical recollection the heinous acts the Poles committed against the Jewish people during that dark time.

I also fiercely oppose your following remark, Mr. President, that you said during the ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: "I'm completely convinced that it is very important for the Poles, including the Jewish Poles, to have one historical truth." This remark makes me seriously doubt this common "historical truth" for Jews and Poles that you so wish for.

Simcha Rotem

Mr. President, I, Simcha (Kazik) Rotem, one of the fighters who survived the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, reiterate the fact Jews in Poland were victims of a systematic abominable murder committed by Nazi Germany, while Poland was occupied, but not in any way subjected to a methodical mass murder.

There is no basis to compare the two things, and no one has the right to ignore the atrocities committed by many Poles against the Jews.

Do you, the leader of the Polish nation, want to be an accomplice in transforming this unconceivable disregard into the "new historical truth" passed on from generation to generation?
Alonethis is the situation in which US President Donald Trump finds himself on Sunday, in every respect: he is alone politically, ideologically, internationally, and physically.

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It is true; Trump still has Fox News and enthusiastic social media fans from small towns in the US and around Israel. But they are too far way, in spirit and body, from Washington.

The generals he was so proud of two years agoFlynn, McMaster, Kelly, and now Jim Mattisare all out, and his confidants Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort are headed to jail.

US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly, November 2018 (Photo: AP)

Trump's closest ministers and advisors, those who supported him from day one, like Jeff Sessions and Steve Bannon, wouldn't dare show their faces at the White House. Even his wife, Melania, and his youngest son Barron, were planning to spend Christmas in Florida without him.

Solitude at the top is not only sad, it is dangerous: the Roman Emperor Caligula, as the legend goes, was so lonely that he talked to the moon and wanted to appoint his beloved horse, Incitatus, as consul in the Roman Senate.

The two leaders share many characteristics: pomposity, eccentricity, theatricality, and megalomania. But, as last week's events have shown us, even if Trump doesn't appoint a horse as Mattis's replacement, his growing isolation may cause him to take extreme measures that could seriously endanger the US, and the world at large.

The outgoing defense secretary played a greater role than that of the "responsible adult," as Trump's critics like to call him. He was the only one who wouldn't tell Trump what he wanted to hear.

It seems that US National Security Advisor John Bolton and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opposed Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria, but kept quiet. Mattis' views could be clearly seen in the blistering letter of resignation that gave lie to Trump's claim that Mattis was retiring.

Jim Mattis and Donald Trump (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)

With the recent departure of top economic adviser Gary Cohn (who opposed Trump's trade war with China, which led to an unsettling drop in stock markets), White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, and now Mattis, there is no one in Washington to voice different opinions around the Cabinet table. And herein lies the problem.

The great American presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, surrounded themselves with a diverse group of advisors with differing, and usually opposing views. In their eyes, arguments and disagreements were beneficial rather than harmful.

In fact, many historians believe that diverse array of opinions is what led US President John F. Kennedy to successfully solve the Cuban missile crisis and prevent a nuclear war.

It's no secret that Trump doesn't (or doesn't like to) listen to others. That's one of the reasons that led him to the White House. "I trust my gut instincts," Trumps likes to say. "My gut tells me more sometimes than anybody elses brain can ever tell me, he said.

From now on, there would be no one else to listen to, except that gut feeling.

The crises we have been witnessing for the past several daysthe American decision to pull out of Syria, drops on Wall Street, and the bewildering number of personnel changesdemonstrate how dangerous Trump's "gut" can be.
Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday urged caution over the violence in the Gaza Strip, saying that a decision on launching a wide-scale Israeli military operation in the coastal enclave should be made based on informed decisions, rather than emotions. Meanwhile, the terror groups in Gaza vowed Sunday to avenge the deaths of four Palestinian protesters killed in weekend clashes with the IDF, which some fear will spark another escalation on the southern border.

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On Friday, four Palestinian protesters, including a teenager, were fatally shot by IDF troops during the March of Return demonstrations along the border fence, prompting the Gaza factions to issue a statement threatening to respond to Israels stupidity and its crimes against our people.

Eizenkot said that Israel had a range of options open to it for dealing with Gaza.

The question is whether to launch a major military operation, or choose a different option  For now, weve decided to go with a different option that would bring us the best results. We are not afraid to use force but it has to be done intelligently, said the chief of staff.

Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border (Photo: Reuters)

The use of force in Gaza will subsequently lead to questions whether it can ever be rehabilitated, Eisenkot continued. Although the Strip is ruled by a terrorist organization with murderous ideology that seeks to destroy Israel, its responsible for two million people living there.

For the past month there has been relative quiet on the Gaza border as Israel and Hamas observed an Egypt and UN-brokered ceasefire following the biggest round of fighting between the two sides since 2014 Operation Protective Edge.

Hamas is relatively deterred and has been in distress due to a series of decisions made by the Palestinian Authority, which has backed them into a corner. This led them to organize the border protests with the goals of easing the blockade, gaining international legitimacy and inciting violence in the West Bankall of which they failed to achieve, Eisenkot said.

The IDF chief also hit back at the criticism aimed at him by both former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, for allowing $90 million of Qatari aid earmarked for Hamas civil servants and welfare to enter the Strip, despite the unstable security situation on the border.

IDFs outgoing Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Yariv Katz)

"I am aware that we have not been able to provide a good sense of security over the past three years to the residents of the Gaza border communities due to the primitive fighting methods developed by the enemy, he said.

Eisenkot also added that although he doesn't agree with the notion that Israel has lost its deterrence, he admits that the situation in Gaza is complex.

States and organizations can not be deterred from conventional expansion  We are doing a great deal to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons into the Gaza Strip. he said.
Christmas in Israel offers a vast array of options for those celebrating: from overflowing markets to special concerts to processions in ancient cities. But for adventurous travelers in the Holy Land seeking an alternative to the crowded Christmas scenes in Bethlehem and Nazareth, there are perhaps no better places to explore than Fassuta and Mi'ilya, two tiny Christian villages located off the beaten path in the western Galilee, an area seldom visited by tourists.

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Miilya and Fassuta are the only two Greek Catholicor Melkitetowns in all of Israel. The Melkites trace their roots to the Christians of the 1st century in Antioch, a former Greek city located in what is presently Turkey and where Saint Peter introduced Christianity. The Melkite Church splintered from the Greek Orthodox Church in the mid-18th century and its adherents today, most of whom reside in the Levant, number some 1.6 million people.

The history of both villages dates back millennia, with archaeological excavations indicating the sites were inhabited at least as far back as the Late Bronze Age (approximately 1500 BCE). In its present incarnation, Miilya is built over the ruins of a 12th century crusader fortress, its hillside stone houses and narrow alleyways surrounding the remnants of the castle. During the same era, Fassuta was known by the name Fassove. Most members of these communities originated in Syria, Lebanon or Jordan.

Each year ahead of Christmas, villagers deck the streets with vivid displays of color, in a bid not only to celebrate the holiday but also in hopes of attracting tourists.

To this end, tens of thousands flock to the area for the Western Galilee Winter Festival, an annual event featuring concerts, food tastings and tree lightings.

In this region I always say we dont coexist, we simply exist," said Michal Shiloah Galnoor, CEO of the Western Galilee Now Boutique Tourist Association, which organizes the festival. "We live here: Druze, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and even Bahais. We live together beautifully and every time its a holiday for one of the religions we all celebrate."

Christmas 2018 in Miilya (Photo: Reuters)

One of the biggest attractions in Fassuta are the metal workshops by Walied Khoury, one of only a handful of traditional blacksmiths in Israel. The walls of Khoury's workplace are lined with dozens of metal tools he fashioned himself.

We are very happy to welcome people to our village," said Khoury, whose imaginative sculptures are found throughout the town. "Last year, more than 50,000 people came to the Christmas festival in the space of three days. This village is far away from all the problems in the region; its clean and we live here in peace.

In Fassuta, this year's festivities have assumed added significance given that an ancient church, after being closed for more than 100 years, has been restored and reopened to the public. Beyond the church gates, intricately sculpted by Walied, is an enchanting hall replete with stone vaulted ceilings and traditional medieval-style Christian paintings.

This is the first church of the village as far as we know," said Father Michael Assi, a priest at the nearby Mar Elias Church. "The villagers started using the church around 1750 up until 1907, when it was abandoned because it was too small. Another bigger one was then built to serve the community." Assi led efforts starting in 2016 to return the church to its former glory after witnessing how dilapidated it had become.

Christmas 2018 in Miilya (Photo: Reuters)

During the Ottoman Era, he recounted, Christians in the area suffered from persecution and conflicts often erupted between villagers, the Turks and neighboring Muslims. In response, many residents fled to Europe and North America.

Fassuta is a special place," Assi said. "Its far away from all the cities or heavily populated areas in Israel and it's also away from Lebanon or Syria so we live in peace here.

For one resident, the Christmas season is a time for building communal bridges with her Israeli neighbors. Rima Khoury, the owner of the Beit Rima Community Center, has transformed her grandparents house into a visitors' center and welcomes groups to Fassuta year-round. Her ornately decorated living room is bedecked with colorful cushions, a large Christmas tree and black-and-white family photos.

"We can all live in individual rooms and feel that were living in the world but if we do not meet each other on a personal basis, theres no chance for connection and communication and obviously there would never be a chance for peace," she said.

Living harmoniously alongside one another, especially given the ongoing persecution of Christian populations across the Middle East, was an oft-repeated message by the inhabitants of Fassuta and Miilya.

I am hopeful that Christmas will bring peace," said Father Nadim Shakur, a priest at Mi'ilya's Church of the Annunciation.

"Peace will come from the lord, but our leaders must also bring it. Enough with death and war. Instead of tanks, guns and knives lets use flowers, kind words and good relations to accept the other as he is.

Article written by Maya Margit
Egyptian media reported Sunday that 14 terrorists were killed in Sinais el Arish, when Egyptian forces attacked a terror cell.

In preparation for Christmas, the Egyptian army is on high alert for attacks against the Coptic Christian population in Sinai.
Palestinian National Security Forces in Ramallah said Sunday that its people have managed to foil a 3,000 (741 acres) dunam land sale to Jewish buyers, and warned Palestinians of selling lands to Jews or unknown suspicious sources.The land deal that was thwarted consisted of lands in the regions of East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Qalqilya and Salfit.

Palestinian National Security Forces charged 44 Palestinian in recent months with selling lands to Jews.
Jewish families living in a settlement inside an Arab area of East Jerusalem say they are contemplating leaving the area after 15 Molotov cocktails were thrown at their apartment building within a month and police do not seem to care.

The residents of Maale Hazeitim, in the neighborhood of Ras al-Amud, say that despite multiple complaints to police, the cases were closed due to "lack of public interest and absence of evidence."

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Overnight Sunday, another two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the balcony of the Givon family and landed less than a meter from the bedroom of the two children who were sleeping there. Already accustomed to the situation, the family used a hose to extinguish the flames.

"We woke up at around 1am after hearing sounds of an explosion  miraculously no one was hurt and we extinguished the fire. The whole house smelled of fuel, said Carmel Givon, the mother of the family. We had an amazing balcony, but after all the Molotov cocktails that have landed there, we had to throw everything away."

Molotov cocktail in Ma'ale Hazeitim

"The police called me last night after the incident, they already have my number due to multiple complaints I've filed, and said they wanted to come over, but I told them that I did not want the children to wake up," she said. "Last time it happened, the 5-year-old got woken up and had a million questions. I will not file anymore police complaints, its pointless.

"I have no intention of living in a place that is so dangerous, Carmel said, but moving in the middle of the school year with two children is not easy. At the same time, this reality is not easy for the children as well  they have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Balcony burned by Molotov cocktail (Photo: TPS)

The police denied the claims that law enforcement officers were slow to act on the issue.

Two weeks ago, an indictment was filed against a suspect who threw Molotov cocktails in the eastern part of the city  In recent years, the police carried out many activities, including undercover operations aimed at thwarting the hurling of stones and Molotov cocktails, which led to arrests and indictments, the police said in a statement.

"The Israel Police will continue to act decisively in order to protect the residents from any threat or nuisance that disrupts their daily lives," the statement said.
The Gaza factions said Sunday that the death of four Palestinian protesters, who were killed by IDF fire during a border riot on Friday, is crossing a red line.

The way Israel handles the protesters next Friday, will be a test for them, said the factions in a statement.
Sunday was the worst day on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in more than seven years, with sharp declines in all stocks. The downturn was influenced by a global trend, and especially following the falls on the US Stock Exchange.

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"There are a lot of reasons for concern," said Amir Kahanovich, the chief economist at The Phoenix Insurance Company & Excellence Nessuah Investment House.

Tel Aviv financial district

At the end of the day, the stock market closed with sharp declines across the board: The Tel Aviv 35 fell by 5.1%, the sharpest decline since August 7, 2011; all shares on the TA-125 Index were traded down in a negative direction, while the index itself fell 4.7%; and the Bank Shares Index also fell by 4.1%.

Among the stocks that fell sharply were the Perrigo global healthcare supplier, which dropped 29%; Israel's Teva Pharmecutical Industries, which was down 8%; the Delek Group, whose shares were down 5.7%; and various IT stocks such as Hilan and Matrix, which fell 5.8% -5.9%.

Perrigo, Kahanovich said, saw its shares suffer not only from the general decline in the stock market, but also from the news of a massive tax bill for its subsidiary in Ireland. Perrigo is one of the largest shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and its drop contributed to the overall decline in the indices.

So what exactly is happening? "We are in a sharp decline, continuing the trend that began in most of the world markets in October," said Kahanovich. "Many of the markets are already down by more than 20%, and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange is reacting accordingly."

Kahanovich was circumspect about branding the downturn a crash.

"Long-term investors should not be that alarmed, but as far as recent investors are concerned, this is indeed a crash. From a long-term perspective, the market is very high compared to recent years," he said.
Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.'s anti-drone system brought London's Gatwick airport back into action after being shut down for 36 hours, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.

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London Gatwick, the countrys second-busiest airport, was closed for more than 36 hours on Wednesday and Thursday after drones were spotted flying over its airstrip. More than 750 flights were canceled and 124,000 passengers were affected. The incident ended with no casualties or damage to property, but cost tens of millions of dollars to airlines and passengers.

Thousands of passengers were affected by cancellations (Photo: Reuters)

Cancelled flights (Photo: AP)

On July 30, the UK made it against the law to fly drones within 1 kilometer of an airport.

The British Army bought six of Rafaels anti-drone system, marketed under the brand name Drone Dome, for more than $25 million in August, a spokeswoman for Rafael confirmed to Calcalist at the time. The British Army uses the systems in Syria to stop ISIS UAVs.

Rafael, one of Israels largest defense contractors, describes the Drone Dome as a system designed to detect, track and potentially neutralize drones flying in no-fly areas. The system has a detection range of more than 16 kilometers, and in some versions, it comes with a high-powered laser which can destroy drones. The systems acquired by the British Army did not include the drone destruction laser.

A Rafael spokesperson declined to confirm nor deny a Drone Dome system was used at Gatwick Sunday. No other airport had acquired or used the system to date, he said.

Just last week, a drone hit the bow of a Boeing 737 loaded with passengers in Mexico while landing in Tijuana.
News

Washington, DC - A new report, authored in part by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, provides guidance on how to implement universal suicide risk screening of youth in medical settings. The report describes a way for hospitals to address the rising suicide rate in a way that is flexible and mindful of limited resources.

In 2016 alone, more than 6,000 youth in the United States under the age of 25 died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (link is external). Studies have found that a majority of youth who died by suicide visited a health care provider or medical setting in the month prior to killing themselves. The interactions of these youth with the health care system make medical settings an ideal place for positioning suicide intervention efforts.

Suicide is a major public health concern and early detection is a critical prevention strategy, said NIMH Director Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. Part of NIMHs suicide prevention research portfolio focuses primarily on testing and implementing effective strategies for identifying individuals at risk of suicide. Results from these research efforts are poised to make a real difference and help save lives.

In 2007, The Joint Commission (TJC) (link is external) released a National Patient Safety Goal requiring that all behavioral health patients who present to psychiatric and general hospitals be screened for suicide risk. However, upon examining their data, they discovered that over a quarter of hospital suicides occur on non-behavioral health units, and at-risk patients were passing through emergency departments, inpatient medical units, and outpatient clinics undetected. This realization led TJC, in 2016, to recommend that all patients presenting to medical settings be screened for suicide risk.

While good practice, universal screening can present a strain on the resources of hospitals and other health care facilities. The report, published in Psychosomatics, presents a new three-tiered clinical pathway system as a flexible and resource-conscious way to implement universal suicide risk screening within pediatric health care settings. The system was created by an international subcommittee of the Pathways in Clinical Care workgroup from within the Physically Ill Child committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The clinical pathway model consists of three main components, the first of which is an initial screen of all youth using the NIMH IRP-created Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool. The ASQ is the first screening tool developed specifically to detect suicide risk in pediatric medical patients, is available in 14 languages, and takes about 20 seconds to administer. The second tier of screening is the most critical step and calls for a brief suicide safety assessment (BSSA), which takes about 10-15 minutes to administer. This measure is used to classify a persons risk of suicide (low risk, high risk, or imminent risk) based on survey responses and clinical judgment, guiding the clinicians decision for next steps. The third tier of screening, if deemed necessary during the BSSA, involves a full comprehensive safety evaluation by a licensed mental health provider. The goal of this assessment is to address safety issues and establish an intervention plan.

Decisions about patient care are made at each of the three assessment stages and are dependent on clinical insight in combination with responses to the surveys.

Clinicians from across North America came together to address this youth crisis in a feasible, consistent and flexible way that can be adapted to each system where suicidal youth present, said Maryland Pao, M.D., clinical director of the NIMH Intramural Research Program and an author on the paper.

The clinical pathway model presented in this report is accompanied by a variety of resources to help health care settings implement the outlined model (e.g. the ASQ Toolkit). It is hoped that the clinical pathways model described in this report can be used in health care settings to implement universal screening for youth in an effective mannera manner that will help identify youth at risk for suicide and save lives.

According to Lisa Horowitz,Ph.D., M.P.H., a clinical scientist in the NIMH Intramural Research Program and an author on the paper, these pathways make it possible for health care systems to implement suicide risk screening for all patients, in a practical way. This is how researchers and clinicians can partner together to heed the call to action to lower the suicide rate and save young lives.
Latest News

Washington, DC - Its one thing to detect sites in the genome associated with mental disorders; its quite another to discover the biological mechanisms by which these changes in DNA work in the human brain to boost risk. In their first concerted effort to tackle the latter, 15 collaborating research teams of the National Institutes of Health-funded PsychENCODE Consortium leveraged statistical power gained from a large sample of about 2000 postmortem human brains.

The teams published their findings in seven research articles, spotlighted on the cover of a "psychiatric genomics" special issue of Science  along with two in Translational Medicine and one in Science Advances  on Dec. 14, 2018. In addition, the consortium is sharing their data with the research community via the online PsychENCODE Knowledge Portal.

Applying newly uncovered secrets of the brains molecular architecture, they developed an artificial intelligence model thats six times better than previous ones at predicting risk for mental disorders. They also pinpointed several hundred previously unknown risk genes for mental illnesses and linked many known risk variants to specific genes.

"For the first time, we now have a beginning of an understanding of the biology, the molecular pathophysiology, of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)," said Thomas Lehner, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the Office of Genomics Research Coordination (OGRC) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which launched the PsychENCODE initiative in 2015.

In brain tissue and in single cells, the researchers examined patterns of gene expression (transcriptome), marks of gene regulation (epigenome), as well as genetic variants linked to mental illnesses in genome-wide association studies.

"The consortiums integrative genomic analyses elucidate the mechanisms by which cellular diversity and patterns of gene expression change throughout development and reveal how neuropsychiatric risk genes are concentrated into distinct co-expression modules and cell types," explained Nenad Sestan, M.D., Ph.D., of Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, leader of one of the teams, in an accompanying editorial in Science.

The implicated variants are mostly small-effect genetic variations that fall within regions of the genome that dont code for proteins, but instead are thought to regulate gene expression and other aspects of gene function. PsychENCODE sought to uncover the specific roles played by these elusive actors at particular time points and places in the developing brain.

The researchers examined brain tissue and molecules from prenatal development as well as from people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ASD and typical development  and compared findings with parallel data from non-human primates. They also incorporated data from related NIH initiatives in humans, including ENCODE and GTEx, which enhanced the statistical power of the analysis.

Among the key findings:

Gene variants linked to mental illnesses exert more effects when they collectively form "modules"  groups of co-expressed, communicating genes with related functions  in specific cell types and brain areas, and at specific developmental time points that seem to coincide with the course of illness. For example, ASD-linked modules were seen early in prenatal development  possibly related to the early onset of symptoms  while schizophrenia-linked modules formed later, plausibly accounting for the onset of symptoms in late adolescence or early adulthood.

One suspect module (ME37) in particular showed rapid change in a late prenatal "transition" period. It harbored genes and transcription factors linked to multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD and schizophrenia, to traits such as neuroticism and IQ  and to key processes, such as the birth of new neurons and epigenetic regulation of gene expression and behaviors including learning and memory

Variability in risk gene expression and cell types peaked during formative stages in early prenatal development and again during the teen years  a pattern also seen in non-human primates.

Mental illness risk genes are among genes found to be unique to humans.

An artificial intelligence computational learning model that integrated postmortem brain-derived data increased researchers ability to retrospectively predict a persons risk for developing a mental illness to about 25 percent (better than chance), compared to only about 4 percent with previous models based on genetic data alone. This multi-omic model integrates postmortem data across the transcriptome, epigenome, and proteome  in addition to genome data.

A module with many genes coding for brain immune cells showed a pattern of dysregulated gene expression linked to mental illnesses  excess expression in ASD and weak expression in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This, and other signs, added to evidence linking the disorders to inflammation in the brain.

In postmortem brains of people with a mental illness, thousands of RNAs, which are molecules of gene expression, were found to have anomalies.

ASD risk gene variants and the regulators they disrupt were highly expressed in organoids, brain-like tissue from human cells growing in a dish, that mimic the cortex during early prenatal development, when modules linked to ASD are active.

"The multi-omic data resource generated by the PsychENCODE collaboration will pave a path for building molecular models of disease and developmental processes and may provide a platform for target identification for pharmaceutical research," added the NIMH OGRCs Geetha Senthil, Ph.D., who served as program officer for the first phase of the project.
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- The government will have GHc80 billion to spend in the year 2018

- GHc30 billion of the amount will be spent on salaries and compensations

- Another GHC20 billion will be used to pay interests on exising loans

Information available to YEN.com.gh shows that the government of Ghana will spend almost GHC80 billion in the year 2019.

This was confirmed after parliament approved the amount, and indicated that about GHC100 million should be used to subsidize electricity bills.

Members of Parliament sat for about 13 hours and managed to pass the Appropriation Bill shortly after midnight.

Speaker of parliament, Rt. Hon. Aaron Michael Ocquaye Source: Supplied

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Heartbreak as top Peace FM presenter dies

About GHC30 billion of the amount will be spent on the salaries of workers, as well as compensations.

Again, another GHC20 billion is expected to be used in the payment of interest on existing loans.

READ ALSO: Ghanaians 'reject' government's promise of a 10% salary increase

Ghana News Today: Sad Story of How Woman Lost Baby at Gov't Hospital In Kumasi | #Yencomgh

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Source: Yen
The History Files still needs your help The History Files is a non-profit site. It is only able to support such a vast ad-free collection of information with your help. This year the site still needs your help. Please click on this message to make a small donation via PayPal. That way we can continue to provide highly detailed historical research on a fully secure site. Your support is always highly appreciated.



Target for 2021: 0 300




Sophia, the worlds first robot citizen, along with other game-changers in different areas will present their case histories and give their vision of Latin Americas future this Saturday at the latest America Business Forum in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The global business forum, to be held for the fourth time in Uruguay and which will feature the participation of the humanoid robot created in Hong Kong by Hanson Robotics Ltd., will also be a super important place for creating investment opportunities in Latin America.

The producer of the America Business Forum, Ignacio Gonzalez, told EFE that the event, which the last time brought together 3,400 leaders from the public and private sectors and this year hopes to attract 5,000, is the regions most influential business forum.

The producer said the forums focus this year will be on the case histories of game changers in the fields of business, fashion and technology.

Gonzalez noted that among the speakers will be, besides Sophia, the Argentina-based Colombian entrepreneur Francisco De Narvaez, former Conde Nast CEO and former VOGUE Editor-in-Chief for Mexico and Latin America Eva Hughes, and World Trade Center CEO Scott Ferguson.

As for Sophia, a robot who can learn from the answers humans give to come up with her own answers and who has met with such figures as German Chancellor Angel Merkel and the actor Will Smith, the producer said that besides meeting with guests, she will be interviewed on certain specific subjects.

The robot is a good starting point for opening the debate on how much and in what way the working world is going to evolve, what will be the jobs of the future, and the areas to which human beings can bring value-added in such a changing world. She...will share her vision of all that, he said.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez noted that the forum, which will take place at the Punta del Este Convention Center and will feature parallel networking events, will also put on a show.

This will have a show format like the Grammys or the Oscars...to make this the most dynamic, the most entertaining forum ever, and focused 100 percent on case histories. Its more like a show than a business or political conference, Gonzalez said.

The America Business Forum has the support of the Uruguayan Tourism Ministry, the Uruguay XXI Investment and Export Agency, and the Maldonado Municipality.
In Afghanistan, Ignorance has Become a Crucial Part of the War on Terror



By Emran Feroz December 22, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Away from the media glare, the war on Afghan civilians at the hands of America and its local allies continues to take a toll on everyday life, with hundreds killed as a result.

Three weeks ago, Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, a powerful Taliban commander in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, was killed by an American drone strike. Several journalists and political observers, both Afghan and foreign, shared the news on their Twitter feeds and beyond. Mullah Manan's death was a big headline, and it also strengthened the 17-year narrative of the so called War on Terror, which is supposed to be a success.

On the very same day that Mullah Manan was killed, another event occurred in Paktia, a province in eastern Afghanistan. At least 12 civilians were killed in one night of airstrikes and night raids conducted by Afghan and American forces. In fact, the Afghan forces who have been involved  the CIA-backed Khost Protection Force (KPF)  is notorious for killing and torturing civilians.

The next day, family members of the victims buried their loved ones in public, and by holding this ceremony, they also expressed their protest.

Such an event is not rare in Afghanistan. While the world's  especially the Western public's focus  often lies on Kabul and other cities, the country's rural areas have become the main setting of brutal night raids, drone strikes and other military operations.

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Often, civilians are killed. In recent weeks, massacres like the one in Paktia took place in several other provinces such as Nangarhar or Helmand, where Mullah Manan was killed. But contrary to the death of the Taliban commander, civilian casualties often go unnoticed. Nobody cares about some alleged militants, as civilian victims are regularly described in news reports and their families in Afghanistan's uncovered hinterland. They are, for many, just collateral damage.

In fact, drone strikes like the one that killed Mullah Manan, rarely kill militant leaders. The very first drone operation in the history of mankind took place in October 2001 in Kandahar, and its target  Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar  survived. Years later, he died naturally, the many drones did not kill him but instead killed others, people without faces and names. Other American hunts were unsuccessful too.

Recently, it has been revealed that Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader, is dead. He death was caused by sickness and old age, not by a Hellfire rocket. During the last 17 years, Haqqani  who is also considered as the founder of the so-called Haqqani network  has been declared dead a couple of times.

Other people, such as Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, have been killed several times by drone strikes. According to Reprieve, a human rights organisation based in the United Kingdom, between 2002 and 2014, at least 1,147 people in Pakistan and Yemen have been killed by drone strikes for the sake of 41 actual targets.

In some cases, targets have been killed after several drone strikes. In others, like in the case of al-Zawahiri, they are still alive today. The question remains, who has been killed instead of them in all these attacks?

This is also one of the reasons why it is problematic that some journalists, analysts and politicians decided to highlight Mullah Manan's death, despite seemingly not caring about the many civilian casualties of drone strikes and similar operations in the past. It is just strengthening the flawed narrative of precise drones and killer squads that solely kill terrorists.

Another such strike took place last weekend in Logar province. According to different reports, at least 12 civilians were killed. They were driving home and were mistaken for Taliban fighters. Will this make it on to the news anywhere? Will, anyone, be brought to justice for this?, a victim's relative said on social media.

According to recent US military figures, more than 5,000 bombs have been dropped on Afghanistan in 2018. This is a record in the in the 17-year long war. Numbers from 2001 to 2003 are not available. Besides, it is also known that the military's numbers are flawed and problematic. Last year, research by the Military Times revealed that US military data from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan was factually wrong. "The American military has failed to publically disclose potentially thousands of lethal airstrikes conducted over several years, the media outlet reported.

In short, many more bombs have been dropped. They just did not want to tell us.

While Afghanistan and Afghans are being bombed more than ever, the Taliban  Afghanistan's largest insurgent group  is controlling more territory than it has since 2001. Additionally, Daesh, also known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), has made crucial gains too and is capable of conducting complex brutal attack in the middle of big cities like Kabul.

Unsurprisingly, many people are asking themselves the following: Who are these bombs killing?

The answer is simple: Definitely not militants, because the nameless and faceless people who are getting killed regularly are civilians, and the mass murder of these people has created a massive blowback. Thus, militancy and extremism have increased in the region.

Just as in many other places on Earth, the US War on Terror has failed in Afghanistan too. While at least some American policymakers and observers have understood this reality, their Afghan allies in Kabul and their supporters apparently have not. Over the last few years, war crimes committed by Afghan forces have increased significantly.

At this very moment, the Afghan National Army and brutal militias such as the CIA-backed KPF are using American weapons, and they use them much more brutally than the Americans themselves, as whistle-blower who used to be part of the US drone programme, told me after Afghan forces bombed a religious school in the northern province of Kunduz last April.

At least 36 civilians, mostly children, were killed back then while the Kabul government spread fake news, claiming that a Taliban meeting took place inside the school.

After the UN confirmed the civilian casualties, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani apologised in public. Since then, his government has done nothing to prevent more civilian casualties but continues to create more of them.

Emran Feroz is an independent journalist, author and the founder of Drone Memorial, a virtual memorial for civilian drone strike victims. His work has appeared with The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Atlantic, The Hindu, Alternet and several other media outlets. He is also a regular contributor to German-language newspapers and magazines.

This article was originally published by " TRT World " -

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December 22, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - As the old saying goes, even a broken clock gets the time right twice a day. It could apply to US President Donald Trump. For all his flaws - and they are abundant - the White House occupant can surely get at least one or two things correct.



But the way critics of The Donald tell it, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, redeemable about the 45th president. The Democrats and their supportive news media outlets never give him a break.



Watching the likes of CNN is insufferable. It is so predictable. Bash Trump, slam Trump, carp, carp, carp. There is relentless negativity, to the point where his critics lose any credibility because they are coming from a doctrinaire anti-Trumpism. There is no interaction with facts or objective conditions. It's relentless prejudice and limpet-like adherence to a preconceived agenda.



Take Trump's latest order to pull US troops out of Syria. The president's decision this week was lambasted by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Democrats and Republicans were in unison, decrying the withdrawal of US forces from the Arab country as a "strategic blunder". It was said to be a "gift" to adversaries, either the Syrian government of Bashar al Assad, or Russian President Vladimir Putin, or Iran, or to ISIS terrorists.



Admittedly, Trump's declaration of "victory" over ISIS [Daesh*] in Syria and his celebratory news via Twitter of "our boys coming home" was cheesy grandstanding for his electoral supporters. Only days before Christmas, Trump was posing as Santa Claus with a shiny big present for the nation.

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Nevertheless, the pullout of US forces from Syria has to be seen as a good and proper thing. For a start, the 2,000 American troops and squadrons of warplanes have been illegally present in that country for the past four years. They are an occupying army in violation of Syria's sovereignty since the US neither has a UN Security Council mandate for its operations nor of course authorization from the Syrian government.



Moreover, tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have been killed by US forces. The destruction of the city of Raqqa last year with thousands of women and children obliterated by US air strikes stands out as a monumental war crime.



Washington's claims of "fighting terrorists" in Syria does not justify the de facto invasion of the country. Besides, anyone who has honestly researched the conflict, instead of relying on Western news media, knows that the "war on terror" claim is a cynical cover for US forces to destabilize Syria and foment regime change against the Assad government. Assad's alliance with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, and his staunch anti-Israeli, anti-US imperialism is why Washington targeted his nation.



Tragically, before the war erupted in March 2011, Syrians had a proud and ancient history of peaceful coexistence between religious faiths.



Far from combating terrorism in Syria, the US has systematically weaponized and covertly directed the jihadists as proxies for its criminal regime-change objective. The supposed "popular uprising" in Syria against Assad was always a carefully contrived Western propaganda narrative to conceal the real agenda of regime change that Washington and its NATO allies and regional client regimes wanted.



In moments of clarity, Trump knows that. During his 2016 election campaign, he stated correctly that the Obama administration "created ISIS". And he said the war in Syria was pointless. That's not Trump being "conspiratorial" and "making stuff up". There is ample documented evidence that the American CIA and other NATO military intelligence orchestrated the jihadist proxies, along with billions of dollars from the Saudis and other Gulf Arab dictatorships.



Trump's self-congratulations this week for "winning the war against ISIS" are, to be sure, laughable. It was the Syrian army and its Russian, Iranian and Hezbollah allies that defeated ISIS and the US-sponsored covert war for regime change.



Nevertheless, Trump's decision to pull troops and warplanes out of Syria  regardless of his spurious claims  is the right decision. The anti-government militants have largely been defeated. Withdrawing US forces from Syria can only expedite the eradication by the Syrian army and its allies of remnant terrorist holdouts.



Critics of Trump say there are up to 30,000 terrorist fighters scattered over Syria. These domestic critics, as well as European allies, have castigated Trump for walking away from the mission to destroy terror groups in Syria, and therefore allegedly putting the security of Western states at risk from future attacks. That view is ignorant or deluded about the real heroes in Syria  the Syrian army and its Russian, Iranian and Hezbollah allies. Those forces are more than capable of continuing to finally eliminate the terrorists. The presence of the US and other NATO forces is only an impediment to that task.



The US-backed war for regime change in Syria has been defeated. It took eight years, but the Syrian people have won a historic war.



It is indeed time to get US military out of Syria as well as all NATO forces, which are illegally present in the country. American, British and French military and their political leaders should be indicted for war crimes due to their covert aggression and violation of Syria's sovereignty.



Strangely, politicians, pundits and Hollywood celebrities who claim to be "liberal" or "leftwing"  and who therefore might be expected to be anti-war  are queuing up to pillory Trump for his order to withdraw from Syria. Ironically, these critics are in effect endorsing war, illegal occupation and war crimes.



That curious contradiction tends to prove the superficiality and meaninglessness of Western "liberals". The seemingly only principle such people have is being "anti-Trump" no matter what the issue is.



Trump certainly deserves censure and opposition over his racist dog-whistling politics, his fascistic tendencies and his pro-rich oligarchic policies. But the mainstream US and European "liberals" never seem to oppose Trump on those issues. They are too concerned with irrelevant nonsense about "Russian collusion" and "Russian interference".



When the anti-Trump "liberals" can't see that ending American militarism overseas is the right thing to do, then you know their moral and political compass is defunct. Unlike Trump's broken clock which gets the time right twice a day, the anti-Trump brigade are too blind to see any viable direction at all.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.



*Daesh, also known as ISIS, ISIL, IS  a terrorist group banned in numerous countries, including Russia

This article was originally published by " Sputnik " -

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Brett McGurk, special envoy for coalition to defeat ISIS, resigns in protest of Syria decision

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December 23, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Hes a wily one, that Vladimir Putin. Consider all that hes managed to accomplish over the last 24 hours, according to the geopolitical wizards on Twitter. At Putins behest, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a withdrawal of American troops from Syria. Thats now cleared the path for Russia to exert control over Damascus, the Middle East, indeed the world itself, because Moscow has at last secured the jewel in its neo-Soviet empirea strip of chaotic desert in northeastern Syria.

If thats actually Putins thinking, then hes not playing checkers or chess so much as 13 Dead End Drive right before the chandelier falls on his head. Yet that was the gist of the analysis from Americas smart set yesterday. Think tank functionaries and journalists and right-wing radio hosts were all united in furious opposition to Trumps Russia-influenced absconding from Syria. Somehow theyve yet to muster similar unanimous outrage over our massive national debt or our loneliness-cum-opioid crisis, but Im sure thats just a matter of time. Until then, the Syria page of Washingtons mad-lib book yields all the usual buzzwords: adversaries, strength, surrender.

So far as Putin goes, he isnt trying to flip Syria behind some newly hung Iron Curtain. His aim is a return to the pre-civil war status quo: a friendly Assad regime, a safe Russian naval base in Tartus, and an end to jihadist-fueled instability across Syria. That latter one is especially important to understanding the Russian psyche. Putin fears nothing more than a weak state besieged by armed rogues, a result of his formative experiences in chaotic Dresden after the Berlin Wall came down and later amid uprisings in Chechnya. Hence the desire to protect Assad, who will keep the mob from the Tartus door. The real disruptive change, then, wont come if Putin wins; it will come if the United States were to somehow realize its original delusion of overthrowing Assad, which would (further) tear open a power vacuum that would be filled at least in part by jihadists.

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And what about if the United States withdraws? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to attack the Kurds, which he sees as a threat to his homeland. (Though even there, the crystal ball is murky. As Joshua Landis pointed out on Twitter yesterday, the Kurds helped fight off Arab rebel militias, and Assad may decide he needs them as allies in post-war Syria.) Some combination of Assadists and Russians will then move in against the straggling rebel and ISIS remnants, the latter of which are still committing horrific atrocities but largely defeated and shut out of major population centers. Syria after that will be changed, tense, bloodstained, aggrieved. But it will be more stable, at least, than it was during the war, perhaps enabling the trickle of refugees returning home to become a gush. And even if that scenario proves too rosy, even if Turkey and Syria somehow end up skirmishing, what is America supposed to do? What justifies the expenditure of another dollar or soldier in a conflict as intractable as that? What net good do we accomplish by planting ourselves in front of a powerful NATO nation on the other side of the globe?

Weve heard a lot this week about the capital were sacrificing by pulling out of Syria: in power, in allies, in something called credibility that hawks seem to think functions like Monopoly money. But what about those two resources I just mentioned: dollars and lives? Why do those get so little attention? The United States since 2001 has spent nearly $6 trillion on wars in the Middle East, according to Brown Universitys Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs. In Syria, that money has often gone towards gilded banana peels that we then promptly trip over, including two plans to arm rebels that ended up feeding weapons to jihadists and a $500 million program to train fighters that produced about five graduates before being shut down. Meanwhile, Americas infrastructure crumbles. Why shifting money into domestic needs at times such as this is considered populist rather than just commonsense, I will never understand.

Then theres the toll in blood. American soldiers have been killed in Syria, have been put in harms way, all for a mission that is both unclear and undeclared. So stark is the contrast between the vague purpose of our wars and their real human losses that its become a paramount political issue. Dont forget what J.D. Vance said to our own Rod Dreher back in 2016 about why working-class voters were swooning for Trump: Unsurprisingly, southern, rural whites enlist in the military at a disproportionate rate. Can you imagine the humiliation these people feel at the successive failures of Bush/Obama foreign policy? We cant be sure how great a role our failed wars played in Trumps election but they were certainly a factor. Ill never call it war weariness, which has always seemed to me to contain a grain of condescension: just take a nap, dear, and youll be ready to nation-build again. But certainly we are fed up with a foreign policy elite that never accomplishes its missions yet whose appetite for military action seems only to grow.

Thats why the silliest thing anyone has written about Syria this week came on Wednesday in a Commentary column by Noah Rothman. Condemning Trumps troop pullout, Rothman pronounced, Political commentators and anti-interventionist ideologues will note that withdrawing Americas modest footprint from Syria is popular with the public. But what would you expect? Precisely no one in the political class is making a case for sustained and substantial American intervention in this conflict zone. Ummm. Maybe Im just high on the sweet, sweet appeasement, but I dont think thats the problem. Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush argued for intervention in Syria during the Republican presidential primaries; they were crushed. Hillary Clinton went hawkish on Assad; she lost. Their vanquisher, Donald Trump, promised instead to smash ISIS and then get out. You dont have to like Trump (I dont) to understand the frantic signal flare that his voters were trying to send up.

Yet on and on the elite freak-out goes, deaf to any message that contradicts its line. Why didnt Trump listen to the generals?! they wail. Because we have a civilian executive, for one, not a military junta. But lets re-ask that same question, only slightly expanded: Why doesnt Trump listen to the military men and women who have fought the wars of the past 17 years? Were he to, he would find disdain for overseas nation building55 percent of active duty troops oppose more of it, according to a Military Times poll from 2016. He would hear stories of disillusionment and confusion. He would read laments like that of Dan Grazier, who served in both Fallujah and Afghanistan: Looking back after more than a decade, it is hard to convince even myself that my platoon helped achieve any lasting contribution in a strategic sense.

Shouldnt our poor track record in Afghanistan and Iraq inform our thinking in Syria and lead us to limit the mission? Absolutely not, according to the war pamphleteers, who insist we must blunt a Russia/Iran/Assad axis, which isnt much of an axis to begin with and which amounts to taking sides in a Muslim sectarian struggle that isnt any of our business. Also we need to maintain that credibility with our alliesfunny how that was never an issue when Trump was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. And looming above it all, like Andross, is Vladimir Putin. Such a menace is his Italy-sized economy and osteoporotic aircraft carrier that we cant ever withdraw from Syria, as we did from Vietnam and Iraq the first time around. We must stay put, as Winston Churchill would have intended, forever and ever, amen. I am glad Trump rejected this nonsense and hope he will continue to.

Matt Purple is the managing editor of The American Conservative.

This article was originally published by " The American Conservative " -

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Syria: Macron criticises Trump's withdrawal decision

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John Pilger Special  A Look Back at 2018, and Ahead to 2019

Watch

Journalist and filmmaker John Pilger discusses the events of 2018, including the worlds worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen, events in Syria, Brexit, the Integrity Initiative, and more!

Posted December 23, 2018

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December 23, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - There is an exquisite and oft-quoted moment in an interview between BBC journalist Andrew Marr and Noam Chomsky in which Marr asks: "How can you know that I'm self-censoring?".

"I'm not saying you're self censoring. I'm sure you believe everything you're saying. But what I'm saying is that if you believed something different, you wouldn't be sitting where you're sitting."

Wry as ever, Chomsky exposed the slightly delusional pretensions of the journalistic establishment - and not far behind, the complicities of the media industry with political power.

Harsh? Perhaps. True? All too often.

For many of us who work at The Listening Post, Chomsky's ideas on the media in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media have provided us with a guide, full of cautionary tales and ideas that are still controversial to this day.

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The book was published in 1988 - a year before the end of the Cold War when it was announced that western liberal democracy had triumphed, heralding the end of ideology, authoritarianism, and propaganda.

In the past 30 years, we have seen the mass communications industry multiply, providing an illusion of choice, echoing the rhetorics of freedom - of press, of expression - but not necessarily yielding the pluralism liberal democracies had promised.

In that way, the book continues to resonate.

But like all revered texts, Manufacturing Consent also calls upon us as active readers, journalists, citizens to interrogate its premises. Does the book's denunciatory tone risk overstate the power of the media establishment? Does it underestimate the critical faculties of the public? Is the media so homogenous an entity that power can be wielded top-down? Where are the lapses, the blind spots? Where do journalists find pockets of power that serve to disrupt?

We spoke to three journalists who have their careers being disruptive and asked them about the ideas that had influenced them in Chomsky and Herman's book: Matt Taibbi, whose reporting for Rolling Stone has provided one of the most critical accounts of US political history in recent years; Indian editor-in-chief Aman Sethi who questions the premises of Chomsky's book and Amira Hass, the Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories.

The first thing we asked Hass was what she thought about Chomsky's statement: "the general population doesn't know what's happening, and it doesn't even know that it doesn't know".

"This is a very humanist and optimistic statement," she responded. "The belief that when people are informed they may act, things may change. In Hebrew, the words knowledge and awareness are all made of the same root. Yedda and Mudaoot. And so awareness is connected to Mudaoot in Hebrew. And this is how I started working in Gaza, aware that the Israeli public knows nothing about the occupation and what it means. But the people do not pick up this information. They have access to it but they choose not to access it."

Hass has been covering Palestine for the best part of 30 years - in that time, sources of information have multiplied, but public outrage?

"Today we have so much access to information in other ways that we are on a collision with the fact that people are not interested in what does not serve immediately their interest," she said, with resignation, "and this is a very sad realisation."

Aman Sethi put it like this:

"It's easy to say that people believe what they believe because their consent has been manufactured. But what if people know exactly what's going on and still believe what they believe, right? Then that's terrifying."

This article was originally published by " Al Jazeera " -

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Oliver Stone: American 'War State' Has 'the Worst Media In The World'

Noam Chomsky- Manufacturing consent

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Jesus is too much for us. The churchs later treatment of the gospels is one long effort to rescue Jesus from extremism.author Gary Wills, What Jesus Meant

December 23, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The Christmas narrative of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one.

The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable, where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus.

Unfortunately, Jesus was born into a police state not unlike the growing menace of the American police state. When he grew up, he had powerful, profound things to saythings that would change how we view people, alter government policies and change the world. Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the peacemakers, and Love your enemies are just a few examples of his most profound and revolutionary teachings.

When confronted by those in authority, Jesus did not shy away from speaking truth to power. Indeed, his teachings undermined the political and religious establishment of his day. It cost him his life. He was eventually crucified as a warning to others not to challenge the powers-that-be.

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Yet what if Jesus, the revered preacher, teacher, radical and prophet, had been born 2,000 years later? What if, instead of being born into the Roman police state, he had been born and raised in the American police state?

Consider the following if you will.

Had Jesus been born in the era of the America police state, rather than traveling to Bethlehem for a census, Jesus parents would have been mailed a 28-page American Community Survey, a mandatory government questionnaire documenting their habits, household inhabitants, work schedule, how many toilets were in their home, etc. The penalty for not responding to this invasive survey can go as high as $5,000.

Instead of being born in a manger, Jesus might have been born at home. Rather than wise men and shepherds bringing gifts, however, the babys parents might have been forced to ward off visits from state social workers intent on prosecuting them for the home birth. One couple in Washington had all three of their children removed after social services objected to the two youngest being birthed in an unassisted home delivery.

Had Jesus been born in a hospital, his blood and DNA would have been taken without his parents knowledge or consent and entered into a government biobank. While most states require newborn screening, a growing number are holding onto that genetic material long-term for research, analysis and purposes yet to be disclosed.

Then again, had Jesus parents been undocumented immigrants, they and the newborn baby might have been shuffled to a profit-driven, private prison for illegals where they would have been turned into cheap, forced laborers for corporations such as Starbucks, Microsoft, Walmart, and Victorias Secret. Theres quite a lot of money to be made from imprisoning immigrants, especially when taxpayers are footing the bill.

From the time he was old enough to attend school, Jesus would have been drilled in lessons of compliance and obedience to government authorities, while learning little about his own rights. Had he been daring enough to speak out against injustice while still in school, he might have found himself tasered or beaten by a school resource officer, or at the very least suspended under a school zero tolerance policy that punishes minor infractions as harshly as more serious offenses.

Had Jesus disappeared for a few hours let alone days as a 12-year-old, his parents would have been handcuffed, arrested and jailed for parental negligence. Parents across the country have been arrested for far less offenses such as allowing their children to walk to the park unaccompanied and play in their front yard alone.

Rather than disappearing from the history books from his early teenaged years to adulthood, Jesus movements and personal dataincluding his biometricswould have been documented, tracked, monitored and filed by governmental agencies and corporations such as Google and Microsoft. Incredibly, 95 percent of school districts share their student records with outside companies that are contracted to manage data, which they then use to market products to us.

From the moment Jesus made contact with an extremist such as John the Baptist, he would have been flagged for surveillance because of his association with a prominent activist, peaceful or otherwise. Since 9/11, the FBI has actively carried out surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations on a broad range of activist groups, from animal rights groups to poverty relief, anti-war groups and other such extremist organizations.

Jesus anti-government views would certainly have resulted in him being labeled a domestic extremist. Law enforcement agencies are being trained to recognize signs of anti-government extremism during interactions with potential extremists who share a belief in the approaching collapse of government and the economy.

While traveling from community to community, Jesus might have been reported to government officials as suspicious under the Department of Homeland Securitys See Something, Say Something programs. Many states, including New York, are providing individuals with phone apps that allow them to take photos of suspicious activity and report them to their state Intelligence Center, where they are reviewed and forwarded to law-enforcement agencies.

Rather than being permitted to live as an itinerant preacher, Jesus might have found himself threatened with arrest for daring to live off the grid or sleeping outside. In fact, the number of cities that have resorted to criminalizing homelessness by enacting bans on camping, sleeping in vehicles, loitering and begging in public has doubled.

Viewed by the government as a dissident and a potential threat to its power, Jesus might have had government spies planted among his followers to monitor his activities, report on his movements, and entrap him into breaking the law. Such Judases todaycalled informantsoften receive hefty paychecks from the government for their treachery.

Had Jesus used the internet to spread his radical message of peace and love, he might have found his blog posts infiltrated by government spies attempting to undermine his integrity, discredit him or plant incriminating information online about him. At the very least, he would have had his website hacked and his email monitored.

Had Jesus attempted to feed large crowds of people, he would have been threatened with arrest for violating various ordinances prohibiting the distribution of food without a permit. Florida officials arrested a 90-year-old man for feeding the homeless on a public beach.

Had Jesus spoken publicly about his 40 days in the desert and his conversations with the devil, he might have been labeled mentally ill and detained in a psych ward against his will for a mandatory involuntary psychiatric hold with no access to family or friends. One Virginia man was arrested, strip searched, handcuffed to a table, diagnosed as having mental health issues, and locked up for five days in a mental health facility against his will apparently because of his slurred speech and unsteady gait.

Without a doubt, had Jesus attempted to overturn tables in a Jewish temple and rage against the materialism of religious institutions, he would have been charged with a hate crime. Currently, 45 states and the federal government have hate crime laws on the books.

Had anyone reported Jesus to the police as being potentially dangerous, he might have found himself confrontedand killedby police officers for whom any perceived act of non-compliance (a twitch, a question, a frown) can result in them shooting first and asking questions later. Daniel Shaver, 26 years old, was crawling on the floor, sobbing and begging for his life, and had just reached down to pull up his shorts when a police officer opened fire on him with an AR-15 rifle. If you move, were going to consider that a threat and we are going to deal with it and you may not survive it, the cop shouted at Shaver before his partner started shooting.

Rather than having armed guards capture Jesus in a public place, government officials would have ordered that a SWAT team carry out a raid on Jesus and his followers, complete with flash-bang grenades and military equipment. There are upwards of 80,000 such SWAT team raids carried out every year, many on unsuspecting Americans who have no defense against such government invaders, even when such raids are done in error.

Instead of being detained by Roman guards, Jesus might have been made to disappear into a secret government detention center where he would have been interrogated, tortured and subjected to all manner of abuses. Chicago police disappeared more than 7,000 people into a secret, off-the-books interrogation warehouse at Homan Square.

Charged with treason and labeled a domestic terrorist, Jesus might have been sentenced to a life-term in a private prison where he would have been forced to provide slave labor for corporations or put to death by way of the electric chair or a lethal mixture of drugs.

Either way, whether Jesus had been born in our modern age or his own, he still would have died at the hands of a police state.

Indeed, as I show in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, what Jesus and other activists suffered in their day is happening to those who choose to speak truth to power today.

For those who celebrate Christmas as a season of miracles, it is indeed a time for joy and thanksgiving. Yet it should also be a time of reckoning, re-awakening and re-commitment to making this world a better place for all humanity.

Remember, what happened on that starry night in Bethlehem is only part of the story. That baby in the manger grew up to be a man who did not turn away from evil but instead spoke out against it, and we must do no less.

Thus, we are faced with a choice: remain silent in the face of evil or speak out against it. As Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus proclaimed:

What the world expects of Christians is that Christians should speak out, loud and clear, and that they should voice their condemnation in such a way that never a doubt, never the slightest doubt, could rise in the heart of the simplest man. That they should get away from abstraction and confront the blood-stained face history has taken on today. The grouping we need is a grouping of men resolved to speak out clearly and to pay up personally.

Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book

Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here

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It is no secret that Apple is struggling in India. Badly. iPhones sales in the country are at an all-time low and its Indian operations are somewhat in shambles as well. One reason behind the poor sales of recent iPhones in India can be attributed to their high price tag.

The $999 iPhone XS costs almost $1450 in India thanks to heavy import duties and taxes that Apple has to pay for not taking advantage of the Indian Governments Make in India initiative.

The Indian government has been encouraging smartphone OEMs to assemble their devices locally in India and save on import duties and taxes. Apple supplier Pegatron did setup one factory outside of Bengaluru where it assembles iPhone 6s but due to the lack of a proper supply-chain channel, Apple does not assemble any other iPhone in India.

Now, a report claims that Indias Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will be meeting some high-profile Apple executive in Davos next month and discuss a plan on setting up an iPhone manufacturing plant in India.

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 Apples top leadership in Davos in early January, the minister told PTI in an interview.

He notes that the situation has changed dramatically for Apple and the Indian government over the last 2-3 years. Back then, the Indian government kept insisting Apple to set up an iPhone plant in India, though the discussions failed since Apple asked for some heavy concessions which included duty exemption on all capital goods imported for a period of 15 years and more. The minister is still open to offering Apple tax concessions for setting up a factory in the country.

It remains to be seen if talks between Apple and the Indian government materialize this time around or not. It will not be easy for Apple to set up an iPhone assembly plant for its newer iPhone models due to the lack of a proper supply-chain channel. However, it can look into assembling older iPhones like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 along with some of its products in the country.

[Via Economic Times
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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
A researcher shows the flower fossils at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 18, 2018. Scientists have found new evidence of the world's earliest fossil flower from specimens unearthed in the eastern China city of Nanjing, dating the origin of flowering plants to 174 million years ago, or the Early Jurassic. An international research team led by scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology has made an observation of the specimens, which contain 198 individual flowers preserved on 34 slabs. They named the flower, which has four to five petals and looks like modern plum blossom, Nanjinganthus. The research pushed the origin of flowering plants 50 million years earlier than the record of previously available fossils, which suggested flowering plants appeared about 125 million years ago in the Cretaceous, an era during which many insects such as bees appeared. The Early Jurassic is known as the period that saw dinosaurs dominating the planet. The discovery reshapes the current understanding of the evolution of flowers. (Xinhua/Sun Can)

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
A 1950 replica of Marcel Duchamp's 1917 work "Fountain" is currently on view at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. This is the first example of readymade and considered as the artwork which changed the course of art history by challenging the concept of what is art. Courtesy of MMCA



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) is an artist who changed the course of art history by challenging the concept of what is art.



About 100 years ago in 1917, he submitted a urinal  purchased from a hardware store and signed with his pseudonym "R. Mutt"  under the title of "Fountain" to an exhibition organized by the Society of Independent Artists in New York, which claimed it would accept any work of art as long as an application fee is paid. However, "Fountain" was considered not art and rejected from the exhibit, igniting a debate over the most intellectually challenging art piece of the 20th century.



Despite its impact on modern art, the original 1917 "Fountain" is documented in just a few photographs. "The original urinal was simply discarded or disappeared around 1919. It is a problem, or destiny, of early Duchamp works as he did not attach value, rarity or importance to any of them," Matthew Affron, the Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Modern Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), which houses the largest collection of Duchamp's art with a dedicated Duchamp Room, said during a press preview of "The Essential Duchamp" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Thursday.



The "Fountain" on display at the Seoul museum is a full-size replica created  or purchased from a flea market  in 1950 for an exhibition and signed "R. Mutt" again by Duchamp. It is one of the earliest replicas of "Fountain" in existence.



"Duchamp's public presence was increasing in the 1950s and 60s and there was a demand for his earlier works for exhibitions. He created further twists on the idea of art about the original, the first and the valuable ones (by producing replicas). He even said he was happy to sign many replicas because the more he signed, the more objects were devalued," Affron said.





A visitor looks at Marcel Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" on view at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. Courtesy of MMCA



Largest Duchamp exhibit in Asia



"The Essential Duchamp," held in cooperation with the PMA on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Duchamp's death, features around 150 paintings, photographs, objects and drawings by the revolutionary artist and the largest retrospective on him in Asia.



The French-American artist displaced ordinary ideas about value of original art, which was a fundamental idea in the art world, by introducing the concept of readymade, referring to manufactured objects presented in a different context.



"Marcel Duchamp continues to fascinate artists and scholars in our own time. We cannot understand much of contemporary art without understanding Duchamp himself and his art," said Timothy Rub, director of the PMA.



Though Duchamp challenged traditional concepts of art by bringing in the idea of readymade, in which he chose and signed mass-produced objects to shake up the conventional norms of artistic creation, he was a talented painter who experimented with Post-Impressionist and Cubist styles.



In this chronologically organized exhibit, Duchamp's early paintings show the artist's interest in mechanistic motion.



Before "Fountain," Duchamp had another controversial work rejected from an exhibition  "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" (1912). He wrote the title of this Cubist piece on the painting when he submitted it to the Cubist Salon des Independants, but the organizers requested to remove the title from the painting. Instead, Duchamp withdrew the painting from the exhibition.





"The Essential Duchamp," co-hosted by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, highlights Marcel Duchamp's female persona Rrose Selavy. Courtesy of MMCA



The exhibit also sheds light on Duchamp's less-known female persona Rrose Selavy. Duchamp crossed the boundaries of gender and sexuality by cross-dressing as Selavy and being photographed by Man Ray.



"Duchamp often said he almost disappeared behind his notorious works  Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 and Fountain  from the impact of public opinion. He instinctively shied away from the public and the award system of the art world that would corrupt him at least in his early days. He used pseudonyms or alternative personas to detach himself from the ordinary circus of the art world until he became an international figure in the 1950s," Affron said.



The MMCA proudly presents one of its most expensive and most treasured possessions at this exhibit  a 1941 edition of "Box in a Valise (From or by Marcel Duchamp or Rrose Selavy)"  along with its red-colored sibling from the PMA.





A 1941 edition of Marcel Duchamp's "Box in a Valise (From or by Marcel Duchamp or Rrose Selavy)" from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's collection is on view at "The Essential Duchamp" exhibit. Yonhap




By Jhoo Dong-chan







The nation's major semiconductor shares failed to ride high despite a series of record earnings this year. Citing weakening memory chip prices, market observers claim next year will be even tougher for such shares.







Of Korea's 14 securities firms that released an outlook over the past month, 11 brokerages revised their target stock prices of the nation's largest chipmaker Samsung Electronics downward. Their average target prices were down 6,000 won ($5.34) to 54,000 won per share.







They also downgraded target stock prices of SK hynix, another chipmaker giant, to 84,300 won per share from their previous outlook of 97,900 won on average.







Of them, Hana Financial Investment even revised its investment opinion on the chipmaker downward to "neutral" from "buy."







Not only the big two chipmakers but also relatively smaller firms, such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek, were also under skeptical outlook for next year.







Two brokerages, which released an outlook of Samsung Electro-Mechanics in November, all revised their target stock prices downward to around 180,000 won per share. Target stock prices of LG Innotek were also down nearly 30,000 won to 146,700 won per share on average.







Such gloomy outlooks are attributed to declining consumer and business demands for phones and computers in 2019.







According to global industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), Dec. 18, total fab equipment spending in 2019 is projected to drop 8 percent, a sharp reversal from the previously forecast increase of 7 percent. Fab is an abbreviation for semiconductor fabrication plant.







"Entering 2018, the semiconductor industry was expected to show a rare fourth consecutive year of equipment investment growth in 2019. After tracking more than 400 fabs and lines with major investment projects, however, the SEMI World Fab Forecast Report forecast a slowdown in the second half of 2018 and into the first half of 2019," the SEMI said in the report.







"DRAM spending may see an even deeper correction in 2019 while NAND flash-related investment could also suffer a double-digit decline next year. DRAM is hit the hardest with a fall of 23%, while 3D NAND will contract 13 percent in 2019."







Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol echoed this pessimistic view, warning of a possible downturn of the chip industry in the coming year.







At a press meeting Tuesday, he said that the economy is unlikely to be sustained by exports of semiconductors in 2019 as the industry is facing a down-cycle.







"It is worrisome when we look five years ahead," Lee said.







The share price of Samsung Electronics closed at 38,650 won, while SK hynix's share price ended at 60,000 won.


Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung, second from right, Shinhan Bank CEO Wi Sung-ho, second from left, and Shinhan Card CEO Lim Young-jin, left, check out a startup's financial technology at the group's event in Seoul, Sept. 28. Courtesy of Shinhan Financial Group



Cho, Wi to compete for group chairman in late 2019



By Park Hyong-ki



Shinhan Financial Group has made its key subsidiaries "younger and faster" by replacing chief executives of seven Shinhan companies with those in their 50s for the digital age, according to the holding company.



On Dec. 21, group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung held a board meeting and decided to nominate the new chief executives, including Jin Ok-dong for Shinhan Bank and Kim Byung-cheol for Shinhan Investment.



This means Shinhan Bank CEO Wi Sung-ho and Shinhan Investment CEO Kim Hyung-jin are out.



The nominees will take office if their nominations get approval at a shareholders' meeting slated for March.



The announcement has been unexpected as it was supposed to come out early 2019 given their terms expire in March.



All sorts of theories and speculations are surfacing since Cho sacked Wi, with some suggesting Wi wasn't part of Cho's inner circle, but part of former group chief Han Dong-woo's.



Wi was once considered a potential candidate who could compete with Cho for the group chairmanship two years ago, which could have made Cho uncomfortable in their relations.



Also, Wi was implicated in a political scandal in which Shinhan Bank allegedly gave 300 million won to former President Lee Myung-bak's brother Sang-deuk to congratulate the former president on his election victory.



This may have pushed Cho to replace Wi, as the chairman has also been implicated in a scandal involving the group's hiring irregularities. The double scandal would put Shinhan in a difficult position.



Wi's replacement with Jin, who is close to Cho, is said to be backed by Shinhan Bank falling behind KB Kookmin Bank and KEB Hana Bank in terms of profit.



Kim Hyung-jin was replaced because of his age. He was 60 years old, and the latest reshuffle was aimed at making Shinhan younger for the new generation.



Cho told the press after the board meeting, "The replacements were for the future generation," noting that it chose "change over maintaining stability."



This was also in line with the group's vision to become a full-fledged "digitally smart" company by 2020.



To achieve this, Cho added the group will further seek to acquire human resources outside Shinhan for new growth.



This is why the board nominated Kim Byung-cheol for Shinhan Investment CEO and Cheong Mun-kuk for Shinhan Life Insurance CEO.



Kim used to work at Tongyang Securities' investment banking unit (now Yuanta Securities) before joining Shinhan Financial Group in 2012.



Cheong was the chief executive of Orange Life, formerly ING Life. Shinhan Life and Orange are expected to be merged after the group completes its acquisition of Orange.



Chairman Cho has another year left in his contract.



He added Wi and Kim Hyung-jin will be in the group's "human resources pool" with whom Cho will compete for the group chairmanship in late 2019.



Four chief executives, including Shinhan Card CEO Lim Young-jin and Shinhan Alternative Investment Management CEO Kim Hee-song, were able to extend their contracts for another two years.



The replacements have brought down the average age of the group's chief executives to 57, previously from 60, the holding company said.




n

A combine-harvester collects wheat in Jiangbulake scenic spot in Qitai County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 27, 2018. China has seen an outstanding shift in way of farming with the mechanization rate in the agriculture sector exceeding 66 percent in 2017, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Wednesday. China currently has more than 2,500 agricultural machinery enterprises, and the country's agricultural production is now mainly completed with farming machines, replacing previous manual labor, Zhang Taolin, vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told a press conference. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
North Korean men bow at the giant bronze statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il during the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the ceasefire armistice that ended the fighting in the Korean War, which the country celebrates as the day of "victory in the fatherland liberation war" at Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27. AP



North Korea's media on Sunday denounced South Korea for participating in the passage of a U.N. resolution condemning the communist state's human rights abuses, despite ongoing trust-building efforts.

The U.N. passed the resolution at a Dec. 17 meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the 14th consecutive year such a document has passed the global body. It criticized the "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" by the North.

"The South Korean authorities expressed support for the U.S.' anti-Pyongyang ploy to condemn the human rights situation," Uriminzokkiri, the North's external propaganda website, said, calling Seoul's participation a "doubled-faced attitude."

"In front (of us), (South Korea) talks of trust and harmony, while it follows the foreign forces' ploy behind our back," it added.

Maeari, another propaganda outlet, also excoriated the countries that joined the resolution, warning that the "followers of the U.S. will pay dearly for their provocative, malign acts."

Observers noted that the North's such rhetoric came from the external media rather than its official bodies, such as the foreign ministry or Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party -- an indication that it intends to modulate the level of criticism to keep inter-Korean cooperation alive.

After the annual passage of the resolution, Seoul's foreign ministry said that it supported the resolution from the basic position of making joint efforts with the international community for "substantive improvement" in the human rights of North Korean people.

The adoption of the resolution came amid Seoul's efforts to reduce military tensions and build mutual confidence with Pyongyang through a series of measures, such as conventional arms control.

Seoul believes that such efforts can catalyze ongoing diplomacy to denuclearize the North and establish a lasting peace regime on the divided peninsula. (Yonhap)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits Kumsusan Palace of the Sun with his aides to pay tribute on the seventh anniversary of his father Kim Jong-il's death, Dec. 17. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



The two Koreas and the United States are apparently slowing down talks over denuclearization, as seen from the postponement of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim's trip to South Korea.

However, the three countries are maintaining momentum for dialogue and to ensure the security situation on the Korean Peninsula will not become as tense as in 2017.

It had been expected that Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington might be able jointly to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War by the end of this year, after Kim met two other leaders earlier this year and fueled optimism for rapprochement.

With little progress in Pyongyang-Washington talks over denuclearization, Trump said this month that he expected to have a second summit with Kim in January or February.

He said the U.S. was "in no hurry" to negotiate with North Korea, signaling a further delay in his summit with Kim.

The possibility of Kim visiting Seoul in December in line with his promise is now virtually zero because it would take at least 10 days to prepare for the trip, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials.

Pyongyang wants sanctions relief in return for what it sees as the substantive denuclearization steps it has taken since the summit. Washington is asking for more tangible measures before making such major concessions.

Against this backdrop, North Korea said it would not relinquish its nuclear weapons until the U.S. eliminated its own "nuclear threat."

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) last week, the Kim regime said, the "proper definition of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is completely eliminating the American nuclear threat to North Korea before eliminating our nuclear capability."

However, the regime refrained from provoking the U.S. any further.

The North also kept low key on the seventh anniversary of the death of Kim's father Kim Jong-il on Dec. 17.

Kim paid his respects at Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and underscored efforts to "fulfill the (same) obligation and duties as his revolutionary soldiers" and work hard to "implement his plan and desire to the last without an inch of deflection and any concession," according to the KNCA.

"He paid highest tribute to Kim Jong-il, who devoted his all to the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people until the last moments of his revolutionary career," the KCNA said.

It said Kim was accompanied by senior party officials, though it did not specify who joined his visit to the mausoleum where the bodies of the leader's father and the country's founder, Kim Il-sung, are enshrined.

A photo on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling party, showed senior party officials, such as Pak Tae-song, O Su-yong, Kim Pyong-hae, Choe Ryong-hae and Ri Su-yong, marching with leader Kim.



U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Phil Davidson, center, and Rear Adm. Jon Kreitz, deputy director of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, attend a ceremony marking the arrival in Hawaii of remains believed to be those of American service members who died in the Korean War. / AP-Yonhap



The U.S. apparently has been displeased with the South bolstering efforts on inter-Korean cooperation and being asked to keep pace with denuclearization in inter-Korean ties.

But Stephen Biegun, Washington's top nuclear envoy, said on Dec. 21 that cooperation between Seoul and Washington on North Korea could help end the longstanding hostility on the Korean Peninsula. He also said it could usher in a "brighter" chapter" for all people here.

"The work we do together is not just for U.S.-South Korean relations. It's for the future of the Korean Peninsula," Biegun said in Seoul.

"And if we are successful, we will close the chapter of 70 years of war and hostility on the Korean Peninsula and create a new, brighter future for all of the Korean people."

Biegun traveled to Korea hold a second "working group" meeting with top South Korean officials handling North Korean issues.

Among them was Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon. During their meeting, Biegun expressed "excitement" about an inter-Korean railway project aimed at connecting railroads across the Demilitarized Zone.

The United Nations granted a sanctions waiver to the project, after Washington supported the plan, a turnaround from its apparent reluctance to endorse it.

"I'm excited to hear the results of the joint rail survey; it was led by your ministry. We watched with great excitement as the trains launched into North Korea," Biegun said.

He separately said that the U.S. would reevaluate its ban on American citizens' travel to North Korea early next year to facilitate aid groups' humanitarian assistance to the communist state.

It may give South Korea a boost to go ahead with its long suspended plan to provide $8 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the North, via global agencies. The plan announced last year has not been executed amid stalemated denuclearization talks with North Korea.

On Dec. 21, Cheong Wa Dae said Kim's Seoul trip "may materialize in the near future."

A senior presidential official said on condition of anonymity, "The South and North are communicating closely through various channels, and we need to keep watching how the situation will unfold.

"It appears to be difficult for the trip to occur within this year as there isn't much time left until the end of the year ... However, as the Pyongyang declaration says the trip will take place in the near future, we believe that promise will be kept."

The official added that Seoul would not rush or pressure Pyongyang to arrange Kim's trip to Seoul.

Also on Dec. 21, National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong said the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula "has begun to enter an irreversible phase. North Korea, too, believes this process cannot be reversed."

He added that the start of the denuclearization process still made the year one of the most significant in the country's history.

"Most of all, the greatest achievement of our government this year in the international and security areas is the fact that we have eliminated the risk of war on the Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

"If our security policy in the past had been one to defend peace, we pushed for a more active security policy to make peace this year."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, outgoing Secretary of Defense James Mattis, center, and national security adviser John Bolton attend a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House in Washington, D.C., May 17. Reuters-Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



U.S. President Donald Trump apparently thinks his second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un anticipated for sometime early next year will go well because Washington is easing some of its pressure on North Korea.



Sources said the U.S. has begun to show off a "softer" stance toward North Korea, allegedly to pave the way for the possible second summit between Kim and Trump.



"The United States doesn't want to see fallout in denuclearization talks on multiple fronts. Washington still believes it is still too early to relax economic sanctions given a lack of progress in talks aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program. Ahead of the upcoming second North Korea-United States summit, Washington is turning softer on Pyongyang to make progress happen," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said.









"South Korea believes the denuclearization process has reached the no-return point and also entered an irreversible phase," the official said, adding the North Korean leader will "surely visit" South Korea. "Kim Jong-un's visit to Seoul is simply just a scheduling matter."







U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun is greeted by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, right, during their meeting at the unification ministry in Seoul, Dec. 21. North Korea said last week it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. AP-Yonhap
New graphic warnings on cigarette packs / Courtesy of Ministry of Health and Welfare



South Korea has changed the graphic warnings on cigarette packs in the latest move to curb smoking, the health ministry said Sunday.

In 2016, South Korea required tobacco companies to put the pictorial warnings on the upper part of both sides of cigarette packs as part of anti-smoking campaigns to help reduce smoking. The photos are required to cover more than 30 percent of both sides of a packet.

The government changes the graphic warnings every 24 months as part of its efforts to raise awareness of the side effects of smoking, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The World Health Organization also advises either changing or revising pictorial warnings periodically, according to health officials.

The ministry said 12 new pictorial warnings will be placed on cigarette packs, including the electronic tobacco heating device called iQOS.

The ministry forecasts cigarettes with the new warning photos to hit local shelves sometime in January.

The new graphic images show smokers suffering from fatal ailments, such as lung cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, heart attack and stroke, while also carrying warnings about serious side effects, such as the dangers of secondhand smoke, sexual dysfunction and premature death, according to the ministry.

The new graphic images also include tooth discoloration, the ministry said.

The smoking rate for South Korean men aged 19 and older was 20.3 percent in 2018, down from 20.8 percent in 2016, according to government data.

Separate data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) put the smoking rate of South Korean men aged 15 and older at 31 percent in 2015, the highest among 15 OECD countries surveyed. Japan came in second with 30 percent, followed by Italy with 25 percent. (Yonhap)
By Lee Min-hyung





Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha

The foreign ministry is losing ground in the decision-making process on the ongoing inter-Korean affairs, as it is failing to win support from President Moon Jae-in's inner circle.



This comes at a critical time when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advised to play a bigger role as a peace facilitator with other countries. But National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong holds the key in driving and assessing all procedures relating to inter-Korean peace, with the foreign ministry being excluded from playing a part in the affairs.



Officials say the ministry will continue to be excluded until Minister Kang Kyung-wha can win support from Cheong Wa Dae and from the ministry's inner circle.



"Officials from the foreign ministry have not been actively participating in meetings at Cheong Wa Dae regarding the denuclearization of North Korea and other North Korea issues. They have not been outspoken. Minister Kang should go through some leadership-related questions," a Cheong Wa Dae source said, Sunday.



"The foreign ministry needs to deliver its voice to the house. But this has not been made possible, as Kang is winning little support from the presidential office."



The inter-Korean peace process was initiated earlier this year when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to denuclearize his regime. President Moon also welcomed the drive, with relevant ministries going all-out to extend the rare momentum for possible lasting peace here.



But when it comes to inter-Korean affairs, the foreign ministry has failed to exert its influence, while Cheong Wa Dae drives inter-Korean policies.



The foreign ministry runs a special division, the Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, which handles issues regarding all things related to North Korea, including nuclear-related issues. However, the division has made little influence in major decision-making processes on inter-Korean affairs so far this year.



The outlook for the ministry's possible rebound remains murky as the ministry has also been generating mixed performances in diplomacy with other countries, according to officials who are familiar with the matter.



In recent months, the foreign ministry also came under fire for failing to settle and effectively mediate a series of controversies with Japan and other countries.



Last month, the South's Supreme Court ordered Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay compensation for South Koreans forced to work at the company during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of the peninsula.



The ruling has since drawn strong backlash from the Japanese government, which called the decision a violation of international law. Japan's foreign ministry argues that the court's ruling is unacceptable, as the compensation issue was settled in 1965 when Seoul and Tokyo signed a treaty to restore their ties.



Seoul's foreign ministry also expressed disappointment over the strong opposition from Japan.



With Seoul and Tokyo showing no signs of coming to terms on the recent decision, expectations are that the bilateral diplomatic tension will continue.



The growing friction between the two sides could negatively impact the South's foreign ministry given its tangible diplomatic achievements, they said.



The impasse over negotiations for defense cost sharing between Seoul and Washington also has a negative effect on the foreign ministry.



The negotiations, which began in March, are aimed at deciding the South's share of the financial burden next year for maintaining the 28,500 United States Forces Korea (USFK) troops here.



"But with U.S. President Donald Trump showing a strong desire to increase Seoul's burden for the cost, the ministry has in recent months failed to come to terms with its U.S. counterpart over the negotiations," said one source.



For four days from Dec. 11, Seoul and Washington held their final negotiations this year, but failed to reach a consensus in renewing the five-year agreement which expires at the end of this year.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week ordered U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria. / AP-Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



U.S. President Donald Trump's order to pull out American troops from Syria is fueling speculation the Trump administration will increase pressure on South Korea to spend more money on the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).



Trump's Syria withdrawal decision tests his "America First" foreign policy aimed at reducing the U.S. financial burden on global defense and letting its allies shoulder more responsibility, according to analysts, Sunday.



They said Trump's test would be expanded to other regions, including South Korea, which has been making little headway with the U.S. in negotiations over the cost of the USFK.



Trump has accused South Korea of "free riding" on U.S. defense and branded Korea's payment of $830 million a year to the U.S. to offset the cost of 28,500 American troops as "peanuts."



In negotiations about the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a five-year defense contract set to end on Dec. 31, the Trump administration reportedly has wanted Seoul to pay 150 percent of the current deal, or about $1.2 billion.



"Given the climate, the Syria pullout suggests the Trump administration will not simply give up its demand for South Korea to bear a substantial amount for defense cost-sharing," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University.



The amendment  passed by the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services  calls for USFK troop numbers to be kept at a minimum of 22,000. The move appears to address concerns among mainstream Washington politicians about a possible pullout of U.S. forces amid the inter-Korean reconciliatory mood.



"But even if he can't take the American soldiers back home, Trump can seek other ways to press South Korea, such as asking it to pay extra money whenever U.S. strategic assets such as B-2 bombers are deployed to South Korean soil," Park said.



The experts also said U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis' resignation in protest of Trump's Syria pullout order would make negotiations tougher for South Korea.



Mattis was one of the few national security advisers who appeared able to convince the real estate mogul-turned-president to embrace the importance of long-term security interests over short-term economic interests.



However, failure of the defense cost-sharing talks will not result in withdrawal of the USFK, according to analysts, referring to the amendment of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act approved in May.



But Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said there would be "no brakes on Trump's short-sighted, inexperienced foreign policy any longer" after Mattis' resignation.



"Mattis understood the strategic importance of stationing U.S. forces across the globe and his departure means Washington will focus more on financial interests when it comes to its alliance with Seoul," he said.




By Kim Rahn



Two lawmakers are embroiled in controversies over their alleged abuse of power and insulting of a citizen.





Rep. Kim Jung-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea

According to media reports and aides to Rep. Kim Jung-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Sunday, Kim caused a disturbance when boarding a Busan-bound plane at Gimpo International Airport last Thursday.



When an airport worker asked him to show his boarding pass and ID, he showed his resident registration card through transparent plastic in his wallet. The worker asked him to take the card out to show it, but Kim refused, reportedly saying, "Why do I have to take it out? I've never had to do so before."



He told the worker that he is a member of the National Assembly's transport committee and asked the worker to prove that aviation rules require passengers to take out their ID cards.



Other colleagues brought a regulation book and tried to find the rule, and Kim allegedly cursed at them and shouted, "Do you think you're so powerful to bully customers? Bring the person in charge." He also allegedly told his aides to call the Korean Airport Corp. (KAC) head, and took photos of the workers.



He allegedly left the scene without taking out his ID card to the end.



Following media reports written based on witnesses' testimonies, Kim said it was himself who had been abused.



Kim claimed the worker demanded the card submission high-handedly and failed to show the relevant regulation, so he protested as a representative of citizens who have experienced unkind airport staff. Denying he had cursed at the workers, Kim said he only raised his voice and later told the KAC chief to take proper action on workers who mistreat customers.



According to the regulation, however, airport staff must examine the card, see and touch it directly, to check the card is not a forgery.





Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the Liberty Korea Party
Protesters march near Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul, Saturday, toward Cheong Wa Dae with a life-size statue of the deceased power plant worker Kim Yong-gyun holding up a sign that says "No more irregular employment." / Yonhap



By Lee Suh-yoon



Thousands of workers and citizens rallied near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Saturday, demanding an end to precarious labor conditions faced by irregular workers, usually hired by subcontractors to do work outsourced by big firms.



The rally was part of a collective mourning over the death of power plant worker Kim Yong-gyun, 24. On Dec. 11, Kim's body was found wedged into a conveyer belt used to transport coal at the Taean Thermal Power Plant operated by state-run Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) in South Chungcheong Province.



The protesters marched toward Cheong Wa Dae, shouting "Away with irregular employment, away with deadly outsourcing operations."



Kim's tragedy has become synonymous with the plight of 6.6 million irregular workers  around a third of the country's total workforce. Protesters tied black ribbons reading "I, too, am Kim Yong-gyun" by the roadside.



"I do the same work as train station officers who are directly hired Korail, but only I am subject to the minimum wage, long working hours and the worst conditions," Hwang Ji-min, an irregular worker hired under a Korail subcontractor, said at the rally. "Kim's death reminded me of the death of an overworked irregular station officer who died of a stroke while guarding the station alone in September. It also made me think I could be next."





Kim Mi-sook, mother of the young deceased worker Kim Yong-gyun, is comforted by a rally participant in front of Seoul Finance Center in central Seoul, Saturday. / Yonhap



Since the neoliberal restructuring following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, labor outsourcing has become a common practice at Korean firms. Instead of hiring workers directly on permanent payrolls and offering benefits as stated by law, firms employ subcontractors to hire low-cost irregular workers.



Subcontractors, which must bid the lowest price to win contracts, often do not hire enough workers to carry out the required tasks safely. Thus, irregular workers are often undertrained, overworked and alone on the job, making them vulnerable to deadly accidents.



A whopping 97 percent of 346 industrial accidents that took place in the five major power plant companies between 2012 and 2016 happened to irregular workers, according to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).



Kim, hired as an irregular worker by Korea Engineering and Power Service (KEPS), a subcontractor to KOWEPO, was working alone on an overnight shift when he got stuck in the running conveyor belt. No one else was there to hear his cries and stop the machine.





Irregular workers from various sectors call on President Moon Jae-in to ban subcontractor-based outsourcing operations and enforce direct hiring of workers during Saturday's rally. / Yonhap


By Chang Se-moon





I am fortunate to have someone who has been taking me to all live-performance theaters in the Washington, D.C., area, including the National Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Toby's Dinner Theatre. The one common characteristic of all these theatres is the live performance by actors and actresses right in front of the audience.



On the basis of my limited experience in their performances, when they say these theaters strive to maintain "the highest artistic standard," I believe it without a shred of doubt.



Many of these shows are musicals, my favorite. One I saw, however, was not a musical and, interestingly, this is the story of the show I am introducing in today's column.



The show was "An Inspector Calls" presented Nov. 20 at the Sidney Harman Hall of the Shakespeare Theatre. The play was written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, and was performed in British English.



The spoken conversation was so clear that it was easy for me to follow the story.



Here is the story.



It is in April 1912, somewhere in England. The family of Arthur Birling, who is a wealthy factory owner and well-known local politician, is celebrating the engagement of their beautiful daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft from another well-known family in the community. Also in attendance are Birling's wife Sybil, their son Eric, Gerald, and Gerald's father.



Cozy and friendly conversation continues during which Arthur talks about his impending knighthood and stresses that "a man has to look after himself and his own."



A man then arrives in a trench coat and a gloomy looking hat. He introduces himself as Inspector Goole from the local police department. He states that a young woman called Eva Smith has committed suicide by drinking strong disinfectant. Eva has left a diary naming names, including members of the Birling family, explaining why he came.



Initially, the family denies that they knew Eva. But, Inspector Goole leads to confessions by every member of the Birling family of how they have been involved one way or another in the struggling life of Eva.



Arthur admits that Eva worked in his company, but was fired about 18 months ago for her involvement in an abortive workers' strike. Arthur denies responsibility for her death, however.



Sheila, the daughter about to be engaged, joins the discussion. She admits that Eva served her in a department store where she worked, but had her fired for her alleged bad attitude. It was actually because of jealousy that Sheila felt toward Eva.



Sybil, Arthur's wife, enters the room. As the inspector interrogates Sybil, she admits that she knew Eva, known also as Daisy Renton. Gerald, Sheila's fiance, admits that he met a woman by that name and kept her as his mistress. Hearing that, Sheila returns the engagement ring, and signals the end of their engagement.



Inspector's interrogation identifies Sybil, Arthur's wife, as the head of a women's charity. Hungry and pregnant with no money, Eva turned to the charity for help. Sybil, however, convinced the charity to deny any help, by calling her a liar. Further interrogation led Sybil to declare that the "drunken young man" who had made Eva pregnant should confess and accept the responsibility.



Eric, son of Arthur and Sybil, then enters the room, and after brief questioning from Inspector Goole, he admits that he raped Eva and got her pregnant. He also stole money from his father Arthur and gave the money to Eva. According to the inspector, Eva refused to accept the money when she found that the money was stolen.



What is not clear to me is whether Sybil knew that the drunken person who made Eva pregnant was her own son, when her charity declined any help to Eva. What is clear, however, is that interrogation by Inspector Goole clearly established that all members of the Birling family, including Sheila's fiance Gerald, had contributed to Eva's suicide.



The inspector disappears after reminding the family, and the theater audience, that people are intertwined in society, and making the final statement that "If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." Note that 1912 was only six years before World War I broke out.



After the inspector disappears, Sheila's fiance Gerald returns and says that there is no Inspector Goole in the local police department. Arthur makes a call to the chief of the police department and confirms that there is no Inspector Goole.



Finding out no such inspector exists, Gerald calls the local hospital and finds that no suicide of a young woman was reported. Everyone celebrates and Arthur sums up the evening's experience as no more than "bluffing".



Then, there is another telephone call that Arthur the patriarch answers. The caller reports that a young woman died, likely a suicide by disinfectant, and the local police are on their way to question the Birlings. Here the show ends.



I wonder what the moral of the story is that its creator had in mind.





Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies.




By Andrew Hammond





Chinese President Xi Jinping gave last week a speech celebrating the 40th anniversary of the start of Deng Xiaoping's landmark economic reforms. While the changes have been one of the biggest game-changers in global affairs in the post-war era, their very success raises today not just key opportunities, but also challenges, for Beijing.



On the success side of the ledger, China's rise to greater prominence has been one of the defining features of recent decades. For instance, IMF data since 2014 has asserted that the Chinese economy is now larger than its U.S. counterpart on a purchasing power parity basis (which makes adjustments for the fact that goods are cheaper in China and other countries relative to the United States).



In so doing, Beijing has recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of around 9.5 percent in the past 40 years. And the consequence has been fostering of a middle-income population of 400 million and lifting more than 700 million Chinese people out of poverty.



However, the consequences of this remarkable feat have been more than economic and financial. In terms of perceptions, many internationally believe the global political balance of power has swung very significantly.



And this is having important, real-world implications, including feeding into political posturing of some Western politicians on China. Take the example of U.S. President Donald Trump with his sometimes very blunt anti-Beijing rhetoric, and his potential trade war with the Middle Kingdom.



The stark change in international perceptions toward China is underlined by Pew Global Research. In October 2018, publics in 25 countries overwhelmingly agreed that China plays a more important role in the world today than a decade ago.



Moreover, Pew also found last year that domestic publics in 7 of the 10 EU nations surveyed asserted that China is the world's "leading economic power." Moreover, in long time U.S. ally in Asia-Pacific, Australia, the population there put China ahead on this question by a two-to-one margin.



Thus 58percent of Australians in 2017 believed Beijing is the "world's leading economic power" which represents a rise of 18 percentage points (from 40 percent) since 2008 alone. Comparable data for other countries includes the United Kingdom which has seen a rise from 29 percent to 46 percent over the same period.



While welcomed by many in China who understandably like recognition of the country's growing might, this opinion shift is causing some headaches for Beijing. For, as Trump's often ill-informed rhetoric shows, it has exposed the country to greater foreign scrutiny and fed into perceptions, seized upon by politicians like the U.S. president, tapping into angst about China's rise.



What this underlines is that China's growing prominence is not without challenges for Beijing. This is especially given that the country's grand strategy had long been premised on a gradual, peaceful transition to power during which it will grow stronger while keeping low profile.



Deng himself, for instance, asserted that consolidating China's socialism would take dozens of generations and that the nation should behave humbly during this time. Hence, one of his trademark comments that it would be best to "hide your edge and nurture your strength."



Yet, Beijing has increasing adopted a higher profile, more assertive foreign policy in recent years. The significantly brighter spotlight this has put on the country has, unfortunately, exposed a "soft power deficit" which is complicating its rise. Soft power, which rests upon the international attractiveness of a country's foreign policy, political values and culture, is recognized by Beijing as a key political commodity, but one it has had limited success in cultivating to date.



As international perceptions of the country's power have changed, its global favorability has shown weakness in some key countries and continents, as underlined in Pew's data. In 2018, for instance, only three of the 25 countries surveyed asserted that they prefer a world order where China was the leading power than the United States.



Moreover, in 2017, Pew found across the populaces surveyed in the EU (10 nations) and Asia-Pacific (7 countries), there was overall net negative opinions about China. This was 44 percent unfavorable to 43 percent favorable in the EU, versus 41 percent unfavorable and 34 percent favorable in Asia-Pacific.



In the United States too, China also had a net unfavorability rating in 2017, according to Pew. Trump is well aware of this sentiment, and also the fact that US Republican voters tend to have lower overall favorability than Democrat counterparts towards Beijing.



Especially if critical scrutiny intensifies, Beijing must find better ways to tackle this soft-power deficit, including enhanced international public diplomacy to win more foreign "hearts and minds." At a symbolic level, example measures might include utilizing the country's growing capabilities in space travel for high-profile international cooperation projects. Surveys underline that many around the world admire China's strength in science and technology.



Beijing should also restart a process of addressing foreign concern about its intentions as a rising power. Here, it could intensify efforts to be seen as a responsible, peaceful global stakeholder. And match this rhetoric with actions.



This agenda may pose significant challenges for Beijing 40 years on from Deng's reforms. However, unless it is tackled, China's soft power deficit could only grow bigger in 2019 and beyond.





Andrew Hammond (andrewkorea@outlook.com) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.




He received Motoo Hayashi, Acting Secretary General of the LDP, in the north central province of Thanh Hoa on December 23.

The PM welcomed Motoo Hayashi to attend the commercial operation ceremony of the Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical complex plant  a joint project between Vietnamese and Japanese partners.

He expressed his pleasure at the thriving extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia between Vietnam and Japan in all fields from politics, external affairs, and economy to culture, education, and health care.

He noted that the bilateral cooperative ties have been expanded, bringing benefits for the two sides and contributing to peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.

The LDP plays a crucial role in the development of bilateral relations, he stressed.

Motoo Hayashi recalled the successful Japan visit by PM Phuc in October 2018, including the meeting with Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Toshihiro Nikai.

He expressed his confidence in the successful operation of the project and affirmed he will spare no effort to promote the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership.

The Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical project has been carried out since 2013 with a total investment capital of over US$9 billion.

It is invested by a consortium of Kuwait International Petrochemical Company (KPC, 35.1%), and the Japanese firms Idemitsui Kosan (IKC, 35.1%) and Mitsui Chemicals (MCI, 4.7%). The rest is contributed by the state-run Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).




President Donald Trump's decision to rapidly remove 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria raises two questions: whether a precipitous withdrawal makes sense and whether this decision is the result of careful study and consultation with experts and U.S. allies in the region.



The answer to both questions seems to be no. Not for the first time, a president prone to impulsiveness and improvisation has made an abrupt decision that could have drastic consequences unless more experienced officials are allowed to moderate its impact.



We say this even though we have been sympathetic to the president's opposition to an open-ended commitment of U.S. forces in Syria, where they were dispatched as part of the effort to uproot Islamic State, which even the intervention-averse Obama administration regarded as a unique danger requiring extraordinary action.



We also have been skeptical of some of the arguments for such a prolonged presence, particularly the notion that keeping a couple of thousand U.S. troops will force the departure of Iranian forces and surrogates from Syria or otherwise counter Iranian influence.



Trump is right to worry about leaving U.S. forces in Syria in perpetuity. But there are serious arguments for postponing the departure, and scant evidence that he gave them a fair hearing.



First and foremost is the fact that remnants of Islamic State in Syria continue to pose a threat.



Trump tweeted Wednesday: "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." But as Brett McGurk, Trump's representative to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said last week: "Obviously, it would be reckless if we were just to say, 'Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now."



A second argument against immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops is the need to protect Kurdish fighters in Syria, who have been U.S. allies in the war against Islamic State. Turkey considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to be a terrorist group and an extension of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which long has conducted an insurgency against the Turkish government.



In mid-December Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria "within a matter of days." It's possible that Trump was moved to make his withdrawal announcement by a fear that a Turkish incursion would put U.S. forces in harm's way. But the continued presence of U.S. troops so far has been an insurance policy against action by Turkey while the U.S. explores the creation of a buffer zone between YPG fighters and the Turkish border.



Last Monday, James F. Jeffrey, the State Department's special representative for Syria engagement, challenged a claim by Erdogan that Trump had reacted positively to the idea of a Turkish offensive against YPG forces. "We think that any offensive into northeast Syria by anyone is a bad idea," Jeffrey said. But the withdrawal announced by Trump could embolden Turkey to suspect that an attack on the Kurds wouldn't bring much of a U.S. protest.



An overly hasty withdrawal also makes it less likely that the Kurds' interests will be protected in any new political arrangement in Syria, assuming Assad is amenable to international efforts to find a political solution to Syria's civil war.



In explaining Trump's decision, administration officials insisted that the campaign against Islamic State would continue. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders asserted that the U.S. and its allies "will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders."



A senior administration official suggested that no one should have been surprised by Wednesday's announcement, because Trump had been consistent about this topic going back to his campaign.



Perhaps, but the decision was reportedly made over the objections of Pentagon officials and came as a surprise to Congress and, it seems likely, to some members of the administration. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that the president just "woke up" and made the decision. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said: "A lot of us were blindsided."



It now falls to administration officials to rationalize a consequential decision that seems to have been made on the spur of the moment. The wisdom of Trump's decision aside, this is not how policy should be made.



The above article appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.






By Jacek Rostowski





LONDON  British Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to withdraw her country from the European Union in an orderly fashion is collapsing. Though she has survived a no-confidence vote, in January the House of Commons will almost certainly reject the exit deal she negotiated with EU leaders.



In order to avoid a chaotic "no-deal" Brexit, her government will have to ask the EU for an extension on the departure date, or withdraw its "intention to leave" notification, at least temporarily.



Either way, the next step would be to hold a second referendum with the option of a so-called exit from Brexit, which would reverse the 2016 decision to leave.



Voters could still decide to back May's deal, opt for a "Norway-style" arrangement, or crash out of the EU with no deal. But recent polling suggests that the choice of remaining in the EU would win the day.



How did a country with 400 years of constitutional governance and a culture of political compromise end up here?



Most commentators point to the seemingly insoluble problem of the Irish border. Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which put an end to decades of violent hostility between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, Britain agreed to permit the free movement of persons, goods, and some services across the border with the Republic of Ireland.



A binding international treaty with no provision for exit, the Good Friday Agreement was signed under the assumption that both Britain and Ireland would remain in the EU indefinitely.



May's deal with the EU includes a "backstop" that would prevent the reintroduction of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in the absence of a formal post-Brexit trade deal.



The problem is that well over 100 members of May's own party have rejected the backstop outright and will vote against her deal for that reason alone, making it dead on arrival.



But the Irish backstop is, in fact, a side issue. Even if there were no Irish problem, an orderly Brexit would have been impossible within the two years allotted to the U.K. under Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon.



As I pointed out in October, British manufacturing supply chains are so deeply integrated with those of continental Europe that they could not survive the sudden establishment of customs and other checks on the British border. Britain's automotive, aerospace, and precision-instruments industries would be decimated.



To be sure, many non-European countries export large volumes of industrial goods to the EU. But, unlike British goods, these generally cross the EU border only once.



The same would hold true for Britain's goods only after the country disentangles itself from the web of European supply chains. That task alone would be comparable to the restructuring of post-communist countries following the collapse of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon, the Soviet-era trade bloc). Completing it could well take five or more years.



After the 2016 referendum, May's government should have had an adult discussion about the shape Brexit would take, rather than simply declaring, "Brexit means Brexit."



Scenarios in which the U.K. could remain in the single market, the customs union, or both were on offer from the EU. The government also should have done far more to apprise the business community of its plans.



Moreover, if the intention was always to leave both the single market and the customs union, retaining only a free-trade agreement with Europe, the government should have made clear that it would need an "implementation period" of at least five years to do this in an orderly manner.



During this time it would be bound by European laws  including its obligation to pay around 13 billion pounds ($16.4 billion) per year to the EU budget. May should not have invoked Article 50 until all of these decisions had been made, communicated to the relevant parties, and agreed upon at least in principle.



One reason May's government ended up taking the exact opposite approach is that neither senior politicians nor bureaucrats understood the degree to which the British economy is intertwined with Europe. The fact that a quick Brexit into a free-trade agreement is logistically impossible seems to have been totally lost on them.



But the bigger problem was that a balanced consideration of possible options would have laid bare the lie upon which the "Leave" campaign was based. The idea that Britain could secure a "bespoke deal" and maintain "frictionless" access to the single market while pursuing its own trade accords elsewhere was always a fantasy.



Fearing the political consequences of acknowledging this basic truth, May adopted a completely unrealistic negotiating strategy, hoping that "some kind of Brexit" would happen before the British public realized it had been duped. Today, just three months before the departure date, this deeply deceitful demarche has disintegrated before May's eyes  as well it should.



Jacek Rostowski was Poland's minister of finance and deputy prime minister from 2007 to 2013. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


Prepare for possible changes in US policy toward Korea



U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis offered to step down from the post he has served since January 2017 in a Dec. 20 letter to President Donald Trump, a day after Trump announced his decision to pull out remaining U.S. troops from Syria.



In the resignation letter, Mattis said Trump deserves a "secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours."Mattis also underlined respect for U.S. 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," the former U.S. Marine Corps general said. "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."Trump responded on Twitter with "Allies are very important  but not when they take advantage of U.S."



Mattis has been one of the stabilizing voices inside an administration led by someone with little experience in national security and foreign affairs. He was considered one of the last "adults" in the Trump administration after the ouster of former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.



The stunning announcement of Mattis' departure has triggered widespread concerns within and outside the U.S. about the future of U.S. defense and policy direction.



Many people here are keeping a close eye on how the resignation will affect U.S. policy toward Korea. The transition at the U.S. defense department comes at a critical juncture for the Korean Peninsula. U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks have been deadlocked since the June 12 summit in Singapore between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Concerns are rising that Trump could make rash decisions on North Korea if there is no significant progress in denuclearization talks in the near future. A second Trump-Kim summit could take place early next year, but it is uncertain whether another summit will be noticeably more fruitful than the previous one as the two sides are still on completely different pages about how to achieve denuclearization.



Seoul should prepare strategies for possible changes in U.S. policy toward Korea in the post-Mattis period. Another thing to watch for is whether Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has any implications for U.S. troops stationed in Korea.



Trump has reportedly also ordered to scale down U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Trump has threatened to pull out U.S. forces if we do not shoulder a larger share of the costs for maintaining them. Many Koreans view such threats as a show of Trump's lack of understanding of the purpose of the U.S. military presence in the region and disrespect for the depth of the Korea-U.S. alliance.



At such a critical juncture on the peninsula, we hope the next U.S. defense secretary will be someone who can check Trump's impulsive decision-making on national security and offer a balanced counsel.












More people are turning their backs on President Moon Jae-in ahead of his third year in office.



The latest Gallup poll showed negative assessments of Moon surpassed the positive for the first time since he took office in May 2017. In the Dec. 21 survey, 46 percent of respondents thought Moon was doing a bad job, while 45 percent approved of his performance.



The President's job approval rating, which peaked in May at more than 80 percent, has been on a downward trend in the past few months. His declining ratings are giving the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) something to cheer about. LKP floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won said "Our time is coming" at a publishing event last week.



The biggest reason for the negative assessment was the President's faults in dealing with economic issues. The economic missteps have clouded some of Moon's key achievements, such as the improvement of inter-Korean relations. More people are becoming increasingly skeptical of his focus on North Korea during a grave economic downturn.



Cheong Wa Dae should think seriously about why Moon is swiftly losing the public trust he had at the beginning of his presidency. It is not just the economic failures. More people feel betrayed by the Moon administration, which had promised to be different from previous administrations to build a fairer, more transparent society. The latest scandal over Cheong Wa Dae's alleged spying on civilians is a case in point.



Cheong Wa Dae should take the continued drop in ratings as the people's warning against the Moon administration's arrogance and incompetence.


By David Tizzard





Unfortunately, despite what the title might suggest, I will not be spending this weekend gorging on ginseng and imported whisky. Instead, I will be stressing over how to best put aside the money required for my son's pre-school education.



The lottery my family won was a school placement one. A system in which places at educational facilities are decided based on luck: Your very own taste of the roulette table in a country in which gambling is banned.



This often takes place with a selection of orange and white plastic balls being placed in a closed box. Parents of the various children then gather nervously to attend the event.



Here, they will be tasked with drawing a single ball from the box and ultimately deciding whether their child will be admitted to the kindergarten or school with their friends and peers.



A typical situation might see roughly 60 balls in a box, with 30 orange ones and 30 white ones, thus giving participants a one-in-two chance, as well as a very drawn-out and stressful process.



In other circumstances, families are presented with 12 balls  only two of which spell failure. Would it not be worse to have not been chosen from one when the odds are stacked so favorably?



One can only imagine the pressure placed on a parent tasked with choosing the ball from a box. What if you pick the wrong one? What if you pick the right one?



I have no doubt that there has been many a bottle of soju consumed on the evenings following these events, in both celebration and frustration.



Prayers are often voiced in harmony alongside shrieks of relief as well as groans of disappointment. A cacophony of futures blessed and cursed sung in unison.



Parents will also tell stories about how other attendees either remained dignified and accepting of the system despite seeing their child not admitted to the kindergarten and thus forced to look elsewhere for education or, conversely, cause what only could be described in polite company as a 'ruckus.'



The origins of this, as with much of the Korean life that unfolds around us today, are in the late 1960s and under the oft-sunglassed eyes of ex-President Park Chung-hee.



Middle-school entrance exams were abolished and replaced with a system in which students from the same district would be entered into a lottery to determine which school they would attend. These were known as "equalization zones" and were designed to reduce the disparity between the successful and wealthy and the less privileged.



Obviously there are arguments for and against such policies: People will point to the noble tradition of providing equal opportunity to all regardless of wealth. Others will suggest that it dilutes the educational process.



Irrespective of the merits and demerits, this lottery system of educational placement has continued until today and affects a variety of school entrance processes at many different ages.



With South Korea embracing the 21st century as well as many of its other international counterparts, there are also more specific procedures in place designed to help those that might otherwise struggle. These can include giving earlier opportunities to single-parent families, those with a very low income, or from a multicultural background.



It has also seen the system go online with 60 percent of private kindergartens reportedly using the government operated "Go First School" website. This was designed for parents unable to attend offline lottery events because of work and allow them to complete the process remotely.



A seemingly great idea. Yet parents have reported applying to four kindergartens and being refused to all of them. And they didn't even get to see an orange or yellow ball  just an email. Moreover, users visiting the website often have to wait for extended periods as up to 4,000 other people are in line before them also trying to connect.



With the national birthrate low and falling, one cannot help but feel that all this adds an extra element of stress and competition to those with young children, particularly as everything seems so beyond one's control.



Both conservative and progressive governments here have adopted various policies at the national level designed to encourage young families to have children. These range from financial benefits, tax breaks and houses, to soft power cultural promotion through television shows and celebrity endorsements.



And yet despite the low birthrate and all that is being said about helping young people, many parents are still struggling to send their children to a decent quality daycare program.



Of course, not everyone can go to the best school. It wouldn't be the best school if that were the case. Moreover, we typically inhabit a world in which simple problems and solutions do not exist regardless of what many public intellectuals might claim.



Rather, there are tradeoffs. Society makes one thing better only by, in-turn, making something else worse off. Perhaps drastically so.



What the tradeoff is here for the South Korean people and the future generation I'm not quite sure. That is a question for them to address together.



I am, however, going to have a drink to celebrate my son being lucky enough to have been drawn in the lottery. Start worrying about saving the necessary money tomorrow. And then prepare to do it all again next year when my daughter turns three.



David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University.


In this file photo taken on Dec. 24, 2009, an inter-Korean railways covered with snow at the Dorasan Station, Paju, Gyeonggi Province. As South Koreans dive deeper into the unification project, they need to consider what exactly might be the model for unification that lurks in the subconscious of the leaders in the government and business who are making the plans. Korea Times photo by Park Seo-gang



By Emanuel Pastreich




Emmrich will be responsible for coverage of style, travel and The Times Saturday features section

The Los Angeles Times has named Stuart J. Emmrich its assistant managing editor responsible for Lifestyle coverage. Emmrich will report to Senior Deputy Managing Editor Kimi Yoshino.

Emmrich has spent the past 16 years at the New York Times where he worked as Styles editor, Travel editor, Escapes editor and, most recently, as an editor at large.

Stuart Emmrich is one of Americas most creative, versatile and accomplished editors, said Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine. He will be responsible for refining and then expanding some of our most important and popular areas of coverage.

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The world looks to Los Angeles as a tastemaker and Im excited to bring Stuart on board to help us share Californias enviable lifestyle and culture with the world, Yoshino said.

After graduating from the University of Florida in 1977, Emmrich worked as a reporter at the Atlanta Constitution for two years before moving to New York. He held a series of newspaper and magazine jobs there and in London over the next two decades, including two stints working with Pearlstine  at SmartMoney magazine, where he served as Executive Editor, and then at Time magazine, where he was a senior editor.

When Emmrich decided to become an editor at large last year, a New York Times staff memo noted: In seven years as Styles editor, Stuart Emmrich has elevated our fashion coverage, proven himself to be a great talent scout and created the first new print section in The Times (in almost a decade).

It was not an easy decision to leave the New York Times, but I could not resist the chance to be a part of one of the most exciting reinvention stories in journalism, Emmrich said.

We are so excited to attract an editor as experienced and renowned as Stuart Emmrich, said Times Owner and Executive Chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong. His decision to join us is another sign of the resurgence of the L.A. Times.

The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and their community publications in Southern California were purchased by Soon-Shiong on June 18. Since then, The Times has been rebuilding and expanding its newsroom.

Pearlstine said that Emmrich will join The Times and its management team on Jan. 1, 2019.
Dear Liz: I recently took a deduction in my Experian FICO score of more than 100 points due to a single late payment to my mortgage. My score of 810 dropped to 704.

The mortgage company notified me several months ago that my impound account would go up $51 a month due to higher homeowners insurance premiums. I believed my auto-pay would adjust automatically as it used to, but that didnt happen. About 10 days after it was past due, I received a letter saying I owed the $51 plus a $53 late fee. I promptly sent the money and asked that the late payment be deleted from my credit reports. The mortgage company refused, saying they would not and could not because of federal regulations.

I am about to get a mortgage loan to buy my daughters house, but now the rate will be at least 1 percentage point higher. Why would FICO scores drop over 100 points on one late payment? Anything I can do about this? How long will it be before my FICO scores are above at least 750 if there are no more late payments and my credit utilization stays below 10%?

Answer: Federal regulations can be a convenient punching bag for financial services companies, but they dont prevent a lender or mortgage servicing company from deleting a late-payment notification for a good customer. The company should own up to the fact that this is its policy, not something imposed by the feds.

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Your experience does show the potential downside of automatic payments and of impound accounts. (For those who dont have impound accounts: Theyre an arrangement by which the mortgage company collects payments for insurance and property taxes.) They can be enormously helpful when everything goes right, but theyre not set it and forget it.

Ideally, you would have made a note on your calendar to check that the larger payment was made on time and been able to quickly correct the error. Theres not much you can do now except ensure that all your bills are paid in full and on time from now on. It may take up to three years of stellar credit-handling behavior for your scores to break 800 again. Credit scores are like mountains  you can fall pretty quickly, but it takes a long time to regain lost ground.

The scores are extremely sensitive to late payments because thats often the first sign of financial troubles that will end up in defaults, collections and bankruptcy. Credit reports and credit scores make no distinction between a late payment caused by human error versus one caused by lack of funds.

Mysterious bank charge needs investigating

Dear Liz: The other day I went to my credit union to withdraw $1,000 to pay for my sisters burial. The bank teller kept $90 and gave me only $910. Is that done when a person withdraws cash from a bank account? I got very angry and complained to the manager of the bank, but to no avail. He did not do anything to try and get my money for me. I am a low-income senior citizen and appreciate any kind of advice you could give me.

Answer: Its hard to imagine any legitimate bank fee that would take almost 10% of a cash withdrawal. In any case, the manager should have been able to explain why the money was taken. If the teller stole the money from you and the manager simply didnt believe you, calling the police may have been an option. A count of the tellers till might have revealed the discrepancy.

Consider returning to the credit union with a friend as a witness and asking the manager to explain why the teller kept $90 from your withdrawal. If the explanation doesnt satisfy you, you can lodge a complaint with the credit unions regulator. The National Credit Union Assn. regulates federal credit unions and can be found at NCUA.gov. For a state-chartered credit union, contact your states financial services regulator.

Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at AskLizWeston.com. Distributed by No More Red Inc.
In the name of art ...

I was disappointed in reading art critic Christopher Knights article about the Koreatown mural [Erasing Mural Is Just Wrong, Dec. 15.] and his difficulty in supporting the decision of the Los Angeles Unified School District to take it down. Anyone looking at the mural can easily see the rising sun, the symbol of the nation that oppressed Korean civilians in the mid-20th century.

Would Knight defend an artist who drew a swastika-like mural near a school inhabited mostly by Jews? It seems that he is more concerned with the feelings of muralist Beau Stanton than those of the thousands of students forced to see this work as they attend school every day.

Not everything should get a free pass in the name of art.

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Barry S. Rubin

Beverly Hills

::

I completely agree with the condemnation of the destruction of Stantons mural at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Koreatown.

Every artist should protest this insidious censorship and the denigration of an artists reputation. There was time when artists rights groups such as the Artists Equity Assn., Artists for Economic Action and CETA Title VI recipients would have vociferously defended Stanton and demanded that LAUSD rescind this irresponsible order.

Unfortunately, those groups no longer exist. I urge every artist to use his or her voice to contact LAUSD and urge the retraction of this ugly censorship. Next time, it could be your public art that a few dissidents want destroyed.

Harriet Zeitlin

Los Angeles

::

It is a shame to have the entire mural obliterated. But in consideration of the objections of the Korean community, which sees similarities between the sun rays in the mural and the Japanese imperial battle flag, I wonder if a compromise could be met? Perhaps the background could be painted over with the solid blue color or the red-orange color depicted in the sun rays, thus preserving the rest of the work.

Gwendolyn Poindexter

Mount Washington

Editors note: After publication of Knights story and other coverage about the mural, artist Shepard Fairey said he would insist that his own Robert F. Kennedy mural be removed from the campus of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools if the school district painted over the mural of Ava Gardner. On Monday, LAUSD said it would postpone plans to paint over the mural and give the issue more consideration after the new year.

Lessons in Macs early history

Pop music critic Mikael Woods dismissal of Fleetwood Macs unremarkable early days [Fleetwood Mac Goes Its Own Way, Dec. 13] was a shockingly ignorant statement from a reviewer in a major publication. The focal point of the original Mac lineup was Peter Green, a hugely influential guitarist who was also a distinctive vocalist and a thoughtful songwriter, aided by the significant contributions of Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer. Green was the standard against which all who subsequently occupied his chair in Fleetwood Mac were measured, not least in the eyes of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, according to their musings in various interviews. The later hit-making machine that most people know of as Fleetwood Mac was lightning in a bottle in its own way, but for some, the original Mac was the magical, unbeatable combination.

Alan Deremo

Leucadia, Calif.

::

I must take issue with Woods comment regarding vestiges of Fleetwood Macs unremarkable early days.

I dont know how old you are, Mikael, but I assure you that there are millions of fans worldwide who remember, as I do, the remarkable accomplishments of Green, Spencer, Kirwin and the late and lamented Bob Welch.

David Guenett

Lakewood

Is Beethoven rocking it too?

Regarding Class Is a British Invasion [Dec. 13, by Randy Lewis]: Good article, but it would have helped if you had explained what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame defines as rock n roll. The hall even includes Joan Baez. One could say she influenced music that became rock n roll, but then you could even put Mozart and Beethoven in it as well.

Andrew Bressler

Culver City

Disney got this before the rest

Its sad that it took this long for someone to look at the data on female leads in movies and find the assumption of lower profits to be wrong [Study: Female Leads a Big Hit, Dec. 13].

Not every studio believed the myth. I noticed decades ago that Disney was producing animated action movies with female leads. Most were very successful. Story lines that would never have attracted girls if the lead had been male were and are popular with both boys and girls. I considered it a win-win, as both were seeing females as strong and resourceful.

Parrish Hirasaki

Culver City

Roma  thats two thumbs up

Regarding Inside L.A. Critics Picks [Dec. 11]: Its wrong to compare apples and oranges. Also, there may be many films that are just as good as Roma. However, none are better.

Jon Hartmann

Los Angeles

Now, the (not so) funny papers

I cant believe all the great comic strips to which youve stopped subscribing (Brewster Rockit, Real Life Adventures and Herman, just to name a few), but you keep the horrid, sometimes soft-core porn 9 Chickweed Lane. If it ever was actually funny, it is now a blight.

Liz White

Los Angeles

calendar.letters@latimes.com
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.
The Laguna Beach City Council has approved purchasing a new odor control system aimed at reducing the stench emanating from a sewer lift station in a south end neighborhood by summertime, officials said.

Construction of the roughly $250,000 biological odor control system is expected to begin at the Bluebird South Orange County Wastewater Authority lift station at the corner of Glenneyre and Calliope streets in February, said David Shissler, Laguna Beachs director of water quality. Residents of the nearby Victoria Beach neighborhood have long complained about foul odors emanating from the station.

The new system will cleanse the air emitted from the lift stations wet well and manholes in the streets. The rotten egg smell is caused by decaying organic material in the raw wastewater that releases odorous compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, according to a city report.

Its amazing how well it works, Shissler said of the new odor control system. You really dont smell anything.

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Early last year, the city installed the same system at the sewer lift station near the farmers market  across from the Laguna Playhouse on Broadway Street.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman said 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 during a recent council meeting. That technology was amazing  I didnt know it could be fixed. And so Im confident if the same technology is going [in the Bluebird lift station], we wont have a problem.

The odor control system uses vacuum suction to draw the smelly gases from the lift stations wastewater holding tank and from underground piping around the area, Shissler said. The odor control system then carries the gases 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 station was approved in November 2017. The council voted unanimously earlier this month to allow the water department to purchase the equipment directly so that construction and installation can begin quickly, Shissler said.

With the first odor control system as a guide, Shissler said the stink around the station near Victoria Beach 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 [first] 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 of 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.

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 the lift station near Victoria Beach 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 a near standstill, 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 biological odor control system, there are also carbon filters placed near manhole covers to stop the gas from releasing aboveground.

Were doing as much as can be done with current technologies, Shissler said.

Pinho writes for Times Community News
The preacher wore black skinny jeans and a wireless microphone clipped to his ear. He looked like he was giving a TED Talk, gesticulating with his hands as he stood next to a large projector.

Pastor Andrew Stoecklein recounted the Old Testament story of the prophet Elijah, whose despair led him to pray for death. The prophet, Stoecklein told the large congregation at Inland Hills Church in Chino, Calif., was filled with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

You see mental illness on display, Stoecklein said. Now that is something that we dont like to talk about much, do we? Especially not in the church.

A sinewy 30-year-old with a surfer dude accent and tattoos covering his right arm, Stoecklein had just returned to the pulpit from a four-month leave of absence in which he battled panic attacks and severe depression. This was the first in a series of sermons about mental illness he titled Hot Mess.

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He clicked through suicide statistics on the screen. He listed resources. He implored his congregation to know that if they were fighting mental illness, they werent alone.

There is hope, and there is help available, the pastor said.

Twelve days later, he killed himself.

One of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, suicide saw its rate rise in 49 states from 1999 to 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016 alone, nearly 45,000 people died by suicide.

But the topic often is avoided in the church, said Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in Illinois. People often see anxiety and depression as problems fixable with prayer alone.

We put mental illness in the category of spiritual struggles, Stetzer said. We wouldnt have shame toward someone who broke their leg or had asthma or leukemia.

Melinda Moore, co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Preventions Faith Communities Task Force, said there is a misconception that pastors are closer to God and dont struggle with depression or suicidal thoughts. They are expected to be everything to everyone at all times, she said.

In 1996, Moores husband died by suicide. She was new to the Catholic faith, but there was virtually no one in my church who wanted to talk to me about it, she said.

When Stoecklein first met Kayla Saylors at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, he was an outgoing surfer living in a beach house with his buddies. She was shy and loved his tattoos.

Their first date was at Alta Coffee in Newport Beach the night Barack Obama was elected president. They saw a Coldplay concert. Kissed in the rain. Dated a year. Were engaged a year. Then came three sons whose names Andrew chose: Smith. Jethro. Brave.

In 2015, Andrews father, David Stoecklein, who founded Inland Hills, a large evangelical church, died of leukemia. Andrew, then 27, became the lead pastor.

Kayla Stoecklein with her three sons Brave, from left, Smith and Jethro at their home in Corona, Calif. She writes a blog about her grief. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Andrew was a perfectionist who poured hours of research into each sermon. He spoke on Sundays with no notes as Kayla and his mother, Carol, watched from the front row.

Andrew was very particular, said his friend Alex Wright, a police officer in Chico, Calif. Hed even cut the pockets out of his skinny jeans so you wouldnt see the outlines. He had shirts he only wore on Sundays.

Andrew would notice when people ducked out of a sermon early and would ask Alex about it, hurt.

Andrew was very fragile, Alex said. He was a big dude, worked out, looked tough. But he took church to heart.

His sermons were streamed online, and the family lived publicly, posting often to social media about their personal lives. The postings attracted unwanted attention. Last fall, a stalker showed up to Carols house, where Andrew grew up, and upset the family. Carol had to sell the house.

Andrews downward spiral began. He didnt sleep. He was irritable, anxious, losing weight. He thought it was hyperthyroidism, an issue hed dealt with in high school with similar symptoms. He just needed a diagnosis, and he could fix it, he thought.

Just before Andrew led several Easter services this spring, a friend found him on the bathroom floor of the church, hyperventilating, his hands and feet numb. He still preached. Few knew he was having panic attacks several times a week.

Soon afterward, the family members moved to a gated property in Corona, Calif. They planned to build a cottage in the back for Carol.

On the back of the property, Andrew said he felt the presence of God, Carol said. This was where we were going to make our family memories. He felt very hopeful and excited for the future.

One afternoon, Andrew was in his room, working on a difficult sermon. Someone called and said the flooring for their new house would be delayed. Then a doctor called and said his bloodwork came back. He didnt have hyperthyroidism.

He fell into a full-blown panic attack. Kayla took him to the hospital, and he was wheeled in wearing sunglasses, paranoid someone from Inland Hills would see him. The doctor who saw him happened to go to their church.

His test results came back frustratingly normal. The church elders decided that night to let Andrew go on leave. When a psychiatrist diagnosed him with depression, it came as a relief. At least it was an answer.

Kayla, 29, confided to a friend this summer that her house felt like a hostile environment. They were still unpacking. The young boys were rambunctious. Andrew was unpredictable.

A lot of days, hed get up and work out and try hard and end up in the bedroom crying and listening to worship music, Kayla said. The kids loved him and followed him around, and I wanted to protect them from that because it was happening too often.

Andrew spent the summer talking to a psychiatrist, pushing himself to get better. He set August as a deadline to get back to the pulpit. The church was packed as he spoke about his depression.

On Aug. 23, a staffing issue came up. It was a trigger. Andrew relapsed. Carol came to get him, and he was crying, yelling. She took him to a hotel room for some quiet. Kayla and his siblings joined. He couldnt calm down. Andrew went back to the church, where friends sat with him all night.

The next morning, with Andrew in his office, Carol, Kayla, and the couples two youngest sons sat on a playground on the church campus, talking about their next plan. Kayla texted him and said they loved him.

Forty minutes went by but they didnt hear from him. Kayla saw a staff members car go by. Five minutes later, a police car followed. An officer jumped out, holding a defibrillator.

Kayla ran in. Andrews face was gray. She screamed. Carol ran in. She fell to her knees.

Kayla begged God for him to wake up. Carol, who had cared for her dying husband, asked God to not let him suffer, to take him to heaven if his mind wasnt coming back. Kayla declined to say how Andrew killed himself, hoping to spare her sons from that knowledge as long as she can. Andrew died at Pomona Valley Hospital, where he was born.

Kayla had been a widow for three days when she wrote a public letter to Andrew. She wished she could hold his hand one more time. She was sorry he felt so alone. She signed it, Your girl.

Andrew planned to be open about his depression. Kayla became open about his suicide. Since his death Aug. 24, she has written in real-time about her grief, posting to Instagram and a blog Andrew started as his father was dying called Gods Got This.

Although there are moments where I feel angry at him, I cant allow myself to stay there, Kayla wrote. The man that I loved and built a family with, the man that I looked up to in countless ways, the leader of our church and our family: he was an honorable man, and his death is tragic.

In one post about myths of suicide, she wrote about the fear that a person who dies by suicide is condemned to hell. As Andrew lay dying, she tearfully asked Carol if he would go to heaven.

Kayla Stoecklein at the grave of her husband, Andrew. Although there are moments where I feel angry at him, I cant allow myself to stay there, Kayla wrote in her blog. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

She quickly reassured me, as I am confident now: whether you are accepted into heaven or not has nothing to do with how you die, Kayla wrote. The only way we are accepted into heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus.

Messages poured in. Your public grief has saved my life, one person wrote. I was contemplating suicide as Ive battled a silent battle with anxiety and depression...and then I stumbled across the first blog post you wrote.

Kayla waited a week to tell her sons. She couldnt mince words because they needed to know their father wasnt coming back.

Daddys brain was really sick, she told them, and he was really confused, and Daddy did something that caused him to die.

Two-year-old Brave didnt understand and went outside to play. Four-year-old Jethro listened a little longer, then followed. Five-year-old Smith understood. Are you and daddy still married? he asked. Why didnt he say goodbye?

On Dec. 2, Kayla and Carol stood on the same stage where Andrew preached. Using his notes, they delivered his final planned Hot Mess sermon, about loving people through their struggles.

Carol said a friend recently overheard people talking about Andrews suicide, saying he should have known better because he was a pastor. The family has been criticized too. People have questioned if they got Andrew help and said this wouldnt have happened if they had just prayed more.

People often have no idea whats going on in someones life before they criticize, Carol said.

Kayla said she plans to keep writing with honesty.

Theres a big question mark on my future, she said. I had this dream husband, the dream house, the life with purpose. I felt so much purpose in being his wife  So as far as big future plans? I have no idea.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson
I discovered Kwanzaa while attending Pomona College. Separated for the first time from my family and the black Pentecostal church I had attended at least three times a week, I craved black culture. There were fewer than 10 African American students in my cohort and I felt culturally isolated. Soul food lunches offered through the Office of Black Student Affairs were a weekly source of comfort.

Then I was introduced to the year-end celebration that had been created for black people by a black man. Maulana Karenga unveiled Kwanzaa in 1966 to fill the gaps where the U.S. had failed African Americans. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, the seven-day celebration urged the African American community to define and uplift itself.

Karenga designed seven principles, or Nguzo Saba: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each principle correlated to a specific day and symbol, to be celebrated Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

Kwanzaa beckons us to the heights of our humanity, petitioning us to imagine ourselves and our communities in ways white American culture cannot and will not.

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As the candles were lit each evening, we students were reminded to care for the collective. Celebrating Kwanzaa with my classmates assured me that I belonged.

Kwanzaa was attractive partly because it was FUBU  For Us, By Us, a cultural celebration that was distinctly ours, untainted by white supremacy. It was an annual reminder that #BlackLivesMatter before the hashtag emerged. It felt pristine, until it suddenly was sullied for me.

Two years ago, more than a decade after college, I was commissioned to write about the history of Kwanzaa. Thats when I learned that Karenga had been convicted of heinous felonies. Though he denied the allegations, in 1970 he and three other members of the US Organization, a black nationalist group based in Los Angeles, imprisoned and assaulted two female members. Trial testimony revealed that the women had been whipped with cords, beaten with batons, and seared with irons  while naked  in an effort to elicit confessions that they were conspiring against him. Those confessions never materialized. Karenga served a few years in prison and later went on to get his doctorate and teach.

My stomach lurched as I read about the trial and his conviction. Karenga was found guilty of violence against black women. How could Kwanzaas inventor be that person? What did it mean about the celebration I had embraced? Why did no one talk about his history? And I couldnt help but wonder if Karengas history was elided because Kwanzaas viability was deemed more important than black womens safety.

The discovery felt like a personal loss and a loss for black culture. And it left me with a dilemma  to embrace Kwanzaa or not. In ways, its similar to the dilemma faced by those who admire the work of artists who have been accused of sexual assault or harassment in the #MeToo era: Should we continue to admire the work of a person who has done unconscionable things?

Last year, I didnt celebrate Kwanzaa.

But this year, I will again light the candles every night starting Dec. 26. Kwanzaas originator may have a dark side, but the holiday itself is a beacon. My yearning for it is a sign that it fulfills its goals; it reminds African Americans of their crucial connections to each other.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Recent events call for that reminder. In the two years since I discovered Karengas history, the United States has been subjected to Charlottesville; the unjust killing of Botham Shem Jean, the black man in Dallas shot to death simply because he had opened his apartment door to an off-duty police officer, and so many other crimes against African Americans. There is unending evidence that black lives dont matter enough to the larger society. That makes Kwanzaas message of connection and support within the black community more urgent.

I decided that hating Karengas crimes didnt mean abandoning the good he accomplished. The US Organizations 1960s petition for Black Studies courses in U.S. colleges and universities is one reason those classes existed for me to take in college. His emphasis on Ujamaa, cooperative economics (the fourth principle of Kwanzaa), is why I buy black whenever possible.

Kwanzaa calls on African Americans to see one another and uplift one another, something we particularly need right now. It beckons us to the heights of our humanity, petitioning us to imagine ourselves and our communities in ways white American culture cannot and will not. We need to acknowledge Karengas full story, but it shouldnt tarnish the value and beauty of the holiday that promotes collective action for the collective good.

Chante Griffin is a Los Angeles-based writer. Twitter: @yougochante

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.
Alfonso Cuarons Roma is being touted as a masterpiece for the way it tells an epic story through a granular examination of the everyday life of a middle-class family in early 1970s Mexico City. By focusing on the lives of the help, Cleo and Adela (Yalitza Aparicio and Nancy Garcia), Cuaron has inverted the typical picture of Mexican domestic life by foregrounding the indigenous women who are visible, if at all, usually only at the edges of the frame.

The film opened in Mexico last month, just days before the inauguration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known popularly by his acronym, AMLO), the first proper leftist to take power in Latin Americas second most-populous country in several generations. AMLO cut his teeth in politics by organizing among the indigenous populations of southern Mexico and his new administration has pledged more investment in social programs and regional development to aid indigenous Mexicans. By example, he also hopes to help change the discriminatory attitudes toward Indians of Mexicos mestizo population, with its mix of European and indigenous ancestry.

It is, in other words, a moment of reckoning in Mexico, and the film has helped to focus the conversation on the legacy of colonialism and how it extends to the most intimate of spheres  as inside Cuarons autobiographical home in Roma, where Cleo and Adela, Mixtec Indians from Oaxaca, work from dawn until well into the night picking up after four young children, cracking soft-boiled eggs at the dinner table and sweeping up dog poop (a task forgotten often enough to suggest silent rebellion).

Roma takes its name from the Mexico City neighborhood that Cuaron grew up in, but it could just as well be set in contemporary Silver Lake or Sherman Oaks.

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The conversation taking place in Mexico around household employment is one that should also be taking place in L.A., and other cities across the United States where an army of domestic workers tends to the needs of middle and upper middle class families. Yet theres little sign of that, despite the ebullient Oscar buzz the film is generating. The film takes its name from the eponymous Mexico City neighborhood that Cuaron grew up in, but it could just as well be set in contemporary Silver Lake or Sherman Oaks.

By the end of the 1990s, at the peak of a great wave of migration, Latin American women had largely replaced African American women as domestics in California. A great many of these women are indigenous. Like Cleo and Adela, they coo to the children they care for in English and Spanish (and Zapotec, Otomi and dozens of other indigenous languages). These relations often transcend language. In Roma, there is also a lot of touching between the domestics and their charges -- playful, tender, and on occasion gently disciplinary.

It is a troubled intimacy, one haunted by colonial ghosts.

When my twin daughters were born 11 years ago, their mother and I employed several women part-time to help us as we hopscotched across Los Angeles to and from our jobs. The woman who stayed on the longest, was from Oaxaca. Her name, like that of one of the indigenous characters in Roma, is Adela, and she has lived in this country for more than 29 years without returning to her village for fear that shed never be able to make it back across a border that became ever more militarized. She made the calculation that millions of others in her situation have made: If she were trapped on the other side, what then would become of her four daughters born and raised in the United States? Today, two of them are college graduates and one is still in school. But staying here led to an inevitable price for Adela. Last year, her mother died back home. They had not seen each other, had not kissed or embraced, in decades. Their goodbyes were over a cellphone.

On occasion Id be home when Adela was working and it was nap time for the twins. Walking by the bedroom Id hear her whispering to them in Spanish and Zapotec, and see her fingers spidering lightly over my girls heads. The twins, now tweens, still cherish the memory of those moments. There was something so familiar, so soothing in that gentle tapping across their scalps that would guide them to peaceful sleep.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

I can only think of that touch in Spanish, as a caricia, a caress, one that is exchanged only among closest family. I know that Adela is and is not part of my family, that her caricias perhaps came at the expense of spending time with her own children, and that we could never truly repay her for that loving touch  certainly not with a salary that would allow her to find the same kind of care for her children. Class and culture and to an extent language  colonial history  separate us. In this asymmetrical relationship, I get the sense that Adela knows my family far better than we will ever know her.

That I am a mestizo man who can converse relatively intimately with Adela complicates the story  but perhaps not by much. This relationship, in all its messiness, establishes me as a subject of colonial history just as much as Adela is. In Roma, Cuaron provokes with a question that the indigenous subject seems to be addressing to the Mexican middle class: Who are you, in relation to us?

It is a question that we need to ask ourselves on this side of the border as well. Forget Trumps wall for the moment: What of the social and economic walls putative progressives have built between themselves and the immigrant working class?

The question posed in Roma is this: Who are we in relationship to one another, in a world made and undone by the curse of modernity  by material wealth and its ever more radically uneven distribution?

The Cleos and Adelas among us are waiting for our answer.

Ruben Martinez is a professor at Loyola Marymount University and author of Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail.
To the editor: Unfortunately for our nation, we have a president who is not only unwilling to take the advice of individuals who are more knowledgeable on many topics than he is, but also one who recklessly wields his unilateral authority.

The resignation of Defense Secretary James N. Mattis is only the latest example in what is now a series of events that put our nation at risk.

The presidents order to remove our remaining forces in Syria represents an abnegation of our effort to restrain Islamic State and an opportunity for Iran to assert itself and present a mortal threat to Israel. It also assures Russias dominance in the Middle East.

Mattis has stood up against a policy that he opposes. Will the incoming Democratic majority in the House do the same, and will it have the support of the Republicans?

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Nelson Marans, New York

..

To the editor: The emperor has no clothes. It would take a willfully blind eye to ignore the mounting evidence of our presidents disregard for the law and our security.

The president is willing to shut down the government, pull out of Syria and greatly draw down our forces in Afghanistan. He has ignored our friends and given comfort to our adversaries.

Americans have come together in past times of crisis. Now is the time to cast aside partisanship. I appeal to Congress to apply the methods provided in the Constitution for a peaceful removal of our disruptive president.

We are better than this.

Arthur Kraus, Venice

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: The L.A. Times reported that the government-owned news service Voice of America, or VOA, faces difficulties because the same chief executive who oversees the network also runs American networks that have long been viewed as producing pro-democracy propaganda  including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

RFE/RL does not produce propaganda  though, like most U.S. media, it believes democracy is superior to dictatorship. It is governed by the same standards of journalistic professionalism as VOA and other U.S. international media.

While VOAs job is to tell Americas story abroad, the mission of RFE/RL, which is based in Prague, is to create a free local press in nations where independent media do not exist or are still developing. RFE/RL provides accurate local news to a 20-nation region that includes the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

RFE/RLs reliable news coverage in 25 languages attracts a weekly audience of 31 million people, despite the efforts of some regimes to block it on the internet, jam its broadcasts and intimidate citizens who turn to it for accurate information. Americans should be proud of RFE/RLs work.

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Thomas Kent, New York

The writer was president and chief executive of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty through September of this year.

..

To the editor: The Dec. 14 article about potential transition challenges at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) paints a misleading picture of our work.

USAGM is an independent U.S. government agency that oversees five media networks  the Voice of America, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks  each of which provides credible, objective and accurate reporting.

The credibility of our journalism is paramount to our mission  to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. Collectively, these networks employ more than 3,500 journalists, many of whom risk their lives and livelihoods to report in some of the worlds more media-repressive environments.

Our journalism is required by law to be conducted in accordance with the highest professional standards of broadcast journalism, which by definition does not allow propaganda. Any violation of these standards at all five USAGM networks is met with direct and rigorous attention.

Breaches in reporting ethics and standards cannot and should not be attributed to an administration change. Nor should the mistakes of a few be used to discredit the award-winning work of thousands of fearless USAGM journalists around the globe.

John F. Lansing, Washington

The writer is chief executive and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.
Prospects for a quick end to the partial federal government shutdown dimmed Saturday as congressional Democrats and the White House failed to resolve their debate over President Trumps demand for $5billion in funding for his Mexican border wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced late Saturday afternoon that the Senate would not reconvene until Thursday, ensuring that the shutdown would last through Christmas and probably longer.

Although McConnell described the ongoing discussions as productive, he said there would be no Senate votes until all sides could agree on a way forward.

The president continued to lob accusations at Democrats, saying they are jeopardizing the nations security by opposing funding for the wall.

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Democrats charge the president with manufacturing a crisis rather than working on a compromise that could pass both the House and Senate.

The stalemate closed roughly one-fourth of the U.S. government as of Saturday, and although most Americans are unlikely to see the impact over the holidays, several hundred thousand federal employees may go without pay unless the White House and Congress can reach a deal.

Resolving the stalemate has been complicated, in part, by the presidents shifting positions on what he might be willing to accept.

Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, center, is surrounded by reporters after leaving the Senate chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Erik S. Lesser / EPA)

Trump initially said he would support a bipartisan spending bill that was passed by the Senate and that did not include funding for a wall.

But by midweek, he said he would not sign the measure unless it had money for his wall. The president then attacked Democrats, warning that a shutdown will last for a very long time and later tweeting that The Democrats now own the shutdown!

Trump is facing intense pressure from conservatives to insist on wall funding, though polls show most Americans do not support that position.

On Saturday, Trump called a lunch meeting with Vice President Mike Pence; his senior aide, son-in-law Jared Kushner; acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney; and several Republican lawmakers, including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which is pressing for wall money. The attendee list included no congressional Democrats.

Afterward, Trump tweeted: The crisis of illegal activity at our Southern Border is real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Barrier or Wall. Let work begin!

A senior administration official, in a call with reporters, showed no indication that the White House was prepared to back down from Trumps demand for wall funding.

We have continued to put forth what we think is an important expectation for these negotiations, which is $5 billion in border security, the official said.

Later Saturday, the White House announced that the president would further delay his plans to go to Florida for the Christmas holiday.

Senate Democrats, who have offered up to $1.6 billion for border security, but not for a wall, expressed frustration and again countered Trumps effort to pin the blame for the shutdown on Democrats.

Regrettably, America has now entered a Trump Shutdown, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. 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 said.

Unable to reach a deal to reopen the government, lawmakers have left and will not be back until next week. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted.

The initial effect of the government shutdown, the third since Trump took office, is relatively minor. Congress had previously approved spending measures to keep most of the government operating, including core functions like the Postal Service, the military and entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

The impact of the impasse will also be blunted by normal holiday closures.

Still, the shutdown will hit nine federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and the Interior, which includes national parks. Roughly 380,000 workers will be furloughed and some 420,000 employees whose jobs are considered essential will be forced to work without pay, although they will probably be paid retroactively.

In California, victims of the wildfires that devastated parts of the state will not have to add a government shutdown to their list of troubles, federal authorities said Friday.

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 Woolsey fire burned through a large swath of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, hundreds of FEMA employees have been in the state to help with the emergency response.

National parks across the country have managed to stay open this weekend as well, in some cases partially.

At Joshua Tree National Park, the visitors center was shuttered and organized ranger activities were curtailed Saturday morning, but the gates were open, 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 of park employees here to respond to emergencies if they arise, but thats it.

Yosemite National Park was also open, with the shuttles, tours, restaurants and lodging operating as normal for this time of year.

Some remote restrooms would be closed, and maintenance, such as trash removal, might not be as frequent at the restrooms that remained open in higher-traffic areas, according to an update on the parks website.

Elsewhere, state governments were pitching in to keep parks open  and local businesses thriving  during the traditionally busy holiday travel season.

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.

All of Utahs national parks will also remain open, including Zion, which drew more than a hundred thousand visitors over Christmas week last year.

A sign said the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside Las Vegas was closed due to the partial government shutdown, but the gates were open and cars streamed through the entrance throughout Saturday. There was no one to take the usual $15 fee, so visitors entered without paying.

By midafternoon, hundreds of cars had made their way along the winding road and parked at different viewing areas to take in the scenery. The Red Rock visitors center was closed, however, with a gate blocking it off.

Hundreds of people hiked their way down through narrow canyons. A few posed on top of boulders for photos. A long line was forming at the restroom, and a van ferrying tourists from the Strip was bringing more visitors in.

Charlie and Beth Goldstein had come from Long Island, N.Y., to visit family and spend some time at the Calico stop  the first one on the 11-mile loop. Charlie Goldstein said he was well aware of the partial shutdown.

We love coming here, he said. And this was our best chance to visit.

Times staff writers David Montero in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nev., Irfan Khan in Joshua Tree and Jack Dolan, Joel Rubin and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Park ranger Dylan Moe provides park maps to visitors at the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The latest from Washington 

don.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @dleelatimes
Democrats cheered the narrow victory this month of Rep.-elect T.J. Cox over three-term Republican Rep. David Valadao in a battleground Central Valley district as part a blue wave that swept Democrats into office across the nation. But heres something thats gone largely unspoken: Cox may have won because Valadao lost.

Thats not meant to be a clever way of stating the obvious. Rather, its that final election data in most of the seven California congressional districts that flipped to the Democrats suggest the real story was a widespread Republican drought. Relatively tepid turnout left GOP incumbents high and dry.

Few felt that more than Valadao in the 21st Congressional District, which stretches south of Fresno through Hanford and down to the outskirts of Bakersfield. Final election results show only 49% of the districts voters cast ballots  a 9.5-percentage-point drop from 2016.

The only candidate hurt by that was Valadao. Cox received almost exactly the same number of votes in his 2018 victory as Emilio Huerta, the Democrat who lost in 2016. Valadao saw his support drop by more than 18,000 ballots from two years ago. Democrats can rightly be proud they won, but the real story is that crucial GOP supporters appear to have skipped the race.

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For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work 

A similar fate befell Turlock Rep. Jeff Denham in his defeat by Democratic Rep.-elect Josh Harder. It was the erosion of Denhams vote total from 2016, not a surge in votes cast for a Democrat, that sealed the four-term Republicans fate.

All seven House seats lost by California Republicans saw elections with either slightly or significantly lower voter turnout this fall. In Orange County, defeated Reps. Mimi Walters of Laguna Beach and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa saw their totals drop by between 36,000 and almost 42,000 votes from the previous election. And lest anyone think it was just because those veteran legislators were unpopular, its worth noting that Republican Young Kim  a former Orange County state legislator  received more than 32,000 fewer votes in losing the race to replace retiring Fullerton Rep. Ed Royce.

Across California, a review of the data generally dispels the assertion that voters were clamoring to weigh in on House races. Twenty-three of the states 53 districts had a smaller percentage of registered voters cast ballots than the surging statewide average of 62.5%. Those that saw the highest turnout were often cakewalks for incumbent Democrats  the district represented by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-San Jose) was tops in California with more than 74.4% of voters showing up. Only three GOP congressmen, however, were reelected in races with turnout above the statewide average.

Theres real peril in reading the tea leaves of an election too closely. Even in races in which Democrats upset GOP incumbents but won similar numbers of ballots as failed challengers in 2016, the votes could have come from different voters. Aggressive, well-funded Latino voter turnout operations could have meant more of this years Democratic ballots were cast in traditionally underrepresented communities.

Still, the numbers offer a final powerful example of how poorly the Republican political brand played in regions across California in 2018. Many of the felled Republican incumbents tried mightily to wipe off the toxic residue their voters saw from President Trump or the GOP agenda in Congress. But their base of support shrank, in some cases by tens of thousands of votes. In some of those defeats, there was indeed a wave or flood of Democrats voting. But in others it was as though Republican incumbents who had come to rely on a steady stream from their electoral faucet found this time only a trickle.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast
Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson has regained consciousness after being in a medically induced coma for three weeks following a knockout loss Dec. 1.

Stevensons girlfriend, Simone God, issued a statement Saturday saying the light heavyweight boxer was awake.

He is healing from his injury in the private company of his family and his dedicated medical team, God said. Adonis is a world champion in the ring and is exhibiting that same grit, strength and determination in his recovery.

Stevensons condition deteriorated after he was helped into the dressing room following the fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. Stevenson was transported to hospital by ambulance and was admitted with a traumatic brain injury that required rapid neurosurgery.

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Intensive care specialist Dr. Alexis Turgeon told reporters this month that the majority of patients suffer lasting effects from such injuries.
I just finished reading Catharine Hamms article about getting a visa and traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam and disagree with her advice [Stamp of Approval for Pros, On the Spot, Dec. 9]. We traveled there this year, and I can say that visa procurement services are overrated and expensive.

If you read, follow the consulate advice and submit the proper documents, there is no reason to use these services. The Vietnamese Embassy will accept direct applications from a traveler, and the turn-around time is shorter than using a third-party service. The requirements are the same for either method, so there is no advantage to using an expediter.

As for Cambodia, we went to the honorary consulate in Long Beach and were out in 30 minutes without surrendering our passports.

John Stephens

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Costa Mesa

::

Weve traveled to about 60 countries in Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.

Heres my take on the visa issue: If you can afford the trip, its worth a few extra dollars (and in some cases, especially if there are time constraints, more than a few extra dollars) to be certain youll be able to enter the country when you land at the airport or disembark from the boat.

If things havent been done properly, the consequences are dire. There are times to use a professional, and this is probably one of them.

To avoid problems, check not only your passports expiration date but also whether there are sufficient visa pages for visa stamps. Those blank pages at the back of the passport are for endorsements and cant be used for visa stamps.

As far as drinking the water or eating the food, I agree with those who say Peel it, cook it, boil it or discard it. I cant say I always followed this advice, but fortunately Pepto-Bismol tablets helped me deal with the consequences.

Daniel Fink

Beverly Hills

Dogs and sleds dont mix

I was shocked and saddened to see a progressive paper like the L.A. Times promote and encourage dog sledding all in the name of a view and an adventure [Arctic Escape, by Scott Fritz, Dec. 9].

This has been proved to be a cruel practice for these dogs, and it has taken many years for animal advocates to expose the harm it does to them. These dogs dont even have booties to protect their feet.

I hope you give these articles more thought on the repercussions that may result. Perhaps a counter article on the cruelty and harm sledding does to these beautiful creatures would help to reduce the damage done and cause people to give it a second thought before embarking on such a trip.

Bernie Joyce

Calabasas

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
During her working trip to Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh highly appreciated the efforts made by doctors and nurses at the hospital in caring for peoples health.

She asked the military doctors at the hospital to improve their qualifications in serving patients and fulfilling their assigned tasks in the UNs peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

A ceremony to commemorate and rebury the remains of 11 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who laid down their lives for national defence was held at Vi Xuyen districts war martyrs' cemeteries in Ha Giang province, on the morning of December 21, in the presence of National Assembly Vice Chairman Do Ba Ty.

A seminar was organised at the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi on the same day, presenting 50 speeches highlighting General Vo Nguyen Giap and his contributions to preserving and promoting traditional culture. An exhibition of documents and objects on his life and career also took place on the sidelines of the event.

The Hai Phong city authorities also hosted a gathering of more than 1,200 retired senior army officials in the city to show gratitude to their services to the fatherland.

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Ngo Sach Thuc, met with Division 308 to congratulate the officers and soldiers there on the founding anniversary of the Vietnam Peoples Army. Division 308 was established 69 years ago and achieved glorious feats of arms during the national resistant wars against the French and Americans.

Also on December 21, a delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese community in Mozambique visited mobile operator Movitel, a joint venture between Vietnamese company Viettel and Mozambiques SPI, and extended congratulations to the officers and soldiers of the company.
Its Christmastime in Seoul  the city decked out in festive lights, storefronts adorned with red and white decorations and the steady clang of Salvation Army bells echoing through subway stops.

Here, though, its not the latest popular toys that fly off the shelves this time of year. In hot demand instead are birth control pills, condoms and Christmas-themed lingerie.

A reservation at one of Seouls many rent-by-the-hour motels on Christmas Day? Many book up weeks earlier, even at prices that can be double or more the normal rate.

Christmas, first brought to this nation by American missionaries in the late 19th century and designated a public holiday under U.S. military rule in the 1940s, has since evolved into a very different kind of celebration than the one across the Pacific.

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Volunteer Santa Clauses throw their hats in the air during a Christmas charity event in Seoul in 2015. (Lee Jin-man / Associated Press)

Even though South Korea is about 30% Christian, Christmas is widely celebrated as a secular lovers holiday not unlike Valentines Day, especially among the younger generation.

And because its customary for most unmarried young adults to live with their parents, Christmas has become a cherished occasion for couples to seek some privacy. So much so that a few years ago, the convenience store chain 7-Eleven Korea said that it sold more condoms on Christmas Day than any other day of the year, more than 2 times as many as an average day.

Its just expected that you spend it with a lover, said 24-year-old college student Jamie Park. Society and social media ads reinforce that.

U.S. has little to show for stalled nuclear talks with North Korea 

His girlfriend, Lucy Kim, 27, chimed in: They say if you dont have a lover to spend it with, its a lonely and miserable holiday.

Park and Kim, newly dating as of about a month ago, stood on a frigid Seoul street corner giggling and feeding each other spoonfuls of ice cream, near a stream decorated with holiday lights. They were planning to go to a concert on Tuesday for their first Christmas together.

The two hadnt yet settled on plans beyond the concert, but Park said several of his friends were complaining about the difficulty of booking a motel for Christmas night. One resourceful friend had booked a room a month ago.

How Christmas in Korea came to be more naughty than nice is a tale of the unlikely confluence of American cultural influence, military rule and young Koreans eager to party.

After initially being celebrated as a religion holiday here by a small number of Christians in the early part of the 20th century, Christmas gained popularity in the years after the Korean War truce in 1953. During those years, the typically strictly enforced nighttime curfew was lifted on Christmas Day by the U.S. forces controlling Seoul.

American-style dance halls were springing up around the same time, and while police usually cracked down on them as morally objectionable, they were given a pass on Christmas, according to Kang Jun-man, a communications professor at Chonbuk University who surveyed accounts in Korean newspapers about Christmas celebrations.

The holiday never took hold as a family celebration because most families already gather during two Korean holidays  Lunar New Year and the mid-autumn harvest festival.

An unexpected consequence of the thaw between the two Koreas: a budding real estate boom along the DMZ 

By the 1960s, Christmas in Korea had became established as an occasion for cavorting for the young. In 1964, the Walkerhill Hotel held a massive Christmas Eve dance party that sold out despite steep ticket prices, and all of its 450 rooms were booked, according to a news article from the time.

A Korean-language editorial published on Dec. 24, 1965, decried that Christmas Eve had become a night without rationality and questioned: Who made these youngsters roam the streets late at night and spend the night with obscene gestures?

The customs of the night have long been repressed by curfew, the Joongang Ilbo editorial said, according to Kang. And because of the freedom of the night, curfew-free Christmas Eve could never just be holy.

Tourists take a selfie in front of an 8-meter-tall installation by South Korean pop artist Im Ji-bin, which was set up ahead of Christmas in lieu of a tree in downtown Seoul. (Yonhap /EPA-EFE/REX)

There are, of course, Christians appalled by the way the holiday is celebrated in Korea.

The website GodPeople.com, an online Christian store and website, has been running an annual campaign since 2001 to recover the true meaning of Christmas.

Nonbelievers think of it as a festival, an occasion to celebrate with family, friends and lovers, said general manager Kim Hee-dong, who conceived of the campaign. It was regrettable that the true meaning of Jesus birth was lost.

But if Dr. Cho Byung-goos gynecology practice in the popular Hongdae area of Seoul is any indication, Christmas very much remains a lovers occasion. Each Dec. 26, Cho is invariably busy with several patients seeking emergency morning-after contraception.

We dont consider it a family holiday, so many of us end up spending it with lovers, said Cho, a board member of the Korean Assn. of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which has used the Christmas season as an opportunity to increase awareness of birth control.

People get excited on Christmas Eve, he said. There are new encounters and opportunities to meet people.

victoria.kim@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @vicjkim
Sudans military on Sunday pledged to stand by President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, according to a tweet by the countrys state news agency, during ongoing street protests decrying worsening economic conditions and demanding that the autocratic leader step down.

The armed forces assert that it stands behind its leadership and its keen interest in safeguarding the peoples achievements and the nations security, safety along with its blood, honor and assets, said the tweet, quoting a military statement.

Bashir hails from the military establishment, which has dominated the country in the six decades since independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule in 1956. The Sudanese president was an army brigadier-general when he joined forces with Islamists to seize power in a 1989 military coup that toppled a freely elected but ineffective government.

In 2009 and 2010, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on genocide and war crimes charges for Bashir over the Darfur region conflict that killed hundreds of thousands; other nations have refused to arrest him.

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Sundays military statement supporting Bashir came as opposition to the autocratic leader mounted and violent street protests continued in a string of cities across the country.

On Sunday, an umbrella coalition of professional unions said the nations doctors will go on an indefinite strike that is expected to be the first of a series of work stoppages amid protests calling on Bashir to step down.

The coalition said the doctors will continue to deal with emergencies during the strike, which begins Monday and aims to paralyze the government and deny it much-needed revenues. The coalition statement also called on citizens to continue street protests, which entered their fifth day Sunday, according to activists, with demonstrations in several cities.

There have also been calls by a number of independent trade and professional unions for a general strike on Wednesday.

The protests are chiefly over the rising prices and shortages of food and fuel. A steep rise decreed last week in the price of bread, a main staple for most Sudanese, proved to be the final straw. The protests prompted authorities to suspend classes in schools and universities in a string of cities, including the capital, Khartoum, and to impose a nighttime curfew in some of them.

Authorities on Saturday detained more than a dozen opposition leaders, including one who is in his 80s.

On Sunday, according to Sudanese activists, protests took place in several cities. In the railway city of Atbara, north of Khartoum, police used tear gas and batons to disperse nearly a 1,000 demonstrators, according to the activists, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Participants in the protests have so far numbered in the hundreds or low thousands in each location, but their continuation for nearly a week despite the use of force by police suggests the level of popular discontent over Bashirs rule is at a dangerously high level.

Opposition leader Sadek Mahdi, who led the democratically elected government ousted by Bashir in the 1989 coup, told reporters Saturday that as many as 22 people were killed in clashes with police since the protests began.

Supporters of Sadek Mahdi, Sudans ex-prime minister and opposition leader, gather as he addresses them in a mosque in Omdurman on Dec. 19 after his return from exile. (Ashraf Shazly / AFP/Getty Images)

The government has acknowledged fatalities in the protests but provided no figures.

Mahdi returned home last week from a year in exile abroad; thousands of his supporters welcomed him. Addressing a news conference Saturday, he said the protests were legitimate and that he supported a peaceful change of government.

Bashir, who is in his mid-70s, has in the past ordered the use of force against protesters  including in the last round of unrest in January  successfully crushing them to remain one of the longest serving leaders in the region. Although his time at the helm has seen Sudan plunging into one crisis after another, he is seeking a new term in office. Lawmakers loyal to him are already campaigning to rally support for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run in the 2020 election.

On Saturday, the emir of the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, spoke to Bashir by phone, lending his support and offering aid, Sudans state news agency reported.

Qatar is at sharp odds with some of Sudans key Arab backers, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Qatars aid offer, the details of which are yet to be announced, could either discourage those allies from helping Bashir ride out the current crisis or, to the benefit of Sudan, prompt them to match Qatars aid or even outdo it.

Sudans economy has struggled for most of Bashirs rule, which has failed to unite or keep the peace in the religiously and ethnically diverse nation, losing three-quarters of the countrys oil wealth when the mainly animist and Christian south seceded in 2011.
According to a report from the Ministry of National Defence, between 2016 and 2018, it worked with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to transfer 1.9 million documents on martyrs to the Ministry of Information and Communications to build a database for the search and identification work. The MoLISA have collaborated with the Vietnam Post Corporation to design and operate an information portal on martyrs, graves, and cemeteries.

During the period, 5,885 sets of remains have been found, of which, 2,670 were unearthed in Vietnam, 854 in Laos, and 2,362 in Cambodia. Since 2017, 284 sets of remains have been verified and 475 other martyrs have been identified via DNA tests.

The implementation of the two projects has faced various difficulties, including the increasing scarcity of information on martyrs and their families, the large number of remains in need of being found or identified, and mistakes in information management activities.

The Ministry of National Defence said it will work to essentially complete a national database on martyrs, their families, graves, and cemeteries, as well as search maps at commune, district, and provincial levels nationwide. The search campaigns in Cambodia and Laos will continue to be carried out, it added.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam lauded the effective coordination of the agencies involved in carrying out the two projects.

He ordered the Ministry of National Defence to direct the relevant agencies to accelerate the search for remains and defuse leftover bombs at key locations, submit research to the Government on an identification process for the remains that lack information, and complete the search maps.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Mahatma Gandhi  The Great Communicator

The following is the text of the Gandhi Peace Foundation Lecture 1995 delivered by Nikhil Chakravartty in New Delhi on January 30, 1995. It first appeared in Mainstream (October 3, 1998) after N.C.s demise.

I am deeply touched by having been asked to deliver this years Gandhi Peace Foundation Lecture. Nobody is more conscious than I am about my inadequacy in speaking on this sacred occasion, the day of the martyrdom of the greatest son of my country. Perhaps my only qualification to talk about him is that I belong to the generation that was witness to the historic transition from subjection to freedom of our great motherland, and as a young reporter I cherish the memory of the exciting moments in the presence of Gandhi.

I am no scholar of the study of Gandhijis great life, rather I spent my activist youth as an impudent critic of the elders in our national movement for independence. Having spent over half-a-century as a journalist, I have chosen as the subject of this presentation: Mahatma Gandhithe Great Communicator. This is a very subjective endeavoura string of cursory thoughtsbased largely on my personal reflections on our struggle for freedom and how it acquired its unique characteristic from the way Gandhiji built and guided it.

Our freedom struggle needs to be assessed in a historical perspective. Its dominant charac-teristic that marks it out from other great revolutions in history was its tremendous sweep. No other revolution in history set in motion so many millions of people. This is no idle boast but the plain statement of a historical reality which is often missed by our academics and politicians alike.

In late eighteenth century France, the objective conditions of mass discontent and disenchant-ment with the ancient regime no doubt prevailed, but the actual revolutionary action involved a small number of a few thousand, mostly in Paris: once the fuse was lighted, the revolution flared up in different parts of France without any coherent leadership. It was largely a spontaneous upsurge, even the leadership at the core could not hold its own and it changed hands fast so that even those who led it at the beginning were soon either left by the wayside or liquidated, giving rise to the classic phrase that the revolution had devoured its own children.

The Russian Revolution had a more organised leadership than those who had led the French Revolution, but it was a small band of deter-mined militant revolutionaries under a leader who had an uncanny sense of the configuration of forces ranged in a decadent imperial system. So, when the Czarist system itself cracked up with the fasco of defeat in the First World War, Lenin gave the call for capture of power which the Bolsheviks swiftly carried out. In terms of moving millions into revolutioinary action, the Bolshevik Revolution was mostly the handiwork of small groups of determined revolutionaries who, everywhere, first captured the key points of power and then sought to redesign the social structure in the interest of the common people as they thought fit. In a sense it was a sort of managerial revolution led by a party which concentrated on the means of capturing power, and power alone.

The Chinese Revolution was also similar to the Russian Revolution in its broad historical sweep. In this case also, it was a small group of a few thousand led by a remarkable leader, Mao Zedong, steeled in the Long March which was a sort of armed padayatraa decade-old campaign to rouse the peasantry in some pockets of the vast sprawling domain of China with the administrative system itself having broken down and replaced by an ineffective regime under the Kuomintang. It was the specialisation of the guerrilla war approach which enabled Mao to spread his network taking advntage of the Japanese occupation of most of the mainland. Unlike the Russian Revolution, which relied more on the working class, the Chinese Revo-lution targeted largely on the peasantry. Here too, the number of people actively engaged in mass action was smallthe same reliance on a determined band. The form of action was essentially armed guerrilla forays which harassed the enemy and finally overpowered it. This way the authority of the state was subverted until the final citadel of power was captured, and thereby the guerrilla bands of yesterday were joined together to form the victorious Peoples Liberation Army.

Compare these three great landmarks in modern history with what happened in our country in the first half of the twentieth century. Stage by stage, the premier nationalist organisation, committed to the struggle for independence, fully involved larger and larger sections of the people into the vortex of struggle for power. This way, the only weapon for winning power was to organise larger and larger sections of Indias unarmed humanity into mass action. By the time independence actually came, the Congress commanded much larger sections of the people than anybody had so far done in history.

The main feature of the Indian struggle for freedom has been that it throughout depended almost wholly on activating the masses by injecting into them the urge for independence by emphasising the strength of the Indian people vis-a-vis the colonial rulers, and thereby set them free from the fear of the ruler. The non-violence, as it was practised, emphasised on the strength of the Indian people in relation to the ruler who had to depend on the gun for establishing his authority. The fact that through the Arms Act the Indian people were denied the right to defend themselves was turned into a symbol of strength, that the people would depend on their conscious strength to ward off the foreign ruler. This meant constant effort on the part of the leaders of the independence movement at raising the consciousness of the vast masses of common peoplenot just a small section of determined revolutionaries as had been the case of the other great revolutions. The fact that the Indian people were not permitted to bear arms under the British Raj was not allowed to dampen or demoralise the millions. Rather, a new form of strength was instilled into their consciousness.

This aspect of the Indian Revolution marks it out as distinct from the other revolutions in modern times. Nowhere was the question of the gun permitted to be of supreme or decisive importance in the mainstream of our national struggle for independence. This does not mean that the sacrifice of those revolutionaries who unwaveringly gave their lives by taking up arms against the foreign ruler was of no consequence. From Aurobindo Ghosh and Savarkar to Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad to Subhas Chandra Bose, they all made the finest contributions to the struggle for freedom, but the successive waves of mass upheavals that decisively brought down the British rule in India did not depend on the wielding of arms by a small minority of dedicated revolutionaries, but essentially on the raising of the level of consciousness of the broad masses of the people.

This precisely was the unique contribution of Gandhiji. When historians and publicists talk of Gandhi having taken politics from the monopoly of the intelligentsia to the wider world of the common humanity, it was not just a question of broadening the base of the movement for freedom. This was not merely a question of quantitative increase in the number of participants in the movement but qualita-tively a different type of movement emerged with its essentially distinct hallmark.

How was this achieved, what was the weapon by which the mass consciousness was raised? How was the message of the freedom struggle conveyed to the common people? Herein comes Gandhis role as a great communicator. For, he depended solely on communicating the message of freedom to the masses and thereby sought to lift their consciousness. That message was not just a mere exhortation for rousing the emotional urge of a nation to be freehowever important might have been that task for welding the sense of unity among the people. This had been done in a limited area during the Bengal anti-partition movement of 1905which in a particular region had assumed the character of a mass movement and had been successful in forcing the British rulers to abandon their plan to vivisect one of the militnat pockets of the national movement.

Gandhijis movement, on the other hand, was much more comprehensive: it tried to activate all the diverse sectors of the national spectrum. From the affluent classes to the impoverished, from the intelligentsia to the unletterednobody was left out. It was not just confined to tending only the grassroots level as we notice nowadays a multitude of activist groups have been doing. No doubt these are bringing some relief to the people at the bottom. By their endeavour these activist groups have certainly been educating and activating the uncared-for sections of society to stand on their own legs. What distinguished Gandhis movement for independence was that it was not only much more comprehensive but it sought to open the eyes of the millions left in darkness about the limited capacity of the foreign ruler and the great opening for the countrys advance once the foreign ruler was forced to quit through the demonstration of strength by the people.

Gandhiji ran the pilot project of his new technique in South Africa against the hated rule of apartheid. There too he did not advocate the taking up of arms but sought to instil into the common people a realisation of their own strength in blocking and muzzling the White rulers oppressive rule. From that apprenticeship abroad, when he came back to India in 1915, political activity in the country was afflicted with stagnation and political forces, mostly confined to the intelligentsia, were in disarray. The tour he undertookhis Bharat Darshanenabled him to understand the urges of the common people and one of his first acts was the Champaran satyagraha, a form of struggle so unfamiliar to both the Indian politician and the British ruler of the day. Drawing upon his South African experience, he made a special effort at cultivating the minority Muslim community and from then onwards came his interest and subsequent compact with the Khilafat agitation. The Rowlatt stayagraha and the Khilafat were his earlier excursions before his first major national campaign in the form of the non-coope-ration of 1920. For the first time in the annals of the national movement, a countrywide cam-paign involving the common masses was initiated.

It is not the purpose of this presentation to trace the history of the freedom strugglewhat is relevant for the purpose is Gandhijis role as a communicator. He left out no means, no technique to rouse the consciousness of the peopleinstil into them the imperative of their active participation in the movement. To enable him to do so, he took up a wide range of activities pertaining to all sections of the peoplefrom education to village welfare, from the spinning wheel to cattle protection. His effort at total identification with the village poor made him design even his personal attire and way of living. Since he looked upon public activity as having an element of moral purpose, he regarded the entire crusade for independence as an experiment with truth. For him the freedom of the country was part of the struggle for truthan approach which was perhaps easier for the unlettered villager, steeped in the tradition of customs, to grasp than the Western educated liberal intelligentsia of the city.

This is an aspect of Gandhijis movement which was not easy to understand for the educated intelligentsia and in this controversy arose the intense debate over the question of linking ends with means. From the Marxists to the radicalists of all hues, the linking of ends and means could not possibly be part of the domain of politics, where the supremacy of the objective of power became of paramount consideration, and hence there could be no organised link between ends and means. In the early thirties when Aldous Huxley reopened the question in his book, Ends and Means, the Indian Marxist response was Ends are Means. This is where Gandhijis insistence on politics and morality being inseparable demarcated him from the Western educated liberals ands helped him to a large measure to be attuned to the philosophical base of very large sections of the corpus of Indias socio-cultural heritage. This also denoted that for him politicsthe struggle for independencecould not be compart-mentalised from the totality of the human condition. In his scheme of things, the struggle for independence was but the manifestation of the wider struggle for the regeneration of the entire society.

As a communicator, Gandhiji, like most of our great leaders, used the medium of the press apart from the spoken word. In the midst of all his multitude of activities, Indian Opinion, Young India and Harijan came out regularlya one-man endeavourconveying his message to his countrymen. The importance that was attached to the written word by Gandhiji and other national leaders reflected their urge to reach out their message to as wide a section of the people as possible. The means to convey that message were often primitive, but no medium available at the time was left out. From traditional interpersonal meansincluding the travelling bardsthe bauls of Bengal, for instanceto the educated student going out on literacy-cum-swadeshi missionsthe composing of patriotic songs and setting up of choirs in villages, mohallas and bustees, to the immortal magic lanternno video at that timenothing was left out. It was a gigantic operation, sustained through the ups and downs of the freeom struggle, and later on followed by handwritten posters and graffiti.

How true to his convictions Gandhiji was in his actual functioning as a journalist could be gathered from many of his writings. Here is a passage from Young India (July 2, 1925) about how he strove to serve as a true communicator:

To be true to my faith therefore, I may not write in anger or malice. I may not write idly. I may not write merely to excite passion. The reader can have no idea of the restraint I have to exercise from week to week in the choice of topics and my vocabulary. It is training for me. It enables me to peep into myself and to make discoveries of my weaknesses. Often my vanity dictates a smart expression or my anger a harsh adjective. It is a terrible ordeal but a fine exercise to remove these weeds.

As a communicator, Gandhiji was aware of the need to take into account the level of aware-ness of his target reader or listener. This can be seen in the very naming of each of the great upsurges. None of these were just spontaneous upsurges, but each one was preceded by meticulous preparations. By the correct standards of a communicator, Gandhiji chose the form of struggle, the target and even the language of every campaign in keeping with the level of consciousness of the common people. In the first round it was Non-Cooperation (1920). Ten years later, it was more assertiveCivil Disobedience (1930-32). And a decade later, having taken into account both the internal and the external circumstances, it was Quit India (1942). With every stage, the tempo was raised higher, mass involvement more intense and widespread than before, until the finale was reached with the battle cry of Do-or-Die. Here was the remarkable manifestation of the acute sensitivity of a great communicator.

It may be worthwhile to refer briefly to a couple of specific instances of how Gandhiji operated as a communicator. Before he undertook the Dandi March for the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, there was careful consultation within the leadership; it was not just the product of the brainwave of one individual leader. Recent research on the subject by a very perceptive scholar in social communication at Ahmedabad has brought out significant details about it. (What Moves the Masses? Salt Satyagraha as Case-Study by Suchitra, Mainstream, January 28, 1995) After the pledge to achieve complete independence, taken on the banks of the Ravi at Lahore on December 31, 1929, first came the Independence Day declaration of January 26, 1930 which catalogued the injustices of the British Raj. Next came Gandhijis letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin, in which eleven demands were raised, including the abolition of the salt tax. Meanwhile, the leaders discussed the form of civil disobedience to be launched. Pandit Nehru and Subhas Bose suggested the setting up of a parallel government while Sardar Patel proposed a march to Delhi or alternatively a countrywide breaking of land laws. Gandhiji envisaged a long drawn-out movement in which the masses would have to be drawn in. He felt the British Government would pounce upon the setting up of a parallel government or a march to Delhi. Gandhiji felt his target audience was the Indian society to be unified and he was conscious of the need to cultivate public opinion abroad. So, the defiance of the salt law was taken up as the initial item of civil disobedience. Resentment at the salt law had a long history. As early as 1844, there were disturbances protesting against this impost which touched even the poorest of the poor. The Congress, at its inaugural session in 1885, had referred to it. During the 1905 swadeshi movement in Bengal, the call was given for the boycott of Manchester cloth and salt imported from Liverpool. At the same time, focusing on this iniquitous tax, Gandhiji expected to mobilise international support, at least to expose the exploitation of the Indian people under the British Raj. In his own hand he wrote out for the press: I want world sympathy in this battle of Right against Might.

Then the form of the struggle. A march from Ahmedabad to the seashore at Dandi passing through villages would provide sufficient space for non-stop propaganda for weeks against the Raj and mobilise villagers along the route, whose publicisation would bestir other volun-teers in other parts of the country, and thereby propagate the vision of Purna Swaraj. The march was undertaken by 80 persons including Gandhiji himself. The other 79 were chosen to represent all the provinces in India, and they were drawn from all communitiesMuslims, Christians and Hindus both upper caste and the depressed. Abbas Tyabji and Sarojini Naidu were chosen as leaders in the event of his own arrestsymbolically representing the Muslims and the womanhood of the country. And he sent his letter to the Viceroy notifying his decision to break the salt law, through an Englishman, Reginald Reynolds, who later recalled:

I realise that Gandhis use of me was symbolicit was to show that this was not a matter of Indians versus British but of principles.

The whole nation was electrified by this new form of mass actiontotally peaceful and non-violent even facing police brutality as the satya-grahis tried to enter the salt factory at Dharasana.

In this campaignthe first truly nationwide mass campaign against the RajGandhi often used the religious idioms as the best means of arousing the rural masses familiar with religious lore. Incidentally, Gandhiji drew the correct lesson from the poor response to the repeat performance of the Dandi March exactly two years later, in 1932after the failure of the Gandhi-Irwin pact. From this the lesson was drawn that the repetition of a specific form of campaign does not fetch the same results. This is a lesson which many of our political parties and mass organisation activists need to keep in mind today.

Ten years after the Civil Disobedience move-ment, I had a personal experience of Gandhijis remarkable style of communication at the Ram-garh Congress session in 1940. The Congress nagar had come up in a rural setting with bamboo and local shrubs. During his early morning walk, Gandhiji noticed a red flag fluttering at a corner of the enclosure reserved for the leaders camp. It appeared that the fraternal delegation from Burmas Dobama party was put up there and so they hoisted their party flag. Panditji was sent for and he tried to explain to Gandhiji that this red flag, being the party flag of the Burmese delegation, should not be taken as a defiant rival to the Congress tricolour. But Gandhiji was adamant, and so Pandijit quietly managed to shift the Burmese delegation to the nearby Dak Bungalow outside the Congress nagar. The matter betrayed an attitude of intolerance on the part of Gandhiji, some of us thought.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Subjects Committee was scheduled to meet. In those days, the Congress as a unique national platform included within its fold different ideological and political formations from the Congress Socialist Party and the banned Communist Party (functioning as the National Front group after the name of its legal journal) as also the so-called Nationalist Congressmen representing by and large the point of view of Hindu orthodoxy. There were arrest warrants against the Commu-nist leaders, including the notification of handsome police reward for their capture. The Communists had sent one of their leaders, Bharadwaj, to participate in the Congress session. With an arrest warrant against him and the police and their informers hovering all over the place, it was difficult for him to come out of his undisclosed shelter in the Congress nagar and place the National Front point of view before the Subjects Committee. The Communists approached Panditji for advice on how Bharadwaj could come to the Subjects Committee session. Panditji promptly went to Gandhiji for advice. Remembering the morning incident, we were almost sure that Gandhiji would be far from helpful. In a few minutes Panditji came out of Gandhijis camp and told us that Bharadwaj would go to the Subjects Committee pandal with Gandhiji himself in his car. We were literally taken aback when we found the car carrying Gandhiji going right at the back of the platform, and out came Bharadwaj trailing behind Gandhiji, and then sat on the dais greeting the leaders from Maulana Azad, Rajen Babu, Sardar Patel and Panditji to JP and all the others. Sardar Patel moved the official resolution, followed by JP who placed the CSP point of view. Then Bharadwaj placed the National Front point of view. Discussions went on, and at the end Sardar Patel replying to the debate tore the CSP and the National Front amendments to pieces and carried the day. Meanwhile, unnoticed by many, Bharadwaj slipped out, helped by Panditji and Dr Lohia.

This indeed was an amazing experience. How could one reconcile Gandhijis morning allergy to the red flag and the very same afternoon, sheltering a wanted Communist leader to come before the party forum and place his point of view? I have thought over this incident many times since. By his conduct, Gandhiji was transmitting two messages. First, by insisting on the removal of the red flag Gandhiji wanted to convey the message to all, that within the national platform which the Congress represented in the struggle against the foreign power, there could be but one leadership, one flagno question of any ambiguity. At the same time, he wanted to convey the clear message to the British Raj that in its confrontation with the Congress, no party would be on its side, that all were behind the Congress. Subsequnetly, it was the breach of this commitment in 1942, when the Communists went against the Quit India upheaval, that they invited upon themselves the anger of Congressmen and were thrown out of the Congress.

The protracted negotiations over the transfer of power and the Muslim Leagues insistence on Pakistan finally led to the Mountabatten Award of June 3, 1947, by which the country was partitioned. As it was well known at the time, Gandhiji was opposed to the partition. The difference between him and the leaders of the Congress flowed out of his premonition about the future. As a great communicator, Gandhiji could not only transmit but perceive as well what was in store. This is borne out by a very penetrating passage in Tendulkars biography, Mahatma. Two days before the Mountbatten Award, that is, on June 1, 1947, Gandhiji had woken up in the morning earlier than usual and spent the time before the prayer in musing:

Today I find myself all alone. Even the Sardar and Jawaharlal think that my reading of the political situation is wrong and peace is sure to return if partition is agreed upon. They did not like my telling the Viceroy that even if there was to be partition, it should not be through British intervention or under the British rule. They wonder, if I have not deteriorated with age. Nevertheless, I must speak as I feel, if I am to prove a true, loyal friend to the Congress and to the British people, as I claim to be, regardless of whether my advice is appreciated or not. I see clearly that we are setting about this business the wrong way. We may not feel the full effect immediately, but I can see clearly that the future of independence gained at this price is going to be dark.

Then after a pause, he pondered:

I shall, perhaps, not be alive to witness it, but should the evil I apprehend overtake India and her independence be imperilled, let posterity know what agony this old soul went through thinking of it. Let it not be said that Gandhi was party to Indias vivisection. But everybody is today impatient for independence. Therefore, there is no other help.

Here is a seer who could communicate his premonition. For those of us who were fortunate in watching him in person, those last days of his lifewith his mind heavy with the unleashing of Hindu-Muslim clashes even when the foreign power had leftwere perhaps the most momentous. On the one hand came the realisation of his goalthe independence of the countrywhile at the same time, the menace of communal hatred was vitiating that newly-won freedom. It was the hour of fulfilment tinged with a horrendous tragedy. For him therefore there was no moment of rest with the achieve-ment of independence: the struggle had to go on. Since he could not avert the partitioning of the country, he had to meet the challenge of its sombre aftermathhow to put out the hell-fire of communal animosity. And so he set out on this, his final crusadehow to turn the millions of common humanity that he had served to mould all his life and make each one of them his brothers keeper. In the midst of blood and fire, he stroveNoakhali, Beliaghata, Bihar and Delhiuntil he fell a martyr to the cause which is yet to be redeemed by his heirs and successors. Till the last drop of life ebbed out of that frail body, the great communicator never ceased for a moment to transmit his messagethe message which remains a sacred injunction even to this day fortyseven years after.

Today, this country needs a Gandhi to bring about the regeneration of our democracy. As morality is being banished from our politics and public life getting corroded all around, this country has the need of the Mahatma, the Great Communicator today more than at any time in the past. Seventy years ago, Mahatma Gandhi had said:

Real swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few, but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused.

This commandment alone can enthrone social justice in this great land of ours.

(Mainstream, October 3, 1998)
The two-day festival introduces every aspect of Thailand to Hanoians, from the combat sport of muay Thai, and traditional puppetry arts of Hun Lakhon Lek to delectable Thai cuisine, folk arts, and the finest products.

Visitors at the event can also join a lucky draw to win full-package tours to Thailand, airline tickets and many other prizes.

Addressing the event, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, described 2018 as a lucky year for Thailands tourism as the country has welcomed 1 million Vietnamese visitors during the year, saying that it was an encouraging sign reflecting the close cooperation and development between the two countries.

He expressed his hope that the number of Vietnamese tourists travelling to Thailand in 2019 would see an increase of 10% in comparison to this year.

For his part, Deputy Director General of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ha Van Sieu, highly appreciated the tourism promotional activities hosted by Thailand in Vietnam, which has attracted great interest from local residents.

He also expressed his belief in the robust bilateral development, particular in tourism links, making Thailand and Vietnam the most favourite destination of citizens from each country.
President Trump's Trade Rubbish

The U.S. trade war rages on. With each passing day, there is news about a flare up, primarily on the front where the United States and China are confronting each other. While these flare ups rattle the markets, they dont seem to rattle President Xi or President Trump. Indeed, neither Xi nor Trump seem inclined to give ground. For his part, Trump has recently tasked Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative, to lead the U.S. in trade negotiations with China. And, Lightizer, having a long ultra-protectionist record, has a reputation for taking no prisoners in trade battles.

President Trump harbors exactly the same ill-conceived trade ideas as Lighthizer. Namely, they believe that the U.S. trade deficit is a major problema problem created by foreigners who engage in a multitude of unfair trade practices. For Trump and Lighthizer, protectionist measures, such as tariffs and discriminatory non-tariff barriers, are the best way to threaten a foreign opponent to ultimately implement change. But, if their opponent does not change, Trump and Lighthizer are perfectly willing to swing the protectionist hammer.

So far, President Trump has done a surprisingly good job of controlling the optics on U.S. trade policy. On trade, he appears cool and secure in his views. He has the total backing of his cabinet. Indeed, most of Trumps cabinet is nothing more than an echo chamber of the President himself, with the notable exception of Larry Kudlow, a free trader and the Presidents Director of the National Economic Council.

Unlike other areas of economic policy where the President has either wavered or flip-flopped, on trade protectionism, he has remained steadfast. Trump has done exactly what he said he would do while out on the campaign trail: He has gotten tough with China on trade.

Now, lets turn to the simple economics and evidence about the trade deficit that proves why President Trumps trade message and protectionist policies are rubbish. In economics, identities play an important role. These identities are obtained by equating two different breakdowns of a single aggregate. Identities are interesting, and usually important, by definition. In national income accounting, the following identity can be derived. It is the key to understanding the trade deficit.



(Imports - Exports )  (Investment - Savings) + (Government Spending - Taxes)

Given this identity, which must hold, the trade deficit is equal to the excess of private sector investment over savings, plus the excess of government spending over tax revenue. So, the counterpart of the trade deficit is the sum of the private sector deficit and the government deficit (federal + state and local). The U.S. trade deficit, therefore, is just the mirror image of what is happening in the U.S. domestic economy. If expenditures in the U.S. exceed the incomes produced in the U.S., which they do, the excess expenditures will be met by an excess of imports over exports (read: a trade deficit).

The table below shows that U.S. data support the important trade identity. The cumulative trade deficit the U.S. has racked up since 1975 is about $11.154 trillion, and the total investment minus savings deficit is about $10.435 trillion. The data talk, and they talk pretty loudly.

Prof. Steve H. Hanke

So, President Trump can bully countries he identifies as unfair traders, he can impose all the restrictions on trading partners that his heart desires, but it wont change the trade balance. Never mind the fact that most economists think President Trumps ideas on trade are rubbish. When it comes to trade, Trump is the master of the message and the optics. In consequence, his base is with him on trade, and so are a surprising number of others.

The problem is that Trumps trade rubbish is tailor-made for delivery on Twitter and television. Indeed, those media outlets are suitable for sound bites, but not for complex arguments and data points.

Thats why economics is at a disadvantage when it comes to Trumps favorite media. Nevertheless, this is what economics has to say about the trade deficit bugaboo. First, it is not a problem. Indeed, the U.S. has run a trade deficit every year since 1976, and the U.S. has done relatively well since then. The sky didnt fall because of our trade deficit. Secondly, the trade deficit is not made by foreigners who engage in unfair trade practices. It is homegrownmade in the U.S.A. To the extent that domestic savings in the U.S. falls short of domestic investments, the economy must import more than its exports, resulting in a negative trade balance.

To finance the excess of imports over exports, the U.S. must import capital from abroad. This can be done without strain because the U.S. dollar is the worlds reserve currency. Our borrowing from abroad shows up in the huge chunk of U.S. public debt that is held by foreigners, with 39% of that total held by the public being in foreign hands.

As it turns out, the Trump administrations fiscal policies, which promise an ever-widening fiscal deficit, will throw a spanner in Trumps trade policy works. If his fiscal deficits are not offset by an increase in private savings relative to private investment, increases in the Federal deficit will translate into larger trade deficits. So, the U.S. trade deficit will not only be made in the good, old U.S.A, it will be made by President Trump himself, an arch-enemy of trade deficits.

The problem with rubbish removal is that when it comes to trade the topic is just too complicated for Twitter, social media, and televisionthe main media that drives public opinion.

By Steve H. Hanke

www.cato.org/people/hanke.html

Twitter: @Steve_Hanke

Steve H. Hanke is a Professor of Applied Economics and Co-Director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Prof. Hanke is also a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.; a Distinguished Professor at the Universitas Pelita Harapan in Jakarta, Indonesia; a Senior Advisor at the Renmin University of Chinas International Monetary Research Institute in Beijing; a Special Counselor to the Center for Financial Stability in New York; a member of the National Bank of Kuwaits International Advisory Board (chaired by Sir John Major); a member of the Financial Advisory Council of the United Arab Emirates; and a contributing editor at Globe Asia Magazine.

Copyright  2018 Steve H. Hanke - All Rights Reserved



Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Steve H. Hanke Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Related Egypt court upholds life sentence for Brotherhood leader Badie and 35 others in Ismailia case

A Cairo Court of Cassation has accepted an appeal by the head of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and 36 others, decreasing their prison sentences in the so-called Beni Suef violence case.

The court reduced Badies sentence from life imprisonment to 10 years.

The remaining defendants had their sentences reduced from 15 years to three years.

Sunday's court verdict is final and cannot be appealed.

The trial had a total of 93 defendants, 56 of whom were tried in absentia.

The verdicts of life imprisonment and 15 years were handed down in September 2017.

The case dates back to the deadly violence that took place in Beni Suef governorate in Upper Egypt in August 2013 after security forces dispersed two Cairo sit-ins protesting the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

The defendants were charged with torching a police station and a nuns school in Beni Suef. They were also charged with inciting violence, vandalising public facilities, belonging to an outlawed group and the possession of weapons and ammunition.

The defendants in the case include leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and former parliamentarians, including Nihad El-Qasim Abdel-Wahhab, secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party in Beni Suef, Sayyed Heikal, Khalid Syed Naji, former members of the Shura Council, and Abdel-Rahman Shukri, a former member of the People's Assembly.

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Facebook has suspended the account of Jonathon Morgan, the researcher behind a disinformation campaign against an Alabama Republican candidate who ended up losing the race for a Senate seat. Morgan claimed it was research.

Morgan, the CEO of New Knowledge, a social media research firm that published a major report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections, has confirmed to The Washington Post that his Facebook account was suspended.

Also on rt.com Psyop which saw Democrats pose as Russians ahead of Alabama poll swept under carpet (VIDEO)

In a statement, Facebook said it had yanked "five accounts run by multiple individuals for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior" and was investigating them.

"We've removed thousands of Pages, Groups and accounts for this kind of behavior, as well as accounts that were violating our policies on spam and coordinated inauthentic behavior during the Alabama special election last year," Facebook said.

Facebook has previously been accused by the US establishment of allowing Russia-linked pages to "sow discord among Americans," but this time there is no finger-pointing at Russia. The mastermind is a reputable US researcher, whose bot-powered effort to drum up support for write-in Republican candidate Mac Watson while smearing the Trump-endorsed Roy Moore, was recently exposed by the New York Times.

The Times reported on Wednesday that Morgan and his team attempted to paint Moore as a Kremlin candidate, linking thousands of alleged Russian Twitter bots to his account and alerting the media to the fact.

A wide-ranging campaign was also launched by New Knowledge-handled accounts on Facebook. According to the report, a specially created generic page boosted Watson's campaign, getting him TV gigs and more recognition. Morgan admitted that he was in contact with Watson, but argued that his false flag campaign did not aim to endorse him or manage to influence the outcome of the vote.

The researcher argued the goal of the campaign was innocuous  to get firsthand knowledge of how the disinformation campaign works in a real-life situation.

In the end, Democrat Doug Jones celebrated a nail-biting win, becoming the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate in over 25 years. Moore lost by 1.5 percentage points in what was described as a shocking defeat.

In the wake of the revelation, Jones said that he "was outraged as anyone else" calling for the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice to investigate New Knowledge's interference.

In an uncharacteristic pitch for a US lawmaker, Jones said that the Americans seemed to be a bit too obsessed with hunting for Russian meddling.

"I think we've all focused too much on just the Russians and not picked up on the fact that some nefarious groups, whether they're right or left, could take those same playbooks and start interfering with the elections for their own benefit," he said.

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Journalist John Pilger has recapped major events and crises that unfolded across the globe this year in an interview to RT.

The recent emerging scandal around the shadowy UK government-funded Integrity Initiative (II) exposed by hackers has been hitting the headlines over the past month. Commenting on their motto which is Defending Democracy against Disinformation Pilger said: I would say satire but it isn't satire.

Also on rt.com Integrity Initiative is the biggest story of 2018  but not because of anything it did

It's been dug from a hole marked Cold War. It sounds like 1950, the investigative journalist told RT's Going Underground, apparently referring to the notorious CIA-led Operation Mockingbird which pursued similar aims.

But it's sort of more serious now because it does tell us where so much journalism has gone, he added.

Posed as a charity fighting disinformation, the Integrity Initiative has been revealed to be conducting secret influence campaigns across Europe and working hand-in-glove with selected journalists to maintain high levels of anti-Russian sentiment within the mainstream media.

This is what I call Vichy journalism. This is journalism of those who are going along with the state.

Pilger told RT's Afshin Rattansi that he finds it difficult to believe how some journalists should allow themselves to be indulged by the British government at a time when there is a litany of lies about Russia, about China  about so many issues that endanger us.

According to Pilger, the Cold War doesn't exist in the most of the world. Most of the world doesn't know what it is about. It exists in the enlightened centers of London and Washington, and perhaps in Berlin or Brussels, the legendary journalist said.

Also on rt.com Do it CIA style: What you need to know about latest leak on UK-funded psyop

Saudi destruction of Yemen

Speaking on the major events of 2018, Pilger pointed at the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen that claimed thousands of lives since the start of the Saudi-led operation in 2015. The journalist recalled that Riyadh whose aircraft and logistics are supplied by the US and Britain wreaked the most hideous havoc on one of the poorest countries in the world.

Why isn't the sufferings of Yemenis absolutely burned into the consciousness of the readers and viewers and listeners of Western media? he wondered.

READ MORE: Millions in Yemen are starving and UK, US & France are behind this  Oxfam representative to RT

Western states have been widely criticized by human rights groups for their continued arms sales to Riyadh. In November, Oxfam accused the US, UK, and French governments of being behind the starvation of 14 million people in Yemen because they are supporting this war. That's about half Yemen's population.

Also more than 22 million out of Yemen's population of 27 million are in need of humanitarian and security aid as a result of the Saudi-led blockade and bombardment.

George H.W. Bush was one of the leading great criminals of the time!

Commenting on the legacy of recently-deceased President George H.W. Bush, Pilger was quite categorical: [He] was undoubtedly one of the leading great criminals of the time! The investigative journalist recalled that while being a CIA director, Bush was overseeing the infamous Operation Condor, a US-backed campaign of political repression aimed at eradicating communists and leftists in the Southern Cone of South America.

He was in charge of operation Condor which was a continent-wide assassination program which caused an enormous amount of death and mayhem.

Also on rt.com Oil tycoon, CIA chief, President: George H.W. Bush was the epitome of American empire

Bushs political landscape during his presidency also wasn't smooth as he ordered what is known as the First Gulf War. There was no war, in fact, there was an enormous assault by overwhelming forces led by General [Norman] Schwarzkopf and of course President Bush in Iraq, Pilger said.

George H.W. Bush, the last Cold War-era US president, passed away December 1 at the age of 94.

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A deputy minister in Kiev suggested that the British Navy should send its warship to the Sea of Azov to test Russias response. Moscow described the idea as bonkers.

When it is being said that Russia wont allow the passage of a British ship, I have one remark  has anyone tried it? Yuri Hrymchak wondered during a talk show aired live on a Ukrainian TV channel on Friday.

Hrymchak serves as deputy minister of temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons  a department tasked with facilitating the future return of Crimea from Russia to Ukraine. He was discussing last months naval standoff near the Kerch Strait.

On November 25, the Russian Coast Guard intercepted and seized two Ukrainian gunboats and a tugboat. Moscow accused the sailors of trying to enter the busy strait, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, while violating existing navigational procedures. In response, Ukraine accused Russia of unprovoked aggression against its vessels.

Also on rt.com Ukraine plans another incursion into Kerch Strait, hopes NATO ships will join in  top official

Since the Royal Navy hydrographic survey ship, HMS Echo has no weapons on board, it is not bound by international regulations, which limit the activity of navies belonging to non-Black Sea states in the region, Deputy Minister Hrymchak argued.

And it would be interesting to see how will [the Russians] would react if this ship sailed in a caravan through the Kerch Strait, the Ukrainian official said. It is not entirely clear how serious he was about this idea.

Nevertheless, officials in Moscow blasted the suggestion as being out of touch with reality. It indicates how dangerous the current regime in Kiev is for the world, Russian Senator Frants Klintsevich said.

This regime is descending deeper into a maniacal condition, he added.

HMS Echo was deployed to the Black Sea earlier this week. The vessel paid a visit to the port of Odessa, which hosts a Ukrainian naval base. The ship itself was visited by Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson during his trip to the nation.

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Egypts police killed 14 members of a terrorist cell in North Sinais Al-Arish during a shootout, a statement by the interior ministry said on Sunday.

Using intelligence from the National Security Agency, police raided a hideout used by the terrorists, leading to an hours-long shootout.

Eight terrorists were killed at the scene of the raid; and six others were killed in a second shootout as they attempted to escape, according to the ministry.

Weapons, ammunition, and IEDs were found at the scene by security forces.

According to the statement, the terrorist cell aimed to carry out a number of terrorist operations against vital institutions, and police and the Armed Forces.

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Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Pennsylvania Horticulture Societys Harvest program ends season with almost 19,000 pounds of produce donated and $30K raised to fight food insecurity
MERIDEN  As many as a half dozen apartments were left uninhabitable after a fire damaged a large apartment house on Cook Avenue early Sunday morning. There were no reported injuries.

Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said the three-story building at 21 Cook Ave., which had between four and six apartments, was severely damaged.

The fire was reported about 5 a.m. Firefighters were on scene until about 7:30 a.m.

This had the potential to be an extremely bad fire, Dunn said. Fortunately everyone got out and there was no injuries.

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the displaced residents.

No further information on the cause of the fire was available.

Devin Leith-Yessian
Gurbir Singh By

Express News Service

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei Technologies, in Vancouver, Canada, at the instance of US authorities on December 1, is sensational, and has set back Chinas relations with the US and Canada several notches. It has raised a bigger question too, one that President Donald Trump has been amplifying: whether Chinese companies are part of cyber hacker groups being used by the Chinese government to steal technology?

From court hearings, it appears Meng is being accused of helping Huawei circumvent US sanctions against Iran by posing a Huawei subsidiary as a separate corporate entity. On the other hand, the Chinese media and government have condemned the arrest and asked for Mengs release, claiming it is a bid to snuff out competition from Huawei.

Theres no doubt that Huawei is big competition. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, it sells smartphones and telecom equipment to 170 countries, including to India. After Samsung, but ahead of Apple, it is the worlds second largest smartphone maker. In calendar year 2017, it shipped 153 million units and reported a revenue of over $36 billion. It is Chinas tech leader and is driving 5G technology.

the US HITS BACK

But security issues now threaten to derail Huaweis growth. US government alerts have advised US citizens against Huawei phones, and the US government agencies are banned from using Huawei equipment. New Zealand and Australia too have imposed a ban on the company participating in the development of 5G telecom systems. Justifying the ban in August this year, the Australian government said Huawei, ZTE and others were likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government and could present a security risk.

Western security agencies cite a Chinese law, which states that companies must cooperate with intelligence services. The US and its allies havegone a step ahead to accusing the Chinese government of using the corporate veil of neutrality to break in and steal copyrighted technology and undermine security. Chinas goal, simply put, is to replace the US as the worlds largest global superpower, said Christopher Wray, FBI Director.

In India, though there have been oft rumblings about national security issues about Chinese companies, there is no legal bar as yet. In November this year, Wally Yang, director at Huawei Consumer Group, announced a $100 million marketing initiative involving setting up over 100 stores in India to sell its flagship Mate 20 Pro smartphone and other devices. The tech company said it had 3,000 employees pursuing R&D in Bangalore, and together with its sub-brand Honor, it was hoping to grab around 5-10 per cent of the Indian smartphone market.

Two Indian IT companies had been successfully targeted in 2015 by Chinese cyber hackers, and a US cyber monitoring firm, FireEye, said that Chinese cyber rings over 10 years had broken into Indian aerospace, military and maritime computers. The Chinese are in the firing line today. Some weeks ago, there was surprise and shock in the corporate world because it turned out that Jack Ma, head of the $400 billion Alibaba empire, was revealed to be a card-holding Communist.

CORPORATE COLLUSION

But corporations through history have participated or extended the programmes and ideologies of their home governments. Hundreds of German companies who we respect today were one-time allies of Adolf Hitlers regime providing armaments, holocaust support and using slave labour in their factories. These include big names such as armaments maker Krupp (now Thyssen Krupp), chemicals giant Bayer, equipment manufacturer Siemens AG and Hugo Boss, which stitched Nazi uniforms using slave labour.

Or, more recently, Edward Snowden, former employee of a defence contractor, leaked out classified information on how the US and its allies were running numerous global surveillance programmes including one called Prism that tapped directly into the servers of nine Internet firms, with their consent, including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. Its now Chinas turn at imperialism riding its successful corporations, and the Old Order does not like it! Trade bans with Iran have been drawn up by the US, so why should India, a poor country, define its interests in line with US national interests?

Its a complex world out there of cyber snooping and corporate theft. Without doubt, every country, including India, must safeguard its national assets. China is an aggressive threat today; but there are others too. We need not buy into the national security definitions of the old colonialists, who have had their day.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Stakeholders of the cinema industry have welcomed the GST Councils decision to reduce GST levied on cinema tickets priced up to Rs 100 from 18 per cent to 12 per cent and tickets priced above Rs 100 to 18 per cent from 28 per cent.

This will help the industry move forward with increased investments in both exhibition infrastructure and creative development, enabling even better cinema and greater screen density across the country, said Siddharth Roy Kapur, president, Producers Guild of India.

Multiplex Association of India president Deepak Asher said that not only would the decision make tickets more affordable, but the collection would also rise, which means more pay back to distributors and content creators. The general insurance industry too welcomed the decision to cut GST rate on third party insurance premium of goods carrying vehicles.

We welcome this move as it will be beneficial for the consumers by giving them relief in terms of reduction in GST rates, which will result in reduction in their premium outgo, said Sasikumar Adidamu, chief technical officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. He said this will help the insurance industry improve the penetration of motor third party insurance.

Subrata Mondal, executive vice-president of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance, said, The reduction has brought relief to vehicle owners at a time when the cost of insurance recently went up due to mandatory long-term third party cover.

However, mixed reactions came from the auto industry.

The GST Council retained 13 items of automobile parts and eight items from the cement industry under the 28 per cent slab, along with luxury and sin goods.

At a time when the industry is suffering from higher input costs, the GST Council should have given us some relief. Clubbing automobile parts with luxury and sin goods doesnt make any sense, said an executive of a leading auto firm.
The minister of culture also said that 2019 will see closer cultural cooperation between Egypt one the one hand and France and Africa on the other

Egypts Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem revealed in a meeting with members of parliaments culture, media and antiquities committees on Sunday morning that 2020 will be the year of culture in Russia.

We are under instructions from President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi that Egypt organise a year of culture in Russia in the year 2020, and we are currently preparing for this event which reflects the growing strong relations between Egypt and Russia, Abdel-Dayem said.

She also revealed that the year 2019 will see intensive cultural cooperation between Egypt on the one hand and France and the continent of Africa on the other.

We have a complete agenda for spreading Egyptian cultural activities in Africa in 2019, especially as Egypt will be the chair of the African Union (AU) in a few days, Abdel-Dayem said, adding that Egypts Ministry of Culture will organise a meeting with African ambassadors in Cairo to pave the way for cultural cooperation with Egypt in 2019.

Abdel-Dayem also said that 2019 will be the year of Egypt and France.

We have just concluded the agenda of cultural cooperation with the French embassy, and we agreed that the Opera of Paris will participate in this event and that a number of Egyptian cultural activities will be organised on the streets of Paris, Abdel-Dayem said.

However, Abdel-Dayem complained that state budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Culture are very limited and do not help it achieve a cultural renaissance.

MP and novelist Youssef El-Qaeed complained that the low budget does not help the ministry produce films or renovate theatres in Cairo and Alexandria.

The budget should be considerably increased to stand up to cultural attacks and invasion coming from the internet, El-Qaeed said.

In response, Abdel-Dayem indicated that although it is limited, the Ministry of Cultures budget has helped it renovate three theatres in downtown Cairo and they will be opened next January.

We were also able to use this limited budget to renovate six cultural palaces in a number of governorates, but the problem is that we have a lot of work ahead but the budget is very limited, Abdel-Dayem said.

Abdel-Dayem added that the museum of Egypts late Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz is under construction.

But we have a lot of problems because the museum is located in Cairos densely populated district of Gamaliyya, where Mahfouz was born, and we are currently coordinating with the governorate of Cairo and the Ministry of Antiquities to help complete this museum, Abdel-Dayem said.

MPs also warned of what they called Israeli piracy on Egypts cultural heritage, particularly in songs and movies.

They also republish Egyptian books without getting the prior consent of their writers, MP Osama Sharshar said.

In response, Minister Abdel-Dayem said that Israeli piracy on Egyptian cultural production is an old phenomenon.

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Anuradha Shukla By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: With the Central government incurring a revenue deficit of Rs 60,000 crore during the first nine months of the financial year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that revenue collection from the services sector has been disappointing, mainly on account of lower GST collection from the telecom, aviation and real estate sectors, and small traders.

At a stage when we are looking at the (revenue) target, indirect tax is a little behind the scheduled direct tax; the direct tax is ahead of schedule. Our non-tax revenue also seems to be moving ahead fairly well, Jaitley said, adding that lower indirect tax collection is mainly on account of services sector and small traders.

While the manufacturing revenue is going up, revenue of services sector has not gone up, the Finance Minister said.

He accepted that the strong competition in the telecom sector has brought down revenue collection from the sector, which was once the top contributor for revenue.

Other sectors that have followed a similar trend are aviation and real estate, and also small traders.

Jaitley said that while the telecom and aviation sectors are not under the purview of the GST Council, the council will work for the real estate sector and small traders in its next meeting.

The Law Fitment Committee will take a view on GST on real estate in the next meeting. Theres is a consensus that something needs to be done on this, he said.

Jaitley said the council will also rationalise rate for small traders, who are now out of the GST net. The government is quite optimistic that we will be able to meet the fiscal deficit target, he said.A proposal to form a seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to study the revenue trend was granted approval by the GST Council.

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, Jaitley said.

The government has budgeted to contain fiscal deficit at 3.3 per cent of the GDP in the current fiscal, lower than 3.5 per cent in 2017-18. As per the latest data, the fiscal deficit in the April-October period stood at 103.9 per cent of budgeted estimates.

Rate cuts may lead to 8% reduction in LED TV prices; ACs still in high slab

With the GST Council slashing rates on TVs up to 32 inches to 18% from 28%, consumers can expect at least eight per cent reduction in the prices of similar-sized LED TV. According to CEAMA, the reduction in prices will improve market sentiments and propel the demand in this category.

The industry was also hoping for a rate reduction on air conditioners, but unfortunately, they are still in the 28% tax slab.

Kamal Nandi, business Head, Godrej Appliances, said the increase in basic customs duty for imports has put further pressure on prices, dampening consumer sentiments.

Cement companies disappointed as GST Council retains highest tax slab

The decision to retain the 28% tax on the cement sector has dashed the hopes of cement firms that were anticipating a reduction in GST rate to 18% on the back of the governments thrust on PMs pet project  Housing for All by 2022.

The Cement Manufacturers Association said the tax incidence in India has affected the health of the industry that is witnessing only 70% of capacity utilisation due to low demand.

In such a scenario, a lower tax rate on cement would have reduced prices which in turn could have benefited the housing segment, said CMA President Mahendra Singhi.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Even as the Congress High Command pacified a few of its prominent dissidents by inducting them into the state cabinet or appointing them to boards and corporations, not all were pleased, including former minister and BTM Layout MLA Ramalinga Reddy. He was backed by his daughter and Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy, who demanded that the seven-time MLA be inducted into the state cabinet.

Supporters of former minister

Ramalinga Reddy protest in

Bengaluru on Saturday |

Pushkar V

Multiple protests were held by Reddys supporters in Bengaluru. While a protest was held in front of KPCC office in the morning, another was staged at Chalukya Circle just before the new ministers were sworn in. During the day, demonstrations were also held in Kalaburagi and Haveri, where supporters of MLAs Ajay Singh and BC Patil expressed their unhappiness.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Jarkiholi and R Shankar -- the two ministers who were dropped from the cabinet -- also expressed their reservations over the decision. Though the Congress attempted to mollify the angry Reddys by appointing Sowmya as parliamentary secretary, she put up a post on Twitter, rejecting the appointment saying that she needed time to work in her constituency. Recalling the contributions of her father, she said that her only aspiration was to see her father become a minister again.

Similar remarks were made by B C Patils daughter Shrusti Patil, who was also unhappy that her father was sidelined.

Protest

In Kalaburagi district, an undeclared bandh was observed in Jewargi town and a few other villages of the taluk for not accommodating legislator Dr Ajay Singh in the expanded cabinet. Congress members blocked the road at Sonna Cross, Chigaralli Cross and Vijayapura Cross in Jewargi. Meanwhile, Moidin Jilani, a supporter of Ajay Singh, attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticide. In Gokak, Belagavi district, a large number of supporters gathered in front of Ramesh Jarkiholis house after he was dropped from the cabinet.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI : Following stiff opposition from Additional Advocate-General A Kumar to grant more time to owners of ladies hostels in the city, the Madras High Court has disposed of a writ petition from the Chennai Hostel Owners Welfare Association on December 21 last.

The petitioner association sent a representation on December 14 last to the Chennai Collector to extend the time limit by six months to apply for registration of ladies hostels. As there was no response, it filed the present petition.

When the petition came up on December 21 before Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Kumar opposed the prayer. The Association was not the aggrieved party.

In fact, the aggrieved party already prayed for 15 days time for rectifying the defects and the Collector granted 21 days time.

But they had not rectified the defects. Then, aggrieved parties filed a batch of writ petitions, which is pending before the court.

The present petitioners plea is opposed by the statute. The petitioner is trying to legalise illegal actions, i.e., running the hostels without license.

There were also various complaints against the hostels, he pointed out. The judge directed the Collector to consider the representation and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law, within two weeks.
Arun M By

Express News Service

KOCHI: While Industries Minister E P Jayarajans remark it was time to abandon all forms of protests that disrupt daily life has kicked up a debate on hartals, the Opposition is of the view the government will have walk the talk as legislation to curb hartals is pending before the Legislative Assembly.

The bill proposed by the previous UDF Government is still pending before the select committee. Ironically, the LDF leaders, including Jayarajan, vehemently opposed the Kerala Regulation of Hartal Bill-2015 calling it anti-democratic. The then Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala presented the bill which is now pending before the select committee of the Assembly.

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The bill is still relevant and it should be passed after discussions in the Assembly, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala told Express. According to him, the bill was not aimed at a ban but to curb unnecessary hartals. It is high time the bill was passed. At present, the hartals are being imposed on the people in the name of protests throwing life out of gear. The CPM had opposed the bill alleging it was a black law, he added, citing a regulation on unnecessary hartals was the need of the hour.

The bill contained instructions, including a notification of three days to conduct hartals. Advance notification of three days should be given to the public and organisations through the media.

The bill also stated nobody should be forced or threatened either through physical or psychological means to take part in a hartal. Educational and religious institutions and other public services should not be hampered and violence should be avoided. The safety of the citizens and public property is the responsibility of the state and complaints from the public should be considered and police should act upon that. Six months imprisonment or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both will be slapped on violators.

Chennithala had collected the opinion from the public by sharing the draft of the bill through social media.

About 25 lakh persons commented via social media. From that only the feeling of the public was evident, he pointed out, adding the then UDF Government could not pass the bill as it was presented in the last session of the 13th Assembly.

The LDF opposed the bill calling it anti-democratic, anti-people, and against the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Former KPCC chief M M Hassan, who spearheaded many campaigns against hartal, also reiterated the view of the Opposition Leader. The government should take a call and pass the law, he said. According to him, the Congress had earlier brought the matter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. When the CM called an all-party meeting to discuss exempting the tourism sector, we had demanded to pass the bill instead of omitting the tourism sector alone, he added.

Ironically, Kerala was the first state in the country to ban bandhs after the Kerala High Court declared them illegal in 1997. However, the malaise reappeared in the form of hartals. The High Court also directed enforcing a hartal through force, intimidation and coercion was unconstitutional. But the courts directive could not bring about a change.
Sajin Shrijith By

Express News Service

The beginning of 2018 witnessed the releases of two well-written, emotionally stirring filmsSudani from Nigeria and Ee Ma Yauwhich shared one common theme: parent-children bonding.

Now here we are, at the tail end of the year, with three major releases on the same day. Im happy to report that one of them, Ente Ummante Peru, carries the goodness and emotions of the aforementioned filmsespecially Sudani from Nigeria.

Here is a film that arrived with little fanfare, no lofty ambitions or exaggerated claims. It doesnt try to be a game-changer. Its aim is to tell a simple story really well and then manages to accomplish that.

The film opens with two sharply contrasting sequencesa happy wedding followed immediately by a funeral. The departed soul is that of Haider, father of our hero Hameed (Tovino Thomas). But this film is not interested in lingering on sad moments, and this is evident in a scene where a youngster who, at the funeral, is playing on his smartphone and tells his friends that Haider passed away after leaving the Wi-Fi on. One cant help but laugh at that.

Hameed, who grew up without a mother, is now left feeling like a loner despite the presence of his best friend Beeran (the ever-reliable Hareesh Kanaran) and a close friend of Haider, Hamsakkoya (Mammukoya). The fact that Hameed has now become an orphan is standing in the way of his getting married to a girl Sainaba (Sai Priya).

Adding to the aggravation is the fact that Haider was a man of dubious reputation. In his younger days, he was romantically involved with more than one woman. One of them, it turns out, is Hameeds mother. But who? Its this question that drives the rest of the film. If Hameed doesnt find her, then he can say goodbye to marital life.

Tovino is aptly cast as the shy, mild-mannered, and vulnerable Hameed. In terms of personality, Hameed is not that different from Tovinos Ajayan from Oru Kuprasidha Payyan. Both men yearn for a companion and behave awkwardly in the presence of women. In one sweet moment, Hameed tells Sainaba, I dont know how to talk to women because my father used to be very strict. But she doesnt mind. She falls in love with his honesty. We can tell the two would make a perfect pair. But he must find his mother first.

Enter Urvashi as Aishumma, who may or may not be the woman who gave birth to him. Youll have to wait till the end to find that out. But before that, we get to spend a lot of fun moments with Hameed and Aishumma, who make a fabulous duo. Despite their noticeable differences, they are both driven by a similar need for companionship: she needs a son and he needs a mother who can help him build a family.

Urvashis entry injects the film with an extra boost of energy. When Hameed sees her for the first time, there are no old-fashioned sentiments or sad music to enhance the emotions in the scene.

An old-fashioned disciplinarian, Aishumma takes charge of the household in a manner similar to that of a powerful mafia don. She is a woman who doesnt like being stuck in the past. Aishumma embodies everything the film is about.

Though she is not too big on sentiments, she knows when to create a scene. Its Urvashis best role in a long time.

The other thing I noticed about the film is that it makes you feel the presence of characters who never make an appearance in the story but are only mentioned.

Its apparent that writers Sarath R Nath and Jose Sebastian (also the director) prepared a proper background for each character. Take Hameeds father, for example. You never see any flashbacks of Haiders life or his interactions with Hameed. But whenever a character talks about Haider, the details of his past adventures appear vividly in your mind.

Though the film is high on emotion, the characters display of it is admirably restrained. This restraint is also seen in Jordi Plannel Closas photography. His camera is unobtrusive and makes the best use of available lighting and warm colours.

Ente Ummante Peru works mostly due to its impactful, heartwarming performances and its effective sense of humour.

Its basically the cinematic representation of that quote you sometimes see on social media: Family isnt always blood. Its the people in your life who want you in theirs.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar By

Online Desk

India is slowly making way for inclusivity and warming up to the LGBTQI+ community especially after bidding goodbye to the archaic law decriminalising homosexuality. Although, 2018 has been a relatively better year for the community, it has been a great year for the world of queer or gender-fluid fashion.

Queer or androgynous (style which comprises both masculine and feminine qualities) clothing has been a runway staple in the West and it is making its way into the Indian market, dominating one runway at a time. But to rule out androgynous dressing as a western concept is preposterous in many ways.

It must be mentioned that flowy and feminine Angrakhas and kediyu tops of Rajasthan or the shirts paired with ghaghras in Haryana have been a part of Indias everyday wardrobe.

Queer style is all about nonconformity. It aims to break the gender binary rules of society through clothing and stage a silent protest.

This year, the runways witnessed designers collectively blending fabrics, experimenting with cuts and silhouette foraying into the world of gender neutral clothing.

During the 'Lakme Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2018' four nouveau brands- Bobo Calcutta, The Pot Plant, Anam and Bloni, together through their collection Gender Bender, raised their voices against gender-based discrimination. Campaigning for gender positivity and self-acceptance through his brand Bobo Calcutta, designer Ayushman Mitra says, Fashion has the power to inspire people and challenge regressive norms. This was aimed to start a conversation about the freedom of love.

Models wearing outfits from Bobo Calcutta at Lakme Fashion Week. (Photo| Instagram/ bobocalcutta)

Akshat Bansals Bloni Label too sent out a loud message of equality and regenerate gender norms. "It's all in our head- how and what one should be like. All because of how we are being bought up and circumstances," he said.

Although a lot of people working in the fashion industry belong from the LGBTQI+ community, their creativity, owing to the lack of inclusivity conform to gender binaries.

Surprisingly, this year the drag culture also made an appearance. Designer Sohaya Mishras bold step to introduce drag culture through the fashion week on Day 1 left a lot of her contemporaries and the audience baffled. Bollywood actor Prateik Babbar and celebrity makeup artist Jason Arland in gender blending clothes walked the ramp hand-in-hand to close Mishras show.

While Babbar donned a grey skirt style pant teamed up with a black cape, red nail-paint, lipstick and completed the look with kitschy jewellery, Arland was seen wearing a beige frilled dress with thigh high boots. I volunteered for this. We wanted to represent gender fluidity. We wanted to represent each other and most importantly, do it together, Babbar said while addressing the media.

Prateik Babbar and Jason Arland in designer Sohaya Mishras creations. (Photo|Instagram/ Lakme India Fashion week)

The Indian fashion fraternity for the finale of Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2019 celebrated the historic Supreme Court judgement of partially scrapping section 377 of Indian Penal Code and how!

Celebrating the rainbow flag created by American artist Gilbert Baker and now used as a symbol of the LGBTQI+ movement, almost 40 designers gave wings to their creativity while representing the different hues. From Manish Malhotra, Raghavendra Rathore, Wendell Rodricks, Dev r Nil to Ragini Ahuja and Lovebirds, everyone showcased their own rendition of flamboyant ensembles. Structured silhouettes took a break and flowy fabrics (linen, muslin, etc) with ruffles and deep necklines took over.

Transwoman Anjali Lama was seen wearing designer Gaurav Guptas sculpted gown replete with rainbow lights. Designer Suneet Varma celebrated the shade yellow by creating a sari with a ruffled neckline, while Anavila Misra gave a multi-hued twist to it.

Designer Gaurav Gupta with model Anjali Lama at the LMIFW SS19 show. (Photo|Instagram/ anjalilama_official)

Although the fashion industry is now venturing into the gender-fluid clothing, complete inclusivity and acceptance of the LGBTQI+ community is still a farfetched dream. This sudden acceptance of the 'queer trend' has left few from the fraternity livid. The kohl-eyed Kolkata-based designer and crusader for inclusivity, Kallol Dutta argues that making a man wear a dress and woman a tuxedo doesnt mean androgyny. One cannot expect someone to talk about queer fashion and politics while they are a cisgender (someone whose personal identity corresponds with their birth sex), straight designer, using cisgender models to showcase their ensembles, he told DNA.

With a substantial shift from rigidity to acceptance of gender-fluid clothing in the local market, we can only hope that in the upcoming years, Indian designers take the trend forward and break more norms. But before that, heres to those who refuse to conform.
Express Features By

To generate awareness about the importance of skin health and bust myths about skin and hair conditions like leprosy and vitiligo, the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists & Leprologists (IADVL) launched an IADVL Skin Safar Rath, a first of its kind journey across the country.

The van will cover 12,000 km across the country on road for over two months and touch more than 18 cities educating people about skin health; the motto being Swachchh Twacha, Swastha Bharat. The van was flagged off early this week from Delhi and will visit cities like Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Patna, Lucknow, Gwalior, Agra apart from NCR cities of Noida and Gurugram.

The initiative is to tell people that they must approach a qualified dermatologist for any skin issue they face. There is an LED screen on a van which will show educational documentaries and videos of street plays to create awareness among people in regional languages. They will be making people aware about myths and facts of acne, fungal infections, leprosy, vitiligo, and other skin problems, says Dr Rohit Batra, dermatogist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Vitiligo, commonly known as leucoderma, is a disorder that affects skin pigmentation. There is a considerable stigma attached to the disease and its patients are often outcast, says IADVL national president Dr Mukesh Girdhar.
G Parthasarathy By

It is unfortunate that the solemnity of events marking the 10th anniversary of the barbarous terrorist attack on Mumbai, by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was negated, by the hype and drama surrounding Indian participation in the opening of the Sikh holy shrine in Kartarpur. The Israelis sought out and arrested, or eliminated those German Nazis responsible for the holocaust of Jews during World War II. Even those Nazi War Criminals living in countries as far off as Argentina were sought out, eliminated, or brought to justice. Those responsible for, or involved in, the Mumbai massacres of March 12, 1993 and November 26, 2008, ranging from Dawood Ibrahim to Lashkar military commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, live comfortably in Pakistan.

Imran Khan, like other Pakistani leaders, has resorted to the usual Pakistani excuses, citing absence of evidence and lack of cooperation by India as being responsible for their inability to prosecute the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. But former chief of Pakistans Federal Investigative Agency Tariq Khosa exposed such ploys in an article in the Dawn newspaper in 2015. He was, however, later compelled to retract. Khosa acknowledged that the Commander and Deputy Commander of the 26/11 terrorists were traced and arrested. He averred that the investigations led to the FIA obtaining detailed evidence about the import and transportation from Japan to Lahore, of the fishing trawler used by the terrorists.

The money trails were followed and linked to an accused in Pakistan, who was arrested. A couple of foreign-based financiers were also brought to trial. The room in Karachi from which the operation was commanded and controlled was located and the communications equipment used retrieved.

The sheer brazenness of Pakistani denials of involvement was also evident from evidence available in the trial in Chicago of two persons of Pakistani origin, David Coleman Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani) and Tahawwur Hussain Rana. They received long prison terms and the trial proceedings reveal the extent of Pakistani involvement in the planning and execution of the 26/11 strike. The so-called trial of Lakhvi was a farce. The then ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha periodically visited Lakhvi in jail. His wife was allowed freely to meet him and their new baby was born while Lakhvi was in jail. Lakhvi is now a free man and continues his role in the LeT.

Every time a new ruler emerges in Pakistan, his friends in India issue loud calls about why we should immediately enter into a serious dialogue with the new messiah, because of the goodwill towards India that he claims he has. Imran Khan is no exception. People seem to forget that Imran, popularly known as Taliban Khan, has been elected to office, thanks to the support of the powerful army. Under international economic pressure, the army is now trying to persuade the world that it oozes goodwill for India. We should interact with the military and civilian establishment in Pakistan to first assess how sincere they are in eliminating cross-border terrorism. Imran has realistically recognised that any formal dialogue can commence only after General Elections in India in 2019.

G Parthasarathy, Former diplomat dadpartha@gmail.com
Gautam Chintamani By

Amitav Ghosh winning the Jnanpith Award, the first ever such recognition for an Indian author writing in English, should go down as one of the biggest stories of the year. Constituted in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, an orgainsation founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and Rama Jain in 1944, to honour the best creative literary writing in any of the 22 scheduled languages, according to the Constitution, is considered among the highest honour for Indian writers. Interestingly enough, the award came into existence around the same time the English language became the unofficial official language for most Indians.

The Constitution had designated Hindi written in the Devnagri script and English as the official languages and put in a provision stating if the Parliament decided otherwise the use of the latter for official purposes was to cease 15 years from the time the Constitution came into effect. But in the mid-1960s, when the time came closer nearly every major non-Hindi speaking state opposed the change. Slowly, English ended up as one of the ties that bind 1.3 billion Indians and while its use came to be seen as a given, the disdain towards English in mainstream Indian literature also became prominent.

Maybe this could be the reason why an award such as the Jnanpith chose to focus on honouring writers in languages, which would feel pressured by the growing market of English. Its intriguing how some of the most prolific English writers in India such as Raja Rao, RK Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, and Khushwant Singh had already written a few of their greatest works before the Jnanpith Award came into existence or the whole English-versus-the-rest debate gained momentum in the 1960s. Raos Kanthapura came out in 1938, Narayans Swami and Friends was published in 1935, Anands early works, including the seminal Across the Black Waters, had established his reputation before the 1940s and after having written Train to Pakistan (1956), Singh had been editing Yojana for a better part of the 1960s.

More than English literature originating within India by the end-1960s and a better part of the 1970s, it was the soaring popularity of English-language weeklies like The Illustrated Weekly that bumped up the popularity of the language. In Martin Scorseses film Casino, the lead Sam Ace Rothstein compares a gangster-run casino to a morality carwash where all sins are washed away. In some ways, would the Bharatiya Jnanpiths decision to not include English appear similar to some? It gives a sense of keeping Indian culture intact by keeping the ones which threaten it at bay.

Pathbreaking as it may be, honouring English as literature in India today is perhaps the definition of equality, the embodiment of freedom of expression et al for a whole lot of people. Would Ghoshs win open up the Jnanpith Award for more English writers in India? On the face of it, there is no reason to believe otherwise. The government-backed Sahitya Akademi Award has been honouring Indian authors who write in English since 1960. The final frontier in terms of awards honouring writers in India, in the manner of speaking, has been breached by English. So, have the cows finally come home?

Gautam Chintamani, Film historian and bestselling author gautam@chintamani.org
By PTI

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.

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.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held a meeting on Sunday with the members of the Judicial Authorities Council, the first for an Egyptian president with the council since 2008.

President El-Sisi stressed to the council his belief that the independence of the judiciary remains a key pillar to safeguard justice and the constitution.

According to a statement released by the Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady, El-Sisi "stressed his appreciation for Egypt's judges, who safeguard justice based on the deeply-rooted traditions of the Egyptian judiciary."

The president highlighted his keeness to consolidate the rule of law in accordance to the tenets of the constitution, which outlined the principles of the separation of powers., Rady added.

Meanwhile, the members of the Judicial Council expressed appreciation for the meeting with the president, affirming their determination to maintain the credibility of the Egyptian judiciary to contribute to the social stability of the country.

They also expressed support of fomenting legislative frameworks to build a modern institutional structures, which both strengthen and simplify legal procedures to ensure the protection of rights and the achievement of justice for all citizens.

The council includes the minister of justice and the chiefs of the supreme constitutional, cassation, and appeals courts.

It also includes the prosecutor-general, the head of the State Council, and the chief of the State Lawsuits Authority.

During the meeting, President El-Sisi asked to be notified by the judges about any obstacles that may face the members of the council, which may hinder either the achievement of speedy justice or the work of a fully independent judicial system.

The president also stressed the importance of the council's contribution to maintaining the process of developing and strengthening the Egyptian judicial system in order to meet the requirements of achieving justice in light of challenges facing the state.

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By PTI

BHOPAL: 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 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 here since March when he walked out of a jail in Bhopal after completion of his sentence, as he was awaiting completion of legal formalities.

Warsi had been convicted on charges of conspiracy, cheating, forging documents, under provisions of the Passport Act and the 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 can't 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.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Pilgrimages such as Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Haj, and the Pashupatinath tour will become cheaper with the government on Saturday exempting religious tours from service tax. According to a notification, service tax exemption has been provided to services by a specified organisation in respect of a religious pilgrimage facilitated by the Government of India under bilateral arrangement.

While the Ministry of External Affairs, in coordination with Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd, organizes the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Haj is facilitated by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in coordination with the Haj Committee of India (HCOI). The Haj is undertaken only through chartered flights, and the Yatra is also done mainly through chartered flights. Journeys through chartered flights attracted 18 per cent GST. Now, GST for all religious tours has been fixed at 5 per cent. The GST for air travel in economy class is 5 per cent, and GST for business class air travel is 12 per cent.

The HCOI, which has been demanding a rollback of the GST for Haj, welcomed the governments decision. HCOI Chairman Maqsood Ahmed Khan said the reduced GST would significantly benefit Haj pilgrims, especially women.

Last year, the government introduced a new category for pilgrimage and allowed single women to undertake Haj without a male companion. Khan said, We had been demanding zero GST for Haj flights. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had also raised the issue with the Centre and asked the government to reduce the GST to 5 per cent for all religious tours. It is a good move to relax GST for all religious tours.

Going on Haj became expensive last year with the removal of the Haj subsidy as well as the imposition of the GST. The Haj flight fares ranged from Rs 60,000 to Rs 110,000. Last year, a fare of Rs 60,000 involved a GST of Rs 10,800. Now that GST would be reduced to around Rs 3,000, Khan said.
By PTI

SHILLONG: The man, who was arrested in connection with the mine mishap in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district a fortnight ago, has admitted that he was the owner of the 370-foot-deep illegal quarry, police said Sunday.

Fifteen miners were trapped in the "rat-hole" mine on December 13 after water from nearby Lytein river gushed into it. All efforts to trace the labourers have turned futile as the water level in the mine showed no signs of receding in the past 11 days.

ALSO READ: Water recedes in flooded Meghalaya mine, CM Sangama says time running out to rescue trapped miners

Two mine managers, Mohesh and James Sukhlain, are still on the run, he said. Sakhalin facilitates mine operations, while Mohesh is the person responsible for bringing labourers from West Garo Hills district and Assam, the SP said.

Krip Chullet, who was arrested on December 14, admitted during interrogation that the mine in Lumthari village of Khliehriat area -- around 80 km from Shillong -- belonged to him, Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger told PTI. Earlier, the police had said Chullet was involved in hiring labourers and sending them down the shaft.

Around 20 miners had entered the 370-foot mine on December 13. After reaching the bottom of the pit, they entered the horizontal tunnels, often termed "rat-holes", as each just about fits one person.

According to local people, one of the diggers could have accidentally punctured the walls of the cave, following which the river water gushed into it. Five people were able to climb out of the flooded mine, leaving the others behind.

Seven of the 15 trapped labourers hail from West Garo Hills district, five from Assam and three from the remote Lumthari village, where the accident took place, the SP said.

The state government had on Saturday announced an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the 15 miners and sought high-power submersible pumps from Coal India Ltd to flush out the water and rescue them.

Over 100 personnel of the national and state disaster response forces, along with the police, have been waiting for the water level to subside to begin the rescue work.

Mining expert Jaswant Singh Gill, who arrived at the site two days ago, has made recommendations to the state to hasten the operation, NDRF Assistant commandant S K Singh said. The family members have now given up hope that the miners would be rescued alive.

Shohor Ali, who hails from Magurmari village in West Garo Hills district, has his son, brother and son-in-law trapped in the mine.

"We have all lost hope to see them alive. I just wanted the authorities to help us retrieve the dead bodies for their last rites," he told PTI. Ali also said that all three of his family were lured to Lumthari with a promise of Rs 2,000 as wage per day.

"I was the first person to get in touch with MLA (Rajabala constituency) Azad Aman to find out about the accident," he added. The MLA, on his part, said he had contacted the police as soon as he received the information. "It took the police several hours to locate the mine," the Congress MLA told PTI.

The Rajabala MLA, however, said the relief offered to the labourers were insufficient. "I have met the chief minister (Conrad Sangma). I have also written to the chief secretary and sought help from Meghalaya Human Rights Commission demanding relief payment to the affected families," he added.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Amid a controversy over Naseeruddin Shah's remarks on mob violence, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Saturday said the veteran actor's children need not feel scared as tolerance was in the DNA of the country.

Naqvi, while referring to Shah's remarks, also said a mountain was being made out of a molehill.

"I think his emotions may have been right, but his words were probably misconstrued and a mountain out of a molehill was made. India is a tolerant country. Tolerance and harmony are in the DNA of the country and despite any circumstances, nobody succeeded in destroying the strong legacy," Naqvi told PTI during his visit to the city.

"There is no need for his (Shah's) children to be scared. The country is moving ahead on the basis of the Constitution and in a democratic country, there is no need to fear anybody," the Minority Affairs Minister added.

Shah, one of the prominent film and stage actors in the country, 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.

In the interview, the actor had also expressed concern over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.

Naqvi, while taking a dig at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah for lauding Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the party's electoral wins in the recent state polls, said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was right in saying that Gandhi is no more a 'Pappu'.

"He is not a 'Pappu' anymore, but has become a 'Gappu' - one who spreads rumours and is a loudmouth.

From 'Pappu' to 'Gappu', his journey has been with a 'jhooth ka jhunjhuna (rattle of lies)," the minister said.

"However, the tree of lies has come under the mountain of truth. As far as the fabricated story of Rafale is concerned, it is a well-planned conspiracy against the national security," he added.

On the ongoing debate over the caste of Lord Hanuman, the minister said the Ramayana character should not be pushed into any kind of controversy, as he is worshipped and respected by the people, he said.

"Serving Lord Ram and fighting against evil forces was his only message and his real caste," Naqvi said.
By PTI

NAGPUR: 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.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Committee has taken a dim view of the infrastructure on the border with China and favoured improved coordination between the Army and the Air Force for better defence preparedness.

The Committee on External Affairs also pitched for a comprehensive Border Engagement Agreement between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

The Agreement should subsume all established mechanisms for confidence building, including border personnel meetings, flag meetings, meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) and other diplomatic channels, the Committee said in its report.

It underlined that while it must be ensured that PLA is not allowed to "establish facts on the ground", the situation must also not be allowed to spiral out of control in case of transgressions.

"The Committee believes that there is a demonstrated need for a significant increase in the resources being allocated by the government of India to the armed forces and other civilian and paramilitary agencies operating in the area, including the SSB," the report said.

It said, "there is a case for improved coordination between the Army and the Air Force, which could provide better airborne early warning and control support to the forces on the ground when difficult conditions arise, including through the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones."

"Furthermore, the committee wishes to emphasise the fact that our armed forces and security agencies must ensure that our persuasive deterrence continues to be effective and constantly adapted to take into account psychological, cyber and other technological changes that China may and indeed will continue to confront us with," it added.

Both sides should also ensure that for normal functioning of ties it is indispensable that our border largely remains peaceful, said the report tabled in Parliament this week.

The Committee also expressed unhappiness over the infrastructure on the border with China and pressed for expediting of road construction work and speedy clearances by the government departments.

"It goes without saying that better connectivity clearly gives an advantage to China in terms of defence preparedness ... The committee .. feels that the Indian side needs to do a lot more," it said.

"The committee is perturbed to note that despite marked progress in recent years, the border road infrastructure on the India-China border is grossly inadequate, as confirmed by its own observations from its visits to sections of the border regions," the report said.

"In fact, on a number of important sectors, we are dependent on single access routes, a risky proposition in times of conflict," it said.

The Chinese Army had specifically taken advantage of this in the 1962 war and "therefore, we ought to draw lessons from the past on this matter," the Committee said.

The committee has been assured by the ministries of Defence, External Affairs and Home Affairs about likely improvements in the state of border roads, the report said.

It said it has been seized of the problems related to inadequate infrastructure, including roads along the India-China border and desire that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) works to achieve full connectivity.

"The main reasons attributed to the delay as stated by the Ministry of Defence is difficult terrain, delay in getting environmental clearances, inadequate infrastructure with BRO, etc," the Committee said.

"The committee, therefore, desires that for a strong Indian presence on the border, better infrastructure should be created for habitation and transportation so that our armed forces may not feel any difficulty in accommodation, logistics, movement and infrastructure as well as storage and movement of arms and ammunition in emergency," the report said.
By Express News Service

RANCHI: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha has termed demonetisation, one of the big bang economic reforms of the Modi government, as a perfect example of dictatorship and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as salt on the wounds of people already battling cash woes. The actor-turned-politician, who met ailing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi on Saturday, cleared the air on his political leanings, saying though he is still very much with the BJP, he always tries to present the real picture to the partys top leadership.

He was flanked by Hemant Soren, leader of opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed and former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, as he met the ailing RJD chief on Saturday. Talking to media persons after meeting the RJD chief, Sinha said he believed Lalu is the victim of a political conspiracy and, hence, has the sympathy of the people of Bihar and across the country.

A lot of people believe that the likes of Lalu Yadav, (Congress MP) Shashi Tharoor and (former Union finance minister) P Chidambaram, along with their family members, are being targeted either because of personal enmity or a political conspiracy, Sinha said. Hence, people have sympathy for them, he said.

Terming RJD scion Tejashwi Yadav as the most eligible candidate for the post of Bihar CM, Sinha, who is nicknamed Shotgun, said, I have family ties with Laluji and believe that his (younger) son is the face of Bihars future.

Soren, the executive president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) said the RJD chief told them to prepare a blueprint for the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Whoever has the most numbers will be the face of the grand alliance in Jharkhand, Soren said. The closed-door meeting lasted for more than three hours.
Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, 57, has his task cut out. Having taken over the reins of the Congress state unit when it was facing challenging times, he led the party to an emphatic victory in the Assembly elections. It was a double bonanza for Baghel as, apart from securing a historic mandate for the party, he also completed a successful five-year stint as Chhattisgarh Congress chief this month. But theres no time to bask in the glory of the electoral success. With the Lok Sabha elections approaching, he has only four-five months to deliver on the promises made before the state polls and make sure the voters dont drift away from the party in the national elections.

In an interview to Ejaz Kaiser, Baghel credited the persistent struggle and agitation by party leaders and the cadre for the Congress partys return to power after 15 years. According to him, a two-third majority for the Congress is a clear rejection of the BJPs misrule. The huge mandate also places a big responsibility on the party to fulfil peoples expectations of good governance, he says. Excerpts:

The new Congress government has been in action mode from day one.

With the people giving the Congress a resolute mandate and reposing trust in us, our challenges get further magnified, especially as the state reeled under poor governance by the BJP. Our president Rahul Gandhiji has categorically asserted that its time for change and has stressed on the need for swift action to expedite works. Many things have to be accomplished during the next five years. The BJP has taken Chhattisgarh backward during its 15 years of rule, with every segment of the population being disillusioned.

You became the state Congress chief when the party was facing troubled times. What has worked for the party this time?

There were two goals I never lost sight of  to strengthen the party and to raise the morale of the workers. We empowered the cadres from booth level onwards to the block and the district levels. We didnt do grand things; small actions covering various issues  whether it was a protest against the governments wrongdoings or action in support of the needs and aspirations of the masses  which made a big impact. We brought the beneficiaries into the picture during every agitation. The results were encouraging and boosted the confidence of our cadres. The people realised that our fight was for them.

Farmer politics played out during the polls...

Yes, farmers distress remained a core issue for us. They were committing suicide and the problems the agrarian community faced remained unaddressed. Their families are burdened with loans, but the previous government ignored their concerns and refused to accept the ground reality.

Besides loan waivers, what more is in store for farmers?

Loan waiver alone is not sufficient to improve the condition of the farmers. We need to create a concrete action plan. We have given a slogan: Narua-Garua-Gurawa-Badi  narua (canals for irrigation), garua (livestock to support farmers), gurawa (manure, fodder etc. to minimise investment cost and enhance the output) and badi (raising land production capacity with fewer inputs). This will increase their income and improve the rural economy.

Do you believe the pre-poll alliance between former CM Ajit Jogis party and Mayawatis BSP damaged the BJP more than the Congress?

If you go by numbers, the Congress got 3 per cent more votes than its 2013 vote share of 43 per cent, while the BJP got 33 per cent votes. The pre-poll alliance took shape while our talks with the BSP were still on. But the people rejected them, too. The pro-change mood converted into pro-Congress finally.



Has the Congress benefitted with Jogis exit?

Indeed! As long as Jogi was with the Congress, the party always lost elections. In 2003, the voters rejected his leadership and in the 2008 and 2013 elections, he sabotaged the partys prospects because his thinking was, if not me then nobody else. So, Jogis ouster effectively brought in unity, strength and finally a huge victory for the Congress.

But under your leadership as PCC chief, the Congress lost the Antagarh Assembly bypoll in 2014?

There was a conspiracy hatched by the Jogis (Ajit and his son Amit) in collusion with the BJP to get me dislodged from the PCC presidents post. Had there been no machinations by them, the Congress would have won the Antagarh seat. The Jogis covert design was exposed before the party high command.

During Raman raj, there were often complaints of the bureaucracy overshadowing political bosses. How will you handle the bureaucratic system now?

Whether the elected representatives or the bureaucrats, all are accountable to the people. Bureaucrats have to deliver their roles and responsibilities as expected from them and my government will ensure performance-based assessment of the officers. Bureaucracy should be insulated from political intrusion.

Are you open to a dialogue with the Naxals?

As I said, we will hold discussions with the people of the affected regions. Based on the outcome, the government will decide about it.

What are your expectations from the BJP-ruled Centre?

Based on the working of the federal structure as enshrined in our Constitution, we hope to get the share and support due to our state from the central government.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: A general court martial (GCM) has found a Major General guilty in a two-year-old sexual harassment case and recommended his dismissal from service. Sources said the military court headed by a Lieutenant General handed out the verdict at 3.30 AM on Sunday at an Army unit near Chandigarh.

The trail had stated in June this year. The officer was charged under the Army Act read with Section 354 of IPC for conduct unbecoming of an officer. The verdict will be confirmed by the Army Chief. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence.

The allegations were levelled against him when he was on deputation to the Assam Rifles as inspector general. When he was posted in Nagaland, a woman captain from the Judge Advocate General's branch had lodged a complaint that he had misbehaved with her after summoning her to his room for work late evening. Denying the allegations during the proceedings, the officer had attributed the case to a group feud in the top echelons of the force.

The major general, who was attached with an Ambala formation during the proceedings, has the right to appeal against the GCM verdict. Earlier he has attached with the 17 Corps at Ranchi under the Eastern Command he had then represented against it for the conduct of disciplinary proceedings and then he was transferred to the Western Command. A case challenging the disciplinary proceedings was also filed by him before the Delhi Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal.
Shankkar Aiyar By

One of the wondrous and infuriating characteristics of social media is that it is nearly impossible to decipher whether it is the cause or the consequence of the discourse in society. Arguably it is a bit of both and the multiplier effect has resulted in the deafening of thought in sections of society.

Music legend Paul Simon, rather presciently in 1964, lamented about People talking without speaking; People hearing without listening. Social norms, you could say, have evolved since, and if Sounds of Silence was re-recorded, Simon and Art Garfunkel would be singing, People talking without listening, people sharing without thinking and of course, opining without knowing is emerging as the norm in any discourse in the polity. And it is not just in Parliament or among politicos. Discourse = people talking without listening.

On Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said economic incentives for investors will be linked to the political imperative of ensuring 70 per cent of the jobs went to locals. The statement triggered outrage online and offline. For starters, the qualification permanent resident is already a condition in many MP government ads. Anyway, Nath is scarcely the first chief minister to deploy the Thackerayesque line in politicsfounded by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who used to call the Dadar-Madras Express the Stenographer Express, to build a locals-first cadre.

The bhumi putra condition is a preferred electorally profitable option across many states. In February 2018, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared that all new industries must ensure 80 per cent of the staff was local. In September 2018, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani announced the state would pass a law to mandate 80 per cent jobs for locals. Karnataka, Jharkhand and Odisha are among states deploying the Employment of Local Persons clauseindeed Telangana has zones requiring 95 per cent jobs for locals.

The fact that 2.5 crore persons, more than the population of Australia, apply for 90,000 railway jobs symptomizes the magnitude of the job crisis. Should there be a quota for locals is a political question and the answer is contextually variable. One would expect that an economy which receives $80 billion in annual remittances from workers abroad would define a more nuanced approach. That is not the case. Almost every state, including Delhi, has blamed persons from UP and Biharthe Shiv Sena has literally chased and beaten up aspirants. It is natural for the politicos of Bihar and UP to protest. What is baffling is that the question, Why Bihar and UP lag in job creation is hardly aired or audible in the arena of anger.

Take the issue of rural distressthe other passionately argued debate this week. It stemmed from the possibility of a national loan waiver for farmers. Typically the outrage is divided on binary lines. Those against the waiver/higher MSP/ income support ideas cite the impact on the fiscal deficit and the banking system and are okay with incentives to industry but not subsidies to farmers. Those for the intervention cite the `10 lakh crore bad loans basket as justification. To be sure there is a general consensus that waivers are not the answer, but the discourse does not extend to solutions.

What must be but is not adequately interrogated is why state after state and government after government is relying on band-aid economics to resolve a gigantic crisis with the potential to wreck the economy. After all, 49 per cent of the workforce living off 15 per cent of the national incomethat is Rs 22.77 lakh crore out of Rs 151.82 lakh crore, is hardly a recipe for the aspired 9 per cent growth.

The questions that need to be debated include why, despite the majority of MPs calling themselves farmers is the farm sector in such a rut? How much time do 4,000-plus MLAs devote to farm issues in the states? Why are reforms such as dismantling of APMC, introduction of lease agreements or contract farming opposed by the states?

In May 2017, the Niti Aayog under Arvind Panagariya released a 208-page three-year Action Agenda. This column weighed in on it and described it all agenda, little action (http://bit.ly/2pOwbqh). It is not known as to what is the fate of that agenda. Be that as it may, this week the Niti Aayog presented what it called Strategy for India @ 75. The headline aspiration indicated is for India to be a $4-trillion economy by 2022. It could serve as a useful revision of the gap between intent and implementation. Sherlock Holmes would have described it as a firm grasp of the obviousall intent and little strategy. It lists the need to raise savings and investments for growth, but the strategy is missing.

These instances reflect the missing the woods for the trees phenomenon in public discourse. For instance, on Friday, the issue of an order authorising ten agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt private data was rendered into a whodunit of partisan blame. Increasingly, public policy rests more on individualised belief and less on institutionalised evidence. To paraphrase Nobel laureate Herbert Simon, the generation of rich rhetoric only results in poverty of attention and action.

shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com
Egypt's Army Chief-of-Staff Mohamed Farid met on Sunday with the US Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer and an accompanying delegation in Cairo, where the two parties discussed ways of enhancing military cooperation, exchanging expertise and joint naval exercises to enhance and upgrade the combat capabilities of both militaries.

The meeting discussed a number of issues of interest to the Egyptian and US militaries.

The US Secretary of the Navy praised the level of relations and cooperation between the armed forces of both countries, which constitute additional horizons for joint cooperation in many other fields.

The meeting was attended by a number of military commanders the armed forces.

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T J S George By

"The Hindus wanted Vedas, and they sent for Vyasa, who was not a caste Hindu. The Hindus wanted an epic, and they sent for Valmiki, an untouchable. The Hindus wanted a constitution, and they have sent for me." That was B R Ambedkar at his biting best. He went on to underline an existential misfortune of India: The greatest tragedy of the Hindi belt is that the people of that region discarded Valmiki and installed Tulsidas.

That was his way of saying that the impact of Ramcharitmanas was negative compared to that of Ramayana. Valmiki told a human tale without propagating any selective morality. Tulsidas turned that tale into a religious text with sanitised spiritual tenets for devotees to follow. Shrewdly, Ambedkar showed why the Hindi belt was culturally different, and less tolerant, than the rest of India.

Ambedkar has become a message, as only Mahatma Gandhi has. After their passing, a difference between the two messages slowly developed. Gandhism has been largely contained within its symbolic value, while Ambedkarism has developed into a cult inspiring a growing movement for social and political advancement. The number of Ambedkar statues across India bears witness to it.

And why not, when his observations on various issues continue to strike us as unusually perceptive? Yet another collection of these comments is presented in the Navayana publication rather bafflingly titled, Ambedkar: The Attendant Details. It is a collection of reminiscences that bristle with sagacity, humour and sheer wisdom. We get a peep into many aspects of his lifehis poverty, his addiction to books, his illiterate wifes rustic ways, his Dalit admirers.Even though I had become a barrister, he recalls, the thought of practising law in Bombay made me nervous. No solicitor would accept me as his junior. Finally I took up a job in a commerce college for 150 rupees per month. I faced opposition from various quarters. I gave 50 rupees to my wife for domestic expenses.

His wife Ramabai was a product of timeless traditions. She would walk two miles with a basket of dung cakes on her head, ignoring taunts by local women that the wife of Mr Barrister was carrying dung on her head. Mr Barrister for his part described Ramabais unique method of financial management. She would take 30 pieces of paper, put one and a half rupees in each and keep it tied up in a piece of cloth. She kept five rupees aside for contingencies. Come what may, she would never spend more than the contents of one paper packet in one day.

Ambedkar got married when he was 17. But he was Ambedkar and he went on with his education. He used to tell his followers to avoid early marriage so that they could focus on education. Books were his lifelong passion. A follower counted 8,000 books in his house in 1938. When Ambedkar died 18 years later, there were 35,000 books. He would have books on the bed, on side tables near it, on the floor, on his chest as he dozed off.

There was a rush of religious suitors when Ambedkar declared his intention to leave Hinduism. The Nizam of Hyderabad offered Rs 5 crore if he and his followers embraced Islam. The authorities of the Golden Temple explained to him about the equality that prevailed in Sikhism. Christians tried a trick.

The British bishop of Bombay took the highfalutin position that there was no point in conversion without conviction. At the same time other bishops, all Britons, wooed him with promises of Jesus Christs blessings. Ambedkar had no difficulty in turning away from the bishops because he knew that the caste system was a reality in Christianity, too. One of the most learned men of his time, Ambedkar knew that Buddhism was the right refuge for him.

Included in the book are excerpts from a diary kept by Devi Dayal, who looked after Ambedkars books and sundry household tasks. The title of the diary proclaims its uniqueness: Daily Routine of Dr. Ambedkar. It tells you all about what Babasaheb ate for breakfast (toast, eggs and tea), how he carried newspapers to the dining table, marking items with a red pencil to be cut and preserved, how he could recall from memory which cutting was in which file kept in which cupboard. The Dalit feminist writer Urmila Pawar sums things up in her foreword by saying, The more we see him in the round, the richer we become, a point that can be made about no leader alive today.
Prabhu Chawla By

Conscience is the favourite opiate of retired civil servants. Once the perks of power are gone, they suddenly discover that institutions have collapsed, the Constitution has crumbled and communalism is holding an apocalyptic cookout. Life is a rat race for the average Indian apparatchik 38 years of conspiring for plum posts, obliging greedy politicians, favouring unscrupulous corporates and, sometimes, at a price, turning a blind eye to mafias that pervade the system.

It is not every superannuated panjandrum who is blessed with a well-paid intellectual armchair at a think tank or a new incarnation in some government body. Having failed to meet their official targets as serving babus, they combat growing irrelevance and faded visibility by taking potshots at political targets.

Deprived of the glitz, glamour and galaxy of grovellers, they seize their carpe diem moment by taking up the keyboard against the government. Last week, 80-odd retired IAS officers issued an open letter demanding the head of Indias only chief minister in saffron uniform, Yogi Adityanath, for failing to abide by the Constitution to which he has sworn his allegiance.

Some of the signatories were of sterling reputation, having served in various capacities with grace and dignity. But some others were willing partners in the same acts of omission and commission they accuse Yogi of. When hypocrisy colours virtue, it stains the entire laundry. Their cause is just. Their political preferences and rivalry arent. These bilious babus are cantankerously combative in their cocoons of conscience, ensconced in the salubrious environs of India International Centre with coffee and cupcakes, until public opportunities arise to rejuvenate their self-relevance.

The anti-Yogi epistolers were justifiably enraged by a police officers brutal murder in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh by a lumpen crowd just as other law-abiding citizens are at the breakdown of law and order in UP. The missive read, As a group we have no affiliations with any political party, nor do we subscribe to any ideology other than the values enshrined in the Constitution.

And as individuals, do they? Ex-administrators invoking politics over an issue under investigation while the real culprits are at large smacks of speciousness. Inexplicably, they named the Hindutva brigade as the responsible party and snarkily commented that, for the Sangh Parivar, constitutional morality is of no value and is necessarily subordinate to the ideals of majoritarian supremacy.

Yet, they swear they have no ideological affiliations. Juxtapose current concerns and past track record for a messy missive mosaic:

 Charge: Our colleagues in service, in the police and the civil administration, appear, with honourable exceptions, to have capitulated readily to this perverted political order. They seem to have forgotten that their primary allegiance is to the Constitution and the rule of law..

 Reality: The Emergency was imposed and implemented by their peer group in 1975. The Constitution was crippled and the opposition was jailed on orders signed by the same IAS types and implemented by IPS officers. Some retired captives of their own ambition dismissed elected governments from their Raj Bhavan perches while others made life miserable for chief ministers opposed to the party ruling at the Centre.

 Charge: Never before in recent history has the politics of hate, division and exclusion been so dominant and the poisonous ideology which informs it penetrated so deep into the body politic. Never before has hate been directed with such calculated intent against minority communities, hate which is nursed, aided and abetted by those in power.

 Reality: India has always been the hunting ground of caste and communal politics. Werent the 1984 riots aimed at minorities? It took over three decades for Sikhs to erase the stigma of terrorism and get justice for 3,000 innocent Sikhs who were butchered on New Delhis streets.

There are accusations that the IAS and IPS establishment weakened the cases against the murderers and enfeebled the prosecution. Unfortunately, none of the society servers consider the treatment meted out to Kashmiri Pandits, who are the minority in their state, because J&K was ruled most of the time by members of their own tribe. Innocent citizens, soldiers and policemen are routinely kidnapped, murdered and dismembered by terrorists and misguided youth in the Valley. The has-beens of Indian bureaucracy are blind to the bloodbath at the hands of the Islamist brigade in Kashmir.

The lament of widows and the tears of orphans have not touched the soul and hearts of these watered-down warriors of liberty and unity. Since a substantial number of the anti-Yogi petitioners dine off direct and indirect diplomacy initiatives and espouse Track-II expense account integrity, it is obvious they are unwilling to lose their salubrious assignments in India and abroad by demanding unilateral action against terrorism. Some are puppets who lobby for dialogue with the separatists and their American interlocutors.

 Charge: Our prime minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us of how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains stony silence even as he sees a chief minister handpicked by him treat that same Constitution with sheer contempt.

 Reality: It is correct that Prime Minister Modi has held his tongue against the current spate of violence in UP. Silence is the prime ministerial cloak of infallibility: not even Manmohan Singh spoke out against the Sikh genocide. Neither VP Singh nor Vajpayee condemned the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pundits.

Retired babus often become the musketeers who choose the right cause but end up exposing their partisan side. In office, they keep double standards for sticking to the rule book or performance. None of them have resigned after failing to deliver. In India, the bureaucracy is accountable only to itself. If its only 20 paisa out of one rupee that reaches the actual user, babus blame their political bosses; not their colleagues.

If, after 70 years of Independence, most of the countrys rivers are dead, farmers suicides are rising, criminals are not punished, infrastructure has collapsed, mandarins exclusively blame either Hindutva or the majoritarian mindset. Curious that they have found Indian democracy in danger only in the past 18 months. Before that, did they perceive India as a shining example of a clean and inclusive narrative? Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao once said: If I have choice, I would shoot every IAS officer, from hanging him on a pole. Poles apart babus and netas may be, but India needs to be protected from its all-India services.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Seven of eight ministers the Congress inducted into the cabinet on Saturday are from North Karnataka. By doing so, the party is trying to assuage the sense of alienation among its leaders in the region, but in the process, party biggies in Bengaluru have been left fuming.

Senior leaders and former ministers Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig and Krishnappa were among the aspirants for a ministerial berth. Though Baig and Krishnappa have not expressed their displeasure, Reddys daughter and Jayanagar MLA Soumya Reddy has not minced words in expressing her displeasure.

ALSO READ | Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy to expand ministry; discontent grows in Congress

Having realised that the balancing act has not gone down well with Reddy, the party leadership tried to accommodate Soumya as Parliamentary Secretary. She rejected the post. Sources said Reddy, seven-time MLA who had held the Home and Bengaluru Development portfolios in the Siddaramaiah government, was shocked with the partys decision to ignore him during the ministry expansion. He felt insulted and decided to stay away from party work, sources said.

Reddys decision to stay away from party work in the state capital can have an adverse impact on its prospects during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Given its good performance in Bengaluru during the assembly elections and its alliance with the JD(S), the Congress is confident of winning Bengaluru Central and North LS seats. For that to happen, the Congress needs to put up a united front against the BJP, which won all three LS seats in the city during the 2014 elections.

Now, with Reddy grumbling and leaders like Baig not taken into confidence, it is not going to be an easy task for the Congress to take on BJP. According to many leaders in the party, Reddy understands the dynamics of city politics well and has been playing a crucial role for the Congress in Bengaluru. He had ensured his daughters victory from Jayanagar assembly segment without any assistance from senior party leaders, and also played a key role in the city corporation elections.

According to political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastri, ministry expansion will not solve the Congress problems, as infighting will persist. Congress plans to use senior leaders like Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig and others for party work, but is not sure how they will take it, he said.

However, a crisis in the Congress is unlikely to help the BJP. They need to put their house in order before they try to fish in troubled waters. They have their own share of internal problems, he added.

Political analyst Prof Harish Ramaswamy, however, said that senior leaders like Reddy and HK Patil, who had worked as ministers earlier, should now focus on strengthening the party ahead of LS polls.

Happy with role of campaign panel chief, says HK Patil

Senior Congress leader H K Patil, who was an aspirant for a ministerial berth in the coalition government, has been appointed state Congress campaign committee chief ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Water Resources and Medical Education Minister D K Shivakumar was the party campaign committee chief during the assembly elections earlier this year.

Sources close to the leader, however, said Patil was not happy with the party high commands decision not to include him in the ministry and give him the party job. When contacted, Patil said he is happy with the new assignment given to him. I am happy with the partys decision as I also wanted some change after handling four portfolios continuously, he said. Patil said senior leaders in the party had consulted him before taking the decision.

As chief of the campaign committee, Patil will closely work KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and other top leaders in the state. Along with the KPCC president, the campaign committee chief also plays a crucial role in ensuring proper coordination between different units of the party and also its alliance partners during elections.
By Express News Service

MADURAI: For the first time in history of the Madurai Kamaraj University, the vice-chancellor (V-C) search committee will be interviewing ten candidates, shortlisted from 196 candidates, who had applied for the V-C post.

After former V-C P P Chellathurai's appointment was set aside by the Court, as per the UGC guideline, former V-C of the Indira Gandhi National Open University Nageshwar Rao was selected as governor nominee, former V-C of Anna University M Anandakrishnan as senate nominee and former V-C of Gandhigram Rural Institute D K Oza as syndicate nominee. They would be suggesting three names for the V-C post.

Recently, the search committee invited applications for the V-C post, and 196 candidates applied; their names were published on MKU website. Now, the search committee shortlisted 10 candidates, and called them for interview on December 29, as against directly selecting candidates based on their applications.

The shortlisted candidates were asked to make a 10-minute power point presentation comprising 10 slides about themselves, and other slides describing their vision about MKU. They were also asked to bring documents mentioned in their application.

Speaking to Express, secretary of Save MKU R Murali welcomed search committee's initiative to publish the candidates' names, and urged it to publish names of the shortlisted candidates as well on the website.

Saying that a few shortlisted candidates faced charge memos due to allegations, he urged the search committee to suggest three persons based on their academic experience and not familiarity, along with maintaining transparency in the selection procedure.
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday left here for Visakhapatnam en route to Bhubaneswar where he is scheduled to meet his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in the evening.

Rao is on a four-day tour to meet various leaders to garner support for his proposed non-BJP and non-Congress front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

His party, the TRS, has hired a special aircraft for a period of one month for Rao's trips to various places.

"The Chief Minister along with his family members left for Vizag. He will visit Sharada Peetham and perform special prayers at Rajasyamala temple there. He will be leaving for Bhubaneswar this evening," a senior TRS leader said.

At Visakhapatnam, he will seek the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra Swamiji, an official release had said earlier. Rao, who is also TRS president, will call on Patnaik this evening and stay for the night at his official residence.

On December 24, the Telangana chief minister will visit Konark Temple and Jagannath Temple by road, it had said. From Bhubaneswar, the Telangana CM will proceed to Kolkata, where he will call on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Monday, the release had said.

After visiting Kalimata Temple in Kolkata, he will leave for New Delhi in the night. From December 25, for two to three days, Rao will be in the national capital, the release said. Rao will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, it had said, adding he will also meet former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

During his Delhi trip, Rao is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Union ministers, with whom he will discuss issues related to the state, the release had said.
By PTI

BHUBANESHWAR: With the recent Assembly elections throwing up ambiguous signals and Telangana Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) storming to victory in face of Mahakutami, the possibility of a non-BJP, non-Congress Third Front has gained momentum.

Making his first move, the Telangana CM on Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and the two regional satraps sent out positive vibes.

Adhering to his proclaimed policy of equi-distance from the BJP and Congress, Naveen hinted at the possibility of an alternative front of like minded parties after his meeting with the Telangana CM.

ALSO READ: TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on national spree for non-BJP, non-Congress front

Talking to mediapersons at a joint press conference with KCR, Patnaik said they discussed a number of issues, including matters of national and mutual interest. Meeting between the two regional satraps lasted for over 40 minutes.

We had a general discussion on matters of national interest and how to take this forward. We discussed several issues, including a further friendship amongst the like minded parties, he said.

The meeting assumed significance as the Odisha CM, though circumspect, opened up about the future course of action by the BJD and did not rule out the possibility of like minded regional parties joining forces in the run-up to the 2019 polls.

Asked, if the meeting could be seen as both joining hands ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Naveen said, We have not thought that far, lets see. He although hinted that meetings with KCR will continue in this regard.

The TRS boss was on the same page. KCR said there is a dire need for regional parties to come together against BJP and Congress and added that talks with his Odisha counterpart have just started. We will meet again soon, he said.

The country needs a political change, a change for which a dialogue has begun. We are making an effort; nothing concrete has come out till now. I believe something will emerge soon. We will meet again shortly. There is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country, he said.

KCR is also reaching out to regional parties to cobble up a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance ahead of the parliamentary elections. He is scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

The TRS Supremo will also meet Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav at New Delhi next week.

Naveen said he and KCR discussed the Polavaram issue and 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. We discussed Polavaram issue and how to carry that forward, he said.

Congratulating the TRS supremo for the tremendous victory in Telangana in the recently concluded assembly elections, Naveen also praised the agriculture policy of KCR and said that some more progressive points have been added by the Odisha Government in its own policy.

The bonhomie between the two leaders was palpable as KCR praised Naveens new scheme Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) as a very good initiative for the farmers.

The Telangana CM praised Naveen as a good role model. He (Naveen) is a selfless political leader and a tall personality, he said and congratulated him for taking initiative on the issue of 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. I received a letter from him in this regard and we support it, he said.

Dismissing the Congress criticism of his initiative as a move to weaken the anti-NDA and anti-BJP forces before the next elections and the partys jibe that TRS is the B team of BJP, KCR said, The Congress leaders have become a joke. We are not B team of anybody, We are our own team, he said.
Express News Service By

BHOPAL: Five days after Madhya Pradeshs new Chief Minister, Kamal Nath, announced a waiver of short-term crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh for all farmers in the state, a 42-year-old debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide in Khandwa district on Saturday.

Tribal farmer Juban Singh was found hanging in his agricultural plot in Astaria village early on Saturday. This is the first case of suicide by a debt-ridden farmer in the state after Nath signed on the file on farm loan waivers, within two hours of his swearing-in ceremony on December 17.

Jubans son Bhuvan Singh, alleged that his father had to repay loans amounting between Rs 3-5 lakh. ... Owing to the pending loan, recently, a family from the Khargone district refused to marry their daughter with my young brother, due to which my father further plunged into stress, which forced him to resort to the extreme step, said Bhuvan.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Pandhana seat Ram Dangore, blamed the new government. The announcement by the CM has benefitted only 5% farmers, while other farmers like Juban Singh will continue to reel under the burden of mounting debt...  the BJP MLA alleged.

Congress leader Chhaya More, who lost the recent assembly polls from Pandhana seat to Ram Dangore, meanwhile, blamed the anti-farmer policies of the 15-year rule of the BJP for farmers suicides.
Kanu Sarda By

NEW DELHI: Former Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma, who walked out of jail on Friday night after spending more than 23 years behind bars for killing his wife Naina Sahni in a fit of rage, wants the younger generation to work on anger management so that no one commits a crime like he did.

I regret what I did. Had I learnt the art of anger management at that time, I would be living a normal life, he said in an interview.

Sharma also appeared to blame his possessiveness for his wife, who he suspected of having an illicit relationship, for the crime. Extreme possessiveness should not be there in any person.

In 1995, Sharma killed his wife and tried to dispose of the body by stuffing it into a tandoor at a central Delhi hotel.

Seated in the middle-class home of his parents and sporting a tilak on the forehead, Sharma said he was alarmed at the road rage incidents in Delhi.

Road rage is one thing which is affecting a large population of Delhi and I must say this is the most neglected thing. We dont educate students or youngsters who apply for driving licences about anger management, he said.

Sharma said the traffic police should be sensitised about road rage so that violent incidents on the citys roads can be curbed. He said he had written a paper on it which he would submit to the Delhi Traffic Police.

The then-budding politician travails his parents went through because of his actions. My parents suffered a lot all these years. They came to meet me in jail during the weekly meetings and never lost hope, he said, his eyes welling up.

Sharma completed his Ll.B from Tihar jail, which he used to give legal aid to fellow prisoners. Asked about his days in jail, Sharma said: Jail is nothing less than a trailer of death. But this is one place where you realise your inner strength without the presence of your near and dear ones. Jail makes you a good citizen and a reformed man.

His own marriage went downhill, and, now, Sushil Sharma vouches for counselling before couples tie the nuptial knot. Sharma believes that even strained relationships have a scope of improvement and a little counselling can change everything. All young couples should be roped in for a three-month marriage counselling sessions so that they know each others compatibility before they enter into relationship formally. This eases the pressure on both the boy and the girl and they get to know each other better, the former Congress leader says. Sharma knows it well: His deep regret of his crime and the punishment that followed after he in a fit of rage, shot his wife Naina Sahni, dismembered her body and burn it in a tandoor (clay oven) way back in 1995.

That gruesome act was triggered by his suspicion of his wifes alleged relationship with a friend. He had spent 23 long years behind bar before the Delhi High Court on Friday allowed him to walk free. Due to the lifestyle now, couples these days have frequent fights. With the help of marriage counsellors, these couples would at least be enlightened about the nitty-gritty of relationships. For a healthy relationship, both of them must understand the importance of respecting each of their parents and love them whole-heartedly, he asserts.

Vipassana sessions inside the prison and its practice helped Sharma. I gained lot of strength from that and it gave me courage to help people and understand their pain. Ninety per cent of the people in jail are the ones who are not criminals. A mere 10 per cent are the ones who are habitual offenders and have no scope of reformation.

I have myself analysed it that those people who were sentenced to imprisonment for 14 years, never committed crime after going out. Jail makes you a good citizen. It is rather a place where the people learn discipline and makes you a reformed man, Sharma says, elaborating on his experience of his stint in prison. On the question about his plan to enter into politics again, Sharma claims it nowhere figures in his priorities. No.

I have no plan or intention to join politics as it is not my cup of tea. I now have only one agenda and that is to serve my parents and spend time with them as they are the ones who have suffered because of no fault of theirs. A course of Art of Living, and religion, hopefully, will help him to begin afresh. Far from his heady days of politics, Sharma is now used to spending at least two hours daily for meditation and recitation of verses of the Geeta and the Ramayana.
By PTI

LONDON: An Indian man who was convicted of 23 counts of sexual abuse of a male child within his family has been stripped of his British citizenship and faces deportation to India.

The man, who can only be identified as RSD for legal reasons, came to the UK from India in 1997 and was granted British citizenship in 2004.

In 2011, he was found guilty of grooming and raping a 7-year-old child.

According to a 'Sunday Telegraph' report, a UK court sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment and placed him on the sexual offenders' register for life after finding him to have groomed and raped the boy between 2003 and 2010.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, the UK Home Secretary removed his citizenship on the grounds that when he applied to be a UK citizen he lied about the fact he was sexually abusing a child.

The man won an appeal against that decision but a senior judge has ruled in favour of the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, upholding the decision to strip RSD of his passport this month, which means he now faces being deported to India.

An Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber judge said in a judgement published recently: "It is my conclusion that the appellant obtained naturalisation in 2004 by deliberately concealing material facts."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Any British Citizen may be deprived of his or her citizenship if the Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good. It is a power used for extreme and exceptional cases."



Deprivation on conducive grounds can be used where individuals pose a threat to national security, or have been involved in war crimes, serious and organised crime, and unacceptable behaviours such as extremism or glorification of terrorism, unless to deprive would render them stateless.
By UNI

DUBAI: Comments by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have drawn the ire of social media in India, after a clip of his speech on Saturday was widely shared.

Speaking in the state of Punjab (Pakistan), Khan had urged the ministers to consider the status of minorities.

He also commented on the recent controversy related to Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah, where he had said in an interview that he was afraid for his children in today's India, said a report in the Gulf News.

"What he [Shah] is saying is what Quaid-e-Azam [Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah] had said [during India's Partition]. When he said that Muslims would not be treated as equal citizens is what is happening in India right now," he said during the speech.

ALSO READ | India most tolerant country in the world: Rajnath Singh

He went on to add that the ministers had to make Pakistan into a country where minorities got equal rights and were considered equal citizens.

"We have to especially show Narendra Modi's India how we treat minorities and how they treat minorities," he added.

According to Indian media reports, Naseeruddin Shah also reacted to Khan's comments, asking him to focus on his own country.

On social media, too, users commented on recent reports of minorities being mistreated in Pakistan.
The Director of Syria's National Security Bureau Ali Mamlouk discussed in a meeting on Saturday in Cairo with the Head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel a number of political and security issues of mutual interest, as well as counter-terrorism efforts.

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Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
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The Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has questioned the engagement of two prominent politicians for work-related training at the Harare Magistrates Court despite the duo facing serious graft-related charges at the same courts.





Former Cabinet Ministers Savior Kasukuwere and Supa Mandiwanzira  who are studying for law degrees with the University of Zimbabwe are currently engaged as interns at the lower courts.





Kasukuwere is charged with four counts of abuse of office from his time in Government while Mandiwanzira is facing the same charges after he allegedly engaged South African firm, Megawatt Company, to provide services to NetOne without going to tender.





He is also accused of appointing his personal assistant, Tawanda Chinembiri, to the Postal Telecommunications and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) board.





Head of the OPCs corruption-busting unit Mr Tabani Mpofu told The Sunday Mail that the engagement of the two former Cabinet Ministers is untenable.





We are very concerned that two accused persons who are appearing at the Harare Magistrates Court facing corruption charges have been accepted and allowed to do their attachment for their law studies at the same courts.





That inevitably does not inspire confidence in the public with regards to the criminal justice system operating efficiently and transparently, where these two accused persons are concerned: these are Supa Mandiwanzira and Saviour Kasukuwere, said Mr Mpofu.

This runs the risk of undermining public confidence in our criminal justice system and our sincerity in the fight against corruption.





They are working in the very same corridors where we have our records. For example, Supa Mandiwanzira was in the corridors a day before he was to appear in court.





Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Deputy Secretary Mr Sithembinkosi Msipa, however, declined to comment.





I am not able to comment about that. What we need is proper communication and then we will be able to issue a statement on that, but Im not at work today (yesterday); I am not in a position to give you any comment.





According to Mr Mpofu, the special unit has begun lifestyle audits for individuals suspected to have amassed ill-gotten wealth.





Authorities are also looking into corruption-related cases raised in the Auditor-Generals recent report with a view of starting prosecutions.





Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) is currently undertaking those (lifestyle audits) and we have got a few cases in the pipeline emanating from that exercise. We dont want to jeopardise the integrity of investigations, but what I can tell you is there will be prosecutions emanating from lifestyle audits, not only for people from Zimra.





When we approach these cases it is only incidental what professions these people are but we are looking at a number of individuals in the public service and politicians.





And also, you know that the Auditor-General presents a report to Parliament; we are now carefully studying the report with the view of preferring criminal charges against those implicated in the reports.





The AGs report will not just be another report presented to Parliament and allowed to gather dust in Government offices.





We want to assist the AG by taking corrective measures in our courts. Come 2019, we will see prosecutions emanating from irregularities of the report.





The team is confident that the 22 cases of high-level corruption it is presently prosecuting will result in conviction.





Mr Mpofu said most of the accused persons are employing legal technicalities of applying for exception to charges at higher courts in order to frustrate proceedings. Accused persons can apply for exception to charges if the prosecution fails to prove a prima facie case against them.





The general public perception is that none of these cases have yet to see convictions in court; and it is an understandable attitude, he said.





But the fact of the matter is we cannot short cut, circumvent or short circuit due processes.





When these accused person are arrested and brought to the courts, they have got the laws of the country available to them.





What we have noted is that in all corruption cases before the courts, none of the accused persons are anxious to have their trials commence in court.





We have seen many court applications at the commencement of the trial whose effect is to delay the commencement of the trial.





To members of the public this may appear to be vindication for those who say that criminal corruption cases will not be successfully prosecuted, but that is not the case.





Due process has to be followed.





And in all these cases where applications have been made due process will be exhausted and the trials will commence.





Our first trial commenced in August; the Wicknell (Chivayo) case was the first one we worked on.





And it is on public record that at every stage that we sought to commence the trial, the accused person in that case put an application to the court whose effect was to delay the commencement.





As we speak, Wicknell Chivayo made an application for exception to the charges; that application was thrown out by the Magistrates Court and he has since appealed to the High Court against the magistrates decision to throw out his exception charges.





As I speak to you, the matter is with the High Court after the Judge reserved judgement on the matter.





We have got many other cases that we sought to start prosecuting in court and we face similar applications, but convictions will come after due processes.





Due processes cannot be short circuited; there is no way around it.





The crack unit was established by President Mnangagwa to improve efficiency in prosecuting graft cases. Sunday Mail




French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he deeply regretted U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

An ally should be dependable, Macron said during a press conference in Chad. I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria.

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(Newser)  Water on Mars? That's an ongoing question, but there's definitely a crater filled with ice year-round, Science Alert reports. New images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express show the Korolev crater, which measures 50.6 miles in diameter and 1.2 miles deep, filled nearly to the brim with ice. The European Space Agency calls the "winter wonderland" a "cold trap" because the crater's deepest partsfurther down than the Grand Canyon's, per Space.comtrap air blowing along the planet's surface. The sunken air cools, producing a cold layer that insulates ice and keeps it from melting.

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Named after Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev, the crater was no doubt forged by a huge impact somewhere in the planet's past. The latest images were composited from five pics snapped by the Mars Express, an orbiter that's given us detailed photos of the planet's surface and possible signs of liquid water since launching in 2003, per Engadget. The orbiter is now accompanied by NASA's Insight lander, which arrived in November to "screams, applause, and laughter." (Here's what wind on Mars sounds like.)
(Newser)  A man once accused of plotting to kidnap retired talk show host David Letterman's son and nanny has been released from a Montana prison for a second time after serving additional years for violating parole. Kelly Allen Frank was released in mid-November and is under the supervision of parole officials, the Great Falls Tribune reported Saturday. Frank was a painter on Letterman's Montana ranch when he was arrested in 2005 on charges of solicitation to kidnap. Investigators said he told an acquaintance of a plan to abduct Letterman's son, Harry Joseph, then 16 months old, and the nanny for a $5 million ransom, reports the AP. The Tribune cites court records that said Frank allegedly claimed he had a key to the home and would have been able to sneak in.

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In a deal with prosecutors, Frank pleaded guilty to theft for overcharging Letterman for painting. He also pleaded guilty to obstruction for lying to investigators and to an unrelated poaching charge. Prosecutors dropped the kidnap-related charge. Frank was sentenced to 10 years in prison but escaped in 2007. He was recaptured and given an additional 10-year sentence. He was released in 2014 but re-arrested in 2015 for violating the terms of his parole. The conditions of his latest parole include spending at least six months in semi-restricted housing and wearing a GPS monitor for at least six months.

(Read more David Letterman stories.)
(Newser)  A chief ranger at the National Park Service says she's done with rampant sexual discrimination on the jobso she's suing her bosses, the Washington Post reports. Michelle Schonzeit, 36, claims underqualified male applicants have been promoted over her. "The time has come for this pernicious form of discrimination and harassment to end," says her $400,000 lawsuit, per E&E News. "Put simply, the #MeToo movement has now entered the Interior Department." Schonzeit, who's chief ranger at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, says she took the job after failing to win the head ranger post at the Camp David Presidential retreat, which went to a less-qualified ranger in 2015.

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"I have hired women in the past, and I do not believe women should be in law enforcement leadership positions," a superintendent apparently told her. Schonzeita 14-year veteran and likely the Park Service's top-ranking female law enforcement officialsays she then lost out on another top post to a man who had only been overseeing three rangers. Schonzeit also claims her husband, Simeon Klebaner of the US Park Police, suffered "reprisal" for revealing what he knew of that decision. Schonzeit's Friday suit names incoming Interior Secretary David L. Bernhardt as a defendant, but he has no comment. Lawmakers have already accused the National Park Service of fostering a "culture of sexual harassment," per the Post. (A female athlete was honored, then asked to twerk.)
(Newser)  Simcha Rotem, a Holocaust survivor who was among the last Jewish fighters from the 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising, has died. He was 94. Rotem, who went by "Kazik," took part in the single greatest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust, reports the AP. Though guaranteed to fail, the Warsaw ghetto uprising symbolized a refusal to succumb to Nazi atrocities and inspired other resistance campaigns by Jews and non-Jews alike. Rotem, who passed away Saturday after a long illness, helped save the last survivors by smuggling them out of the burning ghetto through sewage tunnels. The Jewish fighters fought for nearly a month, managing to kill 16 Nazis and wound nearly 100. "Kazik was a real fighter," said Avner Shalev, chair of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. "The challenge for all of us now is to continue giving meaning to remembrance without exemplary figures like Kazik."

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After World War II broke out, Warsaw's Jews were herded into the infamous ghetto, which initially crammed in some 380,000 Jews, and at its peak housed about a half-million. The resistance grew after July 22, 1942, when 265,000 were rounded up and killed at Treblinka. A small group of rebels began carrying out isolated acts of sabotage. The Nazis entered the ghetto on April 19, 1943, the eve of Passover, and three days later, set the ghetto ablaze, turning it into a fiery death trap. Rotem served as liaison between the bunkers and fought, before arranging for the escape of the few who did not join the final stand. With his passing, there is only a single known remaining Warsaw ghetto uprising survivor left in Israel89-year-old Aliza Vitis-Shomron. Her main task had been distributing leaflets in the ghetto before she was ordered to escape and tell the world of the Jews' heroic battle.

(Read more Holocaust stories.)
(Newser)  A missing Colorado mom's phone pinged a cellphone tower near Gooding, Idaho, three days after her last confirmed sighting. Now, police in the latter state say they have gathered evidence in relation to Kelsey Berreth's disappearance. KRDO reports authorities in Twin Falls, Idaho, didn't elaborate beyond saying they've served "several" search warrants and processed "some items of evidence." A press release adds they were contacted by the FBI on Dec. 15 and asked to participate in the investigation. The Denver Post reports Gooding is about 35 miles from Twin Falls.

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The development came one day after Berreth's fiance, Patrick Frazee, was arrested in connection with her death. The AP reports his next court date is Dec. 31. Though police have not found a body, they do not believe Berreth is alive and say evidence suggests a crime occurred in her home, which she and Frazee did not share. They have a 1-year-old daughter. The AP adds that Berreth's mother had previously described the couple as having a solid relationship and said the delay in moving in together had financial roots: Frazee runs a cattle ranch, and industry prices are down, which she says forced them to put their plans on hold. (Cops allege Frazee may have had help in killing Berreth.)
(Newser)  Prayers were held Sunday for Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, a senior member of the royal family who supported women's rights and once led a group of dissident princes, who died at the age of 87. Prince Talal was an older brother to King Salman and the son of the founder and first ruler of modern Saudi Arabia, the late King Abdulaziz, whose sons have ruled since his death, with the throne passing from brother to brother. Prince Talal's son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, announced on Twitter that his father passed away Saturday, reports the AP. Prince Talal served as communications minister in the 1950s and finance minister in the early 1960s. In 1957, Prince Talal founded the first school for girls in Riyadh, according to Saudi newspaper Arab News. The school was founded at a time when females had no access to formal education in the landlocked capital and schools were open to boys only.

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Soon after he was appointed finance minister, he struck out and led a group of princes who called for a constitutional monarchy that distributes some of the king's powers. The royals, who became known as the Free Princes Movement, called for a constitution to govern the kingdom, rather than rules based solely on clerical interpretation of the Quran and other religious doctrine. Prince Talal led the group from Beirut and Cairo, which under Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was an adversary of Riyadh. The prince was stripped of his nationality and his assets were seized. After rifts emerged between Prince Talal and Cairo, he was allowed to return to Saudi Arabia in 1964 under King Faisal, who had deposed his brother King Saud that year. Prince Talal served until 2011 as a member of the Allegiance Council, a body of senior princes who choose the next king among themselves.

(Read more Saudi prince stories.)
(Newser)  A Long Island couple, a car crash, and the world's most earnest copwhat more do you need on a wedding day? Joseph DeMichele and fiancee Feliece Terwilliger were driving to say "I do" Saturday in the village of Lake Grove when they crashed into a car U-turning in front of them, ABC News reports. No one was hurt, including their two kids, ages 5 and 10, but the accident was at 1:15pm. The wedding was slated for 15 minutes later. "It really was one of those things that you were anticipating for so long that you were just wanting so badly for the chance to get married," says DeMichele. "All I wanted to do was marry my best friend." And the crash scene didn't bode well: cops, firefighters, two hysterical children. What hope was there?

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They told police where they were going, and a sergeant didn't hesitate: "Suddenly, he turns around and he's like, 'You know what we're going to do?'" says Terwilliger. "'We're going to get you to your wedding.'" Soon Police Officer Cody Matthews was driving the stunned couple and their kids in the patrol car, sirens blaring, right up to the town hall where the mayor was planning to marry them. But as Terwilliger already knew, one of their two witnesses was absentand the mayor called that a deal-breaker. Enter, of course, Kennedy: "He turned out to be my best man and my witness," says DeMichele. The punch line: Their family in Brooklyn was going to be surprised by the wedding, but saw the whole story on the news. No word yet on whether Matthews will "accompany the couple on their honeymoon," quips CBS New York. (The baker in a gay wedding-cake case is now in a transgender cake case.)
(Newser)  Turkey is massing troops near a town in northern Syria held by a US-backed and Kurdish-led force, a war monitor and Turkish media said Sunday. The buildup comes even though Turkey said it would delay a promised offensive in eastern Syria in the wake of President Trump's decision to withdraw US troops earlier this week, reports the AP. On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he "deeply regrets" Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Syria and warned it could have dangerous consequences. Macron showered praise on US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit in the wake of Trump's unexpected move. "An ally should be reliable, coordinate with other allies. Mattis understood this," Macron said. Turkey, however, welcomed Trump's decision, as Ankara views the Kurdish militia at the heart of SDF as an extension of the insurgency within its borders.

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to dislodge the Kurdish fighters from its border with Syria. Turkey already has troops in northwestern Syria and has backed Syrian fighters there to clear villages of ISIS militants and Kurdish fighters. Erdogan said he would delay the eastern Syria offensive and work on plans to clear ISIS from the region. On Sunday, the Turkish IHA news agency reported a convoy of Turkish troopsa commando unithad been sent into Syria overnight. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the reinforcements were sent to the front line with Manbij, where US troops have been based. The Observatory said 50 vehicles crossed into Syria carrying troops and equipment. A rep for the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council said Turkish reinforcements have arrived. "We are taking necessary measures to defend ourselves if we are attacked," he said without elaborating.

(Read more Turkey stories.)
(Newser)  Sen. Dick Durbin says he and other senators begged Jim Mattis to staybut no, the defense secretary had made up his mind. "I was one of many senators who privately sat down with General Mattis and said, 'Please stay, stay as long as you possibly can,'" says Durbin on NBC's Meet the Press, per Politico. "We desperately need your mature voice, your patriotism in the room when this president's making life or death decisions about national security. But it obviously reached a breaking point." He goes on, "It breaks my heart that he's going to step aside. We counted on him to be there and to stop this president from his worst impulse." For more Sunday talk:



So funny: "We joked about it last night." So says acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on ABC's This Week about him and Trump reacting to now-viral video of Mulvaney calling Trump "a terrible human being" in 2016, ABC News reports. Axios says Trump was privately "furious" about the video.

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More Mick : "It's very possible this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," says Mulvaney on Fox News Sunday, per Fox News. He claims it will affect Nancy Pelosi because she is "in that unfortunate position of being beholden to her left wing, to where she cannot be seen as agreeing with the president on anything until after she's speaker."

: "It's very possible this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," says Mulvaney on Fox News Sunday, per Fox News. He claims it will affect Nancy Pelosi because she is "in that unfortunate position of being beholden to her left wing, to where she cannot be seen as agreeing with the president on anything until after she's speaker." Erratic? "He's not giving the American people or our allies around the world any sense that there's a rationale for the decisions that he's making," says Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro about Trump on NBC's Meet the Press, per NBC News. Castro, who's mulling a 2020 run, calls Trump "just so erratic."

"He's not giving the American people or our allies around the world any sense that there's a rationale for the decisions that he's making," says Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro about Trump on NBC's Meet the Press, per NBC News. Castro, who's mulling a 2020 run, calls Trump "just so erratic." Subpoena : Rep. Adam Schiff says he'll probably subpoena Bob Mueller's report if Trump's lawyers try blocking it: "I'm prepared to ... do everything possible so that the public has the advantage of as much of the information as it can," he says on CNN's State of the Union, per CNN.

: Rep. Adam Schiff says he'll probably subpoena Bob Mueller's report if Trump's lawyers try blocking it: "I'm prepared to ... do everything possible so that the public has the advantage of as much of the information as it can," he says on CNN's State of the Union, per CNN. Syria and Afghanistan : "These two decisions would be disastrous," says Rep. Liz Cheney on CBS' Face the Nation of Trump's plan to pull out troops, per CBS News. "They would really in many ways hand victories to our enemies."

: "These two decisions would be disastrous," says Rep. Liz Cheney on CBS' Face the Nation of Trump's plan to pull out troops, per CBS News. "They would really in many ways hand victories to our enemies." Border wall: "He's sitting on over $1 billion, 94% of what we sent him last year for border security he hasn't bothered to spend," says Sen. Jeff Merkley on This Week, where he calls the wall a "fourth century" strategy, per ABC News. "...This is politics, not policy."

(Apropos Mattis, looks like he's not leaving in February as planned .)
(Newser)  Thousands of Central Americans journeying toward the United States were 2,500 miles from their destination in October when they reached a moment of decision: Should they press on toward the US border? Or should they stop and put down roots in Mexico, where the government offered to let them stay? Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a group of activists escorting the caravan, warned the migrants that the offer might be too good to be true and called a voice vote on whether to continue, the AP reports. "Let's keep going!" the crowd yelled amid applause. And they kept going. Thousands are now in Tijuana on the US border, where they are likely to be camped for months or longer with no easy way to get into the United States, creating what is fast becoming a humanitarian crisis in this overwhelmed city.

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Many blame Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, made up of about 40 US and Mexican activists. Critics, including former allies and some of the migrants themselves, say Pueblo Sin Fronteras downplayed the dangers of such treks, especially for families and small children, and misled the participants about how long they would have to wait on the Mexican side to apply for asylum. One migrant now in Tijuana says she should have accepted Mexico's offer to stay and work there, but Pueblo Sin Fronteras founder Roberto Corona says attorneys told migrants they might be held in US detention centers and separated from their children. Yet criticisms continue: "There is no reason to make these inhumane journeys," says a Mexican priest recognized for his work with migrants. (The Supreme Court has dealt a blow to asylum-seekers.)
Pope Francis has prayed for the dead, the missing and the homeless in the tsunami that struck Indonesia.

Francis told tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Sunday that his thoughts were with Indonesia's people, ``struck by violent natural calamities,'' and said he was spiritually close to those left homeless or otherwise suffering.

At least 222 people were killed by the tsunami, which swamped hotels, houses and concertgoers at a beachside venue in the Southeast Asian nation.

The pope also appealed for people to show solidarity, and for the international community to lend support, for those affected by the disaster.

Indonesia's disaster management agency says the death toll from a tsunami believed to be triggered by a volcanic eruption has climbed to 222, with 843 others injured and 28 missing.

Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says those numbers may still rise since not all affected areas have been reached.

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Bahrain Technology Companies Societys (BTECH) Annual General Meeting recently held under the supervision of the societys Senior Board Advisor Ahmed Al Hujairy, has re-elected Ubaydli Ubaydli as the chairman. The new board of directors of BTECH for 2019-2020 are: Ubaydli Ubaydli, Chairman, Dr Osama Albaharna, Vice-Chairman, Rashid Al Sinan, Secretary, Tareq Fakhroo, Treasurer, S M Hussaini, Board Director, BPO Committee, Hani Awachi, Head of Membership Committee, and Mirza Asrar Baig and Head of Cybersecurity Committee.

During the AGM, members of BTECH approved the Annual Managerial report of the Society for 2016-2017, which included all the activities and events carried out by BTECH during that period inside and outside Bahrain. The managerial report reflected a positive and growing society who has reached an international level in promoting the ICT industry of the Kingdom. Moreover, BTECHs financial report for the year 2016-2017 presented during the AGM and has been approved by members of the society.
Bahrain condemned the twin terrorist bombings that took place near the Presidential Palace area in Somalia, resulting in the death and injury of a number of people, including security personnel. The Foreign Ministry extended its deep condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.

It affirmed Bahrains solidarity with Somalia and firm rejection of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism, calling for international concerted efforts to end terrorism and its funding. The death toll from a double car bomb attack yesterday in Somalias capital, Mogadishu, has risen to 15, a security official said.

Twenty others were injured, according to the official, Ibrahim Jama. The blasts occurred in central Mogadishu, near the National Theatre, the presidential palace and the Daljirka Dahson monument. Plumes of smoke rose over the streets, and a heavy police presence was reported in the area. Al Shabaab, a militant group linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement posted on affiliated websites. A suicide bomber drove a car filled with explosives to the gate of the presidential palace and killed presidential guards, the statement said.
Two men have been arrested over the alleged cultivation of marijuana after nearly 400 plants were seized from residences in the metropolis, reports TV Asahi

Between August and November, Kenshi Sera, 38, and Kazuya Hoshi, 31, allegedly cultivated marijuana plants in three residences in Shibuya and Nakano wards for the purpose of sale.

Sera admits to the allegations. Meanwhile, Hoshi denies the charges, police said.

On an unspecified date, officers from the Kanto Narcotics Control Department, which operates under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, raided the three locations and found 392 plants and about 520 grams of dried marijuana.

The locations had been leased by the suspects, police said.

The investigation started after Sera was found to be possession of 90 grams of marijuana that he was attempting to sell.
Sources say former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn deceived the board of directors to obtain their approval for transferring the latent losses from his personal currency trading to the automaker.

Tokyo prosecutors served another arrest warrant on Ghosn on Friday on suspicion of aggravated breach of trust.

He is suspected of transferring the trading rights to Nissan after his asset management firm incurred unrealized losses of about 16 million dollars during the 2008 global financial crisis.

The asset management company had a contract for currency swap deals with Tokyo-based Shinsei Bank.

Sources say when the bank requested additional collateral, Ghosn proposed shifting the trading rights to Nissan.

The bank then asked him to obtain the approval of Nissan's board.

Sources say Ghosn had the board approve the plan without disclosing that it was related to his personal trading. The directors were reportedly told that a senior official at the company secretary's office, who was Ghosn's close aide, would be in charge of the currency trading.

Ghosn's lawyer quotes him as saying he briefly shifted the trading rights to Nissan, but did not cause any damage to the automaker because he shouldered the losses that were incurred during that period. The former chairman denies the allegation of aggravated breach of trust.
Egypt and Germany signed on Sunday two agreements worth 150.5 million for technical and financial cooperation, the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation said.

In an official statement, the ministry said the agreements were signed by Minister Sahar Nasr and German Ambassador to Cairo Julius Georg Luy.

The first agreement is on technical cooperation through a grant worth 48 million in the education sector under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis initiative to invest in human capital, as well as support infrastructure, the environment, agriculture, water and sanitation, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The second agreement is on financial cooperation and is worth 102.5 million to fund a number of projects in the fields of electricity, renewable energy, agriculture, and SMEs.

Nasr said the grants for SMEs would be directed to the most deprived areas to benefit youth and women.

The minister praised the cooperation between the two countries, highlighting German investments in Egypt, which are totaled at $641.4 million.

Lowe praised the cooperation with Egypt, saying that the agreements come in the framework of boosting ties between the two countries.

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on the people of Yorubaland to ensure they vote for President Muhammadu Buhari for reelection assuring them that the victory of Buhari would guarantee a sure ticket for Yoruba presidency come 2023.Osinbajo said this yesterday when he visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi in his palace.He said, Yoruba have a crucial role to play in the 2019 elections so ensure that APC wins. We are looking at 2023. If we dont do well in 2019, the opportunity might evade us. We should be forward-looking and not spoil our future by allowing those who had plundered our nation to come back to government. They have been coalescing again to continue the plunder but God shall not allow them. If one is building a house, he has to construct a very solid foundation. The foundation might not be easily noticed but when it is built on, the house will emerge.What I know about President Buhari is that he is an honest person and he is trustworthy. Whatever he says he will do, he always strive to do it. If we look at the level of corruption that had taken place, it was humongous. We should not allow it to continue again, Osinbajo appealed.When he met with traders in the town, he dismissed a rumour on alleged collection of PVC of eligible voters.Some people are saying that APC is collecting traders PVC and BVN. It is all lies. The money we give is transferred through phone without collecting any such details from anybody. Dont fall for their antics, Osinbajo cautions.Governor Abiola Ajimobi said that Oyo State is peaceful and enjoying better security compared to the era of past governments because Alaafin is on ground. He is unarguably the most intellectual and intelligent Kabiyesi in the whole of Yorubaland. Baba is a friend of APC. Once he is behind one, all the elements both spiritual and physical are in ones support. This coming 2019 elections is between Hausa and Yoruba on one hand and Hausa and Ibo on the other side. It is only a bastard in Yorubaland that will not support APC. The glutton on the opposite side has wasted our resources yet they want to come back. Dont allow them, Ajimobi pleaded.The monarch, described Osinbajo as a true son of Yorubaland and a true representative of the Yorubaland.Alaafin said, God will do for us what we are expecting in the nearest future. He also lauded Ajimobi for entrenching the culture of peace and security in Oyo State against what had been experienced before the inception of the present administration.In attendance were the gubernatorial candidate of the APC Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Senator Teslim Folarin, Olufemi Ojudu, Retired Arch Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Chief Imam of Oyo Town Sheik Abdulganiy Ajokidero, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi and many other candidates of the party ahead of the 2019 elections.
Two buses branded Buhari/Osibanjo campaign and the campaign office of one of the All Progressives Congress, APC, party factional governorship candidate in Enugu state, Mr. George Tagbo Ogara, were on Saturday, set ablaze by hoodlums still at large.Both the buses and the office were alleged to be burnt by some improvised explosive device, IEDs, a Premium Times report claims.According to the report, Mr. Ogara claimed the Improvised Explosive Devices were used to destroy his buses and campaign office by hoodlums he said he does not know where they came from or who sent them.According to him, Improvised Explosive Device, IED, bomb is not a matter a civilian like me can intervene. The police and DSS will investigate that matter.Mr. Ogara is currently embroiled in a legal battle with his party, APC, for publishing the name of a former senator in the state, Ayogu Eze, as its candidate for the 2019 election.Mr. Ogara who took his party to court is claiming right to the governorship ticket. The case will be up for hearing at a Abuja Federal High Court in Abuja on January 10.
The officials agreed to establish centres to develop local talents and classes to enhance the skills of people with disabilities

Egypts Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem met on 20 December with governor of Minya governorate Qassem Hussein to discuss increasing cultural, artistic and intellectual activities in the Minyas villages.

The meeting was held after Minister Abdel-Dayem, who is also a flautist, performed alongside German-Egyptian ensemble Cairo Steps in Minya governorate at the University Hall on 19 December.

The performance was part of an initiative to combat religious extremism.

The meeting between the two officials was attended by head of Minya University Mostafa Abdel-Nabi.

Abdel-Dayem and Hussein agreed to establish centres to discover and develop local talents, as well as organising workshops in writing, acting and film directing.

They also agreed on creating classes to develop the skills of people with disabilities to help them better integrate into society.

The minister also discussed with Abdel-Nabi possibly using Minya University's theatre to host activities organised by the Ministry of Culture.

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Oodi's planners believe the robot librarians are the first instance in the world of self-driving technology being used in this way inside a public library

What do you give the world's most literate country for its 100th birthday? For Finland's politicians and public, the answer was simple: a vast, state-of-the-art library, a new "living room for the nation".

Twenty years in the planning, Helsinki's central library officially opened this December at the end of a year of festivities marking the centenary of Finland's independence after breaking with Russia in 1917 following six centuries under Swedish rule.

It is a huge, flowing structure of wood and glass sitting on a prime spot in the city centre, directly opposite the Finnish parliament.

But whereas the parliament building is an austere and imposing hunk of granite, the new library was designed by Finnish firm ALA Architects as a welcoming, undulating structure, clad in 160 kilometres' worth (99 miles) of Finnish spruce, drawing people inside with a "warm hug".

Named Oodi -- "ode" in Finnish -- it is intended as a paean to knowledge, learning and equality in what was ranked the world's most literate country by a 2016 report based on official statistics.

As the grand opening approaches, workers are frantically trying to finish the outside of the building. Installing the flowing wood panelling has proven harder than expected in Helsinki's freezing climate.

The interior, however, is largely ready.

ode

While books will feature heavily -- 100,000 of them -- the cutting-edge facility also boasts studios for music and video production, a cinema, and workshops containing 3D printers and laser cutters, all free of charge for the public.

It will also house an EU-funded visitor centre, offering information on the 28-member bloc's work and its impact on people's daily lives.

"Oodi gives a new modern idea of what it means to be a library," Tommi Laitio, Helsinki's executive director of culture and leisure, told AFP.

"It is a house of literature but it's also a house of technology, it's a house of music, it's a house of cinema, it's a house of the European Union.

"And I think all of these come together to this idea of hope and progress," Laitio said.

Robot librarians

One sign of such progress is the building's fleet of book-carrying robots -- small grey waggons which navigate themselves in and out of lifts, avoiding people and furniture, in order to bring returned books up from the basement and drop them off at the correct bookcase.

There, a human member of staff will place the books on the shelf.

Oodi's planners believe the robot librarians are the first instance in the world of self-driving technology being used in this way inside a public library.

The robots will become a familiar sight to the library's expected 10,000 visitors a day.

ode

Silence is not golden

Oodi will have areas walled off for quiet studying, but for everywhere else, there will not be a "silence" rule in force, as is common in libraries.

In fact, making a mess and noise are positively encouraged inside the "nerd loft" -- a place to inspire people of all ages to come together and create.

Users can build things in workshops equipped with cutting-edge tools, borrow musical instruments or play games consoles.

"We are prepared to constantly have discussions with the users and the staff about what behaviour is welcome in the library, but it's definitely a place of noise and all sorts of improvised activities," Helsinki's head of library services, Katri Vanttinen, said.

She is particularly proud of the library's decision not to separate the children's section from the adult books.

All are housed on the library's panoramic top floor: a sweeping 50-metre long space, with glass walls on all sides supporting a billowing, cloudlike roof.

"We think that the noise the children bring into this floor is positive noise, we hear the future, and we enjoy that we have children's and adult literature on the same floor with no walls in between," Vanttinen said.

"Acoustics have been planned really well, so even if people are shouting at one end you can hardly hear them at the other end," she added.

As vital as drinking water

Although many countries have been cutting back on library services, Laitio said there were no problems winning political and public backing for the 98-million-euro ($110-million) project, thanks to the value that many Finns place on libraries.

Some 68 million books a year are borrowed by the country's 5.5 million people, named the happiest in the world by the UN earlier this year.

"Libraries in Helsinki are the second highest-rated public service after drinking water," Laitio said.

"So libraries are really loved in Finland. And if I look at this project, a 100-million-euro investment, I hear zero to minimal protest. Actually people are really joyful and proud."

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Important! This article is written by orangesmile.com editors and is protected by copyright law. The article can only be re-used with a direct link to www.orangesmile.com

NEWS BLOCKS:

France, Benelux, and Portugal Lead the Growth of European Hospitality Industry

European hospitality industry keeps growing, with France, Benelux, and Portugal being the biggest donators to that growth. This information is stated in the latest report prepared by ECM. Within the first 9 months of 2018, European destinations enjoyed the growth of the revenue per available room (RevPAR) by 3.9%. The occupancy rate added 0.9%, and the average daily rate (ADR) added even more  2.6%. Among all segments, midscale and upscale/upper upscale hotels showed the biggest growth. Their RevPAR increased by 4.5% and 3.4% respectively.



Among all European countries, France, Benelux, and Portugal posted the strongest growth. Belgium hotels had their RevPAR grow by 8.3% in the first 9 months of 2018. The Netherlands posted a similar result of +8%. Brussels hotels had a particularly strong first half of 2018. Their RevPAR rose by 11.3%. This has become possible mostly because of a strong occupancy (+4.6%). Hotels in Ghent also had powerful 9 months of the year with the growth of 6.1%.



Luxembourg hotels posted weaker results with the growth of RevPAR reaching only 1.6%. Amsterdam, which hosted a number of international business events, performed better  RevPAR of hotels in Amsterdam added 7.2%. It also has the third highest occupancy among Benelux cities. The hospitality industry of France enjoyed strong growth during the first 9 months of 2018 as well. It remains a popular tourist destination. That is particularly true about Paris hotels that added 3.5% to their occupancy and boosted RevPAR by 11%. Other popular destination in France posted weaker but still positive results. RevPAR of hotels in Nice, Cannes, and Montpellier added 9.5%, 7%, and 5.6% respectively. Some destinations like Toulouse, Biarritz, and Marseille had negative results.



What about other countries in the region? When it comes to cities with the best occupancy, the UK is an obvious leader. Edinburgh and London are the first and second most occupied cities in Europe. Liverpool is rank 9. That said, the RevPAR of hotels in the United Kingdom is almost flat (+1.2%). In Germany, cities like Nuremberg, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Dresden post growing RevPAR while Dusseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig, and Hamburg have to cope with declines.



On the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is the definite leader. Its RevPAR has added 4.3% since the start of the year. Among the biggest gainers, there are such cities as Zaragoza, Bilbao, and Valencia. Lisbon hotels reached the growth of RevPAR of 1.8% mostly thanks to a number of international events.

23.12.2018Stay in touch with the latest news of a worldwide hotel industry. All up-to-date analytics, reports , and news about hotel business trends on OrangeSmile.com.
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Mr Ade Coker, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says Kojo Bonsu does not have what it takes to contest in the flagbearership race of the party.



According to him, Kojo Bonsu lacks "strong ribs" and that was why he pulled out of the race.



Speaking on The Big Issue, Saturday, Mr. Ade Coker said if you are going to go into a contest, you should have strong ribs. Strong, strong ribs. It is an indication that his ribs are not strong.Ask the boxers, when you dont have a strong rib and they give you a punch, just one small punch, you are down...the ribs connote everything.



Kojo Bonsu on Saturday announced his withdrawal from the NDC flagbearership race.



In a statement, Mr Bonsu said the decision to opt out of the race is as a result of considerable deliberation and reflection.



"However, my boundless optimism for the long-term future of the NDC and Ghana at large remains steadfast. The fight is far from over, I am not ending the fight for unity and accountability and I am not ending the fight for victory for the NDC" he added.



Mr Bonsu joins lawyer Elikplim Lorlormavor Agbemava who has also dropped out of the race.









Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Hollywood actor Boris Kodjoe has revealed in a video that he is bringing 40 of the worlds renowned celebrities to Accra to experience the countrys rich culture.



The actor was, in May this year, appointed ambassador of film for Ghana by Catherine Afeku, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.



Kodjoe urged interested people and bodies who understand the importance of showing the world what an amazing tourist and business destination Ghana is to come on board to make this a reality.



Known in real life as Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe, Mr. Kodjoe is an Austrian-born actor of German and Ghanaian descent.



He is popular for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film Brown Sugar, the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food and was a recurring character on FOXs The Last Man on Earth.



He currently co-stars on BETs Real Husbands of Hollywood and on the CBS medical drama Code Black.



Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Ursula, a German psychologist of partially Jewish descent, and Eric Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician who is a Krobo.



He was the host the 2018 edition of the CAF Awards which came off at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Thursday, January 4.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Mona Thornton with some of her fathers personal belongings that are on display at the Penticton Museum. Her father was taken as a prisoner of war in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941.
SeAyra Greene gave birth to a son on Dec. 23, 2016, and placed him with a couple in New Jersey; she was raising a 2-year-old daughter, was about to be evicted and knew she could not parent both kids alone. Read more

When someone asks Mary Kiker if she has children, theres a fraught pause before she answers.

I dont want to say, No, I dont have kids. But Im not completely ready to say, I have a daughter. She lives in Virginia. I placed her with an adoptive family. 

The question carries a sharper sting this time of year, when malls, movies, and television ads rollick with images of intact families. I feel the loss a lot more during this time, says Kiker. When [the adoptive parents] send me pictures, and theres all these people and a beautiful Christmas tree, Im so glad my daughter has all that. But I want it, too.

For birth mothers, often invisible members of the adoption triad that includes children and adoptive parents, the holiday season brings a wrenching mix of gratitude and sorrow, delight, guilt, and regret. Their children may be thriving. Just not with them.

Kiker, 39, was stunned to learn in the spring of 2017 that she was six months pregnant; She had no symptoms and had actually been losing weight. She lived with brutal pain after fracturing two vertebrae in a 2008 car accident. Her finances were sketchy, the babys father uninterested in parenting, and her family  toxic, abusive, unstable, Kiker says  was no haven.

I knew that I wanted to place [the baby] for adoption. She deserved an opportunity at a beautiful, healthy life. I could not give that to her.

Social workers at Adoptions from the Heart, based in Wynnewood, introduced her to the concept of open adoption: Kiker could choose the family that would raise her daughter and remain in contact, sharing photographs, emails, or even visits.

Now, Kiker and the adoptive parents swap near-daily texts. In July, she visited for the babys first birthday; the adoptive parents paid for Kikers hotel room and invited her to take part in their daughters bedtime ritual.

For Christmas last year, [the adoptive parents] gave me a photo album. When Im having a dark day, Ill sit and read through the letters and look at the photos.  Being a birth mom is lonely, and not everyone understands the loss.

For decades, adoption was smothered in secrecy: State officials sealed birth certificates, birth mothers knew nothing of their childs placement, and adoptive parents often kept the fact of adoption hushed even from their children.

In the 1970s, that began to change. Adult adoptees argued that they had a right to know their genetic origins. Adoptive parents wanted more information about their childrens medical and social histories. And birth mothers?

Having the chance to stay connected and watch her child thrive validates her choice, says Meredith Rose, director of Open Arms Adoption Network. A trend that began with just being honest with children about the reality of their births, is now the norm, Rose says; A 2012 report from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute showed that 95 percent of infant adoptions in the U.S. were formed with some degree of openness.

Ongoing contact is healing for birth mothers, Rose says. Still, each turn of the calendar holds painful tugs: holidays, birthdays, the anniversary of the adoption. These are times when a woman who made an adoption plan will be very tuned-in to the fact that her child is not with her.

For SeAyra Greene, 26, this is one of those times. She gave birth to a son on Dec. 23, 2016, and placed him with a couple in New Jersey. She was raising a 2-year-old daughter, was about to be evicted, and knew she could not parent both kids alone.

Last December marked her sons first birthday and a Christmas without him. I was a full wreck. But the journey has grown easier  in part, Greene says, because of post-placement counsel provided by Adoptions from the Heart.

Brittany Brooks, 29, runs the agencys Facebook support group, launched in May and now numbering 19 members. She understands the struggles of new birth moms because six years ago, she was one of them.

Brooks was a 23-year-old college graduate, seeking antibiotics for a persistent cold, when a nurse tested her urine and said, Congratulations!

At the time, she was couch-surfing with friends; the babys father was exiting a bad marriage and already parenting four children.

Im a realist, Brooks says. I knew my situation was going to get better, but not in six months. Why should my child suffer with me? Through a Google search, she found a Utah agency that provided an apartment for the last trimester and  most critical, Brooks says  a social worker who listened without judgment.

She wanted an open adoption. I didnt want my son to feel abandonment. I did want to know where he was going, how he was, if he was taken care of. After viewing eight profiles of prospective parents, Brooks chose a couple in Kentucky; they flew to Utah and were with her for the birth.

Twenty-four hours later, Brooks cradled her infant son with her left arm and signed adoption papers with her right. Thats probably the most profound moment Ive ever really had. I thought: Once I sign that line, youre not mine anymore.

She left with a gift from hospital staff: a teddy bear in a T-shirt printed with her sons birth date, weight, and length. Brooks clutched the bear every night as she curled into bed.

When you lose a family member and bury them, its closing a door, she says. When you place a child [in an open adoption], you still hear about them, you see the pictures, you see them growing. You think: I wonder how much Ive missed? You experience loss all the time.

Her sons adoptive parents call Brooks his tummy mommy and have offered to arrange a visit or plan a family vacation. Brooks isnt quite ready for that. But shes begun to make peace. She can enter the baby section at Walmart without sobbing. She can look at photos of her son and see pure joy  it makes me really happy.

And she can fall asleep without the stuffed bear in her arms. When I could put it on my dresser, I knew Id started healing, she says. But Ill never put it away. Wherever I move, wherever I go, he comes with me.

Some people tell birth mothers that placing their children was selfish. Others call them brave. Kiker, Greene, and Brooks insist that neither label fits. They bristle when strangers use the phrase give up to describe adoption. I didnt give up anything, says Kiker. I gave a gift to a family. I gave my daughter a life.

At Decembers support meeting in the Wilmington office of Adoptions from the Heart, participants made Christmas gifts for their children. They shook imitation snow into glass ornaments, then decorated them with patterned tape and stickers. Finally, each wrote a message to tuck inside.

You are the best gift I ever received, Kiker printed carefully on a piece of notepaper. I love you to the moon and back, all the stars in the sky, all the sand on the beach. Merry Christmas, baby. She rolled the note tightly, tied it with red ribbon, and slipped it into the fragile globe.
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D., Pa.) is retiring from Congress after serving for 20 years, but he has retained his grip on Philadelphia's Democratic Party. Read more

He announced his retirement from Congress this year as an FBI investigation swirled into his campaign activities. Two of his key aides may be heading to prison for crimes they committed to help keep him in office.

But Bob Brady has no plans to shrink from the political spotlight.

Im going to do what I always do: keep the party together, which I have for 32 years, Brady, 73, said.

He spoke barely a week after his top political adviser, Ken Smukler, was convicted of nine criminal counts, including conspiring to violate campaign laws by hiding a payoff to induce Bradys 2012 primary challenger to drop out of the race. Three others, including Brady strategist Donald D.A. Jones, have pleaded guilty to charges related to the probe.

Despite being implicated in court documents that became public during the investigation, and relinquishing the U.S. House seat he held for two decades, the Goliath of Philadelphia politics, as a defense attorney called him, will keep running the citys Democratic committee. There havent even been rumblings that the local party might want a change, insiders say.

Not a whisper; not anything,"said Lou Agre, a Democratic ward leader. Bradys 100 percent strong.

Its not that progressives  newly empowered with wins in races for the Pennsylvania legislature and even ward leader  have suddenly embraced Brady. But they dont think they could oust him, and see any such fight as a waste of energy.

Theres some futility to it, said Jon Geeting, director of engagement for the political group Philadelphia 3.0 and former chair of the Philly Progressive Caucus. The ward leaders are not going to push him out over this.

With Brady at the helm, the party is likely to play an active role in municipal elections next year, screening candidates in low-information races for judgeships, where a spot on the partys sample ballot helps determine who gets on the bench. Mayor Kenney will also be seeking reelection, and all 17 Council seats are on the ballot.

Brady has declined to comment on the Smukler verdict, citing a possible appeal, but noted that he had cooperated with the government by signing several agreements extending the period of time in which he could be charged  while his lawyers attempted to persuade prosecutors that they should not indict him.

You know why? Brady said of his decision to sign those agreements. Cause I did nothing wrong. And they found out I did nothing wrong.

Even as Brady came under greater scrutiny from authorities late last year  prosecutors revealed the FBI had searched his emails and in court documents identified him as a participant in the criminal scheme  no one emerged to challenge him as chairman of Philadelphia Democrats. In a unanimous vote, he was reelected to another four-year term as chairman in June by the committees 69 ward leaders.

He keeps all factions happy, Agre said. Hes personally likable. He cares about everybody. Doesnt hold grudges. Does everything a leader should do.

Alan Butkovitz, a ward leader and former city controller, said the governments decision not to charge Brady was taken as a clearance by everybody in Philadelphia politics.

Brady has been credited with helping to save a Sunoco refinery in South Philadelphia, resolving labor disputes, and helping bring the Democratic National Convention to the city in 2016.

At the same time, scores of Democratic officials have gone to prison on his watch, staining the partys image and amplifying a lack of trust in the political process. But groups like Geetings and Reclaim Philadelphia, founded by supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, are instead focused on winning City Council races and other initiatives.

There may also be less incentive to change a party that, like others around the country, has at least in part been supplanted by outside money and new political movements.

Butkovitz and others pointed to Larry Krasners win in the 2017 district attorneys race. The party has typically tried to flex its muscle in off-year municipal races, but it stayed neutral in the crowded Democratic primary that year, and the liberal Krasner won with the help of outside spending by the billionaire investor George Soros.

The structure of what everybody considered to be foundations of organized politics are just  theyre kind of a nostalgic memory, Butkovitz said. Theyre not the reality of whats going on.

Why would it be worth anybody's while to challenge Brady? he added. If they want to be mayor or they want to be congressman, they go out and be mayor or congressman.

Butkovitz would know. Despite having the partys support in 2017, he lost the Democratic primary election for city controller to Rebecca Rhynhart, a first-time candidate. Now running against Kenney, Butkovitz is betting that he will get financial support from the beverage industry, which opposes Kenneys soda tax.

For his part, Brady says hes taking an inclusive approach. Progressives are great Democrats, he said.

I have great relations with them. They do a great job," he said. "Im going to continue to include them. Our party is a big tent and everybodys welcome.

Staff writer Jeremy Roebuck contributed to this article.
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady poses for a portrait outside of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Brady, who has represented Philadelphia in congress for two decades, is retiring this month. HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer Read more

As the black Suburban SUV pulled away from his Overbrook home on Thursday morning, U.S. Rep. Robert A. Brady told his guys that it might be the last time they had to do this.

"This was waking up before dawn, hitting Route 1 by 6 a.m., and winding through what can sometimes be a treacherous four-hour drive to Washington. A pit stop at the Royal Farms in Port Deposit, Md., to use the bathroom and gas up. Then hours of chaos on Capitol Hill, where the government was on the verge of shutdown. And back home on I-95 late at night.

The only thing I reflected on about the first day is that it was like yesterday," Brady said as he got settled into the passenger seat, while one of his aides drove.

Brady has been doing the round trip to D.C. four times a week for most of his 20-year tenure as the representative for the First Congressional District, which until the end of this year represented a large part of Philadelphia and a chunk of Delaware County. He decided at the beginning of the year to not run for reelection. He cited his family, but people also suspected that redistricting and a federal investigation into his campaign finances played a role.

In Philadelphia, Brady is known as the affable and long-standing Democratic City Committee chairman who runs to the rescue in labor disputes or any threat to the Mummers Parade. But in Washington, he didnt seek the limelight or high-profile committee appointments. (Though he loves name-dropping VIPs  Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Ryan, each a great friend.)

His rough-around-the-edges teddy bear persona has endeared him to many. Bradys legislative accomplishments were few, but he is still known as the Mayor of Capitol Hill, from his time as chairman of the House Administration Committee.

On the Administration Committee  which oversees federal elections, the Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, and the day-to-day functions of all congressional offices and standing committees  Brady cultivated loyalty from Democrats and Republicans. If he granted a member a waiver for overspending their budget due to fuel costs for a private airplane, or gave them a nice office, or, in one case, waived the fire-hazard rules so a wacko from Texas could barbecue on his office balcony, they might be more inclined to help him.

I dont want to use the term owe him, but they were very appreciative, said Stanley White, Bradys longtime chief of staff. When he goes back and says, Hey, theres something I need for my district, people remember that.

Brady said his good relationships helped him bring $15.5 billion in earmarked federal appropriations to his district for projects that included the dredging of the Delaware River, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

But Im a do-nothing congressman,  he says, bristling at the decades-long knock on him.

In his 20 years in Congress, Brady was the primary sponsor for 11 bills signed into law, the most recent in December 2010. His bills ranged from renaming post offices in Philadelphia to improving facilities in the House and the merging of the Capitol Police and Library of Congress Police.

He served as a cosponsor for hundreds of other bills, including the recent #MeToo legislation that requires federal lawmakers to repay any harassment settlements and that such agreements be made public.

Brady was a sure vote with Democrats on almost everything. He believed in voting as a pack to protect one another  and even offered to resign if he ever voted against the Democratic leader.

When he arrived at the House in 1998 via special election, Brady said he gave then-Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat, an undated resignation letter.

I said to him, If I ever vote against you, fill in the date,  Brady recalled. He did the same with Pelosi.

Why? Loyalty, he said. Im a chairman of a [local] party, I want my guys to be loyal to me. Theyre my leader. I want to be loyal to them.

Born and raised in Overbrook, Brady became a union carpenter, and then a broken streetlight launched a new career.

The local committeeman wouldnt help get it fixed. Brady ran against the committeeman in 1969 and won.

City Council President George X. Schwartz, who was also Bradys ward leader, became his mentor and got him a job as a Council sergeant-at-arms. Brady eventually took over Schwartzs 34th Democratic Ward leader post after the Council president was convicted of accepting bribes in the Abscam scandal. In 1986, Brady became party chairman with the backing of then-Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr.

In 1998, Brady announced he was running for Congress. He wielded so much power by then that at his campaign announcement, the room was overflowing with every city politico who mattered. Brady had little to say but promised to fight for real jobs  not just flipping hamburgers.

He didnt sugarcoat how he would get them: by delivering votes. Theyll listen, he said then.

When he arrived, one of his first votes was on whether the Ken Starr report  detailing President Bill Clintons affair with an intern and lying under oath  should be made public. Brady voted the party line: no.

Over the years, he helped get the funding to repair and light the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge in South Philadelphia; was instrumental in finding a buyer for the former Sunoco refinery, saving hundreds of jobs; and got millions for the Navy Yard.

He didnt come up with many shmanzy legislative ideas, but he was a bull on things that make America move and make Americans bring food to their families, said U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D., N.J.), a good friend of Bradys on the hill.

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said he is like a brother and someone whom members could confide in about any staff or administrative issues.

He would be very confidential about it. But he knew how to get the job done, Pelosi said.

Brady became a ranking member of the House Administration Committee, and when Democrats won the majority back in 2006, was appointed chair by Pelosi in her first term as speaker.

But not long after, he took his first step to find another office. In 2007, he launched a bid to be mayor of Philadelphia. But the dream didnt last long. He came in third in the Democratic primary.

For the last seven years, he has been the ranking Democrat on the Administration Committee, and also the second-ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

As chairman, he changed the rules so police officers could wear shorts, during the summer, and he had white lines drawn on the pavement so the police dogs paws wouldnt burn on hot asphalt, a story he told as his SUV pulled Thursday morning into the checkpoint for the congressional garage.

Merry Christmas! he yelled as Capitol Police waved him through.

Once inside the Capitol, Brady made his way to a conference room he was using as a makeshift office, which he bragged was a perk compared with the cubicles reserved for other outgoing members.

He stopped in to see Joe Quattrone, a barber who has been cutting congressional hair for 48 years. The men exchanged big hugs and Merry Christmases. The family is going to get a husband, a father, and a grandfather, Quattrone told him.

The 73-year-old Brady and his wife, Debbie, even have two great-grandchildren.

On the House floor, Brady mostly hung out by himself, looking almost bored as he and his colleagues voted on a host of routine measures. The Pennsylvania corner, which became a known spot to gather when U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.) was in Congress, is still a thing, and Brady lingered in the area, along with some of the other Pennsylvania delegation.

Back in his office space between votes, staffers who work on the Administration Committee came in and out to thank him and say goodbye. At lunch in the House dining room, where he munched on pulled pork and cornbread  I love cornbread. Is this Southern? he said in a Philly dialect that two decades in Congress couldnt dissolve  the parade continued. Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.) came by to talk about a consulting gig for a documentary.

Brady already has two job offers that he is considering, which he declined to describe.

Most people dont necessarily want me to work for them, just dont want me working for their competition, he said.

He will continue as chairman of the city Democratic Committee, an unpaid position.

On Thursday, he stayed in Washington until 8 p.m., when the House narrowly approved a stopgap funding bill that included $5.7 billion for the border wall insisted on by President Trump  a measure that sent the government reeling toward a shutdown.

Nancy [Pelosi] asked me to stay. We need people to vote against this thing, Brady said.

After doing so, he headed home, planning to do it all over again the next day -- and until Jan. 3, when his term officially ends.
A hotel destroyed by an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria is left in rubble. A year after the ejection of the Islamic State, the city is still in ruins, on Oct. 14, 2018. Read more

Some readers consistently claim we dont give President Trump enough credit in this space, so lets acknowledge Americas 45th commander in chief for a true Christmas miracle -- that in this season where we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, the president has united forever-feuding top Republicans and Democrats inside the nations capital ...

... over their shared affinity for waging war.

Yes, Trumps sycophantic ex-rival-turned-ally, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, staged a bug-eyed meltdown after Trumps tweets to the world that America is abruptly ending its military involvement in Syria, taking to the floor of the Senate to rip the move as a stain on the honor of the United States that should be confronted by Congress --something that hasnt happened during the previous 23 months of insanity known as the Trump administration.

Yet Grahams shocked and alarmed reaction really didnt sound much different from that of the Democrat who nearly became our current president, Hillary Clinton. Yes, that Hillary Clinton, of the lock her up chants from Trumps rabid base who somehow remain convinced that the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee is some kind of she-devil traitor. Clinton tweeted: Isolationism is weakness and This president is putting our national security at grave risk.

Yes, Virginia, there is bipartisanship in Washington. It exists as certainly as drones and Hellfire missiles and perpetual global warfare exist -- as long as whats at stake is the continuation of a war that last persisted for almost all of our deepening 21st century, in a world when 2001s-kindergartners-turned-2019s-grad-students have never known life on Earth when American troops werent based in a shifting array of faraway lands for ever-shifting reasons with occasionally shifting allies, backed by flying death robots that can strike a village or even a wedding at a moments notice.

Democratic and Republican presidents and Republican and Democratic Congresses come and go, but one party never cedes power in Washington: The war party. And that central fact of American life was never more on display than during the last week, in the chaotic aftermath of Trumps abrupt Syria maneuvers, with the resignation in protest of Defense Secretary James Mattis and Americas coordinator of our anti-ISIS allies, plus news of an order to withdraw some 7,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Lawmakers who over the last two years were only blandly concerned -- if they cared at all -- by a bat-guano crazy president who confessed on tape to sexually assaulting women, fired the FBI director and conducted a slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre to mess with a probe into his criminality, was identified in legal papers as mastermind of a felony scheme around winning the 2016 election and lit a massive coal fire while the world is already ablaze from climate change are now, suddenly, outraged.

On one level, the outrage is 100 percent understandable. Governing by fiat on Twitter isnt government, its another form of Trump-fried authoritarianism. Trump did promise in his 2016 campaign that we wanted to end or sharply reduce American fighting in the Middle East and elsewhere -- a worthy goal that I and probably a majority of Americans support -- but getting there the right way takes hard work, not exactly the hallmark of this administration. It means working with the allies and congressional leaders who werent even notified of the Syria move.

And sometimes poorly planned maneuvers in the name of peace can lead to more death -- and so abandoning that regions Kurdish fighters to a Turkish slaughter without a workable plan is not morally defensible. Even the longtime leading domestic voice against U.S. militarism, Noam Chomsky, doesnt like the way this is being done.

Then theres the complete compromise of Trump and his presidency because of his corrupt dealings with Russia, Saudi Arabia and other foreign powers. In a perfect world, the rational foreign policy objectives of the United States will sometimes align with these frenemies, but often they will not. With Trump, we have no idea if his never-ending kowtowing to Vladimir Putin is because Russia worked to steal the 2016 election on his behalf, or if he promised a Syria withdrawal long sought by Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan to calm the furor over Saudi Arabias murder of a Washington Post journalist in Istanbul.

Donald Trump is a disgrace -- so much so that he should resign the presidency, immediately. The chaos in the Middle East and the Mattis resignation isnt even that high on a list that includes shutting down the federal government to appease Fox News Channel and radio hosts, his dictatorial threats to fire the Federal Reserve chairman and meddle in a federal criminal probe, his hush-money scheme that violated federal election laws, his wantonly illegal charity, and his years of sexually harassing and abusing women.

Its stunning to remember that by the fall of 1998, more than 115 American newspapers had called on Bill Clinton to resign for lying about oral sex in a civil lawsuit -- which seems like it would struggle to make the Top 20 on a list of Trumps high crimes and misdemeanors. But zero newspapers have urged Trump to step down.

The American system is badly broken. But ...

Just because the president is acting insane doesnt mean winding down the 2001-created forever war is a crazy idea. Indeed, one of the bigger disappointments of these 23 months is that not only did Trump not try to -- rationally -- keep his promise to pull back U.S. militarism, but he increased it. In 2017, U.S. coalition bombing in Iraq and Syria killed more than 6,000 people -- including innocent civilians -- which was a 200 percent increase over the last year of the Obama administration. Every month or two there is news of a U.S. military operation -- whether its a botched raid in Niger, a cruise-missile strike on a Syrian government airfield, Americas contribution to a humanitarian crisis in Yemen or the latest bomb-dropping in Somalia -- in some faraway country that most Americans didnt realize we were at war with.

Thats because were not, really. The beyond-flimsy rationale for Americans to kill people around the globe is a 2001 authorization to fight against al-Qaeda, the terror group that was behind the 9/11 attacks but had declined in relevancy even before the 2011 killing of its founder Osama bin Laden. The foreign rebels we fight today are often more-than-six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon removed from al-Qaeda and -- unlike the situation in 2001 -- pose little or no threat to the United States mainland that couldnt be addressed through intelligence and law enforcement, as opposed to battlefield warfare.

Without a new authorization from Congress, Americas forever war isnt really legal. Whats more, to borrow a phrase from ex-President Obama, key elements of this never-ending conflict are becoming a dumb war. Can anyone credibly explain our current objective and realistic purpose for keeping 14,000 American troops in a hopeless stalemate in Afghanistan after more than 17 years? Its a situation that screams out for a negotiated settlement -- and for not one more American death. Yet Lindsey Graham, Hillary Clinton and their favorite generals whod keep troops there until ... 2030? 2050? These are the adults in the room?

The good news is that there is an opposition to the war party on Capitol Hill. The bad news is that its currently very small. One of its leaders is California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. In the aftermath of last weeks Trumpian chaos, Khanna told The Intercept that he plans to work with other progressive members of Congress on measures -- including, possibly, a new war-related resolution -- with the goal of ending the generation-old war in Afghanistan.

"I believe we need to pull our troops out of Afghanistan, Khanna told them. Taliban controls 70 percent. When the surge happened, Taliban controlled 40 percent. We arent making any progress there. He called for seeking solutions with the other big regional players -- friend and adversary alike -- for a peace plan that might, among other things, free up the $43 billion a year we now spend in Afghanistan for more productive measures at home. In sum, Trumps instincts to withdraw are correct, Khanna said, but the tactical implementation matters.

Its outrageous that we dont hear this viewpoint more on TV and elsewhere in the media. The American people have been robbed of a real debate on an issue that has cost more than $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars as well as thousands of lives. Many would disapprove of our current policies -- if more people were aware of them. This issue needs to be front and center in whats certain to be a contentious 2020 presidential race, and not an afterthought, as foreign policy so often is.

And yes, Afghanistan is the easy part. The Middle East is more complicated -- the stated desire of curbing Iranian influence is understandable, and yet theres no real debate about U.S. support for the expanded influence of a nation that murders journalists, jails and tortures womens rights activists, and supplied 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers -- Saudi Arabia. Somehow all this militarism is supposed to make America safer, and yet we lost far more Americans fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq than were killed in the 2001 attack, and the remaining terrorism threat is domestic lone wolves angry that America seems to be in a forever war with much of Islam. Which we seem to be, with most policymakers too afraid to think outside of the box of perpetual violence.

Maybe some holiday season peace on Earth and goodwill toward men wont be only a platitude from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Apparently not this year.
HARRISBURG  Just over a year ago, two women accused the top security officer in the state Senate of sexually harassing them, sending offensive texts or engaging in lewd comments. Within weeks, he had resigned.

Since then, both women have filed federal lawsuits against the Senate, claiming the chamber has permitted a culture of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. One of the two  the second highest-ranking Senate security officer  has seen her duties restricted, and was even given a weeks suspension without pay recently because she let her husband, also a state employee, park in her state-issued parking spot.

The sexual harassment case involving the Senates security force was just one of several such scandals to envelop the Capitol in the wake of the #MeToo movement, a nationwide reckoning over how women are treated in the workforce that spawned a push to enact stronger protections for victims of harassment.

Yet Pennsylvanias legislature  reeling from #MeToo allegations against three lawmakers  has not taken a floor vote on a flood of bills introduced since the start of 2018 to combat sexual harassment. One of the only measures that did pass was a resolution to create a task force to study the problem. The task force, according to legislative aides, doesnt even have members yet.

I think the broader issue is a cultural problem in Harrisburg," said state Rep. Leanne Kreuger-Braneky (D., Delaware), one of the Capitols most vocal advocates for #MeToo legislation. But, again, taxpayers are clear: We need to act on this.

The lack of movement has also frustrated those bringing allegations of harassment and even assault.

One woman, a political consultant who earlier this year accused former state Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R., Delaware) of sexual abuse, put it this way in a statement late last week: "So many women are like me. They dont want payoffs. They dont want vengeance. They simply want awareness and protection; an expectation of safety to do our jobs, go about our lives, and be productive without having to be afraid or ashamed.

State Capitols across the country have found themselves at the center of sexual harassment scandals since the #MeToo movement challenged women to speak openly and loudly about unfair treatment  and in case after case, unwanted attention and blatant harassment  in the workplace. Some states have ushered through reforms.

Pennsylvanialegislators, primarily Democrats, introduced more than two dozen bills aimed at addressing a range of issues. Severalwould have curbed retaliation against people filing harassment complaints. Others would have streamlined the complaint process or barred legislators from using taxpayer money for settlements.

In the end, the Republican-controlled state House passed two resolutions: the one establishing the still-to-be-empaneled task force, and another that called for the Joint State Government Commission to examine the scope of sexual harassment in government offices. That review is on track to be completed by mid-2019.

The new, 203-member legislature that takes office next month is projected to have 64 women  up 15 from last session. Pennsylvania will rise from 38th to 34th in the nation in terms of female representation in the legislature, according to preliminary statistics from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Supporters of stronger protections hope more female representation could help fuel action.

I believe that I will have more allies in advancing legislation, Krueger-Braneky said. Its clear that Pennsylvania needs legislative reform on this issue. Taxpayers are horrified about whats happening in the Capitol.

A Capitol in conflict

The Capitol was abuzz starting a year ago, first after state Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery) was accused of unwanted touching and making inappropriate comments  a characterization he disputed.

Then the Inquirer and Daily News and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that House Democrats had secretly settled a complaint against state Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D., Berks). Weeks after that, two women  the GOP political consultant and Republican State Rep. Tarah Toohil of Luzerne County  filed a complaint with House Republicans alleging that Miccarelli had physically or sexually assaulted them.

Both Caltagirone and Miccarelli denied the allegations.

Toohil got a three-year protection-from-abuse as part of a negotiated settlement with Miccarelli in which he admitted no wrongdoing. Late last week, the district attorney in Dauphin County who investigated the Miccarelli allegations announced that he was closing his inquiry without charges, after consulting with the second accuser.

While the allegations changed the tenor of conversation in the Capitol surrounding harassment, they didnt lead to a consensus on a legislative agenda.

And some question whether there will be movement on #MeToo bills in the coming year. They note that the legislature will still be run by the House and Senate Republican caucuses, which are widely expected to be more conservative in the wake of last months election. And the response by GOP leaders so far has been lukewarm.

There are always things that we can take a look at in the changing environment, but we have to do it as a collective, or in a way that is not reactionary but rather is thoughtful and will truly improve the working environment, as opposed to being a political statement, said Jennifer Kocher, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre).

Cleaning house

Pennsylvania is not alone in its relative gridlock. The National Womens Law Center, a Washington-based nonprofit that has advocated for greater harassment protections, counted more than 100 bills introduced in state legislatures seemingly as a result of the #MeToo movement. Its analysis focused only on a narrower set of bills, such as ones intended to refine the rules surrounding nondisclosure agreements, mandate harassment training, or extend protections to larger classes of workers.

Bills passed in 11 states. Delaware, New York, and Vermont extended harassment protections to more employees. Arizona passed a measure permitting people with nondisclosure agreements to speak to law enforcement or during some criminal proceedings. Other states, such as Illinois and Maryland, passed new measures for monitoring harassment.

There seemed to be few common threads among the states that passed bills. In some states, the legislatures were controlled by Democrats. In others, they were run by Republicans, or the chambers were split.

Other state legislatures refined their internal rules for reporting harassment or sought to study the scope of it.

A lot of legislatures this session spent time internally trying to clean up their own house, said Andrea Johnson, the centers senior counsel for state policy and one of the lead authors of its analysis.

She predicted that states that have chosen first to study harassment within their ranks in upcoming legislative sessions might put more focus on the broader work force as legislators have had time to think through these in a thoughtful way.

Others are less sanguine, noting that some issues that arose during the #MeToo movement are not easily solved. Republicans in Pennsylvania have raised concerns that some bills, such as those pertaining to nondisclosure agreements, could have unintended consequences.

We had heard from victims' advocacy groups that they dont like the blanket banning of nondisclosure agreements because then it forces people to testify and takes away some of their options, Kocher said.

The `cost of doing business'

The two women who alleged harassment by the Senates onetime top security officer, Justin Ferrante, feel like their professional lives were derailed after reporting the behavior, according to sources familiar with their cases.

One of the accusers, Keah Tingler, a veteran receptionist, has said that the stress of the last few years caused her to have a nervous breakdown. She left the Senate this year.

The other woman, Sue Salov, is the Senate security forces second-in-command. She and her lawyer, Wayne Ely, have declined comment. But sources familiar with her case say that over the last nine months, she has been stripped of some duties and access and given a poor evaluation for the first time in her decades-long career.

Adam Santucci, a McNees Wallace & Nurick lawyer whose firm was hired by the Senate to investigate harassment complaints, said he could not discuss internal personnel or disciplinary issues.

Victims' advocates say many men and women who report harassment or assault find themselves professionally isolated and emotionally strained.

The political consultant who accused Miccarelli, the onetime state lawmaker, said she felt she was fighting the system.

In her statement, she described it this way: Sexual violence is not and cannot be considered the cost of doing business for a woman in politics."
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for criminal justice reform legislation in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, in Washington. The bill was overshadowed by a government shutdown that began as Friday ended. Read more

WASHINGTON -- In January, we ran an analysis that summed up how President Trump had changed public life in America. The surest thing, the headline said, was exhaustion.

Turns out, that was just a warm-up.

The explosive end of Year Two of the Trump administration has brought chaos on an entirely new level, with consequences extending beyond the daily news cycles and even Americas borders.

The president, reversing course on an apparent agreement, has blown up a bipartisan spending deal and left the government closed as his third year in office looms. With Congress having left town Saturday, parts of the federal government is set to remain shut until Thursday, at least. With a few Twitter keystrokes, Trump has altered American influence in the Middle East, vowing to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and remove a significant number from Afghanistan, massive decisions that went against the advice of his top military aides. In response, his most widely respected cabinet member, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis resigned with a scathing letter that made clear he felt Trump was damaging alliances that had set the world order. Mattis has been seen in the U.S. and overseas as a steady counter to the presidents mood swings,

And amid the roiling atmosphere the stock market plunged -- clouding one of the bright spots that had underpinned the presidents political support. The Dow and S&P 500 were on track for their worst December since 1931.

It is in some ways a perfectly Trumpian end to the second chaotic year of his presidency, wrote ABC News analyst Rick Klein.

The moves have left Trump increasingly isolated, with key aides jettisoned, the House lost to Democrats, and his relationship with even loyal congressional Republicans frayed. It all comes as a raft of Democratic challengers line up to take aim at Trump in 2020, with campaign announcements likely to begin as soon as January.

Really struggling to see how more chaos and manufactured crisis helps Trump or [Republicans], tweeted Amy Walter, a political analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. 2018 was literally a referendum on this and [Democrats] won popular House vote by almost 9 pts (the largest margin since 86).

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), one of Trumps most vocal supporters, went to the Senate floor to say that the Syria decision was a stain on the honor of the United States. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) issued a statement saying he was particularly distressed by Mattis' resignation.

Mattis' resignation letter was a two-page rebuke of Trumps world view. Mattis bluntly pointed to the way Trump has placated rivals and alienated allies who had relied on the U.S. as international ballast.

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.

Rough translation: I know what Im doing. You dont.

It was all punctuated by the shutdown that took effect at midnight Friday, after Trump turned his back on a bipartisan deal that the Senate had approved by voice vote, with the understanding that the president backed it. Senators were so sure of the agreement that some had left Washington, but Trump changed course and renewed his demand for billions for his promised border wall. The shift left America looking at a Christmas shutdown, and the possibility that Year Three of the Trump administration would dawn with a shuttered government.

The brawling even overshadowed the most significant bipartisan achievement of Trumps tenure, a landmark criminal justice reform bill that passed with a major push from the president. He signed it Friday, as the government funding fight dominated the news.

We arrived at this moment because President Trump has been on a destructive two-week temper tantrum, demanding the American taxpayer pony up for an expensive and ineffective border wall that the president promised Mexico would pay for, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Saturday.

Republicans, despite controlling both chambers of Congress, effectively threw up their hands. McConnell said it was up to Trump, Schumer, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to come up with a deal.

Trump blamed Democrats, who have used their power in the Senate to block a spending bill that would put $5 billion toward a wall along the countrys southern border.

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! Trump tweeted Saturday.

Indeed, the president promised to smash the old way of doing things, without regard for Washingtons niceties or customs. That was part of his appeal.

But at the same time, Trump also pitched himself as a deal-maker who could bend Washington to his will. This week instead saw him tear up a deal because his own will crumbled in the face of criticism from conservative television personalities.

As the shutdown neared Friday, Trump was tweeting out the equivalent of digital doodles of his wall while Vice President Pence and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, negotiated on Capitol Hill.

They had a deal, U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R., S.C.), who has clashed with the president, told CNN Friday. The president completely reversed himself on that deal and now hes going off in a different direction. That kind of back and forth is at odds with the kind of stability that our country has usually stood for.

But the president appears increasingly untethered from such values, and he has rid himself of the kind of aides, including Mattis, who might once have restrained him.

He now finds himself backed ever more into a corner, with Democrats vowing to probe his administration and special counsel Robert Mueller seeming to near a conclusion of his investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign.

It all suggests that the upheaval isnt just a story of the moment -- it appears to be a portent of things to come.
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the leader of PhiladelphiaOs Democratic Party gestures after announcing that he is not running for reelection during a press conference at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee building in Philadelphia. Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Read more

Ken Smuklers conviction for violating campaign finance laws to help his boss  U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D., Phila.)  get reelected will be a footnote in the long line of Philadelphia political corruption cases. But the trial will be remembered for being the final note at the end of Bradys undistinguished tenure in Congress and the window it provided into the sleazy way machine politics are too often conducted in Philly.

Smukler was convicted on 9 of 11 counts stemming in part for his role in a scheme to pay off Bradys 2012 Democratic primary challenger to drop out of the race. During Smuklers trial, multiple witnesses implicated Brady for his role in agreeing to help pay former Municipal Court Judge Jimmie Moores campaign debts in return for ending his campaign.

Indeed, prosecutors asserted in court filings that Brady struck a deal with Moore during a meeting brokered by former Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. Brady denies any deal and prosecutors never charged the 11-term congressman and head of the citys Democratic Party.

The federal prosecutor in the case shed some light on the governments thinking after Smukler was convicted. It wasnt the underlying deal that was the problem here, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gibson told reporters. It was the cover-up afterwards.

Enter Smukler, whose political consulting firm funneled $90,000 to Moores campaign, supposedly to pay for a poll and a political consultant who never performed any work, according to court testimony.

Some argued that paying an opponent to drop out of a race is routine politics. But such backroom deal-making stinks of ethical rot.

The fact that the Brady camp went to such extremes to sideline a longshot primary challenger underscores why all federal, state and city districts need to be competitive. Its also a good case for term limits.

For 20 years, Brady was ensconced in a safe seat and rarely faced any serious election competition, allowing him to collect his annual congressional salary of $174,000 while managing his duties as the party boss.

Such arrangements undermine public trust in government and lead to voter apathy. Consider how the recent redrawing of the states congressional districts sparked scores of new, qualified, and often unconnected candidates brimming with fresh ideas and interested in public service to run for office this year.

The competition helped increase voter turnout. Some calcified candidates like Brady  who was dogged by the payoff scandal  opted not to seek reelection.

Brady, 73, a ward leader, has been in Congress since 1998 and has been the head of Philadelphias Democratic Party since 1986. Hes one of the few members of Congress who is also a party boss. During Bradys tenure as head of the party, scores of Philadelphia elected officials  including judges, state representatives, City Council members, a district attorney, and a fellow congressman  have been convicted of various corruption charges.

Ending gerrymandering, creating competitive primaries, and increasing voter turnout are central to a functioning democracy where elected officials place the publics interest before their own. That would be the best outcome of this wretched trial.
At midnight Friday, 21 December 2018, NASA and other major federal agencies shut down due to a political dispute over funding President Trump's border wall proposal. Then the Senate adjourned for the Christmas holiday, ensuring that the impasse will endure until Thursday the 27th at the earliest.

You may be asking yourself, "what does a border wall have to do with NASA's funding?" The answer is: nothing. NASA has nothing to do with the wall, border security, or the Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, starting this week, roughly 14,500 hardworking men and women of NASA will be sent home without pay, while the remaining 3,000 who are deemed "essential" to the safety of life and hardware will continue to work or be "on call"also without pay.

NASA is among the federal agencies covered by seven appropriations bills that have yet to be passed by Congress and signed into law for fiscal year 2019. The remaining five bills covering the departments of Defense, Energy, Heath and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs (among others), were approved earlier this year. This is a partial government shutdown that will still impact approximately 800,000 federal employees and disrupt many services. It is essentially a function of bad luck that NASA's appropriations were held up, grouping it with the remaining agencies and the Department of Homeland Security, the epicenter of this particular political battle.

Since this is the third shutdown this year(!) we can regurgitate some of our past coverage of what happens to NASA projects and programs during this absurd situation. NASA has also released its guidance for programs impacted by the shutdown (PDF).

Operations of the ISS will largely continue unaffected, as will the New Horizons flyby of 2014 MU69 ("Ultima Thule")though NASA's public relations team will be absent. John Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory, which manages New Horizons for NASA, will still cover and publicize the flyby.

NASA will continue to communicate with and safely operate its uncrewed spacecraft. Science planning and operations may be impacted without the participation of federal scientists, and it is unclear how long regular operations could continue during an extended shutdown.

Missions in development (such as Mars 2020 or the James Webb Space Telescope) can continue if they are being led by contractors. Those contractors (including JPL) have some cash reserves and can continue operations until the cash runs out or they reach an approval checkpoint that requires NASA sign-off. Again, the degree of impact here depends on the duration of the shutdown.

If you are now asking yourself if this is any way to run a space agency, the answer is also: no. No, it is not. Stochastic stops and starts that demoralize and disrupt a workforce are not generally considered to be a best-practice for successful organizations, much less organizations that manage complex multi-year spacecraft design and operations.

Looking beyond the personal disruption, hardship, and stress caused by the lack of paychecks during the holiday season, overall impact to the space agency could be minimal assuming the impasse is resolved before New Years. Generally not a lot of activity occurs over the holiday season in the final week of the year (New Horizons being a notable exception). But if this frequency of shutdowns continues, I fear that we will see more and more NASA employees ask themselves why they put up with such needless disruptions and leave for jobs in the private sector. We know that NASA can get back to work, but how long will the best and the brightest want to work at an agency that continues to get callously tossed into political churn?

Correction: a previous version of this article stated that Caltech had funded operations of JPL during the 2013 shutdown. JPL had enough cash reserves from a forward-funded contract from NASA during that period and did not require additional monetary support. I had received information that Caltech was willing to do this in 2013, but it is not clear if that will happen again in 2018.
As you probably know, the participants of the latest OPEC summit agreed to cut down on their oil production next year. This triggered a temporary price rally in the international market of crude oil.

The second day of the summit turned out to be more successful than the first one. In particular, the first day ended with no agreement, mostly because of Russia and Iran. The next day, all of the participants managed to comprimise and sign an agreement.

For now, there are no details of the deal. However, some sources claim that the OPEC and their allies are planning tu cut their oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day. In particular, the OPEC is expected to cut it down by 800K b/d while the non-OPEC participants of the deal are expected to cut it down by 400K b/d. As for Russia, it is expected to make up for 50% of the non-OPEC production cut - 200K b/d. We remind you that Russia has failed to confirm its production cuts according to the previous agreement.

It's also interesting to note that Donald Trump is clearly going to be discontent with this situation. Previously, he insisted on the OPEC increasing their oil production to dump oil prices. According to him, expensive crude oil is like high taxes - it hinders the development of business. Even though the USA has now become an oil exporter, Americans still consume a lot f crude oil. That's why the USA would still prefer lower oil prices. On top fo that, the U.S. budget isn't dependent on the export of crude oil as much as the Russian one.

By the way, when Brent oil dropped below $60/b, Trump praised himself and asked Saudi Arabia to keep on going in the same direction. So, the latest OPEc decision is something he isn't going to like anyways.

Previously, it was reported that the OPEC can push Brent oil up to $65/b. Also, Qatar is reported to quit the OPEC in 2019.
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Yun Li, Ph.D. Managing Director  New Mexico Branch I am excited to have joined VIC, which has a proven process that greatly increases the likelihood of commercial success for technology transfer out of universities and federal laboratories.

VIC Technology Venture Development (VIC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Yun Li as Managing Director  New Mexico Branch. Dr. Li is also serving as interim CEO of VIC portfolio company Nob Hill Therapeutics, Inc. Her multifaceted professional career spans from R&D and global program management in Fortune 500 companies to technology commercialization/startup and business consulting. In 2006, she started a consulting firm in business and professional development. In this capacity, she assisted a wide range of companies in building commercialization strategies and capabilities, clarifying value propositions, defining applications/markets, building teams, and raising capital. She has previously been a founding member of five technology startups.

Dr. Li will assist in the assessment and creation of new ventures in New Mexico based on exclusively licensed intellectual property from top research institutions in that state and around the world. She provides management expertise in the areas of business development, technology commercialization, market identification, and team building. Dr. Li will also oversee the development and execution of key commercial milestones, funding, and recruitment of permanent CEOs and management teams into VICs New Mexico portfolio companies.

STC has worked with VIC for a couple of years, and one of VIC's portfolio companies, Nob Hill Therapeutics, is based on patented technology developed at the University of New Mexico, said Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of STC.UNM (STC), the University of New Mexicos technology-transfer and economic-development organization. The new branch office in New Mexico is a great example of VIC's commitment to become an active participant in the growth of an innovation economy in New Mexico, and is in alignment with our mission to nurture innovation and catalyze economic development. We are very excited to work with Dr. Li and VIC to support their launch of more new companies in New Mexico based on UNM technologies.

Dr. Li is an outstanding addition to the VIC team and brings a strong combination of startup and business experience along with a deep technical background and understanding, said Calvin Goforth, VIC CEO. She also brings excellent international business relationships and knowledge, and will be helping shape our portfolio companies strategies for sales into China.

I am excited to have joined VIC, which has a proven process that greatly increases the likelihood of commercial success for technology transfer out of universities and federal laboratories. Technology commercialization is something I am passionate about and enjoy doing, and VICs company culture of integrity and collaboration is right for me, said Dr. Li.

Dr. Li was a board member of Startup New Mexico, and served on the board of advisors at Technology Venture Corporation.

VIC Technology Venture Development, LLC is a technology venture development firm that creates innovative new companies with world changing science and engineering based technologies. VIC carefully selects and licenses technologies from universities and research institutions, then partners technology entrepreneurs with business experts, technology experts and seed stage investors. VIC provides its portfolio companies with senior management expertise, intimate knowledge of technology startups, and proven processes to execute business strategies. Its team members bring extensive experience across legal, financial, operations, marketing, capital acquisition, and technology management areas. VIC experts help their portfolio companies meet management and business planning goals by providing appropriate support at each stage in their development, only as it is needed. For more information, please visit https://www.victvd.com


Meeting held in capital discusses operation mechanism of Hodeidah port [23/December/2018] SANAA, Dec 23 (Saba) - Minister of Transport Zakaria Al-Shami and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdulaziz Al-Kummim discussed in a meeting held in Sana'a on Sunday the topics related to the port of Hodeidah and its operating mechanism.



At the meeting, the Minister of Transport stressed the importance of operating the port of Hodeidah as the main artery of the Republic of Yemen, which meets most of the needs of the Yemeni people.



He pointed out that the aggression targeted the port of Hodeidah directly in order to get him out of readiness, explaining that the port is still working with simple efforts after the destruction of the aggression aggression equipment and heavy equipment and light, including bridge cranes.



The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation pointed out that the ministry is working to reactivate the ministry's cooperation with international organizations operating in Yemen.



The minister said that the ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport is working to re-operate the port of Hodeidah, calling on international organizations working in Yemen to provide support for what the port needs.





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saba
President praises honorable positions of Bayda's citizens [23/December/2018] SANAA, Dec. 23 (Saba) - President Mahdi al-Mashat met on Sunday with Sheikh Ahmad Saif al-Zahab, one of the sheikhs of Bayda province.



During the meeting, they discussed aspects related to the role of sheikhs and dignitaries in enhancing the cohesion of the internal front and solving the issues of citizens.



The meeting dealt with the aspects related to enhancing the alignment and cohesion in the face of the aggression and its plans that target Yemen land and humanity.



The President praised the honorable positions of the elders and all citizens in Bayda in the face of the alliance of aggression and their support for fronts through sending fighters and equipment.





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Saba
NEW YORK (AP)  Less than two years after he shook up the New York fashion world with a splashy runway debut for Calvin Klein, designer Raf Simons is leaving the company.

The company and the Belgian designer announced they had "amicably" decided to part ways after Calvin Klein "decided on a new brand direction different from Simons' creative vision." A representative for Simons said in an email Friday night that the designer would have no further comment.

Simons revitalized Calvin Klein with his hip European sensibility after being appointed chief creative officer in 2016. His New York Fashion Week shows were the talk of the industry, beginning with his February 2017 debut, which had a clear political message, opening and closing with the David Bowie song "This is Not America."

Celebrities flocked to his shows, critics raved, and the fashion establishment rewarded him with three top awards in two years. He won the Council of Fashion Designers of America award for womenswear in both 2017 and 2018, and in a rare feat also took the menswear award in 2017.

But critical raves don't necessarily translate to commercial success. There was reportedly disappointment on the part of PVH, the corporation that owns Calvin Klein, in sales under Simons.

Simons, 50, who previously worked at Dior and Jil Sander, brought an artsy European approach to the iconic American brand, often citing numerous cultural references  but especially Hollywood  as inspiration. In September, his runway show riffed on the movie "Jaws," with models in various types of wetsuits strolling in front of enormous screens depicting a glistening ocean.

Many of the garments had big bites taken out of them  as in shark bites. Simons said the shark represented danger.

"Very often we are attracted to things that we actually know are dangerous," he said in an interview. "But we can't stay away from it."

Some of models wore tasseled caps and robes; Simons was also riffing on "The Graduate."

At his show last February, Simons coated the former American Stock Exchange Building in downtown Manhattan with a huge bed of popcorn. Guests slogged through the kernels to get to their seats, with bits of popcorn falling into boots and shoes and coating one's clothes with powder.

It was Simons' version of an American landscape, including a huge barn house. But the clothes evoked not so much rural America as a dystopian world on another planet, with balaclavas, huge gloves, and bits of Mylar flowing from the garments.

As was typical, that show was attended by a slew of celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Laura Dern, and  straight from a premiere party  the cast of "Black Panther," including Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o and Chadwick Boseman.

Calvin Klein will not show during New York Fashion Week in February 2019. No word was given about a successor.

Simons also has his own, eponymous menswear label.
Life is tough for 24-year-old Flora Ieremia as she continues to be on the lookout for employment opportunities, which she hopes could turn around her fortunes.

Her husband, who is a builder, is also jobless and the few opportunities that come by to build a house are rare.

But the couple got a surprise when they were the recipients of an early Christmas present, courtesy of local company Island Rock through its 25 Days of the Spirit of Christmas campaign, which began last month.

The company gave the family a food hamper  comprising a box of tinned fish, noodles, box of crackers, sacks of rice, sugar and toys for the children  to their surprise. The company targeted vulnerable families that were featured in the Village Voice column of the Samoa Observer.

Flora thanked the company for their generosity in recognising the needs of the family.

I have nothing to repay thy kindness but all I do have is a prayer of blessings upon all of you and your company. May the Lord bless your company so it will always be prosperous.

I feel blessed to have been selected to get this assistance but according to the bible, God blesses those that give more than those that receive.

I am a mother of five, the assistance that you have given will be used with our hearts filled with gratitude especially because my kids can have a decent meal during the festive season, she said.

Flora said that with Christmas just around the corner, it made her feel restless.

I could not sleep most of the time, I became consumed with worry as me and my husband struggled with survival.

We are both unemployed but we try to seek employment, at the moment it is still unsuccessful. My children are my first priority and every mother knows this.

My husband if he gets an opportunity, he works by helping to build houses of others but it is quite rare, she said.

The couple and their children previously lived at Taumeasina before they moved to Alamagoto.

When we moved here a year ago, the only thing we brought was the clothes on our backs. We are currently living at my husbands familys land and house. Our main concern is water accessibility. We do not have access to water, we have to use water from our neighbours and we are required to pay for it, she added.

The mother of five said recently the family that have been supplying them water demanded for them to pay $300 or they will not have access to water.

My family depends on water for survival; we use it for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing of our clothes.

It breaks my heart that I cannot provide my kids with drinking water every time they cry that they are thirsty, she stated.

A representative from Island Rock, Tapunuu Kevin Iene relayed to the family of Flora that their campaign is focused on giving back to the community.

Our company is sharing the spirit of Christmas with giving to selected families and organizations that deserve to celebrate the joy of Christmas just like everyone else.

The campaign is ongoing for 25 Days from the 30th of November to the 24th of December and it will feature a variety of programmes and activities.
CARITA BEACH, Indonesia (AP)  The deadly tsunami struck in the dark, without warning.

At least 222 people were killed as waves smashed into houses, hotels and other beachside buildings Saturday night along Indonesia's Sunda Strait, in a disaster that followed an eruption and possible landslide on Anak Krakatau, one of the world's most infamous volcanic islands.

More than 800 others were injured and dozens were reported missing after the tsunami hit coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands at 9:27 p.m. Saturday amid a Christmas holiday weekend, the Disaster Management Agency said. The death toll could increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas.

It was the second deadly tsunami to hit Indonesia this year, but the one that killed more than 2,500 people on the island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28 was accompanied by a powerful earthquake that gave residents a brief warning before the waves struck.

On Saturday night, the ground did not shake beforehand to alert people to the oncoming wave that ripped buildings from their foundations in seconds and swept terrified concertgoers on a popular resort beach into the sea.

Azki Kurniawan, 16, said his first warning about the tsunami was when people burst into the lobby of the Patra Comfort Hotel shouting, "Sea water rising!"

Kurniawan, who was undergoing vocational training with a group of 30 other students, said he was confused because he had not felt a big earthquake. He said he ran to the parking lot to try to reach his motorbike but discovered it was already flooded.

"Suddenly, a 1-meter (3.3-foot) wave hit me," he said, his eyes red and swollen from crying. "I was thrown into the fence of a building about 30 meters (100 feet) from the beach and held onto the fence as strong as I could, trying to resist the water, which felt like it would drag me back into the sea. I cried in fear ... 'This is a tsunami?' I was afraid I would die."

Dramatic video posted on social media showed the Indonesian pop band Seventeen performing under a tent on popular Tanjung Lesung beach at a concert for employees of a state-owned electricity company. Dozens of people sat at tables while others swayed to the music near the stage as strobe lights flashed and theatrical smoke was released. A child could also be seen wandering through the crowd.

Seconds later, with the drummer pounding just as the next song was about to begin, the stage suddenly heaved forward and buckled under the force of the water, tossing the band and its equipment into the audience.

The group released a statement saying their bass player, guitarist and road manager were killed, while two other band members and the wife of one of the performers were missing.

"The tide rose to the surface and dragged all the people on site," the statement said. "Unfortunately, when the current receded, our members were unable to save themselves while some did not find a place to hold on."

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 222 deaths had been confirmed and at least 843 people were injured.

The worst-affected area was the Pandeglang region of Java's Banten province, which encompasses Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the agency said.

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo expressed his sympathy and ordered government agencies to respond quickly to the disaster.

"My deep condolences to the victims in Banten and Lumpung provinces," he said. "Hopefully, those who are left have patience."

At the Vatican, Pope Francis prayed for the dead, the missing and the homeless in Indonesia, telling tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that his thoughts were with victims "struck by violent natural calamities."

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted support for Indonesia: "We are praying for recovery and healing. America is with you!"

In the city of Bandar Lampung on Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor's office, while at the popular resort area of Anyer beach on Java, some survivors wandered in the debris.

Tourists who were enjoying the long holiday weekend ahead of Christmas were also affected.

"I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m (meters, or 50-65 feet) inland," said Norwegian Oystein Lund Andersen, in a Facebook post. The self-described photographer and volcano enthusiast said he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw the water racing toward him. He and his family fled safely to higher ground.

The damage became apparent after daybreak Sunday. Nine hotels and hundreds of homes were heavily damaged by the waves. Broken chunks of concrete and splintered sticks of wood littered hard-hit coastal areas, turning beach getaways popular with Jakarta residents into near ghost towns. Vehicles were tossed into the rubble or were buried under collapsed roofs. Debris from thatch-bamboo shacks was strewn along beaches.

Yellow, orange and black body bags were laid out, and weeping relatives identified the dead.

Scientists, including those from Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency, said the tsunami could have been caused by landslides  either above ground or under water  on the steep slope of the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano. The scientists also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.

The 305-meter (1,000-foot) -high Anak Krakatau, whose name means "Child of Krakatoa," lies on an island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, linking the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea. It has been erupting since June and did so again about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.

The volcanic island formed over years after the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, one of the largest, most devastating in recorded history. That disaster killed more than 30,000 people, launched far-reaching tsunamis and created so much ash that day was turned to night in the area and a global temperature drop was recorded.

Most of the island sank into a volcanic crater under the sea, and the area remained calm until the 1920s, when Anak Krakatau began to rise from the site. It continues to grow each year and erupts periodically although it is much smaller than Krakatoa.

Gegar Prasetya, co-founder of the Tsunami Research Center Indonesia, said Saturday's tsunami was likely caused by a flank collapse  when a big section of a volcano's slope gives way. It's possible for an eruption to trigger a landslide above ground or beneath the ocean, both capable of producing waves, he said.

"Actually, the tsunami was not really big, only 1 meter (3.3 feet)," said Prasetya, who has studied Krakatoa. "The problem is people always tend to build everything close to the shoreline."

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and home to 260 million people, lies along the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Roads and infrastructure are poor in many areas of the disaster-prone country, making access difficult in the best of conditions.

Saturday's tsunami also rekindled memories of the massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake that hit Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004. It spawned a giant tsunami off Sumatra island, killing more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries  the majority in Indonesia.
Twas just days before Christmas and the panic was setting in.

Some shoppers had a look of desperation  the big holiday was just three days away and there was much needed to be accomplished in the next few hours.

Others were already exhausted and sat on benches with bags full of gifts at their feet.

Michele Brown of North Park, on the other hand, was moving like a speed walker through Fashion Valley Mall in Mission Valley.

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I am smart, she said, pulling out a four-page shopping list from her purse while balancing a half-dozen shopping bags in the other hand.

I started at Bloomingdales and am working my way down, store to store, to the other end of the mall.

Dressed in a Santa hat with Naughty written on the front and Nice on the back, she wore a red sweater, a black skirt, snowman earrings and black knee-high boots.

She was shopping for her parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces and a nephew.

Three-year-old Regina Haataja, left, helps her mom, Carmen Olguin, right, of Lemon Grove, as they do last minute Christmas shopping at the Fashion Valley Mall. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

I always wait until the end for two reasons, Brown said. One, Im a procrastinator and two, I actually love the hustle and bustle of the mall. Usually everyone is dressed up and festive because yesterday was the last day of work before the holidays and everyones having a good time.

Anita from Poway, who didnt want to give her last name (possibly because she didnt want to offer her loved ones any hint of what they would be getting for Christmas), sat on a bench surrounded by shopping bags.

Im tired, she said. I just cant do it anymore. She said her 13-year-old daughter was somewhere in the mall, armed with her mothers credit card.

Its dangerous, I know, Anita said. But shes good at shopping.

Marcus Ryde, 31, was waiting for his wife and 11-month-old son to show up. Hed been shopping for them. They were shopping for him.

The young Swedish couple is staying for two months in Little Italy, vacationing in San Diego while taking advantage of Swedens generous family leave provisions.

Were escaping the darkness and cold of Sweden, he said. I was a little bit desperate trying to find something for my wife and kid.

With his shopping bags over his shoulder, Enrique Rios of North Park makes his way through the Fashion Valley Mall as he does his last minute Christmas shopping. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

Enrique Rios, 52, was happy. Hed come early to the mall and had purchased a present for each of his four children. He was heading home, carrying the heavy bags behind his head.

The North Park resident said he didnt need to worry about a gift for his wife.

She likes money. Shes happy with money, he said.

Finally, there was 60-year old Jesus Coral, who splits his time between Cabo San Lucas and downtown San Diego.

He too sat on a bench content knowing his shopping was done. He waited serenely while his wife, daughter and son shopped. He appeared used to waiting for them.

Im a professional bench sitter, he said, an expert.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
Fierce defender of personal property rights, vilified by environmental groups and long supported by developers, County Supervisor Bill Horn is on his way out.

After 24 years representing District Five in the North County, the controversial and conservative supervisor, age 75, has been termed out of office and will soon return to his ranch in Valley Center to continue his business career.

During Horns recent retirement party held at a Shelter Island restaurant, former County Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard, who has been skewering county officials for years in song parody during similar occasions, said never before had he had so much material to work with.

A few lines, to the tune of California, Here I Come:

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Bill has always been a big supporter of our troops;

Although I cant say the same for community planning groups;

The chances of his taking their advice is pretty slim;

Except for the rare occasion when they actually agree with him;

Environmental groups are definitely not his fave;

Endangered species hed rather eat than save;

There isnt a piece of ground he doesnt want to pave

Bill Horn is leaving government.

Horn said if he had his druthers he would have liked to serve one more four-year term on the board, his seventh, because he enjoys the job and likes campaigning.

But term limits enacted by voters earlier this decade, primarily to end the lock the supervisors have had on their seats for so long, have forced his hand.

He will be replaced by San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond come January who will be charged with representing the interests of the district which includes major cities like Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista and San Marcos

But Horn said there is a special place in his heart for the dozens of communities in the vast unincorporated parts of the 1,860 square-mile district like Fallbrook and Valley Center.

You have a huge unincorporated population that needs to be serviced, he said. The supervisor is the mayor and city council for all the unincorporated area  There are a lot of constituents to deal with. I really have enjoyed the people and the personalities in the communities.

Linda Haddock, the executive director of the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce, has been a big Horn fan for years.

Hes been our champion, Haddock said. He could spell RURAL. He understood the needs. Jims going to have big shoes to fill.

One of the countless trips Horn has made to Borrego Springs over the years almost cost him his life.

In 2006 he was heading out of the Borrego Valley up Montezuma Valley Road.

I was doing 35 mph heading up the mountain and some Korean tourists were going down the mountain at 85 mph, he said. They had lost control of their car, got into my lane, and thank God at the last minute I decided to go left into their lane because they hit the right side of my car and and it put my engine in my passenger seat.

A woman in the other car was killed in the accident and two men were severely injured. Horn broke his knee caps and ankle, but survived.

Horn was a Marine captain in Vietnam, something he is not only very proud of but refers to frequently in his choice of battle-like phrasing. He is also a man of faith and once got in trouble for sending an email, in violation of county policy, to employees at work inviting them to join him in prayer.

When he leaves office in a few weeks, Horn will concentrate on his businesses. Hes owned lower-end apartment buildings in Escondido and San Marcos, in some case, for more than 40 years, and hes currently involved in a project to expand a hotel in Solvang that he owns.

He has always spoken his mind and it has occasionally landed him in trouble.

His website once, he said mistakenly, listed the Silver Star among his honors and he once was quoted about gays in the military: I want the people defending me to be the best there is. I dont want any other ancillary kind of problems, whether or not they use their pinky finger.

He is straightforward and rarely minces words. It isnt tough to figure out how he will vote.

It is nice to know where Bill comes from. Its not too hard to imagine where hell stand on an issue, said Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, the newest member of the board who has served with Horn the past two years.

Greg Cox, who was appointed supervisor just a few weeks after Horn and Ron Roberts took office and who himself will be termed out in 2020, called Horn a free spirit.

He speaks his mind which on the one hand I admire and the other I would think maybe I wouldnt put it that way. But Bill is authentic and it has been an honor and a pleasure to work with him.

Horn is both loved in some circles and despised in others. Horn said his time at war was not dissimilar to his tenure on the board.

My goal the past 24 years was to make where I live the best I could make it, Horn said. Im a Marine so it was my watch. I wanted to do the best that I could with the skills that I had. I learned to delegate when I was in the Marine Corps. I was 25 years old and in charge of 274 young men for a year and a half. That was a lot of responsibility.

Running the county is very similar to that. You have to delegate. You let people run with what they know they can do. If they cant do it you get rid of them and put somebody else in there.

Horn said one of the things he is most proud of is the fiscal responsibility he helped bring to the county. When he took office in 1995 the county was on the verge of bankruptcy but now it boasts great financial health, an excellent bond rating, and large monetary reserves tucked away for emergencies, he said.

Over the years hes been able to give money from the discretionary accounts each supervisor gets to distribute each year to Boys and Girls Clubs and veterans programs throughout his North County district.

The ability to do that has come from the fact that we are fiscally solvent, he said.

Other accomplishments Horn lists are the construction of eight new libraries in the county and five new sheriffs stations.

The libraries I think are a huge legacy for the communities. Whether they know I built them or not, I think literacy is extremely important.

He says he has been committed to improving roads throughout the district.

When I became supervisor I asked how much was being spent in my district and it was about 9 percent, he said. I think we get about 30 percent of the road money now. These arent sexy things but theyre important.

He also hopes the board continues to work toward the creation of a regional park along the San Luis Rey River Horn has championed. The county has been acquiring property for years for the park on both sides of state Route 76 from Interstate 15 west to Oceanside.

Horn has been long known for his acerbic, controversial one-liners. One of his most famous was told to a reporter in 2005 when the supervisors were contemplating given themselves a $28,000 raise.

It is true that we are elected, but nobody who got elected took a vow of poverty, Horn told a San Diego Union-Tribune reporter. Were not Franciscans.

I never was a Franciscan, Horn said the other day. Im happy with the Good Lord but Abraham wasnt in poverty and neither am I.

In 2007 he was fined more than $12,000 by the states Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to report rental income he received from his then-chief of Staff, Joan Wonsley, with whom he had helped buy a Carlsbad house three years earlier.

Horn claimed it was a bookkeeping error, nothing more, and that he didnt realize he needed to report the income on state forms.

Horns appreciation for money has long been a source of jokes. During his retirement gathering, one of his sons, Geoff Horn, told about a time his father and a friend were asked to leave an all-you-can-eat buffet. They were given their money back just so they would stop going back, over and over, for more bacon.

He said his dad loves to save money.

We thought wed try to develop the Bill Horn brake pad, Horn said. Not only does it stop on a dime but it also bends over and picks it up!

During his many campaigns for reelection, Horn said he would always go around after his victories and collect his campaign signs, as well as those of other politicians who hadnt bothered to remove them.

Id strip them down and save the parts. That way I wouldnt have to buy the wires the next time.

As noted in Ekards song, Horn has always been a proponent of development which has incurred the wrath of many in the environmental community. Often community planning groups in the backcountry would recommend against housing or commercial projects, recommendations that usually fell on Horns deaf ears.

In 2012 he cast the lone no vote to update the countys General Plan, a blueprint for the way development should take place with emphasis on building near established urbanized areas while keeping the unincorporated open spaces and agricultural areas free of large-scale housing.

Now, Horn said it appears he has been right all along about the need for housing as the county finds itself in a housing shortage that is driving up the cost of homes and rents.

Of course I was right all along. Have I ever been wrong? he said with a smile.

I think you have to make a provision for growth. Either that or your kids arent going to be able to live here, period. Theyre going to go away and youll have to go visit them in Texas and Florida.

He said the commute he has been making from Valley Center to the County Administration Center in downtown San Diego for years now takes him an hour and a half because of the traffic congestion on Interstate 15 caused by all the Inland Empire commuters leaving their less-expensive homes to go to jobs in San Diego.

I will not miss that drive, to be very honest with you.

One of Horns harshest critics has been Dan Silver, chief executive officer of the Endangered Habitats League, who has been on opposite sides of issues with the supervisor countless times. Silver said however he too was impressed by how Horn always speaks clearly and doesnt couch his thoughts in rhetoric.

Hes never been known as a friend of the environment, yet he has supported many conservation projects in his district, Silver said. When you get down to the local level and get out of the abstract policy discussion  property rights, whatever  hes actually been constructive on many conservation projects that have benefited his constituents.

Horn was at odds again with the Fair Political Practices Commission in 2015 which ruled he must recuse himself from discussions surrounding the Lilac Hills Ranch proposed development which would have been built within a few miles of his 36-acre Valley Center Ranch.

With Horn unable to vote on the project, it appeared the board would have been split 2-2 on the issue. The project never went before the board as the developers instead tried to have it approved by voters in 2016. That effort failed and a new version of Lilac Hills Ranch is currently in limbo but could go before a new board next year.

Horn is also pleased with the countys efforts to beef up fire protection. He helped lead the charge to buy firefighting helicopters and to create a county fire department following the firestorms of 2003 and 2007.

Bills been great, said Tony Mecham, the chief of the countys Fire Authority and the local head of Cal Fire. The whole time hes been on the board hes been a huge supporter of the fire department. I recall fondly him coming out to the fires not to get in the media but because he wanted to talk to our firefighters. That really left an impression on me.

Horn will spend some of his retirement in Uganda, where in 2015 he built a Christian school that feeds and educates 750 elementary students. A high school recently was erected as well and will be expanded in the coming years.

I was moved in my heart when I heard about these orphans (in Uganda), Horn said. I felt obligated to do something. I basically dedicate my county salary toward running the school.

Horn has three children and eight grandchildren.

I dont have any regrets, he said. My grandkids are happy that Im retiring from this job so I can go back to making money.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
The election of a candidate with no financial background has some people questioning whether Oceanside should set a higher bar for the job of city treasurer.

City Treasurer Victor Roy was sworn in along with new Councilman Christopher Rodriguez and re-elected Councilwoman Esther Sanchez during a Dec. 12 ceremony at City Hall.

Several people have said at recent Oceanside City Council meetings that candidates for treasurer of the countys third-largest city should be required to have a background of professional financial experience. Presently, any 18-year-old resident and registered voter in the city can run for the job.

The position oversees the management of the citys $350 million investment fund.

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How can it be in the best interest of all Oceanside citizens to hand over our citys investment portfolio  to an individual with no apparent degree in finance or accounting (and) no employment history provided, resident Linda Walshaw told the council at a meeting in early December.

Shortly after being sworn in, Roy said he doesnt see a problem.

Victor Roy (Courtesy photo)

Its the public watchdog position, Roy said. Im well versed in finance. I was on track to be a CPA before I got into the aviation industry.

He worked for Continental Airlines and later United Airlines, where before he retired he was a service director with more than 1,200 employees, he said. His campaign website states he has a comprehensive knowledge of finance, CDs, bonds and other types of city investments.

Roy has been a community volunteer for years.

He is president of The Friends of Oceanside Parks and Recreation, vice president of the Friends of the Oceanside Library, vice president of the Oceanside chapter of the Golden State Manufactured-home Owners League, and a founding member of the Oceanside Charitable Foundation, his website states.

All the Oceanside elected positions are considered part time. The city treasurer receives a salary of about $27,000 annually for a 20-hour work week.

An unsuccessful City Council candidate in 2016, Roy has been an Oceanside resident and homeowner for 20 years. His parents retired in the city 40 years ago, he said, and he was a frequent visitor before he moved to the city.

Roy won the Nov. 6 election with 28,869 votes, defeating the only other candidate, incumbent City Treasurer Rafe E. Trickey Jr., a former college administrator, who received 22,588 votes.

The City Council appointed Trickey from 11 applicants for the job in January 2017. The previous city treasurer, Gary Ernst, was re-elected in November 2016 even though he died weeks before the election.

Financial documents filed with the Oceanside city clerks office show Roy, a mobile-home park resident, raised $5,185 for his treasurer campaign from Jan. 1 through Oct. 20, the most recent account available. The contributions include $525 from the Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance, $500 from the Golden State Manufactured-home Owners League, and $250 from the Democratic Club of Carlsbad and Oceanside. His largest contribution was a $3,000 loan from himself.

Trickey raised $2,324.91 in the same time period, entirely in loans to himself. His website states he is self-funded to maintain independence.

Oceanside, Carlsbad and Escondido are among the few cities in San Diego County that elect their city treasurer. More than 300 of 480 cities in California appoint their treasurer.

Carlsbad requires candidates for the office to have at least a four-year college degree in finance or a related business field and four years of financial work experience.

Freelance journalist and Oceanside resident Ken Leighton has spoken at multiple council meetings since the election to request a higher standard for Oceanside treasurer candidates.

You will be swearing in a person to oversee the citys vital investment portfolio who has been vetted by no one, he told the council.

Roy won the election simply by spending more money than his opponent, Leighton said.

As the election made clear, Roy has a number of supporters.

This election was won fair and square, said Rena Marroco, a Vista resident and friend of Roy.

Residents who oppose him are just disgruntled because the election didnt go their way, she said.

Oceanside Mayor Peter Weiss said recently that it might be time to follow the example of other cities that appoint their city treasurer.

There should be minimum standards  like for a city planner or a city engineer, Weiss said.

The City Council publicly discussed in 2016 whether to make the city treasurer post an appointed position, but took no action on the idea.

Any change to make the job an appointed position would require a municipal election, city officials have said, and thats unlikely before 2020.

Oceansides city treasurer has changed several times in the last 10 years, but before that the same person held the job for many years.

Former City Treasurer Rosemary Jones died in 2009 at age 88 after being elected to her fifth four-year term in the job.

She was widely credited with saving the city from financial disaster in 1999 when she halted a plan by then-Mayor Dick Lyon to place $100 million of the citys portfolio in a questionable investment scheme.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
The San Diego art scene is spread throughout the entire county and is connected via a network of creative pockets. It may be best to think of these visual art spaces as nodes, well-trafficked places where art is created, exhibited and engaged. While distance separates these cultural centers, they serve as touchstones for the visual art community.

Some locations, like the Balboa Park museums, are like familiar friends that we regularly visit, ask questions and continue to develop deep relationships, with the comfort that they will continue to be there for us. Yet there are many more smaller art destinations, like artists studios, ephemeral projects and public art projects that may not be as well-known but are important sites for providing new experiences that often require us to get outside of our comfort zone.

As we wrap up 2018, here are some of the most significant and interesting experiences that occurred this year across our San Diego visual art network.

Museums

There were a number of powerful museum exhibitions in 2018, but the La Jolla Historical Society curated one of the most memorable as it addressed the landscape of our city in the stellar exhibit San Diego: The Architecture of Ecologies. Addressing how San Diegans use the automobile to engage the beaches, freeways, suburban/urban areas and the border, the car is presented by 15 artists, including Robert Minervini, Doug Aitken and Margaret Noble, as both an opportunity and hinderance. While the preponderance of freeways and roads can become somewhat dystopian, the exhibit suggests there are rewards for making the trip.

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Faiya Fredmans work was featured in The Steel Goddess at the Oceanside Museum of Art. (Courtesy photo by Philipp Scholz Rittermann)

Faiya Fredman, 93, enjoyed a carefully curated and sensitive installation of her work in the exhibit The Steel Goddess at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Progressing from Fredmans mythological symbolism rooted in ancient civilizations, the installation demonstrated how her imagery evolved through new media and experimentation over a 20-year span. The artifact-like goddess is the dominant theme, and the imagery would be just as at home in an archeological dig as it is within the white cube of the museum.

The U.S.-Mexico border has been a consistent storyline in 2018, and there were a number of artists and exhibits that drew attention to our unique location. Early in the year, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego opened Being Here With You/Estando aqui contigo, which featured 42 artists from San Diego and Tijuana. The works were arranged so as to engage in cross-border dialogue that models how critical issues can be facilitated in a critical, yet civil, manner.

Public art

Early in the fall, artist Julien Bismuth restaged a performance by the late David Antin (1932-2016) that involved a team of skywriters. As the planes flew across the blue sky of San Diego, puffs of smoke were used to write a stanza of poetry. A two-part performance that stretched to Los Angeles, Antins original concept was to have the poem stretch across the entire United States. Experimental and ephemeral, the unusual spacing of these sky poems challenged how we typically receive airborne advertisements over our beaches.

Groundswell by Chris Puzio (Courtesy photo)

There are number of inspiring public works in San Diego, but Chris Puzios Groundswell is a noteworthy, architecturally inspired large-scale sculpture that was recently dedicated at the Hotel InterContinental. The giant abstract installation was influenced by the ocean; the intricate aluminum and stainless-steel design gives the impression of fluidity. The mussel-like shapes that hug the form cling together into a vessel that cascades patterns upon the surrounding plaza. Bursting upward, the sculpture is strong with its wide base, yet it unfurls as it proceeds upward, as though its absorbing its surroundings.

A flurry of activity at Liberty Stations Arts District was jumpstarted by Lissa Corina and Marina Grize in their text-based work that was installed above the structured Navy barracks. The LED letters broadcasted the text REST WITH YOU COMES EASY. Seemingly a gesture of gratitude and admiration for the military, the phrase Rest Easy is commonly used by the U.S. Navy to assure those they protect. However, the ambiguous message becomes something quite different to civilians unaware of this history and can be reframed as a loving complement.

Galleries

Quint Gallery has long held an important role in contemporary exhibitions in San Diego; this year it increased its impact by adding additional spaces to its La Jolla location in what now appears to be a gallery compound. Securing the ability to curate four exhibitions simultaneously, there are three additional spaces called Fault Line Photos, Museum of  and Specimen, where uniquely curated and experimental installations complement the traditional gallery program. The gallery row is significant, and its debut featured work by Kelsey Brookes, De La Torre Brothers and Christopher Konecki, furthering the traffic of this important center of activity.

The North Park-based gallery Visual teamed with San Diego City College this past year to present a street art-inspired exhibit titled Contribution II. The group show displayed a youthful enthusiasm as murals seemed to leap off the walls. Relishing in the aesthetic of urban art, the bright colors and accessible imagery are an inspiring and encouraging development that exists throughout San Diego but was centrally located for a short time.

Reflecting upon the San Diegos visual art landscape, we are reminded who  and where  we are. As a border city, we make art that is concerned with human rights. As a thought leader, we facilitate art projects that push boundaries and strive to be more than shoeboxes turned on their sides. As a city without a central arts district, we strive to create community through meaningful experiences dotted throughout the landscape. From North County museums and galleries to downtown public art installations, 2018 gave us quite a bit to celebrate in San Diegos creative spaces.

Daichendt is dean of the colleges and professor of art history at Point Loma Nazarene University.
December 23, 1964 The San Diego Union

The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year.

Wednesday, December 23, 1964

In 1964 powerful earthquake rocked much of Southern California at 12:55 p.m. on Dec. 22.

Centered northwest of Ensenada, Mexico, the only reported injures were to a family whose car was trapped by a rock slide on the Tijuana-Ensenada highway.

In San Diego the magnitude 5.6 quake cracked window panes, knocked groceries from store shelves and broke countless holiday decorations all over town.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

Quake Rocks S.D.; Floods Hit California

Shock Causes Light Damage, No Injuries

Walls Cracked, Windows Broken; Center in Baja

By Dick Bowman

One of the worst earthquakes in San Diegos history struck just before 12:55 p.m. yesterday, causing little damage but frightening thousands.

Tremors were felt throughout Southern California and in much of Baja California.

No injuries were reported.

Dr. Charles Richter, seismologist at Caltech in Pasadena, estimated the quakes magnitude at 5.7 on the Richter scale of 10 at its source. He put the quakes epicenter somewhere in northern Baja California, probably near the middle of the peninsula. The region is mountainous and generally uninhabited.

BUILDINGS CREAK

Richter said at its epicenter, the quake could have potentially caused destruction over a limited area.

He said the great Alaskan earthquake last Good Friday was scaled at 8.4.

In downtown San Diego, buildings creaked and wavered. Light standards vibrated noticeably ans store windows quivered like jelly, an observer said.

The loud groaning noises  whether from buildings or the earth  sent hundreds of persons scurrying into the streets. Occupants of tall buildings rocked back and forth, then ran to the windows to look for damage.

DISHES FALL

Christmas trees all over San Diego were shaken, breaking countless decorations.

Dishes tumbled to the floor in many homes, pictures danced on the walls and the switchboards at the police station and The San Diego Union were jammed with calls from anxious residents.

At least one chimney crashed to the ground and a number of store windows were cracked or completely smashed.

Tremors set off fire boxes all over the city, sending fire trucks screaming to false alarms. The quake reportedly caused no fires, and no water or gas main breaks.

PORT UNDAMAGED

Port Director John Bate said the port was not damaged and that there was "no change in the harbors water level.

Dr. Richard Barry, assistant professor of geology at San Diego State and the man in charge of the colleges seismograph, said the quake was feelable for about 25 seconds. He said tremors were recorded for almost eight minutes.

The fire station at Fifth Avenue and Palm Street was temporarily ordered evacuated after an outside wall was cracked by the shock. Fireman later returned to the station after city engineers ruled it safe.

Five cracks, each about one-sixteenth of an inch wide, appeared in the walls of the detective bureau at police headquarters. A secretary on the buildings third floor ducked under a desk after several book cases almost toppled on her.

In Engine Co. No. 4, Eighth Avenue and J Street, firemen reported that fire engines seemed to jump up and down.

Several cracks were made in the walls of Engine Co. No. 2, Tenth Avenue and B Street.

Stones tumbled from the chimney of a house at 3619 Seventh Ave., Hillcrest. Mrs. Fred Dahms, the occupant, said she ran outside when the stones began clattering onto the roof.

In an adjoining unit, Mrs Della Peterson said dishes crashed to the floor and several living room ornaments were smashed.

WINDOW SMASHED

Handfuls of plaster fell from a wall and ceilings of the First National Bank in Coronado, a teller reported, but damage was said to be slight.

The plate glass window in a Mission Valley Center toy store was smashed, spraying glass on window displays.

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.
Three San Bernardino County middle school girls who were unlawfully arrested to teach them a lesson were awarded $390,000 this week to settle their case, their lawyer said.

The 2013 incident began when Balbina Kendall, then assistant principal at Etiwanda Intermediate School, asked the school resource officer, sheriffs Deputy Luis Ortiz, for help with a group of girls who were involved in an ongoing feud with another group, according to court documents.

The girls, two of whom were age 12 and the other 13 at the time, had gone to the school office that morning to complain to administrators that they were being bullied and physically attacked by four other girls at the school.

An audio tape of Ortizs encounter with the girls reflects some whispering and quiet giggling in response to his questioning, according to court documents. Ortiz told the girls he was arresting them because he was not playing around and that he was taking them to jail to prove a point.

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The girls eventually sued the county and deputy for violating their constitutional rights.

The people they have as school resource officers are not well trained, said Jerry Steering, the girls lawyer. This guy was a bad egg.

Steering said his clients were the victims of bullying. He said the school did not discipline any of the seven girls involved, and no criminal charges were filed.

The settlement follows a decision issued in September by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court found that the special needs doctrine, an exception to the 4th Amendment that permits police to make searches and seizures that would otherwise be deemed unconstitutional, doesnt apply to the arrests of students.

The summary arrest, handcuffing, and police transport to the station of the middle school girls was a disproportionate response to the schools need, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen wrote in the opinion for the three-judge panel. No reasonable officer could have reasonably believed that the law authorizes the arrest of a group of middle schoolers in order to teach them a lesson or to prove a point.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com | Twitter: @andreamcastillo
Some Republican leaders like to say that political trends always shift.

One even noted that during his lifetime, Democrats once dominated in Southern states and Republicans controlled much of the Northeast. The reverse is true now, but that change took a while.

The once-dominant Republican Party of San Diego County is on the wane and reversing its fortunes will take some doing. This was a bad year for the local GOP and 2020 could be worse.

The party is struggling to regain its footing against political and demographic headwinds that may blow even stronger for Democrats in the next election cycle.

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Anti-Trump sentiment certainly hurt the GOP in races at all levels throughout the county in 2018. But that may have only expedited eventual Democratic gains, which also have been fueled by the growth of independent voters, who often vote Democratic.

Despite successes, Democratic influence actually may be stunted in San Diego County because of unusual circumstances. Despite the citys dominant Democratic voter registration, it has a Republican mayor. But Kevin Faulconer was initially voted into office during a 2014 special mayoral election, a small-turnout affair that gave the Republican advantages.

Candidates matter, however, and some of Faulconers moderate sensibilities  his positions on the environment and border relations, for example  fit the region. Democrats helped him out by getting behind then-City Councilman David Alvarez, who turned out to be a weak candidate.

The 2020 race to replace the termed-out mayor will be dominated by local big-name Democrats. At the moment, no major Republican is making public moves to run.

More slowly, the countywide voter registration has swung Democratic, yet the Board of Supervisors remains dominated by Republicans. Four of the supervisors were first elected more than 20 years ago, when voter registration was more favorable to Republicans. And, despite recent history, incumbents generally dont lose in San Diego.

The fifth board member, Republican Kristen Gaspar, narrowly defeated a scandalized, one-term Democratic incumbent in 2016. Her north coast district is clearly a Democratic target in 2020. Nathan Fletcher, who was elected this year to replace termed-out Supervisor Ron Roberts in central San Diego, may well be the leading edge of a 3-2 Democratic takeover of the board when the last votes are counted in two years.

This isnt to suggest that GOP success in these areas was artificial, but the circumstances might chip away at the notion that Republicans, as some leaders suggest, have a proven ability to win in Democratic areas. In some key races, the San Diego GOP has supported conservatives over moderate candidates, a strategy that failed.

The party this year backed state Board of Equalization member Diane Harkey, who was trounced by Democrat Mike Levin in the Republican-held, but increasingly Democratic, 49th Congressional District. The local GOP endorsed then-City Councilman Carl DeMaio over Fletcher  who was a Republican at the time  in the last open, regularly scheduled mayoral election in 2012, which was won by Democrat Bob Filner.

In the 49th District, pre-primary polls showed then-Assemblyman Rocky Chavez as the top candidate. Similarly, years earlier surveys showed Fletcher as the likely winner in a mayoral runoff. But both were knocked out of their respective primaries with the help of Republican or Republican-leaning campaign organizations.

Tony Krvaric, San Diego County GOP chairman, said in an email that the partys goal is to recruit candidates who best match the make-up and values of the district in which they are running.

Looking forward, he also said he believed Republicans have a better chance to be more competitive with Democrats in turnout in 2020 than this year, which he suggested was an outlier.

While Republicans are still digesting the impacts of the Democratic blue wave, postmortems by party leaders here and across the country stretch from denial and wishful thinking to sober assessments that things must change.

Some blame voting laws fashioned by Democrats, while others point to media reports of friction among Democrats and suggest the party could self-immolate.

Ron Nehring, former chair of the San Diego and California Republican parties, has been all over social media telling GOP folks to knock it off. The former is just an excuse, he said, and the latter simply wont happen.

Dont kid yourself. The Democrats civil war! is a media narrative. GOP primaries in 16 were worst ever, and party won it all in November, he said on Twitter. Political parties always  ALWAYS  come back together after the primaries are over. By August 2020, expect Dems to be unified.

Further, the progressive vs. establishment jockeying among San Diego Democrats appears to be low-key, at least compared with the fight going on nationally.

Nehring and Jim Brulte, the exiting California Republican Party chairman, consider the biggest problem to be the GOPs inability to adapt to demographic changes.

Our party and our candidates have yet to figure out how to consistently attract support from Hispanics and Asians, Brulte said in a column published by The Hill.

Krvaric agreed more must be done, but criticized how he believes the opposition goes about courting minorities.

Unlike Democrats who pander to voters depending on their background or gender, Republicans see all Americans as equals, Krvaric said. We definitely need to do a better job of reaching more voters as Democrats take many of them for granted and our policies are superior; school choice, lower gas taxes, and efficient government being just a few.

As if to counter the notion that the Republican Party has hit the skids, Krvaric recently stated that among the 831 elected officials in San Diego County there are almost twice as many Republicans as Democrats.

He later acknowledged the obvious: Republican numbers were better before the November election.

Tweet of the Week

Goes to Melanie Mason (@melmason) of the Los Angeles Times, about one of the gems from the governors appearance before the Sacramento Press Club last week.

Im not here to make news, Im here to enlighten you is about the most perfect @JerryBrownGov quote there is
Three-year-old Carlos stuffy nose has led to some difficulty breathing in the past week while staying at the El Barretal shelter in Tijuana.

So his mother, 28-year-old Patricia del Carmen Escobar, was relieved that a temporary health clinic was hastily set up Saturday afternoon along the perimeter of the shelter that holds about 3,000 members of the caravan of Central American migrants.

Her face brightened upon learning after a consultation that Carlos was in good shape.

I want to thank them very much, Escobar said through a Spanish translator.

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Workers gave Escobar nasal spray and cough medicine to administer to her son and helped Carlos into a donated baby carrier. Escobar soon left with a plastic bag that included bandages, baby formula and diapers.

The clinic was part of a Faith Caravan of about 150 Los Angeles-based health care professionals, social workers, clergy and union members. The group drove across the border to bring food, supplies and medical care to migrants at El Barretal, as well as the Primera Iglesia Bautista, a Baptist church in downtown Tijuana.

Sandra Cruz, a registered nurse for the Department of Public Health in Los Angeles County, was one of the volunteers who left home before dawn on buses sponsored by the SEIU public service workers union.

I didnt hesitate to sign up, said Cruz, who was joined by her husband, a social worker. We know theres a crisis here on the border and we wanted to do as much as we can to help.

By mid-afternoon, about 10 folding tables were erected on the dirt next to a busy street alongside the shelter. Within moments a long line of migrants formed.

Osbin Arnoldo Herreria was one of the first in the queue. The 30-year-old from Rio Saina, Honduras, said he has been suffering for days from painful hemorrhoids and was hoping to receive medication.

Im a painter and a carpenter, Herreria said. Im worried for my family back in Honduras  a wife and two small children. Asked if he regretted coming north, Herreria paused and said through a translator, If the caravan goes back to Honduras, I think I will go.

A few feet away from the tables, 24-year-old Marla Mendendez Lopez waited to get Pampers for her toddler, Arcy. She said she left because of gang violence in her hometown, which she did not want to name.

A single mother, Lopez traveled with her sister from Honduras as part of the caravan. At first they stopped at the Benito Juarez shelter in downtown Tijuana, but heavy rains two weeks ago  along with overcrowding  led to unsanitary conditions that prompted local officials to close down the shelter.

We were laying right next to the street, Lopez said through a translator. Its better here. Its cleaner. She said shed prefer to go to the United States but is afraid potential problems with her paperwork could get her sent back to Honduras, so she thinks she will try to stay permanently in Tijuana.

Not far away, a migrant had a fresh bandage applied to an open wound on his right ankle. Another held hands with a clergyman in prayer.

Im lucky to be a U.S. citizen, and I wanted to come here to make a difference, said Roxette Villegas, a registered nurse with L.A. County.

In addition to first aid, the caregivers offered asthma screenings, blood pressure readings and glucose testing.

About 18 miles away at the Baptist church, social workers and volunteers handed out supplies such as first aid kits, sleeping bags, bottled water, canned goods, toys and baby wipes.

Evens Presondieu, right, tosses a bag of flour thats spilling its contents to fellow Haitian Ancx Jerenre as they and other Haitians help unload bags of rice and flour for caravan migrants during the Faith Caravan at the Primera Iglesia Bautista Church in Tijuana on Saturday. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Rafael Nunez Santana, director general of Vasoking de Mexico, a food service company in Tijuana, delivered bags of flour, rice and beans.

Our saying is learn, earn and return, said Santana, who lives in San Diego. It means you learn as you grow up and make a living. And as you do that, you should give back to the community.

The Baptist church has a large denomination of Haitian immigrants, who helped unload the bags of food.

When we came here, some other people helped us, said Amos Carrier, the churchs associate pastor who came to Tijuana two years ago via Haiti, Ecuador and Brazil. And this is a way to give thanks, by helping others.

Although precise numbers are hard to come by, at its peak about 6,000 migrants arrived in Tijuana.

Its been estimated about 300 migrants have been deported and around 700 have signed up with Mexican authorities for voluntary repatriation to go back to their home countries. Many are waiting to apply for asylum in the United States.

Bishop John H. Taylor of the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, who was helping distribute supplies, said he agrees with those who say every country needs secure borders.

But, he said, no country can have secure borders without a humane, rational immigration system  We need to get everyone a hearing that the law enables them to get. If the government wanted to have 300 asylum hearings a day, it could. The pace now as we understand it is between 50 and 100, depending on who you listen to.

As Escobar, 3-year-old Carlos mother, left the health clinic, she managed a smile.

I am grateful, she said. Its not often that people always give you a free consult with medications.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
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.
In mid-December, Harvards early-entry candidates began logging onto the application status portal to learn whether theyd been accepted to one of the worlds most prestigious universities. But for one particularly famous member of the class of 2023, entry into Harvard brought a bit more than congratulations.

For David Hogg, it was the last laugh.

Thank you all for the well wishes, Hogg tweeted Saturday morning. Ill be attending Harvard in the fall with a planned major in Political Science.

Hogg is one of the survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead. After the shooting, he became a founding member of Never Again MSD, a group that advocates for tougher gun control laws. He helped organize the March for Our Lives for stronger gun violence prevention measures, which drew nearly 800,000 people to the nations capital.

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But the 18-year-olds very public stance on gun control turned him into a target himself. His home was swatted  targeted by a hoax emergency call to law enforcement. Hes been accused of being a crisis actor. And even typical teenager ups and downs have made national news.

Hogg and Harvard didnt immediately return messages seeking comment Saturday.

In March, he told TMZ about his rejection letters hed received from four California colleges, which came as he organized a movement he said was changing the world.

Mocking Hoggs comments, Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted a story from a conservative news website that described the teen as a Gun Rights Provocateur  and said Hogg was whining.

David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it, Ingraham tweeted. "(Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA ... totally predictable given acceptance rates.)

Hogg responded on Twitter, where his number of followers has surpassed 900,000. He compiled a list of 12 companies that advertise on Fox News The Ingraham Angle.

In a matter of days, Ingraham lost more than a dozen advertisers, including Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Hulu, Jenny Craig, Ruby Tuesday and Miracle-Ear.

The move showed the influence that Hogg and the other survivors of the mass shooting have gained  and companies fears about becoming collateral damage in polarizing controversies.

Ingraham later apologized, but Hogg dismissed the move as an insincere effort just to save your advertisers.

The apology ... was kind of expected, especially after so many of her advertisers dropped out, Hogg said on CNN. Im glad to see corporate America standing with me and the other students of Parkland and everybody else. Because when we work together, we can accomplish anything.

In rejecting Ingrahams apology, Hogg accused her of being a perpetual bully who should apologize to other people shed wronged.

That didnt happen, but Hogg made no mention of it Saturday.

Instead, he tweeted his response to an overwhelming sea of congratulations.
Angered by Defense Secretary James N. Mattis harsh rebuke last week, President Trump on Sunday said he is ousting Mattis from his post two months earlier than planned and is instead naming the No. 2 Pentagon official to be acting secretary.

Trump thus will have an acting White House chief of staff, acting attorney general and acting secretary of Defense as he heads into his third year in office, reflecting a tumultuous top-level churn as the administration grapples with a partial government shutdown, a plummeting stock market and the presidents mounting legal woes.

Trump announced that Patrick Shanahan, who spent three decades as an executive at Boeing before he became Mattis deputy last year, will lead the Pentagon starting Jan. 1. Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has not served in the military and has little foreign policy or government experience.

Trumps incoming acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, on Sunday dismissed the notion that the White House is in disarray.

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I dont think theres concern that the presidency is in crisis, Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday. This is what having a president who is nontraditional looks like. Hes not going to be an ordinary president. Thats not what people wanted when they elected him.

As deputy secretary of Defense, Shanahan handled day-to-day operations for the vast military bureaucracy. He mostly stayed out of Mattis policy clashes with the White House over Trumps orders to pull out of Syria and cut troop levels in Afghanistan, among other fractious debates.

Shanahans most prominent role at the Pentagon  one that likely appealed to Trump  has been to draft plans for a new military service for outer space, an idea Trump has promoted to wild applause at political rallies. The Pentagon tentatively plans to keep the space force in the Air Force, much as the Marine Corps operates within the U.S. Navy.

Shanahan also has overseen the Pentagons weapons acquisition programs, which have grown substantially under Trump. He was confirmed by the Senate in mid-2017 but only after a bruising confirmation hearing led by John McCain, the late Republican senator from Arizona, who was then chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

McCain criticized Shanahans written answers to the committee and questioned whether confirming a senior executive from a major defense contractor as the No. 2 Pentagon official was putting the fox into the henhouse.

Mattis resigned in protest Thursday after Trump overruled him and ordered all U.S. troops out of Syria, the latest policy dispute between the two. Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting Islamic State, also resigned in protest over Trumps abrupt Syria decision.

In a tweet late Saturday, Trump disparaged the longtime diplomat and Mideast expert, pointing out that McGurk was also planning to leave his post in February. Grandstander? the president wrote.

Trump, who initially praised Mattis when he resigned, took a swipe at the retired four-star Marine general Saturday, noting that President Obama had removed him as head of U.S. Central Command.

I gave him a second chance, the president wrote. Some thought I shouldnt.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

In his resignation letter, Mattis delivered a stinging reproach to Trumps worldview, saying the president cast off military alliances and abandoned allies at Americas peril.

Mattis said he would step down on Feb. 28 to allow a smooth transition to his successor and to testify before Congress next year in annual hearings on military issues. He also offered to attend a NATO meeting in February, a move that helped reassure allies anxious about the turmoil in Washington.

But Trump, reportedly furious at positive news coverage of Mattis letter, said Shanahan will step in almost immediately.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019, Trump wrote. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!

Shanahans spokesman, Lt. Col. Joseph Buccino, confirmed he would accept the appointment.

Past Defense secretaries have served until their successors were nominated. But none in recent years resigned over such sharp disagreements as Mattis did.

Is Mattis resignation the beginning of the end of Americas endless wars? 

Even some Republicans were unsettled by the jolting events of recent days.

So much dysfunction, said Ohios Republican governor, John Kasich, citing disturbing implications for foreign and domestic policy in the recent turmoil. Appearing on Fox News, he said Trump doesnt understand presidents cant just get everything they want.

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) faulted what he called Trumps decision to withdraw troops prematurely from Syria. Appearing on NBCs Meet the Press, Toomey also said Mattis views on the need for international alliances aligned with most Republicans views more than Trumps isolationist worldview.

Criticism from another senior Republican apparently irked the president.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the retiring chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on CNNs State of the Nation that Trump knows that he made a mistake on the Syria pullout but that the president tends to dig in and double down, especially when he realizes he has erred.

Trump then tweeted that Corker badmouths him because he refused to support Corker in a reelection bid last year. Corker, who did not run for reelection, jabbed Trump back on Twitter: Just like Mexico is paying for the wall.

The partial shutdown, which began Saturday and has idled hundreds of thousands of federal workers just before Christmas, was triggered when Trump rejected a short-term congressional fix because it did not meet his demand for $5 billion for a border wall.

Mulvaney said the shutdown could extend into the new year, when Democrats will take control of the House, although Trump presumably will have even less political leverage then.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who recently took himself out of the running for the chief of staff job after meeting with Trump, said the 72-year-old presidents go-it-alone style was unlikely to change.

When people get older, they become more and more convinced of the fact that what theyre doing is the right thing, and it becomes harder to convince them otherwise, Christie said on ABCs This Week.

Christie didnt disparage unpredictability as a tactic, but he questioned whether Trumps freewheeling style helped further his policy goals.

One of the things Ive often said to the president is  there has to be a strategy that has an endgame, he said. I dont know what the endgame is here. It hasnt been articulated.
San Diego homicide investigators are looking for suspects in a shooting in City Heights Saturday night that left one man dead and a second man wounded.

Around 6. p.m., San Diego police responded to reports of gunfire near the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and 52nd Street where officers found two men on the ground with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.

Officers administered medical aid to the men until paramedics arrived and took both to the hospital, where one victim, a 31-year-old man, died.

He was identified Sunday as Dionte Floyd.

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The second victim, a 38-year-old man, is expected to survive his injuries, police homicide Lt. Anthony Dupree told San Diego News Video.

The shooting apparently stemmed from an altercation between two groups near Aztec Liquor, Dupree said. Bullet casings were found all over the parking lot of the shopping center where the liquor store is located, he said.

Witnesses told police there were three or four males in each group. The lieutenant said it was not known how many people fired shots or where the victims were in the parking lot when they were hit.

What we know so far is there was an altercation between two groups of black males, at one point gunshots were fired and two victims were hit, Dupree told San Diego News Video. We have several witnesses that we are talking to, a lot of witnesses to be exact.

No description of suspects was released.

Police are encouraging anyone with information related to the incident to call the San Diego police homicide unit at (619) 531-2293, or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan

UPDATES:

12:00 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published on Dec. 22 at 6:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump, who aides said has been seething about news coverage of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pointed resignation letter, abruptly announced Sunday that he was removing Mattis two months before his planned departure and installing Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary.

The move brings fresh instability to the Pentagon as it manages Trumps sudden decisions to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who has been Mattis deputy at the Pentagon, will assume the top job on an acting capacity beginning Jan. 1. But a senior administration official said Trump plans to conduct a wide-ranging search for a permanent replacement and is interested in candidates from outside the administration.

Trump decided hastily to remove Mattis in reaction to negative news coverage, according to senior administration officials, one of whom said the president was eager to retaliate against Mattis and show up the widely respected former general. Another official said Trump and other advisers suspected Mattis of being part of a campaign to stoke negative coverage about the president.

After canceling his Christmas trip to Florida in view of the partial government shutdown, Trump was marooned this weekend at the White House, watching hours of cable television news shows. Advisers said he stewed over commentary hailing Mattis as heroic - a human guardrail against the presidents impulses.

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Trump was so angry with Mattis that on Sunday morning he directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to inform the defense secretary that he was being removed from office two months early, according to a senior administration official. Trump himself has not spoken to Mattis since last Thursday, when the secretary resigned.

Mattis resigned in protest after Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria over the strong objections of Mattis and others on the national security team. Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group, also resigned in protest over Trumps Syria decision.

In his resignation letter, Mattis delivered a sharp rebuke of Trumps worldview and cast the presidents foreign policy positions as a threat to the nation. Mattis said in the letter that he would leave his post on Feb. 28, to allow for a smooth transition to the next defense secretary. But Trump decided to hasten the process, announcing Sunday on Twitter that Shanahan would replace Mattis imminently.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019, Trump wrote. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!

Trumps Syria decision has emerged as a flash point in Washington, with some prominent Republican lawmakers continuing to plead with the president to change his mind.

Trump has shown no willingness to reconsider. He tweeted that he had a long and productive call Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the conflict in Syria and Trumps plans for a slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area.

Trumps advisers have persuaded the president to remove the troops more slowly than he would like, White House aides said, because withdrawing too quickly could jeopardize their safety. Aides also are trying to keep Trump from publicly announcing the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in hopes that they might moderate his decision and develop a plan.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., warned Sunday that Trump was making devastating decisions and speculated that the Syria withdrawal could hobble his presidency.

I think he knows hes made a mistake, I do, Corker said on CNNs State of the Union. He added, I think this next three months could well determine whether he decides to run again or not. I think its going to be very important for our country that the United States Senate really dig in and make sure we dont make other colossal mistakes as it relates to foreign policy.

Trump attacked Corker on Twitter a few hours later, reviving a long-running feud between the two men.

Trump found Republican support from Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., a libertarian-leaning critic of military intervention whose position represents a minority in the party.

I think the president is doing the best thing, Paul said on CNN. He said, we werent going to be for nation-building. Were not going to go create a nation out of that chaos of Syria or Afghanistan. Were going to take care of things we have got here at home. And I think, actually, the people are with him.

With Trumps elevation of Shanahan, the list of senior officials serving on a temporary basis grows. The White House chief of staff, attorney general and Environmental Protection Agency administrator are serving in an acting capacity.

Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has not served in the military and has little foreign policy or government experience. Shanahan worked for decades at Boeing, handling the aviation behemoths commercial aircraft and missile defense programs. Trump, who had complained to aides that Mattis did not share his enthusiasm for negotiating defense contracts, he admires Shanahan for taking a special interest in such matters, according to a senior administration official.

Since his arrival at the Pentagon, Shanahan has emphasized making the department more efficient and business-friendly - and has won plaudits at the White House by pushing through Trumps vision for a space force, against the wishes of many of the militarys uniformed brass.

Trumps announcement Sunday caught top officials at the Pentagon off guard.

Shanahan was traveling away from Washington when Trump tweeted his decision. A spokesman for Shanahan, Army Lt. Col. Joseph Buccino, said Sunday that Shanahan would continue to serve as directed by the president.

A spokeswoman for Mattis, Dana White, said that the outgoing secretary will focus over the next week on ensuring a smooth transition and that the Pentagon remains focused on the defense of the nation.

Mattis was due to give testimony on Capitol Hill regarding the new national security strategy, which probably would have resulted in tense questions about his resignation and differences with Trump. While Mattis still could end up testifying after leaving the Pentagon, his early dismissal by Trump reduces that chance.

The abrupt nature of Mattis departure raises questions about who else may leave the Pentagon in coming weeks, thrusting the department further into chaos.

Army Secretary Mark Esper, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Navy Secretary Richard Spencer have characterized their relationships with Mattis as close, and Wilson has said she chose to serve in the administration specifically at the request of Mattis.

In his tweet last week announcing Mattis departure, Trump initially praised the secretary for serving with distinction and achieving tremendous progress. But as he consumed media coverage in the hours and days that followed, Trump vented to advisers about the narrative that took hold of the revered four-star Marine Corps general and military intellectual walking out on Trump because he believed the presidents erratic decisions were threatening the world order.

In recent days, Trump went so far as to tell White House aides that he does not need Mattis and that his defense secretary was not as important a figure as others believed, a senior administration official said.

Trump was not shy about sharing his frustrations publicly. On Saturday, he complained on Twitter that he was not getting enough credit for the Syria withdrawal: If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!

Then the president took a shot directly at Mattis, with a bit of revisionist history. When he picked Mattis to be defense secretary before the start of his presidency, Trump showered praise on him, reveling in the generals battlefield valor, calling him by his nickname Mad Dog and comparing him to the decorated World War II Army general George Patton.

He is one of the most effective generals that weve had in many, many decades, an extraordinary leader of our time who has committed his life to his love for our country, Trump said in a Dec. 6, 2016, speech announcing the nomination. General Mattis is the living embodiment of the Marine Corps motto, semper fidelis, always faithful.

But on Saturday night, Trump wrote on Twitter, When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldnt, 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.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an informal Trump adviser, argued Sunday on ABC News This Week that nobody should be surprised by Trumps actions because he is doing what he campaigned on. Christie, who this month took himself out of the running to be White House chief of staff, likened Trump to a 72-year-old relative who is stubborn.

When people get older, they become more and more convinced of the fact that what theyre doing is the right thing, Christie said, and it becomes harder to convince them otherwise.

The Washington Posts David Weigel, Paul Sonne and Missy Ryan contributed to this report.
San Diego police expect to pay $2 million in overtime to officers patrolling the neighborhood around the storage center for homeless people that opened in Sherman Heights earlier this year.

The budget projection, which was included in a quarterly monitoring report released last month, pushes the total program expense past $3.7 million this year. Including the patrols, it means costs associated with the 500 storage bins amount to $600 per bin per month -- more than a studio apartment in many single-room occupancy hotels.

Police officials say the money is a good investment of public funds that meets the terms of the City Council resolution earlier this year that allowed the facility.

They also say residents in the Sherman Heights community are grateful for the added security, which generally includes four extra officers and a sergeant patrolling the neighborhood within a half-mile of the facility after their regular shifts.

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The council directed that the police department increase their presence in that area because the citizens were concerned that the storage facility was going to draw more homeless people into their community, Assistant Chief Paul Connelly said.

Connelly said the extra patrols have paid off since the storage facility opened, with fewer cases of open drug or alcohol use and fewer reports of people urinating or defecating in public within a half mile of the center.

Were not protecting the 500 bins, he said. We are basically making sure the community concerns are not realized.

Critics say the spending is a misguided approach to managing homelessness in San Diego.

Its $3 million for 500 bins for people to store their property, said Michael McConnell, an advocate for homeless people and issues affecting them. If people think thats a good use of our resources, then OK. But that doesnt get people out of homelessness.

And if you go through the area, there are still plenty of homeless people there, he said.

A studio apartment at the Golden West Hotel in downtown San Diego rents for $550 per month, a counter clerk said Friday.

The transition storage center opened in June after the council agreed to provide additional space for homeless people to store their belongings. It is operated by San Diego nonprofit Mental Health Systems inside a warehouse at 20th Street and Commercial Avenue.

Safeguarding their possessions is a key concern for people trying to find a job, attend caseworker meetings or meet other responsibilities, advocates say.

The Sherman Heights facility was slow to fill, with just 110 enrollments in June, but reported full enrollment in the most recent San Diego Housing Commission monthly data.

The city budgeted $1.7 million to operate the facility through the budget that year ends on June 30, 2019. It has a one-year operating agreement with Mental Health Systems, with two one-year renewal options.

According to housing commission records, Mental Health Systems has nine full-time workers running the center, including a project manager at $70,000 a year and supervisors, outreach workers and inventory specialists paid between $41,000 and $58,000 a year.

Four other Mental Health Systems employees work part-time to manage the facility, with salaries and benefits totaling $602,000 a year. The nonprofit operator also pays private security some $83,000 a year to guard the facility.

McConnell said the money could be better invested preventing homelessness.

Im all for providing storage for homeless people, but Im not in favor of this incredible waste and inefficiency that the Mayors Office seems to have an affinity for, he said. Just throwing money up in the air and saying its for homeless people does not mean youre doing good work on homelessness.

Greg Block, a spokesman for Mayor Kevin Faulconer, said the mayor is committed to making sure that neighborhoods that accept homeless services are safer and cleaner than before the facilities open.

Finding locations for homeless services can be a challenge, Block wrote in an email. The Sherman Heights neighborhood is a terrific example of that commitment.

Community leaders welcome the extra police patrols, despite the added costs.

Lannon Turowski, a Sherman Heights homeowner and member of the newly constituted Homeless Storage Neighborhood Advisory Committee, said his initial concerns about the center have not materialized -- and he credits police for the result.

This isnt downtown, he said. This is a neighborhood, where our kids walk to school. We were very fearful that we werent going to get the help.

Turowski, a contractor who has lived in Sherman Heights for nearly a decade, said he was worried that the city is putting most of its homeless services in the area just across the freeway from his community.

Its all being centralized in one spot, he said. Youve got to spread this out.

The $2 million for extra police patrols through Sherman Heights is part of a department-wide overtime estimate of $33.9 million, according to the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst. Thats $9.3 million more than was set aside for San Diego Police Department overtime all year.

The spending projection will be included in a mid-year budget review subject to council approval in 2019.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Throughout his long and eventful life, Don Breitenberg was a man of action.

He joined the Army in 1942 while he was still a teenager. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Invasion of Normandy. He rowed with the University of Washington crew team. He was a nature-lover, a cancer-survivor and the maker of a mean martini.

And along with his wife, local cookbook author Jeanne Jones, Breitenberg was also a passionate patron of the arts, particularly the La Jolla Playhouse and the Timken Museum of Art. The couple attended many galas and charity events, where the tall, gregarious Breitenberg was an unfailing source of conversation and conviviality.

But when his son Mark thinks about his father, what he remembers most is the simple philosophy that fueled his fathers rich life.

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One thing he said to me all the time was, Never give up. That he lived to be 93, beat cancer (in his 50s) and survived the war is a testament to that belief. He instilled it in all of us, even as he got to know his grandchildren and great grandchildren. That was an abiding belief, and he embodied it.

Donald Francis Breitenberg died on Nov. 24 at the Oakmont of Pacific Beach retirement community due to cardiac arrest. He was 93.

Born on March 1, 1925, in Chicago, Breitenberg most likely inherited his lust for life from his mother. Victoria Kelly Breitenberg was an orphan who married Harry Breitenberg while she was still a young woman. Harry died when Don was 11 and his brother, Harry, was 9. After raising the boys on her own, Victoria went on to live a highly social, active life in Manhattan.

When Don Breitenberg decided to join the Army in March of 1942, he was 17 years old. Two years later, he was parachuting into France in the days leading up to D-Day. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and helped to liberate a German concentration camp.

He was wounded twice during his two years of service and was subsequently awarded two Purple Hearts, the World War II Victory Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Battle Stars.

In April of 2015, Breitenberg was one of 14 San Diego World War II veterans who were bestowed the Legion of Honor medal, an award from France honoring American soldiers who helped liberate that country. Later that year, he received his Bronze Star medal during a ceremony in U.S. Rep Scott Peters office.

On rare occasions, he would talk about the horror of (the war). He said that was something he would never forget, said Jeanne Jones, who met Breitenberg through a mutual friend in the early 1990s. The couple married in 1992. Breitenbergs first wife, Brita Mae Almquist, died in 1986.

He was very patriotic. When he was fighting for freedom, he was injured seriously twice, so he really didnt like people who ran down this country. Or should I say, he didnt like their behavior. He didnt take kindly to people laughing at American freedom.

Like many of his luckier fellow servicemen, Breitenberg returned home, went to college, met and married a loving, supportive woman and started a family. He didnt spend much time talking about his time in the military, but those two years shaped the man he would be for the rest of his life.

After the war, Breitenberg went to the University of Washington, where he rowed on the crew team and graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration. He and Brita Mae  his college sweetheart  raised their five children in California and Pennsylvania. Breitenberg was a salesman for the American Can Company in San Francisco. He later moved to La Jolla and founded the Edgewood Company, a professional services firm.

They were an outdoorsy family who loved camping up and down the West Coast. Breitenberg was the scoutmaster of his sons Boy Scout troop and a reliable source of campfire stories. He could talk to anybody, from a business associate to one of his blue-collar friends to the cashier at the grocery store, and everybody wanted to talk to him.

He just had this big, charismatic, wide-open personality, Mark said. He was the kind of dad you were immensely proud of.

It was that wide-open personality that had Jones sold on Breitenberg before the end of their first date. He was tall and good looking, but even more importantly, he was funny. After their marriage, Breitenberg embraced Jones love of the arts and philanthropy with an enthusiasm that never quit.

There are a lot of friends of mine who would say, I cant get my husband to do this or that, but Don loved parties, Jones said. I think that was one of the mutual attractions for us. We both just like people and having a good time with them. We like entertaining, being entertained and being involved.

Whether they were co-chairing a USO Stars and Stripes gala, attending the opening of almost every La Jolla Playhouse play, providing support for the Timken Museum (one of Breitenbergs favorite arts institutions) or attending fundraising events for a host of other local nonprofit organizations, Jones and Breitenberg were engaged and engaging. A power couple who used their powers for the good of others.

Their marriage was really inspirational, said Debby Buchholz, managing director for the La Jolla Playhouse. They were so supportive of each other. That was something you could really see when they were together. The devotion to his marriage, his service in the military and his modesty were something I really valued about him.

On the nights when he and Jones werent attending a gala or other charity event, Breitenberg enjoyed having friends over for dinner, conversation and one (or more) of his trademark 007 Martinis, which  like James Bond himself  packed a serious punch.

He also loved retreating to the couples outdoor chiminea fireplace, where Breitenberg could sit by the swimming pool, stare at the stars and enjoy the life he felt so lucky to be living.

One of the last things he said to me was, Ken, Im going to be sitting up on that cloud and Im going to watch everything youre doing. So you have a good time, said longtime friend Ken Unruh. He was just a great man. He lived like he wanted to, and I have a lot of respect for him. I know I will miss him. I already miss him.

In addition to Jeanne Jones, Breitenberg is survived by five children, two stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held in early 2019. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the La Jolla Playhouse or the Timken Museum.

Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.com
Set Flynn free to expose Mueller probe

I hope U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan throws the Michael Flynn charge out of court and accuses Robert Mueller and all with the so-called special counsel of entrapment. What a farce.

I also hope the judge has the power to provide Flynn with a few million dollars of compensation from the government. I believe Mueller will regret charging Flynn as it will open the door against him. The special counsel just got over-cocky. This whole investigation is turning into a crock and anybody with a brain knows it.

Also, how do they get away with putting people in solitary confinement? Thats like torture and in the end I hope they all get sued for it.

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Edward Monroe

Temecula

Flynn is a disgrace to his uniform, nation

Donald Trump continues to support Michael Flynn  who lied to the FBI and who is now cooperating with the Mueller investigation.

This supposed man of honor and integrity, who led the cheers at the Republican National Convention to lock her up, referring to Hillary Clinton, over her life-threatening, treasonous misconduct of using her personal computer for government purposes, like Trumps daughter, Ivanka, did. He disgraced his uniform and his country.

May he live in ignominy and disgrace, and may his name be erased from the long gray line. If this is an example of military honor and integrity, we are all in danger.

G.D. Morrill

Escondido

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Press Release

December 23, 2018 House approval of draft charter Arroyo's early Christmas gift to Duterte - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has lashed out at House leadership's apparent haste in approving a resolution endorsing the shift from a unitary to a federal government and the removal of term limits of elected officials. De Lima said the House approval of Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 (RHB15) is an early Christmas present of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her allies to Mr. Duterte who has since worked on entrenching himself in power. She maintained that Arroyo railroaded the passage of the RBH15, which passed through plenary debates in only three session days, to serve the political interests of Mr. Duterte and his allies, including Arroyo. "RBH 15 is the latest gift from Mrs. Arroyo and her allies to Duterte who has repeatedly displayed his penchant for quick-fixes to the country's problems," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 437. "Duterte's push for Charter Change is meant to protect his and his minions' political interests and cover up their inability to lead and govern our people," she added. Penned by Arroyo and filed along with 35 other lawmakers, RBH15, which proposes revisions in the 1987 Constitution, was approved by the House of Representatives before Congress went on recess last Dec. 11. The measure has been drawing criticisms for its suspicious provisions, including the lifting of the two-term limit for senators and the three-term limit for district and party-list representative and the lack of an anti-political dynasty provision. The former justice secretary referred to the railroading of the House passage of RBH15 is as "scandalous, outrageous and unprecedented" as the discovery of multi-billion "pork insertions" for lawmakers in the 2019 proposed national budget. "Obviously, the House leadership's railroading of the passage of RBH15 is a typical trademark of CGMA who, like the proverbial thief in the night, was proclaimed the winner in the 2004 presidential election," said De Lima. The lady Senator from Bicol reminded the members of the House that it is their duty and obligation to require a "comprehensive and open debate" on the proposed amendments to the Constitution instead of focusing on their greediness. "The Filipino people have the right to a full and fair deliberation, given the wide-ranging implications of the proposed revisions on all our lives, and those of our children and even our children's children," she said. De Lima urged the proponents of Charter change to stop misleading the Filipino people that the present Constitution is to be blamed for the problems facing our nation and that revising it is the only way to get us out of poverty. "We must insist from our 'honorable' congressmen to answer the lingering question: How does revising our Constitution get the lives of ordinary Filipinos better?," she said. While Charter Change has slim chances of securing the Senate's nod, De Lima said that even if HBR15 gets its way in the Senate, she has faith that the Filipino people will stand up to defend the present Constitution.
Press Release

December 23, 2018 Lacson Pushes Stricter Gun Control vs Brazen Murders; Sets Senate Probe More at: https://pinglacson.net/2018/12/23/lacson-pushes-stricter-gun-control-vs-brazen-murders-sets-senate-probe In the wake of recent murders committed with impunity, the Philippine National Police should lose no time in imposing stricter gun control measures, including the suspension of Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residences (PTCFORs). Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed this following the killing of Ako Bicol party list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and former Kadingilan, Bukidnon Mayor Joelito Talaid within hours of each other on Saturday. Lacson, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, also intends to call for a public hearing in January on recent killings, including those of prominent personalities, in recent months. "At the rate murder is being committed with impunity, it's time for the PNP to impose stricter gun control measures. For a start, try suspending all PTCFOR's. Anybody in civvies carrying firearms must be assumed to have criminal intent and apprehended on the spot," said Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001. He added such a policy should also include PNP officers who are not in police uniform. "Anybody, including PNP officers not in police uniform must be assumed to have criminal intent and apprehended on the spot. It's time the public developed a different mindset and assumption on people seen carrying firearms," he said on his Twitter account. Lacson noted the gunning down of Rep. Batocabe was the first killing of an incumbent or sitting lawmaker in recent memory. "This all the more needs urgent or even 'unpopular' measures by authorities, including very strict gun control measures," he said. Earlier reports indicated Batocabe and his security escort SPO1 Rolando Diaz were gunned down after attending a gift-giving for senior and PWD citizens in Daraga town in Albay province. Batocabe is running for mayor of Daraga in the 2019 elections. On Saturday morning, former Kadingilan, Bukidnon Mayor Joelito "Jukens" Talaid was gunned down by motorcycle-riding killers in Cagayan de Oro City. As early as July, Lacson said the PNP should consider stricter firearms control strategies following the killing of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili last July 2, "before similar killings could reach ubiquitous levels." Lacson has sought to deter civilians from carrying firearms outside their homes, saying only police and military personnel in uniform and on duty should be allowed to do so. He added that while civilians may be allowed to possess firearms, the firearms should be kept in a vault inside the owners' homes when left unattended. "Firearms are for self-defense and protection of properties from intruders, and not for offensive action by the possessor," he said. He also stressed the need to reverse the perception that anyone with a firearm tucked in his waist must be a law enforcement officer. Instead, he said anyone with a firearm tucked in his waist would be presumed as a "bad element without doubt and therefore must be reported to the authorities." When he was Chief, PNP, Lacson did not automatically renew expired PTCFORs but instead imposed very stringent requirements, with the objective of not issuing any PTCFOR at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, Lacson plans to hold a public hearing on recent killings with impunity, in January 2019. Many of the cases involved prominent personalities aside from Batocabe, Talaid and Halili. They included: * General Tinio (Nueva Ecija) Mayor Ferdinand Bote, who was shot dead inside his vehicle in an ambush (July 3) * Radio anchor Joey Llana, gunned down by men with automatic firearms in Daraga, Albay, while on his way to work (July 20) * Lawyer Rafael Atotubo, 62, gunned down in Bacolod City by motorcycle-riding assailants (Aug. 24) * Former barangay councilor Pepe Baccay, gunned down in Tumauini town in Isabela province (Aug. 25) * Ricardo Aparicio, husband of Clarin (Bohol) Vice Mayor Velden Aparicio (Sept. 2) * Ronda (Cebu) Mayor Mariano Blanco III, killed gangland-style by armed men who barged into his office while he was sleeping there (Sept. 5) * Sudipen, La Union Mayor Alexander Buquing, gunned down in Bangar town by assailants riding a pickup truck (Oct. 1) * Human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos Jr., 56, a founding member of the National Union of People's Lawyers, shot dead in front of a convenience store in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental (Nov. 6) * Balaoan (La Union) vice mayor Alfred Concepcion died along with aide Michael Ulep, in an ambush (Nov. 14). His daughter, Balaoan Mayor Aleli Concepcion, survived the ambush. * former Bayambang, Pangasinan Councilor Levin Uy, who was shot dead while jogging (Nov. 16). * Businessman Dominic Sytin, gunned down outside a hotel in Subic Bay Freeport (Nov. 28) * Richard Santillan, former aide of former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong, who was gunned down in an alleged shootout (Dec. 10). Police said he was killed in a shootout in Cainta but the Public Attorney's Office claimed he was tortured before being killed. * Senior Inspector Porferio Gabuya Jr., gunned down by motorcycle-riding assailants in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental (Dec. 19). Gabuya was deputy chief of police for operations of the Guihulngan City police. On Dec. 21, an ambush in Talisay City in Negros Occidental left lawyer Erfe del Castillo wounded and her companion-driver, former policeman Efren Palmares, dead. "When persons in authority are now being killed in a brazen manner - in broad daylight and in full public view - that is cause for concern. If these personalities who have security detail are not safe, what more the ordinary Filipino?" Lacson said. He said that while the PNP deserves at least the benefit of the doubt for now, trust cannot be one-way and the PNP must exert efforts to earn the public's trust.
Press Release

December 23, 2018 POE: STRENGTHEN ANTI-BULLYING LAW Sen. Grace Poe said the bullying incident involving high school students has prompted the need to revisit the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to fill in some gaps as to the role of the schools in dealing with actual cases. "Anyone who has seen the video of the violent bullying incident would understand that bullying is a despicable act that insults our humanity," she said. "There is an Anti-Bullying law in place. However, we believe it should be strengthened to require concrete and timely action from schools," Poe, vice-chairperson of the Senate committee on public order, added. The unfortunate incident should serve as a wake-up call for legislators to examine the law and plug the gaps to make it truly responsive to the problem of bullying. Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, signed by then President Benigno Aquino III, mandates all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in their institutions. The law defines bullying as "any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property. Poe stressed that the current law gives the school administrators too much discretion on when to act on the bullying case. "It leaves it up to them to determine whether appropriate action can be taken," she explained. Under the law's "Mechanisms to Address Bullying," it states that: "If it is determined that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall: (a) Notify the law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against the perpetrator; (b) Take appropriate disciplinary administrative action; (c) Notify the parents or guardians of the perpetrator; and (d) Notify the parents or guardians of the victim regarding the action taken to prevent any further acts of bullying or retaliation." "This is why in the current case, even with the numerous videos that have come out, police are saying that they have to wait for Ateneo to notify them and seek their help," Poe said. "And, this is why the school administration is saying that it still has to determine if bullying has taken place," she added. The senator said that one possible amendment to the law would require removing the section that gives total discretion to the school. Poe noted the need for timely response to incidents of bullying. "For example, anti-bullying committees should be formed, which shall act upon reports of bullying within thirty (30) days after the incident," she said, adding that a delayed reaction would be detrimental, as it allows the perpetrator to repeat the bullying act. The members of the proposed body or committee that would look into the incident should not be related in any way to the parties involved, Poe said. Furthermore, the alleged perpetrator must be required to take a leave of absence until the investigation is completed, she said. Poe said she would soon file a resolution to hear out concerned stakeholders in a bid to review and amend the law.
New Delhi: The GST Council on Saturday gave its approval to creation of a Centralised Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAAR) by amending the GST Act.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the GST Council in its 31st meeting held here gave in-principle approval to the creation of AAAR to deal with the cases of conflicting decisions by two or more State Appellate Advance Ruling Authorities on the same issue.
The chief of the Geological Agency, Rudy Suhendar, told VOA's Indonesian Service that it was still investigating what caused the tsunami.

"The cause of the tsunami was due to a combination of undersea landslides after the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa and the tidal wave caused by the full moon," according to BMKG. However, the Indonesian Geological Agency said that they can't confirm if the tsunami was triggered by the eruption of Krakatoa, since that mountain has been erupting since last June  with even greater strength  and never caused a tsunami.

Casualties are expected to rise. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported an eruption of the Krakatoa volcano about 9 p.m. Saturday local time, and the tsunami struck a short time later, about 9:30 p.m.

A tsunami that struck late Saturday has killed over two hundred people along Indonesia's Sunda Straits. "Two hundred twenty two people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Indonesia's national disaster agency spokesman.

The casualties occurred in three regions -- South Lampung in Sumatra and the Serang and Pandeglang regions of Java, west of the capital Jakarta -- along the Sunda Straits, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), said in a statement.

Hundreds of homes, nine hotels and more than 350 boats were damaged, BNBP said Sunday, along with dozens of cars and other vehicles.

Jakarta resident Suhada was fishing on Carita Beach and visiting his family for the weekend when he ran from what he described as three waves between 10 and 11pm Saturday night. Suhada was able to flee to higher ground with his family. "Thank God I could save my family," he told VOA's Indonesian service.

Disaster agency head Endan Permana told local media that many people were missing in tourist locale Tanjung Lesung, Banten province, near Jakarta.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered government agencies to respond quickly to the disaster. "The Ministry for Social Affairs and the chief of the military are already on the ground," he said.

The Red Cross said Banten is one of the "worst affected areas." The aid organization, however, said it was able to dispatch "relief goods" from its Banten warehouse, including water, tarpaulins, cleaning equipment, plus family and hygiene kits.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted about the "unthinkable devastation" caused by the tsunami, adding that "We are praying for recovery and healing. America is with you!"

On Sept. 28, a quake and tsunami that hit near the city of Palu, on the island of Sulawesi, killed more than 2,500 and displaced about 70,000. On Dec. 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.


Kids in Iraq camps dream big, but can't enroll in school



Hammam al-Alil 2 Displacement Camp, Iraq, Dec 23 (AFP) Dec 23, 2018



Maareb has big dreams, but she may never get to realise them. Every day, when her friends attend class in the Iraqi displacement camp they call home, she stays behind.

The makeshift primary school in the dusty Hammam al-Alil 2 camp in Iraq's north opened earlier this year, but several thousand displaced children are unable to access it.

For Maareb, the problem is paperwork.

"I want to go to school with my friends, but I'm not allowed because I don't have an ID," says the seven-year-old, her plaited hair dangling down her back.

"I want to finish my studies to become a doctor."

Maareb and her family fled to Hammam al-Alil 2 a few years ago from Zammar, around 90 kilometres (60 miles) west, as the Islamic State group overran the region.

At the time, Maareb had proof of birth provided by a hospital, but no government-issued identification. In the violent chaos of IS's reign, her father could not acquire the necessary papers to secure her a spot in a classroom.

"Because of our displacement, I was never able to get an ID card for Maareb, so she doesn't have any paperwork now besides a birth certificate," says her father, Ibrahim Helo.

Hammam al-Alil 2 lies in an arid plain just 30 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of Mosul, the historic Iraqi city that became infamous as IS's de facto capital in the country.

Iraqi security forces retook Mosul last summer, but with no homes to return to, thousands stayed in camps.

Over 1.9 million people remain displaced in Iraq, more than half of them children.



- Starved of schooling -



Over the years, Hammam al-Alil 2 became a bustling settlement: rows of tents with water and electricity access, plus storefronts, playgrounds, and a health centre.

But aid groups only established a primary school this year, with five teachers instructing 2,500 kids up to age 10.

That leaves around 5,000 camp children with no schooling, says school principal Ibrahim Khodr, 55.

"There are many reasons kids can't attend school," Khodr says.

"No documentation due to displacement, no encouragement by parents to finish schooling, tough financial situations, and the fact that families -- especially those without breadwinners -- send their children to work."

Khodr says education authorities in Nineveh province have pledged to establish a school for older kids.

"We can't keep teaching in these circumstances. The Nineveh education directorate and the ministry of education must act to alleviate this suffering."

Human Rights Watch researcher Belkis Wille told AFP Iraq's policy of barring school access for undocumented children was "shocking".

"Iraq should be engaging in every effort to reintegrate the hundreds of thousands of families who lived under IS for three years," she said.

"A key way of ensuring they are brought back into the fold is through putting their children back into Iraqi schools as quickly as possible."

But even with the right paperwork, school remains too expensive for some families. Abdulkhaliq Julud, 37, cannot afford to educate his five children.

"Our difficult financial situation means I can't buy what they need for school: clothes, backpacks, notebooks," says Julud.

"I'm unemployed and we don't have savings. We live off whatever food aid we get in the camp."

Iraqi students from poorer backgrounds are much less likely to attend or finish school than wealthier classmates, the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) says.

Nineveh in particular has one of the lowest completion rates for primary or secondary schools.



- No desks, chairs -



According to UNICEF, 80 percent of Iraqi children have been violently disciplined in their lifetimes.

Across the country, 3 million children don't have regular access to education. Half of public schools must be repaired and another 7,500 built to accommodate out-of-school kids.

In Nineveh, the education directorate has deployed caravan schools to maximise class time, but is facing its own shortages, too.

"The directorate is operating with just half its staff, after many were displaced to the Kurdish region or Baghdad and others retired," says associate head Khaled Jumaa.

The scars from the recent conflict go beyond depleted teaching cadres: in November, unexploded ordnance killed three children in their school bus outside Mosul.

In Hammam al-Alil 2, children -- some barefoot -- shuffle to ten tents that make up their school. During storms, the torn tarps leak water onto the kids.

There are no desks or chairs. Students are crammed shoulder-to-shoulder on the ground, girls on one side and boys on the other.

Their instructor paces down the aisle in between, trying to explain Iraqi geography without a chalkboard or map.

"Our main river is the Tigris," he says, helplessly gesturing as confused students looked on, their heads in their hands.
Trump says discussed 'highly coordinated' Syria pullout with Erdogan



Washington, Dec 23 (AFP) Dec 23, 2018



Donald Trump said Sunday he had discussed Syria and "the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area" in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The US president tweeted that the two leaders had "a long and productive call," and also discussed the Islamic State group (IS) and "heavily expanded trade."

Trump shocked US allies on Friday when he announced plans to pull the 2,000 US troops out of Syria, where they have been helping coordinate a multinational fight against IS. But the move was lauded by Turkey.

The decision followed an earlier Trump phone call with Erdogan, who has been pressing for a US withdrawal.

An American pullout would allow Turkish troops to move against the hardened Kurdish fighters in Syria deemed terrorists by the Ankara regime -- but who have strongly supported US efforts there.

A US withdrawal, said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, "will open way for Turkey to start its operations against the Kurds, and a bloody war will begin."

Trump's sudden decision sparked turmoil in his administration, prompting the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, as well as of Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-IS coalition.

Several US politicians of both parties rejected Trump's claim that the jihadist forces of IS had been defeated, and many in the US military expressed alarm and dismay at the thought of suddenly abandoning their Kurdish allies.

bbk/mdo
Trump to replace defense head Mattis Jan 1 with deputy Shanahan



Washington, Dec 23 (AFP) Dec 23, 2018



Donald Trump on Sunday announced he would replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis with his deputy Patrick Shanahan, days after the outgoing Pentagon chief quit while citing key policy differences with the US president, notably on Syria.

"I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," the Republican leader tweeted, accelerating Mattis' planned departure by two months.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"

Mattis, 68, had said he would leave at the end of February to allow a smooth transition for the next chief of the world's top military power -- but Trump sped the process amid reports that he was upset over media coverage of the stinging resignation letter submitted by Mattis.

The announcement that Mattis would leave the administration came just after Trump stunned Washington and allies abroad in declaring that US troops would leave Syria and significantly withdraw from Afghanistan.

Mattis and others had strongly counseled the often impulsive president against those moves -- and the decorated retired general did little to hide his disagreement with Trump.

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," Mattis said in the letter, "I believe it is right for me to step down from my position."

"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.

Shanahan spent over three decades working for aircraft giant Boeing, including as vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, before moving to the Pentagon as deputy in 2017.
Trump, Erdogan vow to avoid Syria power vacuum after US forces leave



Washington, Dec 23 (AFP) Dec 23, 2018



Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Sunday to prevent a power vacuum in Syria after US ground forces withdraw, in a phone conversation days after the US president shocked global partners by announcing Americans would leave the war-scarred country.

Turkey was a rare ally that lauded Trump's momentous decision to pull the 2,000 US troops out of Syria, where they have been helping assisting in a multinational fight against IS.

"The two leaders agreed to ensure coordination between their countries' military, diplomatic and other officials to avoid a power vacuum which could result following any abuse of the withdrawal and transition phase in Syria," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Hours earlier Trump had tweeted that he and Erdogan "discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area."

Erdogan tweeted shortly thereafter, saying the two leaders "agreed to increase coordination on many issues including trade relations and the developments in Syria," dubbing the call "productive."

US troops will leave under the auspices of a new Pentagon chief set to start next month, after Jim Mattis resigned from the post citing key differences, including on Syria, with the often-impulsive Trump.

An American exit would allow Turkish troops to move against Kurdish fighters in Syria who have played a key role in the war against IS but are deemed terrorists by Ankara.

Many US politicians and international allies fear the withdrawal is premature and would further destabilize the already devastated region.

A US withdrawal, said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, will open the way "for Turkey to start its operations against the Kurds, and a bloody war will begin."

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said he "deeply regretted" Trump's decision, and that "an ally must be reliable."

Several US politicians from both parties rejected Trump's claim that IS had been defeated, and many in the US military expressed alarm and dismay at the thought of suddenly abandoning Washington's Kurdish partners.

And Trump's sudden decision sparked turmoil within his administration, prompting the resignation of Mattis as well as of Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-IS coalition.



- New Pentagon chief -



Plans for the troop withdrawal will now be overseen by Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who Trump on Sunday said would replace Mattis starting January 1.

Mattis, 68, had said he would leave at the end of February to allow a smooth transition for the next chief of the world's top military power -- but a reportedly angry Trump accelerated his departure by two months.

Defense spokeswoman Dana White tweeted that Mattis would still assist in the handover, working with Shanahan to ensure the department "remains focused on the defense of our nation during this transition."

According to US media, the Republican leader voiced resentment over news coverage of Mattis' stinging resignation letter that laid bare his fundamental disagreements with the president.

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," Mattis said in the letter, "I believe it is right for me to step down from my position."

"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," wrote Mattis, a decorated former general.

Days later, special envoy McGurk made a similar move, saying he could not support Trump's Syria decision that he said "left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered."

Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has never served in the military and has spent most of his career in the private sector.

He spent over three decades working for aircraft giant Boeing, including as vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, before moving to the Pentagon as deputy in 2017.

Until Trump finds a permanent defense leader, Shanahan will lead plans for US troops to leave Syria along with a significant drawdown in Afghanistan, both of which critics worry will leave war-torn regions at risk of continued and potentially heightened bloodshed.

Mick Mulvaney, who will soon leave his post as White House budget director to serve as Trump's chief of staff, told ABC on Sunday Trump will not change his mind about the withdrawal, despite this week's protest resignations.

"I think the president has told people from the very beginning that he doesn't want us to stay in Syria forever. You're seeing the end result now of two years' worth of work."
The U.S. government is partially closed until at least Thursday, and possibly for days or even weeks beyond, as President Donald Trump holds firm in demanding funds for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and Democrats remain resolutely opposed.

"The only way to stop drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into our Country is with a Wall or Barrier," Trump tweeted on Sunday.

"At midnight, President Trump decided to shut down the government over his demand for a medieval border wall," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, tweeted. "This is senseless and cruel."

This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Congress and the White House have been unable to agree on how much money the federal government should spend and for which objectives, failing to meet a funding deadline that causes non-essential services and operations to be halted.

Last Wednesday, a shutdown seemed unlikely as the Republican-led Senate unanimously passed a temporary funding bill. The White House originally signaled support for the bill, which boosted overall border security funding but did not set aside funds for a wall. But Trump ultimately rejected it, demanding $5.7 billion for wall construction.

"Our great country must have border security with a wall or a slat-fence or whatever you want to call it," the president said in a video message Friday.

The Republican-led House of Representatives has approved a spending bill with wall funding, but the measure does not have enough votes to pass the Senate, where Democrats have lined up in fierce opposition.

"It will never pass the Senate. Not today, not next week, not next year," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said. "So Mr. President, President Trump: If you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall. Plain and simple."
India has amended its cross-border power trading regulations, paving the way for Nepali power producers to export electricity to third countries such as Bangladesh.

Before the amendment, only state-run companies of the two countries or companies with at least 51 per cent Indian shareholders could sell power to India or any other country using Indian powerlines. The older provision discouraged foreign investors and private Nepali power developers from exporting to India.

However, the new amendment makes it easier for hydro powers owned by Nepali private sector or China-backed companies to export electricity to neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh. But participating entities will have to sign a transmission agreement with the Central Transmission Utility of India to trade electricity using Indian power lines.

The recently-issued Guidelines on Cross-Border Trade Import/Export of Electricity states that after tripartite agreements (in the case of Nepal, between Dhaka, New Delhi and Kathmandu) cross-border trade of electricity across India will be allowed under the overall framework of bilateral agreements signed between the Government of India and the government of respective neighbouring countries of the participating entities.

While issuing guidelines on cross-border electricity trade for the first time in 2017, the Indian Power Ministry had failed to recognise a possible trilateral arrangement between countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh, who have been intensifying power-trading talks in the last few months.

This comes as good news for foreign investors who refrained from investing in hydropower in Nepal after Indias reluctance to import electricity produced by non-Indian entities. Energy Ministry officials have also welcomed the latest guidelines, saying it is more dynamic and that it has opened a path for the development of the hydropower sector in Nepal.
Fashion can play a big role in travel, from affecting our mood and confidence to transforming our style. Now, a study carried out by Booking.com has revealed how inseparable travel and fashion really are, demonstrating how important it is for travellers to look stylish and fashionable while on holiday.

According to the study, 48% of 21,500 worldwide travellers interviewed admit that looking their best while on a holiday is a must. Interestingly, even though over half of global travellers pay attention to their looks every day, two out of five people do so even more so while on holiday.

Image credit: Godisable Jacob on Pexels

In fact, one in five travellers are so worried about their appearance that they would rather spend their money on new clothes than on activities during their trip.

The research also shows how our style choices affect how we feel while on holiday. Half of the UK travellers interviewed express that a great holiday wardrobe is the secret to boosting confidence during the trip, second only to being surrounded by friends and family.

Holidays are a time when we can break up with our routines and really immerse ourselves in a different culture and environment, enabling travellers to find new sources of inspiration for their style.

According to the study, aspects of travel that inspire people to change their style are the local culture (47%), what local people wear (43%), the colours they see (40%) and even the landscape (32%).

Top fashion designer Christian Cowan says that, inevitably, what we see around us during a holiday can really transform what we wear at home.

We get used to dressing a certain way back home but when we travel, our minds expand and we become open to new possibilities with style, fabric and colour, he says.

Moreover, the data uncovers that travellers are more prone to stray from their comfort zone by trying out new outfits that they would never wear at home, such as more daring or bright-coloured items.

A vacation is a time to get experimental with your style, the environment often allows you to be bold and adventurous with prints, textures and accessories, Crowan says.

When it comes to vacation style I have one piece of advice: go big or go home!

Booking.com conducted research among 21,500 respondents in 29 markets globally (Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, India, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Thailand, Russia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Colombia, Israel, South Korea). The fieldwork was carried out from 18th June  16th July 2018.


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Nearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their country after Turkey\s two cross-border operations in northern Syria, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying on Saturday.

Turkey has carried out two operations, dubbed "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch", against Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State 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 Islamic State 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 migrants from the Middle East and Africa taking the sea route to European Union territory in 2015.

The influx of 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 Washington\s decision to withdraw its troops in the area.

SOURCE. 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.

 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.

SOURCE: AFP
Thousands of people have rallied in Serbia, the latest protest accusing populist President Aleksandar Vucic of stifling hard-won democratic freedoms and cracking down on opponents.

The anti-government crowd poured Saturday into central Belgrade, blowing whistles and waving banners. Similar marches also were held the past two weekends in the biggest expression recently of discontent with Vucic\s rule.

The street demonstrations erupted after thugs beat up an opposition politician last month  an attack that reminded many of times in the 1990s under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic, which were marked by brutal attacks against political opponents.

Critics say Vucic\s government has fostered hate speech targeting opponents and imposed controls over the media.

Vucic, a former extreme nationalist who now says he will lead Serbia into European Union, has denied the allegations.

SOURCE: AFP
By Trend





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 final round of the youth music contest Star of the Year 2018 finished in Ashgabat. More than two hundred contestants performed in qualifications of the main music contest of the year among young musicians. In the course of qualifications, the shortlist of contenders was gradually narrowed down to the most promising novice artists. The best of them were given an opportunity to present their skills on national television for millions of viewers.

Following the results of TV audience voting, the group of final round performers consisted of Leili Okdirova, Aly Alyev, Bayramhan Saparov, Jeren Halnazarova, Begench Charyev, Shamurad Khodzhagulyev, Amansoltan Gulmuradova, Rakhman Khudaiberdyev, Myakhri Pirgulyeva and Sohbet Kasymov.

In the final round, the well-known masters of arts of Turkmenistan joined the audience voting. In the end, following the count of votes, Myakhri Pirgulyeva was declared the winner of the contest and awarded a cherished golden statuette.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021




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 eight.

(Dec. 23, 2018) -- The San Antonio Zoos three elephants will soon get their trunks on some cool new tools. Freshmen in the UTSA Honors College proposed more than a dozen enrichment devices to the zoo in Fall 2017, and the zoo selected three of those designs to be developed and installed this semester.

UTSA students enrolled in the Honors Colleges product launch course taught by Gold Hood, assistant research professor working with the UTSA Honors College and College of Engineering, participated in the project. To approach the challenge, they researched how elephants behave, interact, learn and stay active.

The students first interactive enrichment device is called the BABE. The concrete tree is designed to shower the elephants as they hit the device with their trunks. They designed the tree, which will also spray zoo visitors with water, to look similar to those found in an elephants natural habitat.

Elephants are extremely intelligent so we had to design hidden compartments and secret buttons to aid in the enrichment process, said Hood.

The second device, called a Foobil, is a modular, spinning mobile. The elephants will hit the modules to access hidden food.

Elephants will use their trunks to pull tires up and down the third enrichment device, called the Tire Tower. Designed like the classic childrens ring tower, it will allow the elephants to access food hidden inside the tires.

It feels great to be able to design something that hopefully helps these animals learn and live great lives, said Katherine Wofford, a freshman Honors College student. Im very excited to see how the elephants interact with the enrichment devices we created.

Once the enrichment devices are installed in the zoos elephant habitat, the UTSA students will study the impact of the devices and how the elephants interact with them. They will also collect data to measure how effective the exhibit additions are and how they affect zoo visitors.

Experiential learning opportunities allow students to work on real-world projects to supplement their classroom learning. UTSA Honors College Dean Sean Kelly says the UTSA undergraduates who participated in the zoo project enjoyed seeing their blueprints come to life and helping with the construction and installation of the three enrichment devices.

We want to provide experiential learning opportunities to our students, like this collaborative project with the San Antonio Zoo, so they learn the importance of showcasing their talents to solve challenges in our community, said Kelly.

The UTSA Honors College enriches the lives of talented students through a rigorous academic curriculum and opportunities to participate in research and service-based learning. It also provides students with the chance to learn from and network with leaders in San Antonios culturally rich and innovative environment.

UTSA is ranked among the top four universities in the nation under 50 years old, according to Times Higher Education.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Dec. 22, 2018 | LIVINGSTON COUNTY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 22, 2018 | 08:58 AM | LIVINGSTON COUNTY

Three people are dead and a man is in police custody, after a triple-shooting Friday night in Livingston County.



According to Kentucky State Police, troopers responded shortly after 8 p.m. to a report of a shooting at a home on Stringtown Road. Troopers arrived at the home to find 38-year-old January Stone of Grand Rivers, 28-year-old Robert Belt, Jr. of Burna, and 49-year-old Johnny Mallory of Paducah inside with gunshot wounds. All three reportedly died at the scene.



Troopers later arrested 29-year-old Jackie Clint Doom and charged him with three counts of murder after questioning him.



Autopsies on Stone, Belt and Mallory were completed Sunday morning at the State Medical Examiners Office in Louisville, and confirmed that all died from multiple gunshots wounds to body. Doom, remains in custody at the McCracken County Regional Jail on a $3 million dollar bond.



His next court appearance will be a probable cause hearing in Livingston County District Court. The hearing will determine if there is probable cause for the case to be bound to the circuit court in Livingston County.



Detectives have started the process of examining evidence recovered from the scene and from the autopsies. As the investigation continues, investigators hope to piece together the chain of events that led up the shootings which occurred Friday night.



Anyone with information which they feel could be beneficial to the investigation are urged to contact the Kentucky State Police at 270-856-3721.



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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Dec. 22, 2018 | LOUISVILLE

By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 22, 2018 | 10:27 AM | LOUISVILLE

Allison Ball filed her papers this week to seek a second term as Kentucky State Treasurer. Significantly, Treasurer Ball was joined by Kelley Paul, wife of Senator Rand Paul, and her family, husband Asa James Swan and son, Levi Swan.



It was an honor to have Kelley Paul sign my filing papers, along with my husband, Asa. Kelley is a strong female leader and a great example to women across Kentucky. It means a lot to me, as a young mother, to have Kelley Paul, a woman who is making a difference while being a successful wife and mother, sign my papers. It is also important to me to have my biggest supporter, my husband, Asa, as the other signatory, Treasurer Ball said. As I gear up for reelection it means a great deal to me to have the encouragement of both my family and such a strong female figure in Kentucky.



Treasurer Balls first three years in office have been marked by across-the-board success, including revitalization of Treasury processes and the implementation of new programs to benefit Kentuckians at no additional cost to taxpayers.



I have enjoyed serving the people of Kentucky as Treasurer these past three years, Treasurer Ball said. I want to continue working to improve the Kentucky State Treasury and the Commonwealth in a second term.



As a candidate for Treasurer in 2015, Ball emphasized the importance of government transparency. In 2016, she launched a new transparency website, www.transparency.ky.gov, at no additional cost to taxpayers. The website makes the spending, salaries, contracts, and property of Kentuckys executive and judicial branches easily accessible to Kentuckians. Her work to improve transparency led to Kentucky jumping 14 ranks in the U.S. PIRG national transparency ranking, moving the Commonwealths transparency efforts from middle-of-the-road among states to within the top-ten nationally.



A strong advocate for improved financial literacy in Kentucky, Ball has also led the states financial literacy efforts. This includes her outspoken support of HB 132 in 2018 (which made a financial literacy course or program a graduation requirement for high school students) to the launch of Kentuckys Financial Empowerment Database, a first-of-its-kind resource in Kentucky that made over 100 financial literacy resources easily accessible for educators implementing HB 132s requirements and other Kentuckians looking to improve financial literacy.



As Treasurer, she has also revitalized Kentuckys unclaimed property laws and returned more unclaimed property than any state treasurer in a three-year period in Kentucky history. At present, she has returned more than $70 million.



Treasurer Ball also launched STABLE Kentucky, a savings and investment program for Kentuckians with disabilities, at no additional cost to Kentucky taxpayers. The program gives Kentuckians with disabilities the opportunity to build wealth by providing new saving and investment opportunities.



In 2015, Allison Ball received the most votes of any statewide candidate, gaining over 60.5% of votes cast in the Treasurers race, beating her opponent by roughly 200,000 votes and winning over 100 counties. Upon her swearing-in in January 2016, she became the youngest female statewide elected official then serving in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-22 05:06:32|Editor: mym

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People place candles in a gathering in support of the families of two murdered foreign tourists near the Embassy of Denmark in Rabat, Morocco, on Dec. 22, 2018. The Moroccan security services have arrested nine people over their suspected links to the four alleged murderers of two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco, the Interior Ministry announced Friday. The bodies of two women tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found Monday near the tourist village of Imlil, 60 km away from the city of Marrakech. (Xinhua/Aissa)

RABAT, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan security services have arrested nine people over their suspected links to the four alleged murderers of two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco, the Interior Ministry announced Friday.

According to a statement from the ministry, the nine suspects were arrested in the central cities of Marrakesh, Essaouira and Chtouka-Ait Baha as well as in the northern cities of Sidi Bennour and Tangier.

The bodies of two women tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found Monday near the tourist village of Imlil, 60 km away from the city of Marrakech.

The authorities have arrested four main alleged participants in the murdering, who also appeared in a videotape pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, and vowing to conduct terror acts.

The ministry said that the arrest of the nine suspects is part of an ongoing investigation into the crime and revealing "their motives and links to a terrorist act."

The search operation resulted in the seizure of electronic equipment, an unauthorized shotgun, knives, torches, binoculars, a military uniform, in addition to suspicious materials that could be used for manufacturing explosives, the statement added.

Since 2011, Morocco has been insulated from terror attacks plaguing other countries in North Africa.

The last terrorist attack in Morocco dates back to April 2011, when a suspected suicide bomber blew apart a famous tourist cafe in Marrakech, killing 17 and wounding dozens of others.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 00:40:38|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Burundian drummers perform in Bujumbura, capital city of Burundi, on Dec. 22, 2018. The drum performance, a kind of ritual dance, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UN's heritage agency UNESCO in 2014. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

by Xinhua writer Lyu Tianran and Apollinaire Niyirora

BUJUMBURA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- When some 30 Burundian drummers practiced Burundi's traditional drum show in Gishora drum sanctuary in central Burundi, resounding beating drums and singing was heard from far.

Surrounded by green mountains, the drummers, dressed in clothes with the colors of green, red and white that make up Burundi's national flag, were beating drums that are made from certain types of trees and covered with cow skin.

The drum performance, a kind of ritual dance, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UN's heritage agency UNESCO in 2014.

The drum sanctuary in Gitega province, about 100 kilometers east of capital Bujumbura, was established in 1903 to mark the braveness of local residents who provided refuge for the then Burundian king.

Fenced with trees and branches in a traditional way, the touristic site is constituted of small circular houses covered with straws from the top to the bottom, and a courtyard where the drum performance stages.

The Burundian drum, originally symbolizing power and fecundity and originated in the province of Gitega, particularly in the districts of Giheta, Gitega, Makebuko and Bukirasazi, said Leonard Sinzinkayo, Director General of Culture and Arts at the Burundian Ministry of Culture and Sports.

It is an original artwork of the Burundian people, which is a far cry from drums in other countries in terms of materials and playing methods, Sinzinkayo told Xinhua.

"There are norms in drum beating and that style only exists in Burundi," he said. "When Burundian drummers arrive at an exhibition place, they form a semi-circle with drums on their heads. There is a central drum beaten by all drummers one after one. And on both sides of the central drum there are drummers performing in a harmonious rhythm..." he explained.

From Gitega, the drum was spread to the rest of the country after its introduction in schools through cultural, social and even religious events, said the official.

The drum performance has been popular on important occasions in the central African country.

"It is so important as it marks the identity of Burundian people," he said, adding that it boosts social cohesion, unity, peace and national reconciliation.

Tourism operator Albatross Travel and Safaris has been organizing Chinese tourists to Burundi, watching the drum performance.

The drum performance is a typical cultural attraction, different from natural attractions like wildlife, and is highly worth visiting, said Yang He, who is in charge of the Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo region of the tourism company.

This Chinese company usually arranges the drum performance at the end of the three-country trip, which brings the trip to a climax.

"The performance is spectacular and striking, which is unimaginable unless you are watching at the scene," he said.

Currently, Gishora drum sanctuary as one of the most popular sites in Burundi, receives few tourists, according to Oscar Nshimirimana, chairman of the Gishora drummers' association and head of the sanctuary.

The site can receive two tourist groups per month, who are foreigners most of the time, he told Xinhua.

A group of Gishora drummers, who are trained from as early as five years old, are given between 100,000 Burundian francs (about 37 U.S. dollars) to 150,000 francs overall for performing at an event, he said.

Leonidas Habonimana, Director General of Tourism at Burundian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, told Xinhua the government has been exploring the tourism opportunity of the drum, since it was listed as the intangible heritage of UNESCO.

Tourism holds an important place in Burundi's economy and the country has chosen to promote cultural tourism, said Habonimana, adding that the drum is ranked first on the cultural tourism.

"It is the first opportunity that we have to explore in order to attract more and more tourists in Burundi," he said.

The government is seeking to promote the drum within the regional context of the six-member East African Community (EAC), and facilitate EAC to market Burundi as a preferential cultural tourism destination, said the official.

The government is also planning an annual international festival of the drum that brings together drummers from different countries to compete.

The ministry of culture plans to promote the drum in all forms by taking measures to sustain the drum culture through training actors, said Sinzinkayo.

The ministry also plans to set up a fund for promotion of the drum and has taken measures to plant a tree species called umuvugangoma used to manufacture the drum, he said.

The collaboration between the ministries of culture and tourism needs to be boosted in order to promote the Burundian drum, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 00:45:40|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's ambassador to Britain on Saturday denied that Iranian and the U.S. 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.

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 01:25:47|Editor: mym

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A Syrian worker fixes the roof of the covered Souk al-Saqatiyya in Aleppo, northern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. In Syria's northern Aleppo city, the determination of the residents to rebuild their lives and city is stronger than the massive destruction that has befallen them. Two years since its liberation, people have already rolled up their sleeves and started fixing the destruction in the ancient walled marketplace in the city, not discouraged by the devastation. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

by Hummam Sheikh Ali

ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- In Syria's northern Aleppo city, the determination of the residents to rebuild their lives and city is stronger than the massive destruction that has befallen them.

Two years since its liberation, people have already rolled up their sleeves and started fixing the destruction in the ancient walled marketplace in the city, not discouraged by the devastation.

For Xinhua reporters, in every visit to Aleppo they see something new: squares that are fixed, shops that returned to life, souks getting repaired, some houses that are still damaged but its residents fixed them enough to return, holiday decorations and many more.

It's a sign that the people of Aleppo are truly hard workers, and this trait has for long been known about them even before the war.

This time, the rehabilitation process is underway in the Souk al-Saqatiyya, one stretch of the covered souks of Aleppo, which are around 15 square km in the formerly rebel-held eastern part of the city.

The covered souks in Aleppo are a UNESCO world heritage site that dates back to the 14th century.

Workers inside al-Saqatiyya Souk were actively moving and repairing, as they have finished fixing a small part of that souk since last month as the entire project of fixing the 100-meter-long al-Saqatiyaa souk is expected to take seven more months.

Basel al-Zaher, an engineer and the contractor supervising the project, told Xinhua that working on ancient souks needs time and precision as they are not contemporary buildings.

He said that they are trying to rebuild the destroyed parts from the original rocks that fell during the war, noting that the workers are even trying to fix the old blocks so that they could be used again.

Al-Zaher said that before the war and throughout the years, people and shop owners had somehow violated the ancient structure of the souks in general with paintings and extra decoration.

The workers are now trying to restore the shops to their original shapes and reveal the original rocks that have been covered with several layers of paintings during the years.

"We are doing not restoration only for the stones; we are making the restoration for our lifestyle we wanted back again before the war ... we hope it will be like before," he told Xinhua.

Outside the old gates of the souk, a man was sitting on a chair and selling meat sandwiches from a stall in front of him.

When asked why he would be staying here amid the ruins, he said that he owns a shop that is being fixed in al-Saqatyyia.

"Even though I cannot return to my shop now, I have already started working and I am waiting at the gates of the souk. So when my shop is fixed, I could be so close to run back to it," he said, while grilling meat and filling the surrounding with a delicious smell.

That was the case in al-Saqatiyaa, where shop owners, who used to sell meat and groceries, are waiting for the reparation to be done so that they could return.

In another part of the old souks of Aleppo, some people have already returned to their shops in the Al-Nahhasin Souk, a marketplace specialized in selling handmade copper products, such as vessels, kettles, lamps, and chandeliers.

Around 10 shops have so far opened in that souk since the army captured the eastern part of Aleppo in December of 2016. Despite the fact that many shops are still closed, the knocking on copper, the sound of radio and chat of people in the opened shops have lent that place a sense of a long-missed life.

Around it, cars horns and bicycles could be heard and seen, and people were the life that streamed back to these places and is helping it rise up from the devastation of war.

Ahmad Ghazoul, a coppersmith, has returned two months ago after he managed to do some reparation to his shop, which took him six months to finish on his own.

"When we returned we found that the terrorists had left us nothing, all in ruins. Thankfully, the government has helped us clean the roads of debris and offered many facilitations for us," he said.

The man said that he and others are starting their lives from scratch and they have managed to overcome the shock and start over.

"As long as there are hope and faith in this country, we will be able to return and to develop," he said.

His neighbor, Khaled Hammoud, said he was the first to return to his shop and encouraged several people to return as well.

"We hope that more people would come to open their shops here ... I hope that this souk would become even better than it was," he told Xinhua.

Surely, the overall reconstruction in Aleppo would take years and need billions of U.S. dollars, but the aforementioned were examples of how people are working their hearts out to win their lives back and restore the glamor to Aleppo, once the economic capital of Syria, to the best of their ability.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 01:25:48|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Video producer and musician Justin Scholar enjoyed his epic moment weeks ago, when he spotted his latest work playing on a huge LED screen in New York's Times Square.

"It's sort of the American dream to see your name up in lights, right?" said the 25-year-old New Jersey-born, still immersed in excitement. "I'd never really cared about my name being that big, but going to New York and seeing the big screens, you always wonder if your work is going to make it up there."

The video that helped Scholar fulfill his "American dream" was shot and produced in China, where Scholar is living and working as a media company owner. After taking his first mandarin class back in high school seven years ago, Scholar listed China as a future destination and made his first trip to Shanghai in 2015 through a study-abroad program when he was a student in New York University.

Though he had been told what urban life in China was like beforehand, it was still "a far cry" from what he saw with his own eyes, said Scholar. The film/TV major transferred his focus from technical art to traditional arts during the semester in Shanghai, spending most of the time learning ink and wash painting, calligraphy and Chinese instrument Guzheng, which enriched his set of artistic skills with a touch of eastern aesthetics.

He also fell in love with the city, where he ate a lot of authentic xiaolongbao, or steamed little meat buns, and felt safe walking on the street at 3 a.m. "Shanghai is an incredibly efficient, modern city," said Scholar. "To have this impeccably accurate and fast metro and to have very clean streets and bright lights at night, and people pouring in by the thousands... that's just a success story of a millennium."

At the same time, Scholar felt Shanghai's call for greater business prosperity with foreign participation as the local government "opens its doors, offering new business visas and new incentives for businesses to come," he said.

These may explain Scholar's return to Shanghai two years later, when his career at home was already thriving after making commercials for big names such as Coca Cola and Jaguar. Amid doubts and worries of his parents, Scholar went back to Shanghai on his 24th birthday with an aspiration to launch his own company.

Thanks to a combination of luck and talent, he achieved the goal soon with a Chinese friend as his business partner, and the company has already produced some 15 videos for pop icons, fashionistas, and art museums in merely six months. The video that plays at Times Square -- a tourism promotional film for southwest China's Chongqing city, was the company's first project contracted by a local government in China.

Reflecting on his own story, Scholar encourages more young Americans to explore the outside world to gain a more fulfilling life experience and a perspective that they could never get from where they grow up.

He strongly recommends Shanghai and other booming Chinese cities to young entrepreneurs and artists who may not be able to find success in New York City, where costs of living are high and markets are relatively saturated.

As a business insider, he has seen rapid growth in music, film and fashion in China, which offers "an incredible amount of opportunities" and incentives to people of various backgrounds.

"Small businesses are incredibly quickly developing in Shanghai, which is so tempting to any young business that needs to come to China for sourcing or for any kind of collaboration, any kind of scaling," he noted. "You come to China to grow big and to work with bigger audience, bigger people. It's just a massive country."

The brilliance of his Chinese peers impresses Scholar through everyday encounter. "I think the young people in China are incredibly competent. I've never met people who work so hard, and from an artistic background, have such a vivid and creative approach to modern problems and modern styles." Through the thousands he interacts with on a daily basis, he sees a "bright" and "fantastic" future of China.

Being aware of the current strained bilateral ties between China and his home country, Scholar sincerely hopes the situation would improve as the world altogether is facing severe challenges such as climate change where joint efforts from the world's two biggest economies are indispensable.

In his opinion, young people of both countries could play an essential role in promoting bilateral ties by studying in each other's country and developing "real mutual understanding between youth culture."

"My kids will probably end up speaking Chinese, and a lot of young Chinese people will say, 'my parents studied in the United States,'" said Scholar. This could encourage even more exchanges of the next generation and gradually break some stereotypical views toward each other by personal experience.

"I am an optimist. I really like to think that America and China will develop a very strong relationship," said the young man with a big smile.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 02:05:59|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- This year has not been so tough for Kenyan small traders as 2017 was and neither has it been too good to the businesspersons.

For many traders, the best they would remember about this year is the improved business environment following political stability.

The worst, they say, came when new taxes of between 8 percent and 10 percent were imposed on various products and services in the third quarter, pushing consumers to the edge as many cut purchases.

But Christmas has brought new tidings for the small traders in the East African nation, washing away the pain endured in the previous months.

New and second-hand clothes and shoes traders, vegetable sellers, cooking gas dealers and chicken and goat merchants are among those reaping big this Christmas.

In the capital Nairobi, hundreds of citizens are flocking to Gikomba, the biggest second-hand item flea market in Kenya, for purchases.

The market for the last two weeks has been a beehive of activity as citizens and traders from different parts of the country buy mainly clothes and shoes.

On Saturday, the market was jammed with human traffic as traders did booming business.

"Tops 100 Kenyan shillings (1 U.S. dollar)", a trader shouted on top her voice to capture the attention of women. Another shouted prices of men's shoes, while another trousers and t-shirts.

Prices have increased slightly but they are still much lower than those for new items in supermarkets.

"My children must dress well this Christmas even if money is scarce and new items are expensive. Last year I did not buy them anything, so this year must be different," said Gladys Achieng, before she dipped her hand in a heap of clothes in search of the best for her two children.

The trader she was buying from was selling a shirt at 1 dollar each, while children shoes are going an average of 3 dollars at the market.

"Business is good," said Amos Kamore who sells men's shoes at Gikomba. "For the last two weeks I have sold tens of shoes to both wholesale and retailers. Children shoes are moving faster," he added.

Kamore also supplies the shoes to traders who are outside Nairobi via couriers after they pay him on mobile money.

For Charles Kyalo, a cooking gas seller in Komarock, on the east of Nairobi, Christmas has brought back some of his customers who had disappeared for the better part of the year.

"I am selling a 13 kg cooking gas cylinder at 20 dollars and the 6 kg cylinder at 10 dollars. At least a quarter of my customers in the last one week have not been using gas," he said.

The year has been tough for chicken seller Martin Kinondo as squeezed families shunned his products.

"It was a bad year for me because I also sell charcoal and the government imposed a ban on the fuel making the product scarce and too expensive that I closed the business. But I am happy now chickens are moving faster at 11 dollars each," he said, noting he has many orders to supply before Dec. 25.

Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, noted that while Christmas craze comes with better tidings, only those who planned well reap.

"The strategy for traders always is to buy early, like in October, cheaply and stock to sell when prices rise in December. If it is chickens, buy from farmers early when prices are lower and sell double during the festive season," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 03:11:12|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A special Red Envelop show is to be held in New York in honor of 2019 Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Year of the Pig and the 40th anniversary of the Flushing Town Hall in the New York City borough of Queens.

The event, scheduled from Jan. 5 - Jan. 27, 2019, features artwork by local professional visual artists, curated by Bert Chau of Grumpy Bert and community members, according to the historic town hall.

This exhibition is an homage to the red celebration envelopes the Chinese community distributes during the Lunar New Year. Many envelopes will include a special gift for only the buyers to see.

Bert has curated the inventive Red Envelope in the past in NYC borough of Brooklyn, and now the global arts institution is soliciting submissions from local artists, students, and community groups to participate in the exhibition.

Traditionally, money is included in the envelopes, but many past artists have included a special "mystery" gift or prize. This is optional but an opportunity for participants to show their creativity.

A Red Envelope Show workshop will also be held on Jan. 13 by Flushing Town Hall Teaching Artist Tina Seligman.

Submissions by local visual artists will be displayed and for sale in Flushing Town Hall's gallery. All visual artists work will be for sale - with 25 percent of the proceeds going towards Flushing Town Hall's visual arts programming. Pieces by community and school groups will be displayed throughout the building for all visitors to enjoy.

All submissions must be delivered by mail or in person to Flushing Town Hall by Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 04:06:20|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH/GAZA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, announced on Saturday night that the Palestinian Constitutional Court decided to dissolve the Palestinian Authority (PA) parliament, better known as the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

Islamic Hamas movement opposed the decision, saying it will deepen the internal Palestinian division.

Abbas 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 court also called for holding new parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories within six months, said Abbas at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas won last parliamentary elections held in 2006 and ousted the Fatah Party, which has dominated the PLC since its establishment in 1996.

Yehya Musa, a senior Hamas leader and member of the PLC, said in a press statement that the decision to dissolve the PLC does not have any value.

"The decision of Abbas deepens the internal Palestinian division and destroys the Palestinian political system," said Musa, adding that "the PLC will continue working and convene as usual, regardless of Abbas' decision."

"The purpose of establishing the Constitutional Court was to attack the basic law and to be a tool in the hands of President Abbas to destroy any Palestinian institution," Musa 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.

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 the Hamas movement."

"If Hamas 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.

Abbas criticized that Hamas is not serious in implementing the reconciliation understandings related to ending the internal division that has been going on since 2007.

"Hamas has a political plan of establishing a state in Gaza and ruling in the West Bank," he said.

In terms of the political process with Israel, Abbas said that "we stand in front of a crossroad, and we already started to reconsider all the signed peace agreements reached between Israel and the PLO," adding that Paris Economy Agreement might be mended.

He stressed that the Palestinians reject talking only about the economy track with the Israeli side and be away from the political and security solution.

"We should go together on the three tracks," he noted.

As for the recent Israeli escalation in the West Bank, Abbas said "all the Israeli measures and the attempts to disturb and sabotage the Palestinian security in the West Bank are useless."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 06:26:53|Editor: mym

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CHICAGO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures closed lower in the trading week which ended Dec. 21, with soybeans falling slightly despite new purchases from China.

The most active contract for March soybeans were down 2.75 cents weekly, or 0.31 percent, to 8.9775 dollars per bushel. March wheat dropped 16 cents, or 3.02 percent, to 5.14 dollars per bushel. March corn went down 6.25 cent, or 1.62 percent, to 3.785 dollars per bushel.

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.

As weather turns more favorable and the harvest underway in South America, another top world soybean exporter Brazil is ready to arrange shipments for overseas buyers.

In its latest crop report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated Brazilian soybeans production at 122.0 million metric tons in December, up 1.5 million metric tons from November.

CBOT corn futures fell over 6 cents along with soybeans as Chinese demand was lacking and as U.S. ethanol margins sink further into the red. Domestic U.S. corn use in the USDA's January report will be lowered another 25 million bushels.

Even blend margins have collapsed, and there's just very little profit incentive for the biofuel industry at present.

Wheat futures ended lower following a sizable sell-off Friday. The meeting between Russian exporters and government officials yielded little new information.

In the meantime, 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 08:32:08|Editor: Chengcheng

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TOKYO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were injured in an explosion at a restaurant in the city of Tochigi in eastern Japan early Sunday, local media reported quoting police sources.

The explosion was reported to firefighters around 0:30 a.m. local time, and the fire was put out about two hours later, leaving four men and one woman injured.

The restaurant, located on the ground floor of an apartment building, was closed when the incident happened, and the manager said the main gas valve had been closed, said local reports.

The police are still investigating the cause of the incident. Enditem
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 11, 2018. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

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 09:27:17|Editor: Lu Hui

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JAKARTA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 people were killed, 584 others wounded as a tsunami triggered by the eruption of the Krakatau Child volcano destroyed 430 houses and scores of buildings in coastal areas of Sunda Strait of western Indonesia, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday.

The eruption of the Krakatau Child volcano most likely triggered landslides at the sea bed that culminated to a tsunami, which was emboldened by the effect of full moon, at 21:27 p.m. Jakarta time (1427 GMT), the meteorology and geophysics agency said.

Head of the meteorology and geophysics agency Dwikorita Karnawati said that the tsunami was triggered by the eruption of the Krakatau Child volcano.

"We predicted that the impact could be directly or indirectly, there was a possibility of landslides under the sea bed," she told a press conference.

The tsunami struck coastal areas of Sunda Strait, including Pandeglang and Serang districts of Banten province and south Lampung of Lampung province, disaster management and mitigation agency said.

In Pandeglang district, the tsunami appeared with the height of four to five meters, leaving at least 17 people dead and scores others missing and at least 40 suffering from serious injury, said Endang Permana, head of emergency department of disaster management agency in the district.

"Many people were missing, they were swept by waves when they were watching a performance in the coastal area," Permana told Xinhua over phone from the district.

In Lampung Selatan district, evacuation of those under the rubble of collapsed buildings and search for missing persons who were swept by waves during the tsunami are underway, said Ketut Sukerta, head of the disaster management agency in the district.

"Over 100 buildings were collapsed, we are now attempting to rescue the people trapped under the rubble and to find those swept by the waves," he told Xinhua by phone from Lampung Selatan district.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 10:07:23|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Li Changlin (L) and Bienvenue Irakoze, permanent secretary of Burundian Ministry of Youth, Posts and Information Technologies, unveil commemorative stamps marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Burundi at a reception in Bujumbura, Burundi, on Dec. 22, 2018. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

BUJUMBURA, Burundi, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China provides selfless assistance to help with Burundi's development and its people's livelihood, the Burundian foreign minister said Saturday.

The establishment of the diplomatic ties 55 years ago launched the sincere cooperation between the two countries, Burundian Foreign Minister Ezechiel Nibigira said at a reception celebrating the 55th anniversary of bilateral ties.

Burundi and China have maintained a good relationship since then, which is reflected in exchanges at various levels such as in mutual support on international occasions and China's selfless assistance to the Burundian government to help with the development of Burundi and the improvement of Burundian people's livelihood, said Nibigira.

The central African country highly appreciates China's long term assistance to Burundi, he added.

The friendly cooperation between the two countries has been continuously expanded and deepened, said Li Changlin, Chinese Ambassador to Burundi, adding that bilateral ties are at the best time in history.

The relationship between China and Burundi takes a leading position in relations between China and African countries, he said.

China doesn't set any precondition for its cooperation with Burundi and cares about the actual needs of the Burundian people, Li said, adding that China welcomes Burundi to get on board China's fast train of development.

Commemorative stamps marking the 55th anniversary were launched at the reception, featuring landmarks and cultures of the two countries.

The stamps represent the friendship between China and Burundi and are the ambassadors of culture exchanges, said Bienvenue Irakoze, permanent secretary of Burundian Ministry of Youth, Posts and Information Technologies at the launching ceremony.

About 250 people attended the anniversary reception, where they enjoyed Kirundi song performed by the Confucius Institute at the University of Burundi, Chinese song performed by Burundian civil servants, as well as Burundian drum and dance performance.

China and Burundi established diplomatic ties on Dec. 21, 1963. A series of events have been held to celebrate the anniversary.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 11:07:33|Editor: mmm

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education has ordered intensified protection of kindergarteners and school students from sexual assault, stressing education on sexual assault prevention should be taken as a "top priority."

The ministry has issued a circular urging local education administrations and schools to promote sex education and teach children how to prevent sexual assault in class, through pamphlets or via other possible channels.

Schools should do better background checks on candidates concerning their conduct and psychological status while recruiting teachers, the circular said, adding that a database on sexual-assault-related crimes should be set up with coordination by public security departments.

The ministry also required schools to more carefully check the background information of their temporary hires, saying those who were deprived of political rights or have received fixed-term imprisonment or penalties more severe for intentional crimes must not work for schools.

Local education administrations and schools should make joint efforts with public security departments to step up patrols around schools to prevent children from being sexually assaulted by people from outside, the circular said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 11:22:36|Editor: Lu Hui

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JAKARTA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 people were killed and 584 others wounded as a tsunami triggered by the eruption of Krakatau Child volcano destroyed coastal areas of Sunda Strait of western Indonesia on Saturday night, disaster agency official said earlier Sunday.

The catastrophe collapsed a total of 430 houses and nine hotels, and caused serious damages on 10 ships, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua in a text message.

Pandeglang district of Banten province suffered the most from the tsunami, and other two districts of Serang in the province and Lampung Selatan in Lampung province were also impacted by it, said Sutopo.

In the worst hit area, huge waves rattled residential areas and several tourist destinations along the coastal areas, such as Pantai Tanjung Lesung, Sumur, Penimbang, Teluk Lada dan Carita.

"When the tragedy occurred, many people were spending their time along the coastal areas of Pandeglang," he said.

The incident also triggered evacuation, but the spokesman did not give specific details as the risk assessment is underway.

The waters submerged the area with the height of four to five meters, leaving scores of people missing, head of emergency department of disaster management agency in the district Endang Permana said.

"Many people were missing, they were swept by waves when they were watching a performance in coastal area," Permana told Xinhua over phone from the district.

The meteorology and geophysics agency bans community from having activities in the coastal areas of the strait by far, as investigation on the risks of the volcano eruption is being undertaken, said Sutopo.

In Lampung Selatan district, evacuation of those under the rubble of collapsed buildings and search for missing persons who were swept by waves during the tsunami are undergoing, said Ketut Sukerta, head of the disaster management agency in the district.

"Over 100 buildings collapsed, we are now attempting to rescue the people trapped under the rubble and find those swept by the waves," he told Xinhua by phone from Lampung Selatan district.

The national search and rescue office has deployed its personnel to search and rescue the victims of the catastrophe, head of communication for media of the national search and rescue office Yusuf Latief said.

"We are ready for deployment of more personnel and equipment to recover and rescue the affected people," he told Xinhua over the phone.

By far, Latief said, the search and evacuation mission is still carried out in a manual way, but if there is a request for heavy machinery equipment and other devices, the office would immediately comply with it.

The eruption of the Krakatau Child volcano most likely triggered landslides at the sea bed that culminated to a tsunami, which was emboldened by the effect of full moon at 21:27 p.m. Jakarta time (1427 GMT), head of the meteorology and geophysics agency Dwikorita Karnawati said.

"We predicted that the impact could be directly or indirectly, there was a possibility of landslides under the sea bed," she told a press conference on Sunday.

Krakatau Child is one of the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation home to over 17,500 islands and sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone, the so-called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 12:22:43|Editor: mmm

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Saturday called for credible elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after yet another delay in the polls.

The country's electoral commission announced Thursday that the presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections, which were previously scheduled for Dec. 23, will be held on Dec. 30.

In a statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their hope that this delay will permit the creation of favorable conditions for the Congolese people to express themselves freely on Dec. 30.

They called for continuous dialogue and transparency with all political stakeholders during this period in order to ensure trust is maintained until the elections are held.

They called on all parties to engage peacefully and constructively in the electoral process to ensure transparent, peaceful and credible elections that will result in a transfer of power in accordance with the constitution and the Dec. 31, 2016 Agreement.

DRC elections were long overdue. The Dec. 31, 2016 Agreement allowed President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, to stay on after his term of office had expired, on the condition that elections would be held within 2017.

But elections were delayed on the grounds of logistics, triggering unrest. In November 2017, the country's electoral commission announced the new electoral date of Dec. 23, 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 12:27:46|Editor: mmm

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OTTAWA, Dec.22 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Canadian troops deployed on the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali on Saturday, according to CTV.

Trudeau's visit was kept secret until after his departure due to security concerns.

Accompanied by Canadian Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance, Trudeau was on the ground for nearly five hours, during which he met with Malian President Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga.

Canada joined the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali in June, with a one-year commitment.

Canada has eight helicopters and approximately 250 military personnel in Mali, which has been destabilized by poverty, drought and Islamic extremism since a civil conflict broke out in 2012.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 14:18:01|Editor: mym

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FARAH, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Up to 10 Taliban militants have been killed following a NATO-led coalition forces' airstrike in Afghan western province of Farah, local police said Sunday.

The strike targeted a militants' hideout in Bala Buluk district's Ab-e-Khurma village on Saturday, leaving 10 Taliban militants including their customhouse official named Mullah Nayazi dead, provincial police spokesman Mohebullah Muheb told Xinhua.

According to him, three vehicles and a quantity of arms and ammunition have also been destroyed in the sortie.

No government troops or civilians have been hurt during the air-operation, he said.

The Taliban militant group hasn't make a comment on the report yet.

Afghan security forces, backed by the U.S.-led NATO coalition troops, have recently increased ground and air offensives against insurgents, as the militants are attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions ahead of winter in the Central Asian country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 14:43:03|Editor: mym

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TALUQAN, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government militants took an ambush against police officers in the northern Takhar province on Sunday, claiming three lives including a senior police officer, provincial government spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajiri said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 14:53:05|Editor: Yurou

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TAIPEI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's export orders dropped to 47.68 billion U.S. dollars in November, falling 2.7 percent from the previous month and 2.1 percent from the same period last year, according to data released by the island's economic authority.

Total export orders in the first 11 months were worth 468.44 billion U.S. dollars, up 5.4 percent from the same period last year, the data shows.

From January to November, orders from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong totaled 120.39 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.8 percent year on year.

During the same period, orders from the United States stood at 132.4 billion U.S. dollars and those from Europe were worth 92.05 billion U.S. dollars.

In November, Taiwan's information communications products remained the major item in export orders due to it being peak season for launching new smartphones, while electronic products decreased by 3.5 percent year on year as market demand growth slowed down.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 14:53:05|Editor: Lu Hui

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JAKARTA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a tsunami triggered by the eruption of Krakatau Child volcano in Indonesia has increased to 62, with 584 people injured, and rescuers have recovered more bodies, disaster agency official said on Sunday.

The tsunami collapsed a total of 430 houses and nine hotels, and caused serious damages on 10 ships and less serious damages on scores of others, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua in a text message.

Pandeglang district of Banten province suffered the most from the tsunami, and other two districts of Serang in the province and Lampung Selatan in Lampung province were also impacted by it, said Sutopo.

"Now, it is being prepared a survey and a mapping (of the risks of the disaster) with an aircraft," said Sutopo.

In the Pandeglang district, huge waves rattled residential areas and several tourist destinations situated along the coastal areas, such as Pantai Tanjung Lesung, Sumur, Penimbang, Teluk Lada dan Carita.

"When the tragedy occurred, many people were spending their time along the coastal areas of Pandeglang," he said.

The incident also triggered evacuation, but the spokesman did not give specific details as the risk assessment is underway.

The waters submerged the area with the height of four to five meters, leaving scores of people missing, head of emergency department of disaster management agency in the district Endang Permana said.

"Many people were missing, they were swept by waves when they were watching a performance in coastal area," Permana told Xinhua over phone from the district.

The meteorology and geophysics agency bans local community from having activities in the coastal areas of the strait by far, as investigation on the risks of the volcano eruption is being undertaken, said Sutopo.

In Lampung Selatan district, evacuation of those under the rubble of collapsed buildings and search for missing persons who were swept by waves during the tsunami are undergoing, said Ketut Sukerta, head of the disaster management agency in the district.

"Over 100 buildings collapsed, we are now attempting to rescue the people trapped under the rubble and find those swept by the waves," he told Xinhua by phone from Lampung Selatan district.

The national search and rescue office has deployed its personnel to search and rescue the victims of the catastrophe, head of communication for media of the national search and rescue office Yusuf Latief said.

"We are ready for deployment of more personnel and equipment to recover and rescue the affected people," he told Xinhua over the phone.

By far, Latief said, the search and evacuation mission is still carried out in a manual way, but if there is a request for heavy machinery equipment and other devices, the office would immediately comply with it.

The eruption of the Krakatau Child volcano most likely triggered landslides at the sea bed that culminated to a tsunami, which was emboldened by the effect of full moon at 9:27 p.m. local time (1427 GMT), head of the meteorology and geophysics agency Dwikorita Karnawati said.

"We predicted that the impact could be directly or indirectly, there was a possibility of landslides under the sea bed," she told a press conference on Sunday.

Krakatau Child is one of the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation home to over 17,500 islands and sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone, the so-called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 14:58:05|Editor: mym

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TALUQAN, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government militants' ambush against police claimed three lives including a senior police officer in the northern Takhar province on Sunday, provincial government spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajiri said.

"The bloody ambush carried out by Taliban rebels on Khanabad-Taluqan road today morning killed Shah Tawos, the commander of Civil Order Police, along with two of his bodyguards and injuring four others," Hajiri told Xinhua.

Taliban militants also suffered casualties in the firefight, the official said.

The armed outfit, fighting the government to regain power, hasn't made a comment yet.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 15:35:08|Editor: Liangyu

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A worker dries fresh coffee beans at a coffee farm near Kaffa, Ethiopia, Dec. 8, 2018. The local coffee farms meet busy season in December every year. Coffee rooted in Ethiopia is the raw material of various coffee drinks favored by people all over the world. It is said that coffee was discovered by sheepherder in Kaffa, southwestern in Ethiopia, from which the name of coffee evolved. Coffee beans from Ethiopia are exported to China mainly by sea. Hulled green coffee beans are transported to Port of Djibouti by road and railway and then after about 21 days at sea they finally arrive in China. Coffee market is blossoming in south China's Guangdong Province, the frontier of China's reform and opening-up. According to the statistics by local customs, the import of coffee and related products of Guangdong Province reached 27 thousand tonnes in 2017, covering one quarter of total amount of the country. Coffee consumption grows fast in recent years in China. With China become more and more open, good coffee around the world enters into Chinese market, providing more choice for consumers. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 17:48:27|Editor: Yamei

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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Ten militants loyal to the Taliban have been killed and five others arrested following a counter-insurgent operation in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, the provincial government said Sunday.

"A two-day operation was launched by government forces in Shah Walikot district of Kandahar province, left 10 militants dead and five others arrested," the government said in a statement.

Three civilians including two women have also been injured during the clash between Taliban and security forces, said the statement, blaming the Taliban for using civilians as human shield.

The militant group has not made a comment on the report yet.

Security situation has been improving in Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban, over the last months, as security forces have conducted search and cordon operations across the province. But the militants attack government forces in the province from time to time.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 18:58:42|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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People mourn for murdered foreign tourists in Imlil, Morocco, on Dec. 22, 2018. The Moroccan security services have arrested nine people over their suspected links to the four alleged murderers of two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco, the Interior Ministry announced Friday. The bodies of two women tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found Monday near the tourist village of Imlil, 60 km away from the city of Marrakech. (Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 19:38:42|Editor: Yamei

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DAMASCUS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Turkish military vehicles headed on Sunday to frontline areas with the Kurdish militia in northern Syria, in what appeared to be preparations for an anticipated campaign against Kurdish fighters, a war monitor reported.

These military reinforcements were headed to the cities of Jarablus and Sajour in northern Syria, close to the Kurdish-controlled Manbij city in the northern countryside of Aleppo Province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

According to the London-based watchdog, the Turkish forces would start from Manbij if an operation is launched, as Manbij is the area from which Ankara has for long asked the U.S. forces to remove the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey sees the YPG and its allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as separatists and terrorists, citing their links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as an terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU.

However, the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition has been backing the Kurdish militia in several battles, clearing the Islamic State (IS) militants from key areas in northern Syria, mainly the former IS de facto capital of Raqqa.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said his forces and allied rebel fighters in Syria would launch a campaign against the Kurdish militia in the eastern part of the Euphrates River in eastern Syria.

Afterward, the United States has announced its decision to withdraw from Syria, where it has around 2,000 troops largely embedded with the Kurdish militia in northern Syria.

Some commanders in the SDF were quoted by the Observatory in an earlier report as describing the decision of the United States to pull out of Syria as "a stab in the back."

The U.S. withdrawal will take around 100 days to complete, during which the anti-IS battles, which have been going on since September, are believed to continue.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Observatory, said the Kurdish-led forces may withdraw from eastern Deir al-Zour to protect their areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo on the heels of the Turkish military buildup there.

On the situation in northern Syria, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said the YPG and SDF, as well as the U.S. forces in Manbij, are all on alert, fearing wide-scale protests in the city against the presence of the Kurdish militia there.

The Kurdish militia forces have been controlling areas in northern Syria since the early years of the crisis in Syria, in order to force Damascus to recognize a federal rule or autonomy for the Kurds in northern Syria.

However, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said recently that Kurdish federalization or self-rule is out of the question.

Now with the withdrawal of the U.S. forces and the Turkish threats of military action, observers say the Kurdish militia will have to return under the umbrella of the Syrian state.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 20:28:54|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The abrupt U.S. decision last week to withdraw all its troops from war-torn Syria has evoked warnings from Israeli officials and experts about the danger of Israel's reliance on Washington when it comes to security and defense.

The presence of an estimated 2,000 American troops in Syria was part of an effort to defeat the Islamic State (IS) militant group, a goal which U.S. President Donald Trump believes has been attained.

However, the U.S. military presence actually helped push back forces hostile to Israel, namely Iran and the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, as both were in Syria in support of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria and Lebanon border Israel in the northern part of the country, an area where plenty of blood were shed in the past, while the leaders of Iran, Israel's arch-enemy, have been repeatedly calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

"The U.S. absence allows Iran to freely transport weapons, soldiers or whatever else it wants, through the shortest continental path," said Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli military intelligence officer.

"There are plans to build a network of highways between Iran, Iraq and Syria and therefore a U.S. presence is very important," Zehavi told Xinhua.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has routinely said Israel will take all necessary measures to protect itself from Iran and its proxies, particularly Hezbollah.

The Israeli military recently said it had found a network of tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah to infiltrate northern Israel. Over the weekend, Israeli forces began destroying the tunnels.

Hezbollah has not yet to respond.

Netanyahu's government has prided itself on an excellent relationship with Trump and his administration. But clearly, the latest U.S. move does not serve the Israeli interests in the region.

The Israeli government had overestimated the importance of Israel to Trump, and the degree to which Trump was influenced by the Jewish state, said Jonathan Rynhold, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations from the Bar Ilan University.

"Clearly the Israeli government banked on the advisors and their own ability to influence Trump, but they got it wrong," he said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. withdrawal will, in turn, strenghthen the Russian presence in Syria, and Israel will have to deal with a recently souring relations with Russia over a diplomatic row between the two countries.

"Israel will have to act a lot more directly and that will complicate relations with Russia," Rynhold said.

"When a great power pulls out, there is then a vacuum which has to be filled and from Israel's perspective whatever goes into that vacuum is worse," he added.

Trump's policies "can be just has disruptive to Israel's national security interests," as in other cases of American foreign policy, wrote Chemi Shalev, the U.S. editor for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

"Without American backing, Israel's position is weakened, as Israel ... can't fill the U.S. role in Syria. It does not have the same capabilities," Rynhold stressed.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 20:38:55|Editor: Yamei

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Vehicles are seen among the debris after a tsunami hit Sunda Strait in Pandeglang, Banten province, in Indonesia, Dec. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri)

PANDEGLANG, Indonesia, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia rose to 222 with at least 843 others injured, the disaster management agency said on Sunday.

The tsunami hit at 9:27 p.m. Jakarta time (1427 GMT) on Saturday, after the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano, or Child of Krakatoa volcano in English, sparked underwater landslides, leading to the rise of the sea level, according to the agency.

The tsunami destroyed 556 houses, nine hotels and 360 ships in the district of Pandeglang, the hardest hit area, as well as Serang of Banten province and Lampung Selatan district of Lampung province, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Heavy machinery equipment has been deployed in the catastrophe-hit areas to help with search and rescue operation, said Sutopo.

Many residents and tourists were forced to flee, but the spokesman did not give specific numbers, saying that evacuation centers are being set up.

"The figures are looked to rise as the recurrent risk assessment has not reached all affected areas," he told a press conference on Sunday.

In the hardest-hit Pandeglang district, huge waves rattled residential areas and several tourist spots along the coastal area, such as Pantai Tanjung Lesung, Sumur, Penimbang, Teluk Lada and Carita, Sutopo said.

"When the tragedy occurred, many people were spending their time along the coastal areas of Pandeglang," he added.

Thirty-three bodies were recovered in Pandeglang district alone, with 491 others injured and 409 houses and hotels damaged, said Sutopo.

The water submerged the area with a height of four to five meters, leaving scores of people missing, head of emergency department of disaster management agency in the district Endang Permana said.

"Many people were missing, they were swept by waves when they were watching a performance in coastal area," Permana told Xinhua over phone.

In Lampung Selatan district, rescue of those trapped under the rubble and search for the missing are underway, said Ketut Sukerta, head of disaster management agency in the district.

"Over 100 buildings were collapsed. We are now attempting to rescue the people trapped under the rubble and to find those swept by the waves," he told Xinhua by phone from Lampung Selatan district.

"We are ready for deployment of more personnel and equipment to recover and rescue the affected people," head of communication for media of national search and rescue office Yusuf Latief told Xinhua over phone.

The volcano eruption triggered landslides at the sea bed that led to the tsunami, which was emboldened by the effect of full moon, head of the meteorology and geophysics agency Dwikorita Karnawati said.

"We predicted that the impact could be directly or indirectly. There was a possibility of landslides under the sea bed," she told a press conference on Sunday.

The meteorology and geophysics agency has banned the community from having activities in the coastal area of the strait, as investigation is underway on the risks of the volcano eruption, said Sutopo.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Indonesia has not received any casualty report on Chinese nationals so far, according to a notice issued by the embassy on Sunday.

The embassy is verifying the situation of Chinese nationals in the affected area and reminds Chinese nationals and companies of the high risks of disasters.

Over 170,000 people were killed in Aceh province of northern tip of Sumatra Island of Indonesia on December 26, 2004 as an Indian Ocean tsunami, which was triggered by a strong quake, killed more than 226,000 people in a dozen of countries along the Indian Ocean.

The Anak Krakatau is the island that appeared in 1927 and has kept growing since then. The Anak Krakatau volcano is one of the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation home to 17,500 islands and sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 20:58:59|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Sunday strongly condemned the deadly explosions perpetrated by al-Shabab at a military checkpoint in Mogadishu earlier Saturday.

An IGAD statement has quoted the Executive Secretary of IGAD, Mahboub Maalim, as saying, "We join the resilient people and the Federal Government of Somalia in condemning this horrendous act of terror, and send our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded."

Describing the murder of civilians, soldiers and journalists in the blasts as distressing, the Executive Secretary said, "Their bravery and defense of libertarian values against the dark forces of extremism will be remembered for long and will continue to inspire a generation of young men and women."

"The strength and determination of the people of Somalia will eventually triumph over these heinous purveyors of evil."

IGAD has reaffirmed its continued commitment to standing with the people and government of Somali in their effort to combat terrorism through the existing regional and continental mechanisms.

In a statement later Saturday, the East African bloc said it follows closely the development in Somalia and "stands ready to support the ongoing regional election process that will lead to one man one vote by 2020."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:04:00|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MOGADISHU, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) condemned the twin bomb attacks which occurred in Mogadishu on Saturday morning.

It stated that these attacks will not deter efforts by international community to stabilize the Horn of Africa nation.

In separate statements, Francisco Madeira, special representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of AMISOM, said on Saturday night that the attacks by the terrorist group will not prevent ongoing efforts to secure Somalia.

These attacks by al-Shabab will not change the course of progress happening in Somalia, said Madeira.

According to local officials, at least 15 people were killed when suicide car bombs exploded near Somali National Theater in the vicinity of the presidential palace.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the explosions. Among the fatalities was a prominent Somali journalist with the London-based Universal Television.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:04:00|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend the inauguration of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, the prime minister's office said Sunday.

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said a personal meeting will also be held with Bolsonaro, who had expressed strong support for Israel during his election campaign.

"This weekend I will leave on a historic visit to Brazil," Netanyahu said. "Upon my arrival, I will meet with President-elect Jair Bolsonaro and later with other leaders as well."

Strengthening ties with Brazil has important implications for Israel's economy, he noted.

"Brazil is a huge market, almost 250 million people. The opening of this gigantic market will create new jobs in Israel and will greatly help the Israeli economy," the prime minister said.

The visit to Brazil is part of Netanyahu's foreign diplomacy to forge ties with non-EU countries, in order to counterbalance the EU objection to Israel's control over the West Bank and siege on the Gaza Strip.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:19:02|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday played down Israeli concerns over the U.S. pullout from Syria, saying his country will continue to act against Iranian forces in Syria.

"I would like to reassure those who are concerned," he said at the weekly cabinet meeting. "Our cooperation with the United States will continue in full and finds expression in many areas."

This cooperation includes joint operations, intelligence information, and "many other security spheres," he added.

"We will continue to act against Iran's attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu noted.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that the Islamic State (IS) militant group had been defeated and the United States will withdraw its forces from Syria.

The move is expected to end U.S. involvement in the war-torn country and allow Turkey to attack the Syrian Kurdish fighters, who were U.S. allies during the anti-IS war.

Israel is concerned about Iranian forces, who are fighting in Syria along Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed Shiite militia.

The Israeli air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against what it says are Iranian military sites and weapons convoys to Hezbollah.

In addition, Israel has often responded to errant fire from the fighting between Syrian army forces and rebels near the border with artillery fire against al-Assad's army positions.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:24:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MOGADISHU, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, condemned the twin bomb attacks which occurred in Mogadishu on Saturday morning.

In a statement, Francisco Madeira, special representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of AMISOM, said on Saturday night that the attacks by the terrorist group will not prevent ongoing efforts to secure Somalia.

These attacks by al-Shabab will not change the course of progress happening in Somalia, said Madeira.

The IGAD also condemned the deadly explosions perpetrated by al-Shabab at a military checkpoint in Mogadishu earlier Saturday.

An IGAD statement has quoted the Executive Secretary of IGAD, Mahboub Maalim, as saying, "We join the resilient people and the Federal Government of Somalia in condemning this horrendous act of terror, and send our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded."

IGAD has reaffirmed its continued commitment to standing with the people and government of Somali in their effort to combat terrorism through the existing regional and continental mechanisms.

In a statement released late on Saturday, the East African bloc said it follows closely the development in Somalia and "stands ready to support the ongoing regional election process that will lead to one man one vote by 2020."

Also on Saturday, Nicholas Haysom, UN secretary-general's special representative for Somalia, called on Somali authorities to spare no efforts in fighting the agents of violent extremism who bear responsibility for this heinous crime.

According to local officials, at least 15 people were killed when suicide car bombs exploded near Somali National Theater in the vicinity of the presidential palace.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the explosions. Among the fatalities was a prominent Somali journalist with the London-based Universal Television.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:34:04|Editor: mmm

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MUMBAI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval here Sunday.

The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as on regional and international issues of common concern.

Wang is on a visit to India to co-chair the first meeting of China-India high level people-to-people exchanges mechanism with Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:49:52|Editor: mmm

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Tourists visit the Ice-Snow World in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 23, 2018. The Ice-Snow World opened on Sunday in Harbin. Covering an area of 600,000 square meters, the park used 110,000 cubic meters of ice and 120,000 cubic meters of snow this year. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 21:56:50|Editor: Liangyu

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Sheep are seen at a sheep-breeding company in Lyushan Town of Changxing County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 23, 2018. A company with 9,000 Hu sheep in Changxing has been developed into a poverty-alleviation base as local government encourages farmers to shake off poverty through raising the sheep. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 22:34:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ABUJA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria has begun to apply drones and new technologies, which are known to be critical in modern warfare, to rout out the remnants of terror group Boko Haram in the country's northeast region, according to Army Chief Tukur Buratai.

In a statement reaching Xinhua on Sunday, Buratai said the army had recently utilized drones in surveillance and research, and that the process was effective in the execution of its operations against the dreaded Boko Haram group.

Likewise, he said even the army uniform is now technology-based and tagged in a way that it sends a signal when troops are in danger.

"Technology is playing important role in warfare and we are not left out," the army chief said.

"We have in place a transformation and innovation department that is working on research and developments, not only on basic equipment but equally more scientific and technological facilities to enable us to carry out our operations," Buratai said.

The Nigerian military has also deployed modern military hardware, rehabilitated office and house accommodation, clinics and executed viable projects for the improvement of the personnel's welfare and boost their morale, according to Buratai.

According to him, the military would equally deploy modern scanning machines to check vehicular movements and enhance security on high ways in the northern part of the country.

Last month, the army claimed that Boko Haram had gone hi-tech, using drones and mercenaries, in attacking military formations in the northeast region.

Boko Haram has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria, killing some 20,000 people and forcing displacement of millions of others.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 22:44:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GAZA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian observers believe that the announcement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), dominated by Islamic Hamas movement, increases the legal and political debate in the Palestinian arena.

Observers warned that the Palestinian political system has descended into a "dark tunnel" thanks to intensifying internal polarization and the continued lack of national consensus, deepening the Palestinian division which has been ongoing since mid-2007.

Abbas announced on Saturday that the inoperative Palestinian Authority (PA) parliament, better known as the 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.

Hamas movement opposed the decision, saying it will deepen the internal Palestinian division.

Yehya Musa, a senior Hamas leader and member of the PLC, said in a press statement that the decision to dissolve the PLC does not have any value.

"The decision of Abbas deepens the internal Palestinian division and destroys the Palestinian political system," said Musa, adding that "the PLC will continue to work and convene as usual, regardless of Abbas' decision."

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

Hamas, a majority in the PLC, has been unilaterally holding regular PLC sessions in the Gaza Strip amid the absence of Fatah Party members and other minor factions and political groups.

"PLC is completely disabled since the beginning of the internal division and its meetings are held in the Gaza Strip, which means that its decisions do not enjoy a consensus," Gaza-based political observer Akram Attallah told Xinhua.

Attallah said dissolving the PLC is a controversial step that will only perpetuate the internal division and widen the gap between the Hamas-ruled Gaza and the West Bank which is ruled by Abbas' Fatah party.

He stressed that the call for new elections "requires Palestinian consensus," adding that the absence of this consensus threatens the Palestinian situation as a whole.

Attallah warned of serious repercussions that may lead to deepening the constitutional vacuum in the Palestinian arena.

Hamas won last parliamentary elections held in 2006 and ousted the Fatah Party, which has dominated the PLC since its establishment in 1996.

For Ghassan al-Khatib, a professor of political science with Birzeit University in Ramallah, the next step is very important in order to assess the repercussions of the move.

"If dissolving the PLC is followed by a call for new elections, it is a step in the right direction, but if the legislative powers are transferred to the Central Council of the PLO, it is a step in the wrong direction," al-Khatib explained.

He added that the powers of an elected council cannot be transferred to the un-elected one, which will further exacerbate the division that has deepened over the past 11 years.

"As long as Abbas dissolved the Legislative Council, he must call for legislative elections within six months," he stressed.

Since the beginning of the internal Palestinian division, holding new elections has been a frequent talk in the Palestinian reconciliation understandings without translating it into real procedures.

Several agreements on Palestinian national reconciliation have been reached under the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt in the past years, but none of them has resulted in a tangible breakthrough to end the division.

Last October, Hamas and Fatah signed an Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation pact in Cairo to heal their prolonged rift.

Under the deal, Hamas should fully hand over its power in Gaza to the Ramallah-based consensus government last December. But the differences between the two sides forced a delay in the implementation of the deal until further notice.

Hani al-Masri, director of the Ramallah-based Masarat Center for Research and Studies, said that the declaration of dissolving the PLC accelerates the transformation of the division into separation.

"We are facing a reality with the presence of two authorities and two leaderships, each of which claims legitimacy," al-Masri told Xinhua.

On the call for new elections, al-Masri stressed that the only way to hold elections at all levels is to end the division and restore unity so as to unite the national institutions.

"Holding elections is impossible as long as the state institutions are not unified," al-Masri added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 22:54:22|Editor: Li Xia

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TOKYO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- A court in Tokyo approved on Sunday a request from prosecutors to extend the detention for Carlos Ghosn, the ousted chairman of Nissan Motor Co., till Jan. 1, 2019.

The approval came after Ghosn was served with a fresh arrest warrant Friday for allegedly having the Japanese automaker shouldering his personal investment losses of some 1.85 billion yen (17 million U.S. 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.

Ghosn 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| 2018-12-23 22:54:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISTANBUL, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his aggressive tweet, saying the Israeli leader is heading a "state terrorism."

"You are the voice of oppressors. You are conducting state terrorism," Erdogan said of Netanyahu at an event in Istanbul.

A day earlier, Netanyahu said on his Twitter account that "Erdogan, the occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey, should not preach to Israel."

"Israel has no right to accuse anyone without accounting for its own sins, crimes against humanity, massacres and destruction," Erdogan countered.

"Unhappy with us for helping Palestinian victims, Israeli prime minister attacked today with vile insults and slander," the Turkish president said. "Netanyahu accuses us of invasion in Cyprus. I think it is a slip of tongue. He was going to say they were invaders themselves in Palestine."

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu denounced Netanyahu as a "cold-blooded killer."

Turkey and Israel returned ambassadors to each other in 2016 in efforts to normalize ties damaged by an Israeli raid on a Turkish aid ship heading toward the Gaza Strip in May 2010, in which nine Turks were killed.

Bilateral relations chilled again in May this year after Ankara recalled its ambassador and expelled the Israeli envoy over the deaths of dozens of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 23:04:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DOHA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Qatar supports the call of the UN Security Council for a cease-fire in Yemen and activating the agreements and commitments reached in the Stockholm negotiations, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported on Sunday.

Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the UN decision would "alleviate the unprecedented human tragedy of the brotherly Yemeni people if all parties are committed to it.

The statement also reiterated Qatar's call to all parties of the conflict in Yemen to abide by international law and to enable international organization.

Yemen has been witnessing the nearly four-year war between the Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.

Earlier on Friday, the UN Security Council approved the deployment for an initial 30 days of an advance monitoring team.
A screen grab taken from footage provided by the Russian Defense Ministry on Dec. 1, 2018 shows the test of an upgraded anti-ballistic missile.

MOSCOW, Dec. 23 (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 has said .

In an interview with Russia's state-run television Channel One on Thursday night, 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 23:14:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin said Sunday that BBC reporters in Russia are working normally, although Moscow is checking the broadcaster's legal compliance after London announced a possible ban on RT channel.

BBC correspondents are working in Russia and enjoying all the benefits of foreign media outlets guaranteed in the law, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Rossiya 1 TV channel.

Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications watchdog, said Friday that it had started inspecting the World News channel and other resources of BBC News for its compliance with Russian law.

Roskomnadzor said the probe was launched in response to the move of the British Office of Communications (Ofcom), Britain's media regulator, which said it had found that the Russian RT news channel "broke broadcasting rules by failing to preserve due impartiality in seven news and current affairs programs."

Ofcom said it examined a prospect of imposing "statutory sanctions" on RT, without providing more details.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-23 23:44:38|Editor: Li Xia

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- SpaceX launched a new breed of GPS satellite for the United States Military on Sunday, marking the private space company's first contracted mission for the country's national security.

A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying U.S. Air Force's first Global Positioning System (GPS) III space vehicle 01 (SV01), was launched at 8:51 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The launch was previously scheduled on Tuesday but delayed four times due to technical and weather reasons.

The GPS III satellite, to be deployed to medium Earth orbit, is designed to deliver positioning, navigation, and timing information. It is three times more accurate than the previous system and up to eight times stronger in its anti-jamming capability.

Because of mission requirements, SpaceX did not attempt to retrieve the reusable Falcon 9's first stage after launch, according to SpaceX.

The launch is a landmark for SpaceX to make a presence in the lucrative military space launch market. In April 2016, SpaceX was awarded the first National Security Space mission and it has four other GPS III missions on contract.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 00:19:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Cassation court sentenced on Sunday the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie to 10 years in jail over anti-government violent acts.

The court also sentenced 37 others to three-year imprisonment in the case publicly known as Beni Suef incidents when Muslim Brotherhood supporters attacked and set fire to a police station, real estate notice office and a school in Upper Egypt's province of Beni Suef on Aug. 14, 2013, official MENA news agency reported.

The Beni Suef Criminal Court previously sentenced Badei and three others to life imprisonment and another 35 to 15 years in jail in the same case.

Muslim Brotherhood-oriented President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the army in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

Many Brotherhood members and loyalists, including Morsi himself, are currently jailed, and have received appealable death sentences and life imprisonments over charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Since Morsi's removal, Egypt has been facing a wave of terror attacks that left hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians dead.

A Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State regional terrorist group claimed responsibility for most of the terror attacks in Egypt.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian military and police killed hundreds of militants and arrested thousands of suspects as part of the country's major anti-terror war.
A Syrian coppersmith works in his shop at the Al-Nahhasin Souk, a marketplace specialized in selling handmade copper products, in Aleppo, northern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

by Hummam Sheikh Ali

ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- In Syria's northern Aleppo city, the determination of the residents to rebuild their lives and city is stronger than the massive destruction that has befallen them.

Two years since its liberation, people have already rolled up their sleeves and started fixing the destruction in the ancient walled marketplace in the city, not discouraged by the devastation.

For Xinhua reporters, in every visit to Aleppo they see something new: squares that are fixed, shops that returned to life, souks getting repaired, some houses that are still damaged but its residents fixed them enough to return, holiday decorations and many more.

Workers carries out the rehabilitation work at the Souk al-Saqatiyya in Aleppo, northern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

It's a sign that the people of Aleppo are truly hard workers, and this trait has for long been known about them even before the war.

This time, the rehabilitation process is underway in the Souk al-Saqatiyya, one stretch of the covered souks of Aleppo, which are around 15 square km in the formerly rebel-held eastern part of the city.

The covered souks in Aleppo are a UNESCO world heritage site that dates back to the 14th century.

Workers inside al-Saqatiyya Souk were actively moving and repairing, as they have finished fixing a small part of that souk since last month as the entire project of fixing the 100-meter-long al-Saqatiyaa souk is expected to take seven more months.

Syrian workers stand on the rooftop of the covered Souk al-Saqatiyya in Aleppo, northern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

Basel al-Zaher, an engineer and the contractor supervising the project, told Xinhua that working on ancient souks needs time and precision as they are not contemporary buildings.

He said that they are trying to rebuild the destroyed parts from the original rocks that fell during the war, noting that the workers are even trying to fix the old blocks so that they could be used again.

Al-Zaher said that before the war and throughout the years, people and shop owners had somehow violated the ancient structure of the souks in general with paintings and extra decoration.

The workers are now trying to restore the shops to their original shapes and reveal the original rocks that have been covered with several layers of paintings during the years.

"We are doing not restoration only for the stones; we are making the restoration for our lifestyle we wanted back again before the war ... we hope it will be like before," he told Xinhua.

Outside the old gates of the souk, a man was sitting on a chair and selling meat sandwiches from a stall in front of him.

When asked why he would be staying here amid the ruins, he said that he owns a shop that is being fixed in al-Saqatyyia.

"Even though I cannot return to my shop now, I have already started working and I am waiting at the gates of the souk. So when my shop is fixed, I could be so close to run back to it," he said, while grilling meat and filling the surrounding with a delicious smell.

That was the case in al-Saqatiyaa, where shop owners, who used to sell meat and groceries, are waiting for the reparation to be done so that they could return.

A Syrian coppersmith works in his shop at the Al-Nahhasin Souk, a marketplace specialized in selling handmade copper products, in Aleppo, northern Syria, on Dec. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

In another part of the old souks of Aleppo, some people have already returned to their shops in the Al-Nahhasin Souk, a marketplace specialized in selling handmade copper products, such as vessels, kettles, lamps, and chandeliers.

Around 10 shops have so far opened in that souk since the army captured the eastern part of Aleppo in December of 2016. Despite the fact that many shops are still closed, the knocking on copper, the sound of radio and chat of people in the opened shops have lent that place a sense of a long-missed life.

Around it, cars horns and bicycles could be heard and seen, and people were the life that streamed back to these places and is helping it rise up from the devastation of war.

Ahmad Ghazoul, a coppersmith, has returned two months ago after he managed to do some reparation to his shop, which took him six months to finish on his own.

"When we returned we found that the terrorists had left us nothing, all in ruins. Thankfully, the government has helped us clean the roads of debris and offered many facilitations for us," he said.

The man said that he and others are starting their lives from scratch and they have managed to overcome the shock and start over.

"As long as there are hope and faith in this country, we will be able to return and to develop," he said.

His neighbor, Khaled Hammoud, said he was the first to return to his shop and encouraged several people to return as well.

"We hope that more people would come to open their shops here ... I hope that this souk would become even better than it was," he told Xinhua.

Surely, the overall reconstruction in Aleppo would take years and need billions of U.S. dollars, but the aforementioned were examples of how people are working their hearts out to win their lives back and restore the glamor to Aleppo, once the economic capital of Syria, to the best of their ability.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 04:20:23|Editor: Lu Hui

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File photo shows the U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon, Virginia, the United States, on Aug. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has picked Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as the acting Pentagon chief, forcing outgoing James Mattis to step down earlier than planned.

Shanahan will assume the role starting Jan. 1, 2019, Trump said in a tweet Sunday noon.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!" The president added.

The announcement came only days after Trump announced that Mattis, the current defense secretary, will retire at the end of February next year.

Shortly before Trump tweeted his decision on Sunday, news broke out that the president was furious at days of negative news coverage over Mattis' resignation and his rebuke over the administration's treatment of U.S. allies in a 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," Mattis wrote Thursday.

The 68-year-old former Marine Corps general said that his views on treating the allies with respect are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues.

"Because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours" on many subjects, "I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis added.

Mattis offered his resignation a day after Trump ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 or so U.S. troops from Syria and declared victory over the Islamic State militant group, a move that Mattis reportedly disagreed strongly.

The scope of Mattis' divergence with Trump went far beyond the U.S. military mission in Syria.

Mattis is a defender of the U.S. alliance with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while the president once bashed NATO for being "obsolete" and often scolded member countries for failing to contribute sufficient funds.

The two also disagreed on issues such as banning transgender recruits from the military, canceling the joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, pulling the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal, as well as deploying troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance," Trump tweeted Saturday. "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."

During the Obama administration, Mattis was forced out as head of U.S. Central Command in 2013 over differences about handling Iran.

Mattis' leaving the Trump administration earlier means that he will not oversee U.S. troops withdrawn in Syria as well as reported reduction of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Seen by his supporters as the only remaining force of stability in the Trump administration, Mattis was the latest in a slew of cabinet members and administration officials who either resigned or were forced to quit within the last two years.

Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State, also resigned earlier in the past week, another sign of senior officials' objection over the U.S. troops withdrawal from Syria.

Trump said Thursday Mattis would "be retiring, with distinction", but did not mention him in announcing the replacement.

Shanahan, 56, became deputy secretary of defense in July 2017. The former longtime Boeing executive reportedly has strong relationships with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence but is set to face questions over his lack of foreign policy or government experience.

A spokesperson for Shanahan said he will accept the appointment as acting secretary.

"Deputy Secretary will continue to serve as directed by the president, and the Department of Defense will remain focused on the defense of the nation," the spokesperson said on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for Mattis, Dana White, said on Twitter that the outgoing secretary will focus over the next week on ensuring a smooth transition.

The reshuffle at the Pentagon also comes as parts of the U.S. federal government are shut down over a budget impasse.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 04:25:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese army on Sunday reiterated support to its leadership, vowing to work within a single security system to preserve the country's security and stability, official SUNA news agency reported.

The Sudanese Armed Forces commanders held a meeting at the Ministry of Defence and reviewed a comprehensive report on the current incidents in the country, the report said.

The armed forces stressed keenness to protect the gains of the people and the security as well as safety of the citizen, it added.

Over the past three days, various areas in Sudan, including Khartoum, have been witnessing popular protests against the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 04:25:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned Kuwaiti ambassador to Khartoum after Kuwaiti embassy asked its citizens not to travel to Sudan.

Undersecretary of Sudanese Foreign Ministry, Yasir Khidir, summoned the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Khartoum, Bassam Mohammed Al-Qabandi, in the wake of requests of the embassy that Kuwaiti citizens do not travel to Sudan and those in Sudan to leave.

According to the ministry's statement, the Kuwaiti ambassador explained that the measure did not mean any signal of political dimension or the unsafety of Sudan.

It meant to alert some Kuwaitians who travel to Sudan for charity or hunting without knowledge of the embassy because there are some events that may endanger their lives.

Over the past few days, various areas in Sudan including Khartoum have been witnessing popular protests against the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 05:05:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan peace monitors on Sunday condemned the attack on the staff of the ceasefire monitoring and verification body in Luri, west of the capital Juba, on Dec. 18 by government security forces.

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) called for full investigation into assault on the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) team.

"We expect that a full and transparent investigation is conducted immediately by the government, and that the perpetrators will face the full force of the law," the peace monitors said in a statement issued in Juba.

"The anger and disappointment this incident provokes is compounded by the fact it is entirely contrary to the letter and spirit of the hard-won peace agreement upon which so many South Sudanese people are relying," it said.

The peace monitors called on the government to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such kinds of violations as the South Sudan's peace continues to take root.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 05:40:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Khartoum International Airport Company on Sunday said that air traffic at the airport was normal, official SUNA news agency reported.

"Domestic and foreign airlines steer flights to and from Khartoum normally without interruption," Mohamed Al-Mahdi Abdoun, the airport's spokesman, was quoted as saying.

Some local media reported earlier that some foreign airlines companies cooperating with Khartoum international airport have stopped flights because of the instability of the U.S. dollar exchange rate against the Sudanese pound.

The Sudanese pound has registered unprecedented decline against foreign currencies in the past few weeks, dropping from one dollar exchanging 65 Sudanese pounds two days ago to 75 Sudanese pounds now in the parallel market.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 05:55:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ABUJA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen people have been confirmed killed following an attack by unidentified gunmen in Nigeria's northern state of Zamfara, local police said on Sunday.

The attack in Magami village of Faru district in the Maradun area of Zamfara late Saturday followed a mid-week attack in which 25 people were killed in another area of the state.

Zamfara police spokesman Muhammed Shehu said more police officers have been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.

State officials, including the acting governor of Zamfara, Sanusi Rikiji, attended the funeral of some victims of the massacre on Sunday.

Zamfara, as well as neighboring Kaduna State in Nigeria's northwest region, has witnessed a series of onslaughts by gunmen in the past six months.

Earlier in the year, the Nigerian government had deployed troops to the two states to forestall attacks.

Hundreds of people have been killed by gunmen in attacks in Zamfara alone this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-24 06:00:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army said on Sunday night that its troops opened fire at "armed infiltrators" after the latter crossed a buffer zone near the Israeli-Syrian border.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spotted armed suspects who crossed a buffer zone into Israel near the Syrian border fence in the Golan Heights.

The buffer zone was established by the United Nations as part of a 1974 cease-fire agreement between Israel and Syria.

In response, the Israeli troops fired towards the suspects, the spokesperson said, adding that no injuries of Israeli soldiers were reported.

The condition of the suspects was not immediately clear.

"The IDF will continue to operate against violations of Israeli sovereignty," the spokesperson added.

The army did not elaborate on the intentions of the armed men.

The incident came amid worries in Israel over U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement about the U.S. troops withdrawal from Syria.

Israel and Syria share a disputed border along the Golan Heights, a territory seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and never recognized internationally.

Israel is concerned about Iranian forces, who are fighting in Syria along Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed Shiite militia.

The Israeli air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against what it says are Iranian military sites and weapons convoys to Hezbollah.

In addition, Israel has often responded to errant fire from the fighting between Syrian army forces and rebels near the border with artillery fire against al-Assad's army positions.
Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan have been extensively promoting their upcoming film 'Simmba'. The duo along with director Rohit Shetty has been travelling across the country to make sure their film reaches every corner.

Ranveer and Sara were in Raipur today along with their co-star Sonu Sood and Rohit. The actors were spotted at the Mumbai airport as they returned after promoting the film.

While all the three - Ranveer, Sonu and Rohit were casually dressed up, Sara looked lovely in a neon green-coloured ethnic wear.

Take a look at their photos here:

(Photo courtesy: Yogen Shah)

Coming to 'Simmba', the film is high on the buzzword ever since its inception. Fans are excited to see Ranveer's first film after his wedding with Deepika Padukone and what makes the film even more special is that it is Sara Ali Khan's second film after her debut with 'Kedarnath'!

For the unversed, Sara is Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter. Her debut 'Kedarnath' has received a thumbs up from athe udience as well as critics and the young actress has been appreciated for her performance in the film.

After 'Kedarnath', fans eagerly await Sara's next.

The film is helmed by Rohit Shetty and it expected to be a major crowd puller. It is set to hit the screens on December 28, 2018.
REWARI: A Sessions court in Haryana on Saturday awarded death sentence to a 19-year-old boy who was convicted of having raped and murdered an 8-year-old girl in Rewari earlier this year. The incident had occurred when the girl was alone at her house in Rewari.

"The sessions court has awarded death sentence to the man convicted of rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl," SP Rewari Rahul Sharma confirmed.

As per reports, the judge termed the incident as a "rarest of rare" and even equated it with the brutal 2012 Nirbhaya case stating that this case too deserved a similar punishment.

The incident took place on June 9 when the convict lured her into his room and raped her. Fearing that he may be caught, he murdered the girl. The victim used to stay in his neighbourhood. It was found by the court that the convict showed porn to the eight-year-old, gagged her, tied her hands and legs and then forced himself on her.
In a major development, an Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Sunday recommended the dismissal of a Major General from service in a two-year-old sexual harassment case.

"The GCM headed by a Lt Gen-rank officer gave its verdict at 3.30 am today in which the officer has been charged under section 354A of the IPC and Army Act 45 which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers in the force," according to news agency ANI.

"He had been charged under section 354 of IPC earlier but court gave special findings and held him guilty under section 354A of IPC," reported ANI.

As per Army Rules, the recommendation of the GCM would now be sent to higher authorities including the Chief of Army Staff for confirmation. The higher authority has the powers to even change the sentence.

Advocate Anand Kumar, representing the Major General in the trial, told ANI that they will be appealing against the order as the "(GCM) court has not at all looked into the defence case. Evidence has not been appreciated properly and decision has been passed in a haste."

The Major General was posted in the Northeast when the alleged incident took place in late 2016 and was attached to Chandimandir under Army`s Western Command for the disciplinary proceedings.

According to ANI, the officer has denied the charges against him levelled by the Captain-rank lady officer.

In a plea filed before the before the Armed Forces Tribunal, the officer had claimed that he was a victim of factionalism within the Army which had allegedly arisen due to the appointment of Army Chief in that year.

During the trial, the officer contended that there have been certain issues raised by him which have not been addressed by the authorities concerned. The officer also has a plea pending before the tribunal for providing him the documents of the proceedings of the GCM and other related investigations in the matter.The officer had played a crucial role in one of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in the last few years.

In 2007, a Major General had to quit Army after a lady officer alleged that he had touched her inappropriately while teaching yoga to her.
New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah said on Sunday that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2019 will not be ordinary elections and called for dislodging what he said anti-national forces engaged in politics of appeasement on the lines of what the country witnessed in 1977 polls post-Emergency.

Addressing a booth-level workers' meeting here, he trained his guns on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying no one can surpass them in lying.

"The forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections are not ordinary elections. Some elections have temporary impact and some elections change the times. Although many elections have been held in this country but the 1977 Lok Sabha elections are worth mentioning in which the people had dislodged the Congress Government.

"Similarly, we have to throw out the anti-national forces engaged in the politics of appeasement and make Narendra Modi again the Prime Minister," Shah said.

He accused the Congress of protecting those guilty in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and hit out at AAP, saying what happened in the Delhi Assembly over the adoption of a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was like "rubbing salt" in the victims' wounds.

"There are only three main political parties in Delhi. Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi have told so many lies that no other person can surpass them," he said.

Shah said a former Congress leader has been awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for 1984 Sikh massacre. This could happen because of the Special Investigation Team formed to ensure justice to the Sikhs.

"But I want to ask: why did the Congress protect the guilty person and why it did not take action at the right time?"

"On the other hand, you must have seen a drama in Delhi Assembly which is like rubbing salt in the wounds of Sikhs by Aam Aadmi Party. Today the AAP and Congress have been exposed," he said.

He also slammed Rahul Gandhi for accusing Modi government of corruption in the Rafale deal.

"Despite the Supreme Court's judgement on the Rafale deal, he is still lying and levelling allegations," he said.

He hit out at Congress accusing it of favouring anti-national forces and making hue and cry over Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"They stood with anti-national forces when surgical strike took place against Pakistan. They did so when the NRC was implemented in Assam. Are not they concerned about the lives of the people who may be killed by the bomb blasts of the infiltrators?" he said.

Shah said that Kejriwal and his Government has completely failed in fulfilling the promises made to the people.

"Every promise of Kejriwal has proved to be false. Be it for 500 schools, three hospitals in every Lok Sabha Constituency, deputing marshals for women in DTC buses, installing CCTV cameras or providing drinking water," he said.
Visakhapatnam: Encouraged by his party's emphatic victory in the recently concluded assembly elections in Telangana, its Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday embarked on a mission to cobble up a Federal Front  a powerful alternative to both the BJP and the Congress at the centre.

According to reports, the TRS chief halted at this port city in Andhra Pradesh where he offered prayers at a temple and sought blessings of a renowned seer.

KCR, as the Telangana CM is popularly known, along with his family members left Hyderabad in a special aircraft.

After landing at Visakhapatnam Airport, they drove to Sharada Peetham.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and his family members performed special prayers at Rajasyamala Temple.

They later took the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra.

Visuals from Visakhapatnam: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao with his family visits Swaroopanand Saraswati Swami Sharada Peetham at Pendurthi. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/9vwfuPKcnC  ANI (@ANI) 23 December 2018

KCR is scheduled to leave for Bhubaneswar in the evening and call on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After a night halt in the Odisha capital, KCR will visit the famous Konark Temple and Jagannadha Temple on Monday and later leave for Kolkata, where he will call on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

After a meeting with the TCM chief, the Telangana Chief Minister will visit Kalimata Temple.

Subsequently, he will leave for New Delhi, where he will have separate meetings with former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

He is expected to stay in the national capital for a couple of days during which the TRS chief will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will have meetings with some Union ministers and discuss state related issues.

KCR, who led TRS to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in December, has earlier announced that he will focus on national politics to work for cobbling up an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

After the electoral victory on December 11, he had stated that a consortium of regional parties may emerge soon.

The TRS chief, who plans to visit various states, has hired the special aircraft for one month.

(With IANS inputs)
Visakhapatnam: Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrashekhar Rao, who embarked on a mission to cobble up a powerful Federal Front, met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday and discussed the possibility of forming a powerful alternative to both BJP and the Congress at the centre.

The Telangana Chief Minister met his Odisha counterpart in Bhubaneshwar.

Odisha: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao meets Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar. pic.twitter.com/xYsVxUMR3j  ANI (@ANI) 23 December 2018

Later speaking to media, KCR said, ''Country needs a change for which dialogue has begun, were doing our part but nothing concrete has emerged. Weve just begun the dialogue; we will meet again to discuss how to take things forward.''

On his meeting with the Odisha CM and BJD chief, KCR said, ''We need to talk to more people across the nation. Theres a dire need for the unification of regional parties as theres a strong need for an alternative to Congress and BJP.''

Speaking on his turn, Patnaik said, ''We discussed several things including friendship of like-minded parties. Weve not thought that (Parliament elections) far. He came to Odisha to offer thanks to Lord Jagannath for his tremendous victory.''

Along with his family members, the TRS chief earlier arrived in the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh where he offered prayers at a temple and sought blessings of a renowned seer.

KCR left Hyderabad in a special aircraft in the morning.

After landing at the Visakhapatnam Airport, they drove to the Sharada Peetham.

The TRS chief and his family members performed special prayers at Rajasyamala Temple.

They later took the blessings of Swami Swarupanandendra.

Visuals from Visakhapatnam: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao with his family visits Swaroopanand Saraswati Swami Sharada Peetham at Pendurthi. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/9vwfuPKcnC  ANI (@ANI) 23 December 2018

KCR then left for Bhubaneswar to call on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After a night halt in the Odisha capital, KCR will visit the famous Konark Temple and Jagannadha Temple on Monday and later leave for Kolkata, where he will call on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

After a meeting with the TCM chief, the Telangana Chief Minister will visit Kalimata Temple.

Subsequently, he will leave for New Delhi, where he will have separate meetings with former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.

He is expected to stay in the national capital for a couple of days during which the TRS chief will make a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will have meetings with some Union ministers and discuss state-related issues.

KCR, who led TRS to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in December, has earlier announced that he will focus on national politics to work for cobbling up an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

After the electoral victory on December 11, he had stated that a consortium of regional parties may emerge soon.

The TRS chief, who plans to visit various states, has hired the special aircraft for one month.

(With Agency inputs)
Kolkata: 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, the UP CM 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 politics 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.
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress for not bringing to justice the guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Speaking at a conclave of the BJP's booth level workers in the national capital, Shah, in a veiled reference to the Congress, said that the Sikh victims had been denied justice for so many years because "the perpetrators of the riots were also the protectors (of the accused)".

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre in four years of its rule had not only "assured justice" to the victims by formation of a special investigation team but also provided compensation to the affected families.

"After the formation of the Modi government, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh has been given to the victims and the formation of SIT has been done to punish the culprits," said Shah.

The BJP chief also lashed out at the AAP for what happened in the Delhi Assembly over the adoption of a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said it was like "rubbing salt" on the victims' wounds.

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 ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia clarified that the lines about the former PM were not part of the original resolution placed before the House. He said it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member, which and it cannot be passed in such a manner.

"What has happened in the Assembly and later was like rubbing salt on the wounds of the anti-Sikh riot victims. It has exposed the double-faced character of the Aam Aadmi Party," he said.

Speaking about illegal immigrants, he reiterated that the BJP government will identify and expel the "infiltrators" from the country. He questioned the Congress' stand over the issue and accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of supporting illegal migrants. "In Assam alone, 40 lakh infiltrators were identified. Soon Rahul and his company started making a ruckus in the Parliament. Why are you so worried about them? You worry about infiltrators but not for our citizens who die in bomb blasts by the infiltrators? Why do you worry about them? Are they your cousins (mausere bhai)?" asked Shah.

He also trained his guns at Gandhi over the Rafale deal. "Despite the Supreme Court's judgement on the Rafale deal, he (Gandhi) is still lying and levelling allegations," Shah said.

Exuding confidence about the BJP returning to power after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah said the party's win will mean the victory of nationalism over casteism and nepotism. He claimed that the BJP will return to power in 2019 with a bigger mandate than 2014.

Targeting the AAP, he said the party's chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who claims to be a common man, is now moving around with security personnel. "Where are the hospitals, schools, marshals in buses for women's security and CCTV cameras? The condition of Mohalla Clinics is such that filth and dogs have been found in many of them," he said.

The Kejriwal government has "failed" to keep its promises in Delhi, he alleged.

Shah claimed that the Modi government had fulfilled all its promises for Delhi and the BJP will give an account of its work to the voters in 2019 elections. He added that it was "unfortunate" that the Kejriwal government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi fearing Modi will gain popularity.

Shah accused the Congress of "bungling" crores of rupees by using the National Herald building as "private property". He alleged that the party hid Rs 600 crore to save income tax.
Bengaluru: Putting to rest all speculations, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.

Clearing the air over speculations on Rahul mulling to contest 2019 polls from Bidar in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, "Rahul Gandhi will again contest the Lok Sabha poll from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh."

Notably, Amethi is a constituency from where Rahul Gandhi's ancestors have been winning elections for the past over several decades.

Speaking to media, Siddaramaiah said: "There is no such proposal that Rahul will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Karnataka. He will contest only from Amethi seat."

The former Karnataka Chief Minister also said that the Congress was leaving nothing unturned to win the coming Lok Sabha polls.

"Our party is ready, well prepared for the coming poll," he said.

He also expressed hopes that the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan will successfully take on and outs the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.
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 in Hyderabad.

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".
NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday refused to answer any questions over the MHA order authorising 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer. The Home Minister said that he will respond in Parliament if there are questioned which he is asked.

"The Ministry has already issued a clarification. I can't say anything on it right now as Parliament is in session. If I am asked, I will speak on it in the Parliament," he said.

The government has been facing flak over the order with opposition parties claiming that the Centre has given snooping powers to the agencies. In a clarification on Friday, the Home Ministry had said that the notification "does not confer any new powers" and "every individual case will continue to require prior approval" of the Ministry and the state government.

The statement of the Ministry said that "adequate safeguards" were provided in the Information and Technology (IT) Act 2000 and similar provisions and procedures already existed in the Telegraph Act along with identical safeguards.

"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 Home Ministry or state government. MHA has not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security agency," said the statement.

Mentioning some points on the lawful interception or monitoring or decryption of information through computer resource, the Ministry cited Rule 4 of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules 2009.

It said the rule 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'.

"The statutory order dated December 20 has been issued in accordance with rules framed in the year 2009 and in vogue since then. The notification has been issued to notify the ISPs (Internet Service Providers), TSPs and intermediaries to codify the existing orders.

"Each case of interception, monitoring, decryption is to be approved by the competent authority like Union Home Secretary," said the statement.

The Home Ministry's December 20 order issued by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba gave the interception powers to the Intelligence Bureau, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Control Board, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Cabinet Secretary (RAW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (for service areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast and Assam only) and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi.
MUMBAI: A major fire was reported at a cloth factory at Damu Nagar in Kandivali (East) in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.

The cloth factory is said to be located very close to the MIDC bus stop.

At least four fire tenders are present at the spot and efforts are on to douse the fire.

Mumbai: Level-2 fire breaks out in a cloth factory at Damu Nagar near MIDC bus stop in Kandivali (East). Four fire tenders present at the spot. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/O2wow42eLz  ANI (@ANI) 23 December 2018

According to the fire department, it was a level-2 fire which broke out at the cloth factory.

It is not known yet as to what caused the fire.

The fire is believed to have completely ravaged the cloth factor and affected several other nearby buildings.

Meanwhile, another incident of fire was reported from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra.

The fire was reported at a godown here.

Spot visuals: Fire breaks out in a godown in Bhiwandi. Fire tenders present at the spot. More details awaited. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/OTBVMMvqfx  ANI (@ANI) 23 December 2018

Several teams of fire brigade have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire.
Pune: Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on 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 is no 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 a total of 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 a 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 Lok Sabha polls, Anil Shirole of the BJP had defeated Vishwajeet Kadam of Congress from Pune. The seat was traditionally represented by Congress veteran Suresh Kalmadi.
New Delhi: Bollywood's leading actresses Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone reportedly shared cold vibes over Ranveer Singh, who was once rumoured to be romantically involved with the former.

Reports of the rivalry between the two leading ladies started after the two refused to acknowledge each other's presence despite being present at the same event. Moreover, during one of the episodes of 'Koffee With Karan' when host Karan Johar asked Anushka and Katrina Kaif about their friendship with Deepika, both of them remained silent.

However, that was all past. And as per the latest report, both of them have now decided to bury the hatchet and be friends with each other, at least on social media.

Anushka, who was followed by both Deepika and Ranveer on Instagram, have followed them back. The actress has also followed other colleagues including Sara Ali Khan, Alia Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Dia Mirza.

It is believed that Ranveer and Deepika took the first step after they sent flowers to Anushka and Virat last year and congratulated them for their wedding.

Anushka too returned back the sweet gesture as she sent out a love-filled wish to the newlywed couple - DeepVeer, who tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Italy. Her tweet read, "Wishing you both a world of happiness and a beautiful journey together. May the love & respect you have in each other, grow leaps and bounds. And welcome to the club @RanveerOfficial @deepikapadukone."

She then surprised everyone by attending DeepVeer's wedding reception in Mumbai. She then met them again at Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding reception. And it would not be wrong to say that all the bad blood between then has faded out.

For the unversed, Anushka, who is now happily married to Indian skipper Virat Kohli, had once reportedly dated Ranveer. The two even worked together in back-to-back two films, 'Band Baaja Baraat' and 'Ladies vs Ricky Bahl'. However, both of them headed for a splitsville and Ranveer found his love in Deepika, with whom he went to tie the knot.

Though Anushka and Deepika never spoke ill about each other, the two were reported to give cold shoulder to each other at parties. However, it seems like both of them buried the hatchet.
New Delhi: Christmas is around the corner and the festivities have begun! Filmmaker Ritesh Sidhwani hosted a Christmas bash at his residence last night and various B-Towners were seen in attendance. Eyebrows were raised when rumoured couple Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor were seen entering the venue together while Malaika's ex-husband Arbaaz Khan arrived with his alleged girlfriend Giorgia Andriani.

The Christmas bash brought the former couple under the same roof along with their current partners. Despite separating from Arbaaz, Malaika shares a great rapport with his family.

Check out the pics here:

(Image Courtesy: Yogen Shah)

Earlier this month, the whole Khan family came together under one roof to celebrate Salma Khan's birthday. Malaika attended the birthday bash and as per insiders, there was no awkwardness between her and her ex-husband.

Both Malaika and Arbaaz have happily moved on in life with their respective partners and remain to be on cordial terms.

"Malaika has separated from Arbaaz, not from his family. She continues to be part of the Khan-daan, attending all their functions. Relationship-wise both Malaika and Arbaaz have proven to be wise. He has moved on. So has she," The Asian Age quoted a source as saying.

The same report also revealed that Malaika, who is currently dating Arjun Kapoor, is planning to tie the knot with him soon.

"Their wedding is already being discussed in Malaika and Arjun's respective families. They are planning two ceremonies, one according to Hindu rites and the other a church wedding," a source told the newspaper.
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Disha Patani is often making headlines due to her glamorous and alluring posts. The stunning actress has a huge ocean of fans who are always eager to know more about their favourite actress's personal and professional life.

Disha took to Instagram and shared a selfie in her no-makeup look.

Check it out here:

Well, if that gave you some 'Lazy Sunday Vibes' we don't blame you!

The actress is blessed with gorgeous features and works hard to keep her body perfectly toned. Much like her rumoured beau Tiger Shroff, Disha is known to be fitness freak and often shares pics and videos from her workout sessions.

On the work front, she will share screen space with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in 'Bharat'. The film is slated for an Eid 2019 release and it one of the most-anticipated releases of the year. Not much has been revealed about Disha's role in the film but reports are that the actress will be playing a trapeze artist in the film.

While we have seen a glimpse of Salman and Katrina's look from 'Bharat', there hasn't been a single picture of Disha from sets. Looks like makers are keeping her look under the wraps and will surprise us with the same!
WASHINGTON DC: American reality star Khloe Kardashian has always been defending herself from haters on social media, and Khloe had to it again!

On Friday, the 35-year-old star posted a black and white picture with her mother Kris Jenner when an Instagram user commented, "Would you keep IG if all photo editing apps were gone forever??" To this, she fired back, "Would you? Sometimes I wonder why people comment if it adds no value to one's life?"

She continues, "Maybe I'm just different...but I don't care to be negative or passive aggressive. Our world is toxic enough as it is. It is sad people care to criticize something like an editing app," said the reality star.

Later, another user Implying Khloe that she heavily edited the photo, commented, "'Let it go, babe. Say something nice or just let it go. Don't add to the hatred in the world. How does this serve you, love?"

Constantly defending herself she said, "But babe, how are you saying I Photo shopped my face if you really don't [know],' asked the denim mogul," adding that 'Did you alter this photo? I just don't understand how people are positive about certain things. But also I don't see how that affects anybody else's day.'

This is not the first time that Khloe has reacted on receiving negative comments. Earlier, Khloe defended her sister Kim Kardashian when an Instagram user argued on Kim's daughter Chicago, who looked more like her surrogate mother.
New Delhi: The powerhouse of talent and the king of quirks Ranveer Singh is gearing up for his next release, 'Simmba'. The hunk of an actor is currently promoting the film on different platforms along with the gorgeous Sara Ali Khan. On Sunday, Ranveer took to Instagram stories and shared a meme on his 'Simmba' co-star which will leave you in splits!

Check out the screenshot here:

We bet you can't stop laughing after this!

Coming to 'Simmba', the film is high on the buzzword ever since its inception. Fans are excited to see Ranveer's first film after his wedding with Deepika Padukone and what makes the film even more special is that it is Sara Ali Khan's second film after her debut with 'Kedarnath'!

For the unversed, Sara is Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter. Her debut 'Kedarnath' has received a thumbs up from athe udience as well as critics and the young actress has been appreciated for her performance in the film.

After 'Kedarnath', fans eagerly await Sara's next.

A couple of days back, the song 'Tere Bin' from the film was unveiled and Sara's crackling chemistry with Ranveer grabbed eyeballs. Filmed in the picturesque backdrop of Switzerland, 'Tere Bin' has been composed by Tanishk Bagchi and is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Asees Kaur. The first song to be released from the film was 'Aankh Maarey' and it turned out to be a chartbuster.

'Simmba' is helmed by Rohit Shetty and it expected to be a major crowd puller. The film will hit the screens on December 28.
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday raked up the issue of constructing a Ram Temple in the holy city of Ayodhya and assured that only his party  BJP  will fulfill the dreams of millions of Hindus by building a grand temple dedicated to the deity.

Some people were saying that they will only vote for the party that will build Ram temple. Whenever it happens and whoever does it, I assure you well be the ones to do it, nobody else can do it, UP CM said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow: Some people were saying that they will only vote for the party that will build Ram temple. Whenever it happens and whoever does it, I assure you well be the ones to do it, nobody else can do it. pic.twitter.com/tQp3Xy1DXk  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 23 December 2018

The monk-politician made these remarks in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on Sunday.

The statement from UP comes days ahead of the scheduled hearing of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute cases in the first week of January 2019.

While a section of BJP leaders has openly favoured the early construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the Opposition parties have accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of using the Ram temple issue for political gains.

BJP's estranged NDA ally Shiv Sena had earlier this month demanded that a triple talaq-like ordinance should be passed by the Narendra Modi-led government for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Sena, which has resolved to go solo in the future elections, has often targeted the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-powered BJP for delaying the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya despite having a majority.

The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528, was, on December 6, 1992, razed to the ground allegedly by Hindu activists, claiming that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a Ram temple that originally stood there

Earlier, a three-judge bench, by a 2:1 majority, refused to refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgment that a mosque was not integral to Islam. The matter had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute.

An apex court bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the civil suit has to be decided on the basis of evidence, adding that the previous verdict has no relevance to this issue.

As many as 14 appeals have been filed against the high court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77 acres of land be partitioned equally among three parties  the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
Beijing: 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.
JAKARTA: At least 43 people have been killed and over six hundred people have been wounded in a tsunami that hit Indonesia on Saturday. The tsunami is likely to have been caused by a volcano known as the "child" of the legendary Krakatoa, officials said. The death toll is likely to increase.

The waves hit beaches in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9.30 pm local time (1430 GMT) on Saturday leaving dozens of buildings in tatters.

As per officials, the tsunami may have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The national disaster agency said that Indonesia's geological agency was investigating the cause.

Anak Krakatoa is a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean half a century after Krakatoa's deadly 1883 eruption.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The country regularly experiences deadly earthquakes, including most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island where a quake and tsunami killed thousands of people.

Anak Krakatoa is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago.

(With agency inputs)
Open source

Pioneering Spirit pipelaying vessel joined the flotilla to lay Nord Stream-2 pipeline, reads the message on the website of Nord Stream-2.

The vessel will continue installation of the natural gas pipeline following the pipelay vessel Solitaire, which started construction in Finland in September. Solitaire has moved to the southern part of the Swedish exclusive economic area, where it will start construction of the 510-kilometer section over the next few months.

Related: EP condemns Nord Stream 2, urges to cancel project

Pioneering Spirit, operated by Allseas, is 382 metres long and 124 metres wide, and hosts an international crew of 570, whereas Solitaire is 300 metres long and 41 metres wide with a 420-strong crew. The pipelay vessels are supported by a survey vessel, which will monitor the pipelay process and ensure that the pipeline is installed at its correct position along the agreed route on the seabed. Pipe joints will be supplied to the pipelay vessels around the clock from the projects nearest logistics hub in Hanko, Finland and Karlshamn, Sweden respectively, to reduce the environmental footprint, reads the message.

As is known, Russia's energy monopolist Gazprom and its partners are intended to begin the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project, which cost ten billion dollars in April 2018. It is expected that the 1,200 km-long gas pipeline will be laid through the Baltic Sea, and will connect Russia and Germany, bypassing Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries. The capacity of the gas pipeline will be twice as much as the first Nord Stream's. The construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2019.

Related: Nord Stream 2: 300 km of pipeline built

Nord Stream 2 will have the capacity to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine could lose up to $ 3 billion, or 3% of GDP due to the Nord Stream-2.

Ukraine is adamantly opposed to the construction by calling it politically motivated and suggesting the EU to create a consortium with the involvement of European companies to manage the existing and more efficient transportation route through Ukraine. A number of EU countries, such as Poland and Lithuania have expressed their disagreement with the Nord Stream 2 project
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes the adoption of the annual resolution The Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine, passed by the UN General Assembly. This is stated in the press service of the Foreign Ministry.



"This decision is another evidence of the international community's firm support of the need to respect human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The General Assembly stated that the human rights situation on the Ukrainian peninsula is rapidly deteriorating, and the Russian Federation continues to grossly violate the occupiers own obligations. The delegations condemned the Russian Federations failure to comply with the previous General Assembly resolutions 71/205 and 72/190, approved in 2016 and 2017, respectively," says the statement of the Foreign Ministry.

65 countries voted in favor of the document; 27 voted against and 70 abstained.

The UN document expresses deep concerns about the reports of torture by Russian prison workers and beating out the testimony in politically motivated cases against the defendants and other political prisoners.



The resolution calls to secure human rights and basic freedoms of the unlawfully sentenced prisoners, both in the occupied Crimea and the Russian territory. The document stresses that the Kremlin prisoners should have the right for medical care, doctors and experts of international organizations should have access to them to monitor their health.

The General Assembly calls to follow, in accordance with the international law, the rights of the Ukrainian prisoners and detainees in Crimea and the Russian Federation, including their release, especially those who declared a hunger strike. It calls for respect of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), reads the document.



The resolution also calls for granting access to the Ukrainian consuls and ombudsman to all Ukrainian political prisoners in the occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation, according to the Vienna Convention.

This is the third Ukraine-initiated UN resolution on the state of human rights in Crimea, adopted by the General Assembly over the past two years.
According to the ministry, more than a thousand illegal migrants were detained by border guards only at the green part of the border

Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian border guards detained more than 3,000 illegal migrants. Head of the agency Petro Tsyhykal reported that as quoted by the press service of the department.



According to the ministry, more than a thousand illegal migrants were detained by border guards only at the green part of the border.



According to Tsyhykal, in comparison with the last year, the number of detained illegal migrants increased by 20-30%. He also added that an increase in the flow of illegal migration is observed through channels of legal entry into Ukraine, such as airports and automobile checkpoints. Foreigners arrive allegedly without intentions to go to the EU, but subsequently, border guards detain them in the western sections of the border.



As for those detained at the green part of the border, most often they are citizens of Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, Iraq, India and Moldova. Most of them tried to get to the EU countries in search of better living conditions.



The majority of the illegal migrants detained since the beginning of the year (1,950 people) violated the rules of staying in Ukraine. These are mainly the citizens of Moldova, Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

Earlier, the border guards banned more than 1,500 Russian citizens from entering Ukraine. Oleg Slobodyan, Assistant to the Chairman of Ukraines State Border Guard Service claimed this in a commentary to 112 Ukraine.

As of today, these measures will be taken until the end of the martial law, but if there is still a necessity, we will continue to exercise enhanced control in the future, Slobodyan said.



In most cases, these people are the ones who couldn't prove their purpose of visit or exceeded the stay in Ukraine during the previous visits.

Over the same period of time, 350 Ukrainian citizens were refused in entering Russia without any reason explained.

Related: Foreign Ministry advises Ukrainians to refrain from traveling to Indonesia due to tsunami
A 29-year-old Russian citizen got arrested for the bank robbery on the island of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean. On the morning of December 21, a man armed with a gun went to Sparebank 1 of Nord-Norge branch in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of the province of Svalbard. Svalbardposten reported that, specifying that local authorities called him a "tourist".



There were only three employees there, at the point of the gun they gave the robber 70,000 NOK (USD 8,000). The alarm worked at 10:40 a.m, and 20 minutes later, the offender was detained.



As it turned out, he legally received a rifle in Svalbard. It is not specified what made the Russian commit the crime. He was arrested for four weeks and sent to the city of Troms in mainland Norway. The investigation is underway; the man will be charged.
The document mentions the names of political prisoners from Crimea: Oleg Sentsov, Volodymyr Balukh and Emir-Usein Kuku

The UN General Assembly endorsed the resolution Situation with the human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol city, Ukraine, earlier introduced by the official Kyiv authority. Ukrinform news agency reported that.

65 countries voted in favor of the document, 27  against and 70 abstained.

The UN document expresses deep concerns about the reports of torture by Russian prison workers and beating out testimony in politically motivated cases against defendants and other political prisoners.

Related: UN General Assembly ratifies migrants pact

The UN resolution mentions the names of political prisoners from Crimea, Oleg Sentsov, Volodymyr Balukh and Emir-Usein Kuku.

The resolution calls to secure human rights and basic freedoms of the unlawfully sentenced prisoners both in the occupied Crimea and the Russian territory. The document stresses that the Kremlin prisoners should have the right for medical care, doctors and experts of international organizations should have access to them to monitor their health.

The General Assembly calls to follow, in accordance with the international law, the rights of the Ukrainian prisoners and detainees in Crimea and the Russian Federation, including their release, especially those who declared a hunger strike. It calls for respect of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), reads the document.

Related: 44 cases of human rights violations recorded in annexed Crimea over three months

The resolution also calls for granting, according to the Vienna Convention, access to the Ukrainian consuls and ombudsman to all Ukrainian political prisoners in the occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation.

This is the third Ukraine-initiated UN resolution on the state of human rights in Crimea, adopted by the General Assembly over the past two years.
In most cases, these are the ones who couldn't prove their purpose of visit or exceeded the stay in Ukraine during the previous visits

Open source

Since the beginning of the martial law, the border guards refused more than 1,500 Russian citizens to enter Ukraine. Oleg Slobodyan, Assistant to the Chairman of Ukraines State Border Guard Service claimed this in a commentary to 112 Ukraine.

As of today, these measures will be taken until the end of the martial law, but if there is a need retained, we will continue to exercise the enhanced control in the future, Slobodyan said.

Related: Two Russian journalists were not allowed to enter Ukraine

In most cases, these are the ones who couldn't prove their purpose of visit or exceeded the stay in Ukraine during the previous visits.

Over the same period of time, 350 Ukrainian citizens were banned to enter Russia without any reason explained.

As we reported earlier, the Russian Navy attacked the Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov. The vessels were damaged, and the crews captured by the Russian special services. Ukraine and the Western governments consider the attack an act of aggression.

The Ukrainian sailors were taken to a remand center in Crimea, and then in Moscow, charged with the 'illegal crossing of the Russian territorial waters'. All sailors deny their guilt, claiming they are prisoners of war.
According to Gavin Williamson, this indicates support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian aggression

The HMS Echo reconnaissance ship of the British Navy, which entered the port of Odesa, is a signal to Russia, indicating support for Ukraine in the face of the threat of aggression. Minister of Defense of Great Britain Gavin Williamson said that during his visit to Ukraine, BBC reports.



"What we are saying to Russia, what we are saying to President Putin is they cannot continue to act and ignore the international laws and norms," the minister said.



According to Williamson, other warships will follow this ship as part of a more permanent British presence.



It is also reported that the Minister of Defense of Great Britain organized meetings with the families of 24 captured Ukrainian sailors.



However, the HMS Echo ship will not proceed along the Kerch Strait, where the attack on the Ukrainian military occurred. The publication reports that Moscow said that the ship of Britain was a spy vessel.

Earlier we reported that the U.S. is preparing to send a military vessel to the Black Sea.

The U.S. military has requested that the State Department notify Turkey of its possible plans to sail a warship into the Black Sea, three U.S. officials tell CNN, a move they described as the response to Russia's actions against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the message says.

This step is committed amid the escalation of tensions in the region as a reaction to Russias aggressive actions, which caused the attack and capture of the Ukrainian vessels and detention of sailors.

At the same time, Russias Defence Ministry announced the conduction of military drills in Eastern Crimea with the use of Pantsir-S1 system.

The United States carries out its activities consistent with the terms of the Montreaux Convention. We will not, however, comment on the nature of our diplomatic correspondence with the Government of Turkey," the representative of the U.S. State Department said.
Moscow sent Su-27 and Su-30 combat aircraft to the annexed peninsula 'because of the escalation of the situation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov'

More than ten Russian fighter jets, Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 arrived at Belbek airfield near Sevastopol on December 22, Reuters reported citing its sources in the annexed Crimea.

Meanwhile, the Russian media report that two Russian Sukhoi Su-30M2 fighter jets tested the new airstrip at Belbek airfield. The planes arrived from Krymsk in Krasnodar Krai.

Related: Russia deploys fighter aircraft at airfield near occupied Sevastopol

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Russia claimed that the construction works at the airfield began in spring.

The construction of first priority objects is completed already. That includes a new runway with a length of 3450 meters, taxiways and aircraft parking lots and a special purpose site, which makes it possible to carry out scheduled flights and flights of the military aircraft around the clock under different weather conditions.

Russia reported that after the completion of all works on the airfield, a squadron of Su-27SM and Su-30M2 fighters, which were relocated to Krymsk, would return to Belbek.

Related: Belgian Air Force fighters intercept Russian fighter aircraft over Baltic Sea

Foreign media note that the transfer of the combat aircraft happened amidst the escalation of the situation around the Sea of Azov after the incident when the Russians captured three Ukrainian vessels and its crews in the Black Sea.

Crimea was annexed by Russia after the illegal referendum held on the peninsula in March 2014. Earlier, the Russian military captured all strategic military objects and buildings of the key authoritative bodies. Neither Ukraine nor the rest of the civilized countries recognized the results of the referendum. A number of the European and the world countries, including Ukraine, imposed the economic sanctions against Russia.
Marles said he found the size of the turnout heartwarming. Quite so. I hope that he and senator Wong also saw it as a very clear signal that what they think, say, and (possibly) do in relation to the Pacific is no longer a niche issue that no-one really pays attention to.

They were there to hear from former foreign minister Gareth Evans, shadow foreign minister Penny Wong, and shadow defence minister Richard Marles. The focus of the event was Australias role in the Pacific and what a new era under Labor might look like.

VILA - Last Tuesday in Adelaide, on the fringe of the Australian Labor Partys national conference, around 160 people gathered. It was, by all accounts, the best attended of these events.

Senator Penny Wong - aware of the Pacific's sensitivity that Australia do its part in the struggle against climate change

All spoke emphatically and were well prepared. Even given the small amount of time allowed, this was not a one-dimensional discussion. All the big ticket items were covered  climate change, security, aid, labour mobility, infrastructure  although none in any great detail.

So, has this side of Australian politics been listening to what we in the Pacific have been saying?

Certainly the speakers were at pains to emphasise that a Labor government would engage with Pacific states on the basis of partnership not patronage.

There was an explicit recognition that if Australia wants better relationships with Pacific states, it is something that needs to be worked on. And there was discussion of partnership in various forms: with Pacific island countries first and foremost and with other regional powers, including New Zealand, China and the USA.

Wong was explicit about the need for Australia to be seen to be doing more at home to mitigate the impacts of climate change as well as supporting adaptation in the region.

She is now able to point to a motion passed by conference that commits a future Labor government to an emissions reduction target of 45%.

If Australia is able to take this to next Septembers climate summit to be convened by the secretary general of the UN, it will make Australia a stand-out performer among developed countries in terms of raised ambition.

However, when pushed as to whether Labor should do more (such as placing a ban on any new coal mines), Wong was non-committal.

More widely, the senator was emphatic about the underlying approach that she and a Labor government would adopt. Having experienced colonial attitudes herself growing up in Malaysia, she was adamant there would be no place for them in a ministry she leads.

When Marles spoke about security and defence cooperation, he was careful to avoid language that might jar with those who have expressed concern about announcements that conjure up visions of militarisation of the Pacific.

He said he remains open-minded about the proposed redevelopment of the naval base on Manus in Papua New Guinea. His focus was much more on exhorting Australia and Australians to fall in love with the Pacific as the basis for relationships that are about partnerships and not driven by some sort of strategic denial agenda.

Evans reflected on his Pacific experience when he was foreign minister and also offered up some suggestions for his younger colleagues to consider if and when they take office.

Among them were not to use the term our patch when talking about the region (he admitted that he had made that mistake himself previously), and to get the ABC back into the Pacific on shortwave radio.

He was also in favour of adopting the current governments initiative to have a Pacific office within DFAT to facilitate more and better whole of government engagement in Canberra.

There were no new announcements during the event, but there were plenty of references to previous commitments: to increase the aid budget to 0.5% of gross national income from its current level of 0.22% (but we dont know the detail of how this will be done or over what period), to institute an infrastructure financing facility to provide grants and loans, to work within the Pacific Islands Forum as the premier political grouping, to reinstate the position of Minister for the Pacific and International Development (it was downgraded to the position of assistant minister by Scott Morrison).

Years ago Evans talked about the importance of good global citizenship as a guiding principle for Australias foreign policy. At this event we heard Marles say that how Australia behaves towards and in the Pacific says a lot about who we are and what we are on about in the world and Wong say that Labors attitude to engaging with our region is informed by doing the right thing rather than in order to gain political advantage at home or away.

Elsewhere there was talk of Labor developing a Pacific policy to be launched ahead of the Federal elections next year.

I hope that what appears in this policy is informed by listening to the people of the region that Penny Wong assures us is front and centre when it comes to Labor foreign policy.
Democratic leaders accused an isolated President Donald Trump on Monday of sowing Christmas "chaos" after the stock market plummeted and the US government shutdown hit a third day. "It's Christmas Eve and President Trump is plunging the country into chaos," Nancy Pelosi, who takes over next month as House speaker, and Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Republican-led Senate, said in a joint statement. With Congress out of town, there was no chance for progress on the government funding crisis. Trump's demand for a $5 billion US-Mexico border wall -- a pillar of his election platform -- has been rejected by Democrats and some Republicans. In retaliation, Trump refused last week to sign a wider spending bill, temporarily stripping funding from swaths of the government. "Nothing new on the shutdown. We need more border security," Trump said at the White House on Monday. Trump tweeted more than 10 times on Monday to lash out at opponents of the wall project and to renew his verbal assaults on the Federal Reserve, which he blames for growing jitters over the US economy. The Dow Jones index sank more than 650 points, the worst ever performance on a Christmas Eve, according to CNBC television. Outside the White House, Washington's National Christmas Tree became a forlorn symbol of the dysfunction when the National Park Service -- one of the government bodies hit by the funding shutdown -- briefly turned off the lights. It was brought back on after help from the service's charity foundation. And the budget standoff could drag on into January, when the new Congress is seated, although negotiations were planned for Thursday, offering a glimmer of hope. Trump, who had to delay his annual Christmas holiday in Florida, tweeted: "I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back." - 'He can't putt!' - The government shutdown adds to uncertainties spooking global stock markets after a tumultuous week in which respected Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned and the president stepped up attacks on the supposedly independent chairman of the Federal Reserve. Last week, the central bank hiked rates, infuriating Trump who has ignored traditional respect for the Fed's independence, calling it "crazy," "out of control" and a greater economic threat than China. In a tweet Monday, Trump compared the Fed to a blundering golfer "who can't score because he has no touch - he can't putt!" Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had spent much of the weekend in damage control mode following reports that Trump had privately asked cabinet members whether he has the authority to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. And domestic issues are just part of the far from merry Christmas picture, with Trump also juggling a trade war with China and fallout from his abrupt decision to pull US troops from Afghanistan and Syria. - Wall of worry - About three-quarters of the government, including the military, is fully funded through September 2019 but the partial shutdown forced several other major agencies to cease operations from Saturday. The shutdown meant that more than 400,000 federal employees reported to their jobs on Monday without getting paid, while nearly 400,000 others "will be locked out of work with no pay," the American Federation of Government Employees union said. "No private business or company would be permitted to impose on or disrupt the lives of their employees in such a manner," the Federation said in letters to the Senate and House of Representatives. A deal to end the funding shortfall appears a distant prospect as Congress adjourned on the weekend for Christmas. "It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress" which takes its seat in early January, White House budget director and incoming acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said. But while trying to pin the blame on Democrats, Mulvaney, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," acknowledged that Trump's hardline stand played a role. "This is what Washington looks like when you have a president who refuses to sort of go along to get along," Mulvaney said. Litter spills out of a public dustbin on the National Mall in Washington as the US government shutdown goes into its third day The area around the National Christmas Tree near the White House has been closed by the partial government shutdown, which US Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said could last into 2019 Litter spills out of a public trash can next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall US federal budget deficits and government shutdowns since fiscal year 1989 (Oct 1998-Sept 1989) A gate leading to public restrooms is locked at the Ellipse visitor center near the National Christmas Tree that is currently closed to the public due to the partial shutdown
Come December and Ghana's coastal capital, Accra, is abuzz with people celebrating the holidays over a glass of Kokroko, pito or palm wine. For Ghanaians, it is traditional and locally made drinks that have been resurrected or often given a new twist that are de rigueur during the festive season. This month is all about "parties, drinking and enjoying", says artist Tijana Jawarah Ali, sipping a scarlet Kokroko cocktail at a bar in Osu, the beating heart of Accra's nightlife. The Kokroko is made with the Ghanaian spirit akpeteshie, a liquor that comes from sugar cane and is common in rural areas but is being repurposed by the glitziest bars and restaurants. At the Republic Bar, the cocktail is made with crushed ice and sobolo, a drink made from hibiscus leaves. Co-owner Raja Owusu-Ansah set up the venue in 2012 with the express hope of one day being able to show off local spirits, such as akpeteshie. When he was growing up, akpeteshie used to be served on special occasions in Ghana and he said he wanted to bring it into the mainstream. Artisan akpeteshie distillers now produce the bar's own brand, relying on local farmers along the coast to supply the sugar cane. The result is a clear liquid, with a sweet aroma and flavour, similar to Brazil?s Cachaca, Owusu-Ansah says. - Pito time - In the nearby harbour city of Tema, Ghanaians battle the heavy festive season traffic to grab a seat at Pito House. For over three decades at her neighbourhood bar, 67-year-old grandmother Veronica Dakurah has been making her famous pito, a brew from dried sorghum and water. Pito has substance; it's not carbonated but has a lingering sour aftertaste. Dakurah serves her pito in a calabash -- a container made out of a hollowed gourd -- or serves it in plastic bottles, both in the bar and to take away. Large iron cauldrons of her brown liquid brew for hours over an open fire made from wood and bamboo. Dakurah knows that demand will likely increase as the holidays reach a crescendo and partygoers flock to clubs and beaches to dance under the stars. "They know that pito has no chemicals, that's why they like it," she said, all the while patrons coming in and out of her simple bar. She serves two versions, one with alcohol and the other without. Pito, a drink traditionally served in the country's arid north, is becoming more popular in the south. John Buabassah, a truck driver working in Tema, regularly comes in for a pito and chats with other people on the simple wooden benches. He sits with farmer Mamudu Sully and security guard John Acquah who both extoll the virtues of the drink. "I take pito and I feel strong all the time!" said Acquah, punching the air. - Hibiscus beer and palm wine - The enthusiasm for local drinks has flowed into the beer market. Traditionally, the beer market in Accra has been dominated by the big multinationals, such as Guinness Breweries Star beer and SAB Miller's Club lager, which are found everywhere from high-end hotels to shacks by the sea. But professional brewer Clement Djameh is increasingly receiving requests for his small batch beers, including his full-bodied golden caramel-coloured pale ale made with malted sorghum. Between parties, weddings and funerals, Djameh says he can't keep up with demand. His Inland Microbrewery, set up in the outskirts of Accra in 2003, was the city's first microbrewery and occupies the bottom floor of a large house. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away in Washington, in the United States, others are following suit. Recognising the potential of a beer with African flavours, entrepreneur Kofi Meroe and his partner have made Hypebiscus pale ale, a premium craft beer with a floral top note of hibiscus. Meroe and his partner, who both grew up across West Africa, hope one day to sell their beer in Accra. "The market is very nascent in countries like Ghana, but it's growing and the recent launch of a few strong local brands is an indication of that," said Meroe. Demand is coming too from Ghanaians living abroad. Just outside Accra, Steve Ocloo, of Nkulenu Industries, is bottling palm wine for export, to be served on tables from Rio de Janeiro to London. "It would bring back the sweet memories that they will have of the natural palm wine at home," he said. Cauldrons pf the traditional sorghum-based pito drink bubble away in fire pits in Tema, Accra A barman at the Republic Bar & Grill in Accra serves a Kokroko cocktail, a drink made of Sobolo and Akpeteshie Customers sit outside the Republic Bar & Grill, one of the most well-known pubs in Accra and popular for its cocktails The Nkulenu factory in Accra exports Ghanaian food and drink, including palm wine
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn will be spending Christmas and the beginning of 2019 behind bars after a Tokyo court on Sunday extended his detention through to January 1. The court's decision is the latest twist in a rollercoaster saga that has gripped Japan and the business world since the auto sector titan was arrested out of the blue in Tokyo on November 19. "Today, a decision was made to detain (Ghosn). The full term of the detention will expire on January 1," the Tokyo District Court said in a statement to media. This does not however mean that Ghosn can expect to taste freedom on New Year's Day, as prosecutors can apply for a further 10-day extension as they quiz him on allegations of financial misconduct. Authorities are pursuing three separate lines of enquiry against the 64-year-old Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian executive. They suspect he conspired with his right-hand man, US executive Greg Kelly, to hide away around half of his income (some five billion yen or $44 million) over five fiscal years from 2010. They also allege he under-reported his salary to the tune of four billion yen over the next three fiscal years -- apparently to avoid criticism that his pay was too high. The third allegation is that he shifted a personal investment loss made at the height of the financial crisis worth more than $16 million to the Japanese automaker with help from a Saudi acquaintance. Prosecutors have pressed formal charges over the first allegation but not yet over the other accusations. Ghosn reportedly denies all the allegations, saying the transactions were done legally. In connection with the third suspicion, local media say Ghosn is not contesting that payments from Nissan totalling $14.7 million went to the Saudi person, whom he has known for some three decades. But Ghosn has maintained that the money was for the person's work to help Nissan in the region. - 'Betrayed his role' - Ghosn's case has seen several twists and turns since his stunning arrest on the night of November 19 as his private jet touched down at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. On Thursday, observers were caught wrong-footed as the court threw out a request from prosecutors to extend his detention over the second set of allegations (under-reporting his salary between 2015 and 2018) in an almost unheard-of move. This raised his hopes of a release in time for Christmas and he was reportedly gearing up to hold a news conference to put his side of the story for the first time. But those hopes were then dashed on Friday when prosecutors sought and obtained his re-arrest over the new accusations of breach of trust. "The accused was responsible for managing Nissan's overall operations and for dutifully fulfilling his role as CEO not to cause damage to Nissan and its subsidiaries... but he took action that betrayed his role and caused financial damage to Nissan," prosecutors alleged in a statement on Friday. Since his arrest, the once jet-setting executive has languished in a tiny cell in a detention centre in northern Tokyo, where he has complained about the cold and the rice-based menu. Ghosn has told embassy visitors he is being well treated and sources at French car giant Renault have described his frame of mind as "combative" as he fights the charges against him. His lengthy detention -- in Japan, suspects can be "re-arrested" several times over different allegations -- has sparked criticism, especially from abroad. - Fractious alliance - After his arrest last month, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors promptly sacked Ghosn as chairman but Renault kept him on and appointed an interim boss as it waited to assess the legal procedures against him. In addition to charges against Ghosn and Kelly, prosecutors had also indicted Nissan itself, as the company submitted the official documents that allegedly under-reported the income. Kelly, who was also arrested last month, could be released as early as next week. Ghosn's fall from power at Nissan has exposed a deep rift in the three-way alliance -- which outsold all of its rival groups last year. The tycoon was once revered for his role in turning around Nissan and forging the fractious alliance, in which Renault remains the dominant shareholder. Some executives at Nissan -- which now contributes more profits than Renault to the group pot -- were said to bristle at the French company's leadership position. Carlos Ghosn has reportedly denied the allegations, asserting that transactions were carried out legally Profile of Carlos Ghosn
A civilian ship with 33 migrants aboard rescued off the Libyan coast appealed Sunday for a European port to take them to before the weather turns at Christmas. German NGO ship Sea Watch 3 rescued the migrants, including four women and six children, when they were in difficulty attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on Saturday. "We have requested a port of safety to disembark those people," Sea Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer told AFP. "There is no country willing so far to offer the people safe port." Requests to receive the Dutch-flagged vessel have been made to several countries, he said, and Italy and Malta have refused. Their governments say that they have to bear an unfair burden of migrants arriving from Africa. "We will try everything to get a port of safety before Christmas, because on the 25th the weather is worsening, so we urge European states to find a solution within the next 24 hours," Neugebauer said. The rescued migrants include people from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. A Spanish civilian rescue ship with over 300 migrants also rescued off Libya was on Saturday authorised to sail to Spain after Malta and Italy declined to let it come to port. A newborn baby and his mother were helicoptered from the ship operated by Proactiva Open Arms to safety in Malta. Sea Watch said that they had attempted to contact the Libyan search and rescue coordination centre but with no response. 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 some leaders including Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo 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. 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. Italy?s Interior Minister and deputy PM Matteo Salvini has accused aid groups of acting as a "taxi service" for migrants, whom he has denied access to Italian ports while Malta too has been increasingly unwilling to host rescue vessels
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. President Emmanuel Macron with French soldiers in Chad Emmanuel Macron is welcomed by Chad's president Idriss Deby upon his arrival at N'Djamena airport
Australia Post has revealed how it handles the yearly influx of letters to Santa from Aussie kids at Christmas.

The postal service has shared Santas postcard, which is being sent to thousands of eager children over the festive season.

Letter writing to Santa is still a very popular tradition in many households, Australia Post spokeswoman Michelle Skehan said.

We expect to deliver over 150,000 letters to the North Pole this year.

Australia Post told Yahoo7 that each child receives a personally addressed postcard from Santa.

The enormous task of sorting the letters is done at central locations, where letters are read, hand-sorted and checked for return addresses.

Australia Post expects to receive over 150,000 letters to Santa this year. Source: Getty (file pic)

The jolly postcard from Santa spreads the Christmas cheer.

Thanks for sending your letter when you did, Santa writes in the festive postcard, a sample of which was provided to Yahoo 7.

Mrs Claus and I read your letter this morning while we ate breakfast.

The North Pole is very hard to find, and I worry my friends will get lost on their way here!

Santa writes that he enjoys visiting the Great Barrier Reef and sometimes even stops for a quick swim before sharing his festive plans.

Right now, Rudolph and I are organising a surprise movie night, Santa continues.

The elves, Mrs Claus and all the reindeer have been so busy getting things ready for Christmas.

Australia Post will send this postcard to every child who writes to Santa this Christmas. Source: Australia Post. Source: Australia Post

Whats your favourite Christmas movie?

Children who posted letters to Santa before December 14 and provided a return address, will receive their personalised postcard before Christmas Day.

I hope youll write to me again next year, Santa wrote.

Were looking forward to hearing about all the fun things you get up to in 2019.
Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo over the weekend on a rare visit to the country, Syrian state media said Sunday. His Saturday visit came "at the invitation of" Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, the official SANA news agency said. It came just one week after a surprise visit to Damascus by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who became the first Arab leader to visit the Syrian capital since the conflict began in March 2011. Mamluk and his Egyptian counterpart discussed topics of common concern including "political, security and counterterrorism issues", SANA said. It was the second official visit by the secretive Syrian security official to the Egyptian capital since the outbreak of Syria's seven-year war. His last trip to Cairo was in October 2016, according to SANA reporting at the time. Mamluk was appointed as the head of national security in 2012 after a major explosion in Damascus killed four top security officials. He is considered to be a key member of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle and is blacklisted under EU sanctions. In November, France issued arrest warrants for three Syrian intelligence officials -- including Mamluk -- wanted for "complicity in acts of torture" and "complicity in war crimes" among other charges. Syria's war has killed 360,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests. Syrian security services chief Ali Maluk, pictured July 2015, visited Cairo "at the invitation of" Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel
A November meeting marked the beginning of a bipartisan relationship between Democratic U.S. Rep.-elect Anthony Brindisi and Republican U.S. Rep. John Katko  a rapport that could benefit both men when they seek re-election in 2020.

Brindisi, D-Utica, was in Washington for freshman orientation when he sat down with Katko, R-Camillus, in the congressman's office. As an indication of how important they viewed the meeting, Katko's office shared a photo of the pair on social media.

A spokesperson for Katko said at the time that Brindisi and Katko discussed issues affecting central New York and Oswego County, a county that is split between the 24th Congressional District represented by Katko and the 22nd district Brindisi will represent beginning in January.

Beyond their congressional collaboration, though, there are political benefits to a Brindisi-Katko bromance. Brindisi won by a narrow margin over GOP Rep. Claudia Tenney in the 22nd district race. Katko, who won by 20 and 22 points in his first two elections, had his most competitive race yet. In November, he defeated Democratic challenger Dana Balter by a five-point margin.

With more enrolled Republicans in NY-22, Brindisi could face a competitive challenge in 2020. And after his closest race in three elections, unseating Katko will be a high priority for Democrats in two years.

Dr. Luke Perry, a political science professor at Utica College, said Brindisi will want to focus on is improving his support in rural areas that tend to vote Republican. Brindisi fared well in Broome, Cortland and Oneida counties, each of which has cities. In the district's more rural areas, Tenney received more support.

One county Brindisi lost: Oswego, which he will share with Katko.

"There's a political opportunity for Brindisi to try and improve his following there," Perry said.

With the new Congress beginning in January, Brindisi and Katko are discussing ways they can work together. When asked in an interview if he can find common ground with Katko, Brindisi responded, "100 percent."

Brindisi described his meeting with Katko as a "great conversation." He said they not only reviewed issues related to their districts, but they also talked about some subjects they could work on after he's sworn in as the 22nd district's representative.

"I can foresee a great working relationship with Congressman Katko," Brindisi said.

Katko echoed Brindisi's comments. In a separate interview, he emphasized the need to work together because of their shared interests, such as Oswego County.

It won't be the first time Katko partnered with upstate New York Democrats. As an example, he noted that he partnered with the late U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter on bills.

"I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat," Katko said. "If you're from upstate, we should be working together to get things done and that's what we're going to do."

The budding Brindisi-Katko partnership reminds Perry of another bipartisan bond: Brindisi's relationship with GOP state Sen. Joe Griffo.

Brindisi, a Democratic state assemblyman since 2011, partnered with Griffo on many issues over the years. In one of his campaign ads for the 22nd district race, he mentioned Griffo's name while touting his bipartisan approach.

John Katko, Perry said, could be the next Joe Griffo for Brindisi.

"There are substantive advantages to partnering," he said.

Podcast update

Due to a personal matter, the Eye on NY podcast interviews with state Sen.-elect Rachel May and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon was postponed. The interviews have been rescheduled.

The May interview will be available Wednesday on auburnpub.com, iTunes, Google Play and PodBean. The interview with McMahon will be posted in mid-January.

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With the third government shutdown of the year, U.S. Rep. John Katko expressed disappointment Saturday that Congress didn't avoid this scenario.

The partial shutdown began at midnight Saturday. Nine of 15 federal agencies are affected by the shutdown, which will likely last until after Christmas.

Katko, R-Camillus, blamed Democrats and Republicans for not working together to prevent a shutdown from occurring again.

"Because of Congress' failure to act, critical funding for programs like (the Violence Against Women Act) has lapsed," Katko said. "While we can have disagreements as policymakers, there are no winners when Congress fails to keep the government open. We must come together to find a solution. I remain committed to working across party lines to get this done."

The main issue, though, is President Donald Trump's demand that any measure to fund the government includes $5.7 billion to construct a wall along the southern border. Despite Trump's earlier comments that he would take responsibility for a shutdown if the bill didn't include the wall funding he wants, he has since blamed Democrats for the stalemate.

Days before the shutdown, it appeared that there was an agreement on a short-term funding bill that would've kept the government open through Feb. 8. The Republican-led U.S. Senate passed the bill, even though it didn't include the $5.7 billion for wall funding Trump demanded.

Trump signaled he wouldn't sign the bill if it reached his desk.

Instead of considering the Senate-approved continuing resolution, the House approved a separate measure that included $5.7 billion for the wall. Nearly all House Republicans supported the bill, which passed by a 217 to 185 vote.

Katko was among those who voted for the spending bill.

While the funding bill cleared the House, it wouldn't pass in the Senate. Republicans hold a slim majority and would need some Democrats to support it.

With no agreement in place, the Senate adjourned until Thursday, Dec. 27.

The shutdown will affect hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Reports indicate that more than 420,000 federal government employees will work without pay, while over 380,000 workers will be furloughed.

Several agencies will be impacted. National parks, for example, will remain open with no or minimal staffing.

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Nearly two years after the formal establishment of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, tremendous progress has been made at the two main properties that are part of the landmark.

Over the summer, a pair of rangers were temporarily assigned to the abolitionist's former South Street property. The rangers help bolster the visitor experience at the site, especially during the Harriet Tubman Home's busiest months.

There have been other developments over the past few months. In separate interviews with The Citizen, National Park Service project lead Frank Barrows and Harriet Tubman Home President Karen Hill provided updates on the park's progress and what more needs to be done to have a full-fledged national park in Cayuga County.

'Most progress is on Parker Street'

The National Park Service, which acquired the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Parker Street, continues to rehabilitate the church and parsonage. Most of the work has focused on the parsonage. Barrows said window frames and sashes have been repaired and reinstalled. The windows will be repainted using colors from samples taken and analyzed by researchers who authored the church's historic structure report.

A shop has been set up in the church's basement to allow the crew to continue its work through the winter.

The park service also awarded a contract in September to replace the parsonage's roof shingles, rebuild the chimney, replacing the siding, repairing the siding on both gables, rebuild the back porch and priming and painting the exterior of the house. Landscaping, foundation repair and a new gutter system round out the project's components.

The contractor is about 70 percent complete with the project, Barrows said. They have concluded their work for the winter, but will resume in the spring. There will be a meeting with designers in January to get plans for finishing the work remaining on the contract.

Other developments

Two important reports  the cultural landscape and historic structure reports  are being finalized, according to Barrows. Final drafts for both reports have been completed and are being reviewed.

The historic structure report will help with the ongoing restoration of the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.

After the rangers assigned to the Tubman Home finished their temporary assignment in September, the National Park Service has continued to support operations at the landmark. Rangers are present for tours every Tuesday and Thursday. Barrows said the plan is to bring back rangers in late spring or early summer for another seasonal assignment.

With the opening of the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn, a special assignment ranger has been working at the downtown Auburn facility. Barrows explained that the agency is focused on connecting visitors to the Tubman-related resources in Auburn and the surrounding areas.

"We'll continue to explore the many ways we can contribute to the efforts," he said.

Barrows also revealed plans to hire the first permanent ranger for the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in 2019.

For now, nearby national parks continue to provide assistance. Barrows described it as "coparenting," with the staffs at Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome and the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls supporting operations at the Tubman park.

Barrows remains project lead

Barrows has a new job within the National Park Service, but it won't affect his status as the project lead of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park.

He is now based in Philadelphia at the agency's Northeast regional office. He left his post as superintendent at Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome to become the program manager for visitor experience and community engagement for the region, which covers more than 85 parks from Virginia to Maine.

Barrows' responsibilities include providing guidance on visitor experiences, planning, data analysis and youth and volunteer program management.

While he has a new position, he will continue to serve as project lead for the Tubman park.

Hill expressed happiness that Barrows will remain project lead.

"In many ways, it's now easier for us to communicate and interact," she said.

Events in 2019

Hill and the Harriet Tubman Home are planning a few events in 2019. The development of the program for the annual Tubman pilgrimage is underway, and there are plans to hold another Harriet Tubman Freedom Music Festival.

In an interview, Hill said she expects the pilgrimage will be "incredibly dynamic" next year.

"All of Auburn really needs to show up," she added. "I think that's very important."

Hill is also planning to bring "big people" to central New York. She is a member of the federal Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission. She said the commission is committed to holding one of its meetings at the Tubman park.

"We're beginning to be involved in efforts that will be able to tell Tubman's story more fully in the realm of suffrage with the 100th anniversary coming up in 2020," she said. "There will be a lot to share."

Legal paperwork

The review process continues as the Harriet Tubman Home and National Park Service determine how their partnership will proceed. Hill said there aren't any specific issues holding up the agreement, but explained that the National Park Service moved from an implementation agreement to a cooperation agreement. Within the cooperation agreement, she said, is the execution of a preservation conservation easement.

The easement is necessary for the Harriet Tubman Home and National Park Service to jointly manage the South Street property. The agreements are important because the documents spell out the roles of each party.

"That's something that we've always anticipated," Hill said. "We didn't think that would need to happen first."

Earlier this year, Barrows and Hill expressed optimism that the legal agreements would be finished by the end of the federal fiscal year in September. Three months later, Hill now hopes the paperwork will be finished by mid-2019.

Hill described the situation as a "legal back-and-forth" between the Tubman Home and the Park Service. Barrows confirmed that the paperwork is still in the legal review process.

"We're just trying to make it all happen," Hill said. "These things take time."

Looking back on 2018

There was a lot to be excited about this year. Visitation, especially over the summer months, was strong. The presence of the park rangers, albeit temporarily, strengthened the visitor experience.

"It gave us a peek of what's possible in terms of our presence and how we can best bring the story of Harriet Tubman to life for the community as well as for the visitors that will visit from all over the globe," Barrows said. "Having the boots on the ground was a major accomplishment for the startup efforts in the park."

Hill agreed that the visitor experience was great. The Harriet Tubman Home received feedback online and in letters from visitors. Some even made small donations to support the Tubman Home.

The presence of the park rangers, she said, is a must.

"It was great the way (Harriet Tubman Home) personnel and park personnel could work collaboratively," she said. "The people on the ground are amazing. They have been nothing short of amazing."

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AUBURN  For the Cayuga Museum of History & Art, a new executive director isn't just a transition. It's part of a greater transformation.

The museum's curator of five years, Kirsten Wise, will succeed Eileen McHugh, its executive director of 18, at the end of the year. And just days before Wise officially takes the helm at the historic site that is the former Willard-Case Mansion, she received some momentum in the form of a $53,700 award through the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. The money will support the commission of drawings by a preservation architect for the stabilization and rehabilitation of the Case Research Laboratory behind the mansion, Wise said.

"It's huge for us," she said at the museum Wednesday. "This seemingly small award, to us, is the catalyst for so much change in the future."

If you go WHAT: The Cayuga Museum of History & Art, featuring current exhibits "1918: A Century Ago" and "CNY Emerging Artist Project: Loren Bartnicke" WHEN: Open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Saturday, Dec. 29 (museum then closes for season) WHERE: 203 Genesee St., Auburn COST: Admission $6 adults, $5 seniors and free for members and children younger than 12 INFO: Call (315) 253-8051 or visit cayugamuseum.org

It's not the only momentum for Wise and the museum: Its plans to create an arts campus with neighbor the Schweinfurth Art Center is up for part of Auburn's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. The campus would further integrate the two institutions with new landscaping, signage, walkways and more, and the laboratory project could plug into that project well, Wise said.

With even more funding, she said, the laboratory where Theodore Case invented sound-on-film technology will eventually become the site of a world-class exhibit. When it does, she continued, the Cayuga Museum will see a shift: The Case Research Laboratory will become its main destination, and the local history and art exhibits in the mansion will become extras. As McHugh noted, the Case story is the community museum's claim to international fame. So shifting its focus to his laboratory is a natural next step for the museum under Wise's leadership.

What also makes that step natural for her is the pattern of "incredible" work McHugh oversaw during her 18 years at the museum, Wise said. When McHugh arrived in 2000, the upstairs gallery had no walls, just exposed plaster and lathe still sporting damage from the fire there in 1973. The attic had one light bulb, Wise said. And not only has McHugh overseen the rehabilitation of both areas, but also the third major structure on the property: the Carriage House Theater. Ten years and $400,000 later, the 70-year-old theater is a space for live music, theater and more.

"The lasting impact of her tenure is bringing these buildings back to life," Wise said. "It's inspirational that she was able to do it."

McHugh counted that renovation work among her proudest accomplishments as executive director of the museum. She also looked back fondly on exhibits like "Becoming American: The Italian Immigrant Experience in Cayuga County" in 2017 and "Anglers All: A History of Fishing in the Finger Lakes" in the early 2000s. The latter exhibit, which included art, poetry and short stories inspired by fishing, taught McHugh more about fishing and its local historical significance than she could have possibly anticipated, she said. She's still asked whether she's an angler herself. (She's not.)

Cultural corridor: Auburn's $10M grant could support arts campus AUBURN  Two Auburn cultural sites are partnering on a project with goals of curb appeal, ac

That enthusiasm for becoming an expert on new subjects is something McHugh shares with her successor. Working together by themselves for five years, they've also become very close, they said. That's why, as McHugh approached her retirement to Colorado, it was easy for her involve Wise in the duties of executive director, such as writing grants and making programming decisions.

"I think her ideas, her vision for the museum, is really great," McHugh said. "The museum is in great hands."

Those ideas have included food truck rodeos, interactive theater and the rotating exhibits of the CNY Emerging Artist Project, all of which have brought many new faces to the Cayuga Museum, Wise said. As executive director, she plans to continue bringing new types of programming to the museum, especially in the evening and at the Carriage House Theater.

Wise also hopes to shake up the museum's exhibits. She particularly has younger patrons in mind  patrons who've asked, as Theodore Case labored to put sound to film, why people didn't just watch TV. Wise believes reaching those patrons means deconstructing what it means to be a museum, or to host an exhibit. That means moving away from long passages of text to read on the walls, she said. It means giving traditionally unheard voices a presence there. And it means continuing the hard work her predecessor did for 18 years.

"I want the museum to be a vibrant, active part of the community," Wise said. "We've always been that, but we could do more."

Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.

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The first event in the series will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, in the classroom at the museum, 6880 E. Lake Road, Owasco. Denny Randall, of the Old Brutus Historical Society in Weedsport, will talk about the history of Burma Shave signs throughout the country, and perform on the museum's recently acquired player piano and pump organ.
A Yates County woman has been charged with ordering hundreds of lab tests and collecting payment from clients while posing as a midwife.

According to a news release, state police investigators on Friday arrested Elizabeth J. Catlin, 53, of Penn Yan, for allegedly operating a phony medical practice.

Police said the arrest is the result of Catlins conduct of illegally posing as a midwife in and around the Penn Yan area and operating an unlawful midwifery practice, referred to as the Prenatal Place and Penn Yan Prenatal at a rented house on Bath Road, in Milo.

Police said Catlin continued to run the business after her original arrest for allegedly practicing midwifery without a license on Nov. 14 in Ontario County. This arrest is a result of Catlin using the name, address, phone number, and primary staff member name, of an actual Penn Yan doctors office to set up a fraudulent account with a Rochester medical lab, police said. Catlin would then unlawfully obtain blood samples from her clients and send them to the lab to be screened or tested, using forged lab requisition forms.

This fraudulent lab account, and forged lab requisition forms, police said, enabled Catlin to conduct and obtain medical lab results that she was not licensed, not trained, and not authorized to, nor could not have accomplished without the fraudulent lab account and false documents. Investigators said they have obtained hundreds of these documents and that Catlin was being paid by clients who did not know they were being defrauded.

Catlin has been charged with second-degree identity theft, a Class E felony; first-degree falsifying business records, a Class E felony; second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a Class D felony; and a Department of Education felony unlawful practice of a profession (Midwifery without a license).

She was arrested at home and processed at the State Police Dundee barracks, then remanded to Yates County Jail. She was arraigned Saturday morning, and bail was set at $15,000.

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ALBANY  In New York state government news, top lawmakers are pushing back on Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a proposal to limit legislative moonlighting.

With Cuomo's support, a state commission recently approved new restrictions on how much money lawmakers can make from side jobs. But top lawmakers from both parties say those limits were never part of a deal they negotiated with the Democratic governor.

Meanwhile, Sen. Kevin Parker, a Democrat, has apologized, again, for a Tweet that urged an aide to a Republican senator to kill herself.

Here's a look at stories making news:

PAY DISPUTE: This year Cuomo and top lawmakers negotiated and approved a plan to create a commission to decide whether lawmakers deserved their first salary increase in 20 years.

The commission approved a significant raise this month  one that would increase salaries from $79,500 a year to $130,000 over three years. But in an effort to address corruption, the commission also approved new restrictions on how much lawmakers can make from jobs outside the legislature.

Legislative moonlighting has long been a conduit for bribes, giving businesses and groups with matters before the state a way to funnel money to supportive lawmakers.

Former House Speaker Sheldon Silver is appealing a criminal conviction related to millions of dollars he collected by steering business to a law firm.

The new restrictions, which would go into effect in 2020, cap the income lawmakers can make from outside jobs at 10 percent of their total salary.

Cuomo has praised the limits, but many lawmakers have questioned whether the commission had the legal authority to make the change, which has the effect of state law. And now, the leader of the Senate's Republicans and the Democratic speaker of the Assembly say the limits on outside pay were never discussed when they agreed to the pay commission.

Republican Sen. John Flanagan of Long Island, the outgoing leader of the Senate, said Cuomo is trying "to rewrite history."

"Despite what Gov. Cuomo now says, he knows that he, Speaker Heastie, and I all agreed that the compensation committee's sole responsibility would be to examine and set the appropriate pay level for legislators and others who had gone two decades without a pay raise," he said in a statement. "He knows that he gave the Speaker and I his word."

The issue will likely be settled in the courts after a conservative government watchdog group, the Government Justice Center, challenged the unelected commission's authority.

Cuomo has defended the commission and said lawmakers shouldn't be surprised by the limits on outside pay.

"What we agreed to was in the law," he said last week.

Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx agrees with Flanagan's account.

"I don't care what the governor says publicly - the three of us agreed that the commission's purview ... wasn't really outside income," he said in a radio interview last week. "We think that they overreached. And now the courts will figure it out."

APOLOGY DO-OVER: New York state Sen. Kevin Parker has apologized a second time after sending a tweet to a legislative staffer urging her to kill herself.

The Democrat initially apologized to Republican aide Candice Giove for what he called a "poor choice of words." But then he went on to criticize Giove's work as a spokeswoman for Republican lawmakers and, before that, for the former breakaway Democratic faction known as the Independent Democrats.

He tweeted that Giove "is on the wrong side of history for every important issue facing New York State!"

Parker initially tweeted "Kill yourself!" to Giove after Giove took to Twitter to accuse Parker of misusing a Senate parking placard in Manhattan.

Commenters on Twitter condemned Parker's further criticism as evidence that his apology wasn't genuine.

On Wednesday Parker tried again, announcing a donation to a mental health charity and tweeting: "I sincerely apologize to Candace Giove and to all those who were negatively impacted by my words."

Reaction from Parker's Twitter critics was mixed, though one noted that he had misspelled Giove's name.

UPCOMING: Jan. 1: Cuomo kicks off third term with inaugural address on Ellis Island.

Jan. 9: Legislative session begins in Albany.

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As residents in the Cayuga County area contemplate the ramifications of the federal government's partial shutdown that began this weekend, they need to evaluate the performance of their representatives in Congress.

What did U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. John Katko support in those final few days before the deadline? The senators supported a unanimous stopgap spending bill, believing they had President Trump's backing, and cleared the way for the House of Representatives to do the same.

But then far right-wing pundits and the extreme conservatives of the Republican House majority began hollering that the bipartisan Senate bill would be a failure because it didn't include $5 billion for a southern border wall, even though the majority of the nation doesn't support such a project and the president had promised repeatedly in the past that Mexico would pay for it, not the American taxpayers.

But with the barrage of criticism from his base, Trump reversed course and told the House leadership he would veto the stopgap bill first passed by the Senate if the House also approved it. Speaker Paul Ryan immediately caved and put the border wall money into the House bill, a party-line vote got it passed and the shutdown became inevitable.

Katko voted for the bill, although he likely would have supported the stopgap measure, as well. Here's how he summed the situation after the deadline passed:

"I am incredibly disappointed that Democrats and Republicans have failed to work together to avoid a government shutdown. ... While we can have disagreements as policymakers, there are are no winners when Congress fails to keep the government open. We must come together to find a solution. I remain committed to working across party lines to get this done."

While we understand Katko's sentiment, the first sentence is simply inaccurate. Democrats and Republicans did work together. A deal to avoid a shutdown was reached, and a bipartisan vote in the Senate took place.

What's more important, though, is Katko's final sentence. If he's committed to working across party lines, then he needs to get to work with his like-minded Republican colleagues and force House leaders to get the Senate's spending bill to a vote in the House. That will certainly pass with bipartisan support, and it will force Trump to do more than merely threaten a veto. He would have to go through with it and live with the political consequences.

But even if the president were to veto such a measure, there would still be a way to get the government back to work. Congress can override the veto.

That's what should happen. We urge our congressman to do all in his power to make it happen.

The Citizen Editorial Board includes publisher Rob Forcey, managing editor Mike Dowd and executive editor Jeremy Boyer.

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Long but worth the read. Ahram Weekly, Excerpt (read on Egyptian economy: Sail Planning)

Egyptian policy-makers are wishing for favourable winds as they press ahead with economic reform efforts in 2019, report Niveen Wahish and Sherine Abdel-Razek

Tens of infrastructure projects are helping the economy grow

Egypts economic reform programme is now in its third year, and it was in late 2016 that it all began with floating the pound, imposing new taxes and slashing subsidies. The governments programme is backed by a three-year $12 billion extended fund facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of which it has received $8 billion. Early last month, the IMF carried out its fourth review and approved the disbursal of another $2 billion scheduled for early 2019.

Over the last two years, Egypt has passed successive IMF checks with a pat on the back. The Egyptian economy has continued to perform well, despite less favourable global conditions, supported by the authorities strong implementation of the reform programme, an IMF press release said following the fourth review.

Finance Ministry figures show that Egypts gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.3 per cent in the first nine months of the 2017-18 fiscal year compared to 3.9 per cent during the

same period last year. Tourism, exports and natural gas were major contributors to the growth, spurred by public and private consumption at a lower rate than foreign direct investment.

Going forward into 2019, the governments calculations are optimistic. The Finance Ministry sees the economy growing at 6.5 per cent in the 2019-20 fiscal year. The ministrys 2019-20 budget guidelines forecast GDP growth at 6.9 per cent in 2020-21 and 7.3 per cent in 2021-22.

Other positive figures were rolled out this year. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) showed an overall surplus of $12.8 billion in the countrys balance of payments and a retreat in

the current account deficit by 58.6 per cent during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. This was made possible due to improved tourism revenues, which rose to $7.4 billion from $1.6 billion.

Suez Canal receipts increased by 15.4 per cent, to register $5.7 billion against $4.9 billion last year. Remittances from abroad reached $26.5 billion, an increase of $4.6 billion over last year. These contributed to propping up the countrys hard currency reserves, which reached $44.5 billion at the end of November 2018, covering 8.5 months of imports. They had reached a low of $13.4 billion at the end of March 2013, covering only 3.5 months of imports.

The unemployment rate also fell to 9.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2018, compared to 12 per cent a year ago. The number of employed reached 23 million during the same period, compared to 25.7 million a year ago.

This generally positive performance has triggered improved credit ratings for the Egyptian economy. In November, ratings agency Standard & Poors (S&P) affirmed Egypts sovereign credit rating at B and its outlook at stable on the back of a more competitive exchange rate, improving macro fundamentals and rising domestic gas production.

It had upgraded its rating for Egypt from B- to B in May. S&P said it might raise the rating to positive if the countrys economic growth exceeded its expectations or if it reduced its financing needs or government debt.

In August credit ratings agency Fitch affirmed Egypts long-term credit rating at B with a positive outlook. Ratings agency Moodys upgraded its outlook on Egypt to positive, reaffirming its long-term issuer rating at B3. It also upgraded its outlook to positive from stable on the back of what it said were improvements in the economic and business environment in the country.

source: Capital Economics

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GROWTH: Major infrastructure projects continued in 2018 in different parts of the country, propelling growth and creating jobs. Major infrastructure projects continued in 2018 in different parts of the country, propelling growth and creating jobs.

The government continued work on expanding and upgrading the road network, power stations and urban developments. Among them were the development projects in Galala located between Ain Al-Sokhna and Zaafarana on the Red Sea. These aim to create a new urban area including residential, commercial, educational and tourism facilities.

The latest of these projects were inaugurated in mid-December by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. They included a wastewater treatment plant in Qalioubiya and several housing projects aimed at combating informal settlements.

More than 150,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in different fields are said to have been created by the projects. And more than 100 Egyptian companies and 10 engineering consultancy offices are involved. The area also includes a marble factory and the King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz University, a new university development.

This year also saw the inauguration of four power generation projects worth some $7.2 billion. They include three electricity plants built by German conglomerate Siemens in Beni Sweif, Borollos and the New Administrative Capital, with a total capacity of 14.4 Gigawatts (GW).

In a bid to increase the countrys renewable sources of energy, a wind power plant at Gabal Al-Zeit on the Red Sea consisting of three interlinked projects producing 580 Megawatts (ME) of power from 390 wind turbines was also inaugurated this year. Egypt has targeted 20 per cent of all electricity consumption to be generated from renewable sources by 2022.

The new plants will boost power production by 50 per cent and have a combined capacity eight times that of the Aswan High Dam, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

The projects will transform Egypt into a regional power hub and allow us to export electricity to neighbouring countries, he added. Excess electricity generated by the plants will help supply planned interconnection projects with Sudan, Cyprus, Greece and Saudi Arabia, added Electricity Ministry Spokesman Ayman Hamza.

The first phase of the new Alamein City on the North Coast was also inaugurated this year. It will eventually cover 48,000 feddans and cost LE2 billion and is part of a series of ambitious urban development projects that will accommodate Egypts growing population while offering job opportunities and acting as engines of economic growth.

The construction of these fourth-generation cities is not a luxury. They have become an urgent need, both in tackling population growth and in upping Egypts profile on the global investment map, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said at the inauguration. Other cities being developed include the New Rafah City in Sinai, built on 535 feddans and containing 10,000 housing units, and Salam City, to be constructed on 16,415 feddans east of Port Said.

Alamein City and other similar projects have already successfully absorbed workers returning from Libya and other countries, the president said.
Whale Watching Week Takes Over Oregon Coast Starting Thursday

Published 12/23/2018 at 3:59 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Oregon Coast)  The Oregon coast will be whale central for at least a week, as the peak of the gray whale migration is happening now. It all climaxes with the annual Whale Watching Week, starting December 27 and going until December 31. Put on by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), it features volunteers from the Whale Spoken Here program stationed at 24 sites along the coastline, helping people spot the great cetaceans from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Every winter some 20,000 gray whales migrate south from Alaska to the warmer waters off Baja, Mexico to give birth. The Whale Watching Week happens as this mass movement is at its greatest density, with OPRD saying around 30 whales per hour swim past any given point along the route.

Some of these can be Humpbacks and Orcas as well.

Luke Parsons, head of the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, said whales are a special part of the Oregon coast. Besides giving the coastline a major boost in tourism, some of the big goals of the program include creating awareness and compassion for whales and other marine life.

Whale spotting has been difficult lately, according to Parsons, because of gnarly stormy weather. This tends to keep them farther out from shore and large swells hide them from view. No major storm issues are in the weather forecasts for this week, and wave height starts out relatively minor for the early week. Seas begin building to around 15 feet later, however, but its difficult to tell if that marine forecast will affect visibility of whales closer to shore.

If you cant make it out to the Oregon coast during Whale Watching Week, there is still some good numbers to be had for a little while into January.

On the central coast  around Depoe Bay to Newport  there are always the so-called resident whales of the area. Each year, roughly 200 out of that 20,000 whales linger at some place along the Pacific United States, with a decent number becoming residents in this area. Plenty of whales are simply hanging out and attempting to feed, having not migrated all the way south to Mexico in the winter.

These whales are chomping on the copious mysid shrimp that hide in the huge number of kelp forests off areas like Depoe Bay, Cape Foulweather and down near Yachats. Whale experts on the Oregon coast know this because the residents tend to come in closer to shore, and they stick to predictable feeding areas. They also engage in a different kind of diving pattern: the whale's fluke comes up out of the water.

That's a signal they're heading straight down to the bottom, Parsons said.

Experts on the central Oregon coast also recognize many of the same whales returning over and over.

The Whale Watch Week sites begin with one on the Washington coast at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Ilwaco, Washington.

See Best of Oregon Coast Lodging for Whale Watching, Whale Watch Week

The farthest one north on the Oregon coast is at Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, and the next is 15 miles south at the Neahkahnie Mountain Historic Marker Turnout on Highway 101, just above Manzanita.

On the Three Capes Tour there is Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Lookout State Park (that one requires a 2.5-mile hike to the site at the tip of the Cape), and then several miles south at the top of Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City.

In Lincoln County, you'll find the most sites: Inn at Spanish Head Lobby on 10th floor (Lincoln City), Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint (near Depoe Bay), The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint (just south of Depoe Bay), Cape Foulweather and the Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area (both between Newport and Depoe Bay), Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, and Don Davis City Park, also in Newport.

The next one is about a 30-minute drive south, past Yachats, at the Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center and the Cook's Chasm Turnout (directly on the Lincoln County/Lane County line).

About 15 miles south of there is the Sea Lion Caves Turnout  the large Highway 101 turnout south of tunnel, and a bit north of Florence.

On the southern Oregon coast, the Whale Watch sites are Umpqua Lighthouse, near Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Face Rock Wayside State Scenic Viewpoint, Battle Rock Wayfinding Point in Port Orford, Cape Ferrelo, and Harris Beach State Park in Brookings, Oregon.













Whale photos above courtesy Seaside Aquarium

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"Any legislative scheme that requires voters to present ID when voting must have fail-safe measures to ensure that not one single eligible voter is disenfranchised. Our state Constitution demands it. This legislation does not do that. It simply replicates a scheme that we know disenfranchised approximately 1,400 voters in the March 2016 primaries."

North Carolina's new voter ID law is headed to court.This week the N.C. General Assembly overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's Dec. 14 veto of Senate Bill 824 , Implementation of Voter I.D. Constitutional Amendment. Now, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and the N.C. NAACP are suing over allegations of racial discrimination and burdens on voting rights.S.B. 824 is the product of a new constitutional amendment passed by voters 55-45 in November. Accordingly, photo ID must be enforced by state law.Such is the purpose of S.B. 824.The bill, which had bipartisan sponsorship, still faced hard fire from some Democrats, who called it racist. It also disgruntled some Republicans, who thought the law should be stricter. That didn't prevent it from passing the House and Senate.Cooper vetoed, calling it "a solution in search of a problem." The bill was kicked back to the General Assembly, which holds a veto-proof supermajority until January, when Democrats will take control of several seats Republicans held in this year's legislative session.SCSJ filed its lawsuit Wednesday afternoon, minutes after the House override vote.S.B. 824 is closely modeled after Indiana legislation upheld in 2008 by the U.S. Supreme Court.But the law is purposefully discriminatory and isSCSJ stated.S.B. 824 also unduly burdens the fundamental right to vote, creates separate classes of voters, imposes a cost on voting, imposes a property requirement for voting, and impedes voters' ability to engage in political expression and speech by casting a ballot, the organization said.Riggs said.The claims are nonsense, said Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, a primary sponsor of the S.B. 824.Krawiec said.she said.SCSJ is representing six plaintiffs in the case, which was filed in Wake County Superior Court, along with a request for a preliminary injunction.In 2013, SCSJ challenged a North Carolina voter ID law which ultimately was struck down by a three-judge federal appeals court panel.The judges called itThat bill nixed a week of early voting and ended out-of-precinct voting in addition to requiring specific forms of photo ID.The provisions targetedthe judges' 83-page ruling states.Voters have multiple photo ID options under S.B. 824.Driver's licenses, military IDs, student IDs from community colleges and public or private universities, tribal enrollment cards, and state employee IDs are accepted. The law also provides free, state-issued voter ID cards for anyone who needs identification.During debate over the veto override, Democrats asked to include other documents as acceptable voter IDs, including welfare benefit cards. Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, chairman of the House Elections Committee, said he was open to additional tweaks in the law, but didn't commit to specific changes.The NAACP filed its lawsuit Thursday on behalf of voters across the state. Lead counsel Irving Joyner said,


State elections board members Stella Anderson, left, and Valerie Johnson discuss business at the board's Oct. 17 meeting. (CJ photo by Dan Way)

An attorney who represented the Bladen County Improvement Association during a 2016 investigation into potential absentee ballot voting misbehavior says the organization was cleared of any wrongdoing. He hasn't heard from investigators since.The organization get funding from Democrats and was heavily involved in get-out-the-vote efforts for Democratic candidates in the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 midterm elections. The Bladen County Improvement Association is not subject to any law enforcement probesIrving Joyner told Carolina Journal Friday.or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which would handle the investigation, Joyner said. He is a law professor at N.C. Central University School of Law and a longtime NAACP voting rights activist who has conducted absentee ballot information sessions for the Bladen County Improvement Association.Joyner also is serving as a lead counsel for the N.C. NAACP in its lawsuit challenging North Carolina's recently enacted voter ID legislation.Joyner said.The N.C. State Board of Elections investigated reports of absentee mail-in ballot irregularities in 2016 involving the Bladen County Improvement Association and Leslie McCrae Dowless, a Republican operative. It forwarded its report to the U.S. Attorney's Office.The Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement released its report on Wednesday as part of its current investigation into suspicion of widespread, coordinated absentee mail-in ballot shenanigans during the 2018 election cycle in Bladen and Robeson counties.Dowless is the central figure in the current investigation for his role in helping Republican candidate Mark Harris get elected over Democrat Dan McCready in the 9th Congressional District. Harris has admitted hiring Dowless, but denies any knowledge of potential wrongdoing.Investigators are trying to determine whether Dowless and a crew he hired were involved in unlawful ballot harvesting - the term for coordinated efforts to persuade voters to request absentee ballots, collect them from voters, check off the names of the candidates who hired them, and possibly throwing out ballots marked for the opposing candidate.Unofficial counts show Harris won by 905 votes. But the state elections board has refused to certify the results of that contest and two local races, and scheduled a trial-like evidentiary hearing Jan. 11 The 2016 report shows Dowless filed a complaint against the Bladen County Improvement Association, though Joyner said Dowless was merely a surrogate for attorneys working on then-Gov. Pat McCrory's re-election campaign. The 2016 report noted Dowless was unfamiliar with parts of the complaint.Dowless' protest contended field workers for the Bladen County Improvement Association illegally wrote in the name of Franklin Graham on voters' ballots for Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, but failed to sign a certification line that they had assisted the voter. That would be a felony. Graham had failed to meet the filing deadline to appear on the ballot, and unsuccessfully opposed Dowless as a write-in candidate.Ironically, information in Dowless' complaint let investigators home in on his own questionable activities, which remain under investigation.the state elections board's report said.the report said.Graham's name was written in to 234 ballots. But investigators interviewed only six voters who were assisted with filling out their ballots, and just a handful of workers for the Bladen County Improvement Association. Interviews with workers were suspended after they said they Joyner was representing them.Joyner wouldn't say whether he thought the Bladen County Improvement Association investigation ended prematurely.he said. But the state elections board hearing did debate whether writing in the name of a candidate and allowing the voter to fill in the bubble by that name was illegal, he said.Joyner said a staff employee from the State Board of Elections attended a meeting of the Bladen County Improvement Association before the 2016 general election informing its get-out-the-vote workers and those who would be witnessing absentee ballots how to legally conduct those activities.Joyner said.The elections board employee said assistance requiring a signature occurred when someone marked and filled in a ballot for the person casting the vote, Joyner said.Joyner said.
The certificate shall be issued five days after the protest is dismissed or denied by the county board of elections, unless that decision has been appealed to the State Board.

"I cannot answer that question. We (the county elections office) have never been involved in the swearing in and all of that."

It seems the electoral hijinks are never ending this year. In addition to the ongoing ballot fraud saga in Bladen County, we have someone serving as sheriff in neighboring Columbus County even though he has not been officially elected.Republican Jody Greene came out ahead of incumbent Democrat Lewis Hatcher 9,403-9,369 after a recount of ballots from last November's election. Greene was then sworn in on December 3. There is only one problem: the Columbus County Board of Elections has not yet certified that Greene has officially won the election.Several Columbus County citizens complained to the county board of elections that Greene was not a resident of the county, as required by law. The local board dismissed their complaints, but those citizens have a pending appeal to the State Board of Elections. North Carolina law is clear on the procedures in such cases ( 163A-1184.(a).(1):North Carolina law further states that( 128-7).The state board has not yet ruled on the complaints. With Greene's victory not certified, he has not officially been elected sheriff. So why was he sworn in? Columbus County election officials have no idea However, other officials have been sworn in before their elections were officially certified (see link immediately above), so it was likely not an act of deliberate malfeasance that led to Greene's swearing-in. Rather than a coup, it was a case of bad consequences from not following procedure.The ideal solution would be for Greene to step down and former sheriff Hatcher to resume his duties until the election results are officially certified. However, Greene was officially sworn in and has stated that he would not resign. To resolve this impasse, the State Board of Elections should move with all deliberate speed to resolve the complaints against Greene's election, either invalidating the election or clearing the way for its certification. In addition, local officials need to follow proper procedures so that similar incidents like this one don't happen in the future.This incident is another example of how much work we have ahead of us to improve election integrity in North Carolina.
Should Beaufort County elected officials demand that every alleged incident of Child Rape be investigated in Beaufort County?

Yes, without fail, irrespective of the parties involved; this heinous crime must be investigated, and the truth be known, and responsible parties prosecuted.
Fox News responded on Tuesday to a far-left boycott of host Tucker Carlson after Carlson suggested last week that migrant caravans are leaving the U.S. a "dirtier" place.In a statement to The Daily Wire, Fox News wrote:A Fox News Channel spokesperson confirmed that all advertisers are re-expressing and no revenue has been lost.Carlson said on his show last week.Carlson's statement led to left-wing activists calling for advertisers to boycott his show, many of whom decided not to join the left-wing outrage mob, according to The Washington Times Carlson responded to the calls for a boycott on Monday night by stating:And the truth is, unregulated mass immigration has badly hurt this country's natural landscape.Take a trip to our southwestern deserts, if you don't believe it. Thanks to illegal immigration, huge swaths of the region are covered with garbage and waste that degrade the soil and kill wildlife.The Arizona Department of Environment Quality estimates that each illegal border crosser leaves six to eight pounds of trash during the journey into our country. If you're interested in more detail, look at the website they've created, it's called Arizona Border Trash. It's dedicated to highlighting and cleaning up the thousands of tons of garbage strewn across Arizona by immigrants every year.Illegal immigration comes at a huge cost to our environment. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) put it this way: "Illegal border activity on federal lands not only threatens people, but endangered species and the land itself. Illegal aliens and smugglers have destroyed cactus and other sensitive vegetation that can take decades to recover, including habitat for endangered species. One land management official described another federal property on Arizona's border as so unsafe and with resources so destroyed that it is now primarily used for illegal activities and no longer visited by the general public."WATCH: Tucker Carlson Decimates Far-Left Boycott Of His Show Over 'Dirtier' Comment
On Thursday, President Trump announced that he would not sign a short-term continuing resolution approved by the Senate - a bill that did not include funding for a border wall. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), who was summoned to the White House alongside Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Mark Meadows (R-SC), announced Trump's stance:Ryan stated that Trump would not sign the bill "because of his legitimate concerns for border security." He pledged to go back to the House and work with members to change the bill to protect the border. McCarthy, who will act as minority leader in the next term, said, "We believe there's still time. We can still have border security. ... We had a great discussion with him there. The president says what the Senate sent over is just kicking the can down the road."So, will the House come up with a workable version of the bill? Or will the Senate just kill the bill as soon as border funding is added? Without negotiation with Senate Democrats, any border funding would be stripped out in conference between the House and Senate anyway. The onus is now on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to come up with some sort of solution.The smart money is on additional border funding without funding explicitly delegated to the border wall. Democrats don't want to hand Trump a victory, feel that they have him over a barrel - after all, he's been wishy-washy on the continuing resolution from the beginning - and believe that a government shutdown will be blamed on Trump anyway. That means they're likely to either drive a hard bargain or refuse a bargain outright. After all, they take over Congress in the new year anyway.The most likely solution: McConnell tells Trump that no bill is forthcoming with what he wants, but negotiates some sort of border security fig leaf for which Trump can claim victory. Democrats claim they've defeated Trump's agenda by explicitly barring use of the funding for the building of a border wall.But this is the time for Trump to stand strong, if he can: there won't be any more opportunities once Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House. Simply put, if Trump doesn't get the wall now, he's not getting it before the 2020 election.